Destination Guide for U.S.A - USP Relocations (Thailand Moving company)

Life in the U.S.A

The U.S.A. is primarily of Western origin, but is influenced by a multicultural ethos that includes African, Native American, Asian, Pacific Island, and Latin American people and their cultures. It also has its own distinct social and cultural characteristics, such as dialect, music, arts, social habits, cuisine, and folklore. The United States is ethnically and racially diverse as a result of large-scale migration throughout its history.

Weather

The climate of the United States varies due to changes in latitude, and a range of geographic features, including mountains and deserts. Generally, on the mainland, the climate of the U.S. becomes warmer the further south one travels, and drier the further west, until one reaches the West Coast.

Moving from Thailand, where the whole country is mostly hot and humid all year round, to the U.S.A where the climate can change from state to state, provides you with a wide variety of weather conditions to choose from that best suits your lifestyle.

Cost of Living

If you’re dreaming of a new life in America or you’re just moving back home after living abroad for some years, you’re not alone. With such a massive range of places to choose to live and work, you’ll find thriving expat communities in every corner of the country.

Though the U.S.A is a top sought after country to live in, it does come with a price. That said, if you do not choose popular states like California or New York, then the cost of living can be drastically reduced. While the cost of food and housing is much more than Thailand, you’d be surprised how close they can be with enough research and planning. We hope this guide can help get you started on the right path.

For this guide, we have chosen 2 of some of the most expensive cities to live in the USA.

General Living Expenses

Living expenses in the USA (excluding rent)	New York average cost	San Francisco average cost
Single person, per month	$1,100	$1,114
Single person, per year	$13,200	$13,368
University student, per month	$794	$852
Four-person family, per month	$4,045	$4,118
Four-person family, per year	$48,540	$49,416

Renting

Renting in the USA	Average monthly cost (New York)	Average monthly cost (San Francisco)
One-bedroom apartment (city center)	$3,003	$3,273
One-bedroom apartment (outside of city center)	$1,896	$2,542
Three-bedroom family home (city center)	$5,832	$6,478
Three-bedroom family home (outside of city center)	$3,318	$4,501
Internet	$60	$54
Utilities (gas, electric and water for an 85m2 apartment)	$128	$117

For more detailed cost of living in the U.S.A., please click here or visit:

Click Here

International Schools

Here you can find a short list of some top schools in the United Sates:

Baton Rouge International School

5015 Auto Plex Drive,
Baton Rouge,
LA 70809,
USA

www.brintl.com

Co-educational, Day, Nursery, Pre-Preparatory, Preparatory, Senior, Sixth Form.

Read more about Baton Rouge International School

British International School of Chicago, Lincoln Park

814 W Eastman Street,
Chicago,
IL 60642,
USA

www.bischicagolp.org

Co-educational, Day, Nursery, Pre-Preparatory, Preparatory, Senior, Sixth Form.

Read more about British International School of Chicago, Lincoln Park

Dwight School

291 Central Park West,
New York,
NY 10024,
USA

www.dwight.edu

Co-educational, Day, Nursery, Pre-Preparatory, Preparatory, Senior, Sixth Form.

EF Academy New York

582 Columbus Avenue,
Thornwood,
NY 10594,
USA

www.efacademy.org

Co-educational, Boarding, Day, Senior, Sixth Form.

EF Academy Pasadena

1539 E Howard St.,
Pasadena,
CA 91104,
USA

www.efacademy.org

Co-educational, Boarding, Day, Senior, Sixth Form.

International School of Los Angeles

1105 W. Riverside Drive,
Burbank,
CA 91506,
USA

www.internationalschool.la

Co-educational, Day, Nursery, Pre-Preparatory, Preparatory, Senior, Sixth Form.

Read more about International School of Los Angeles

Customs Regulations for Returning Citizens

Because the U.S.A is a large country with much more restrictions in place when compared with moving to Thailand and other countries, the rules and regulations are more extensive. Don’t let all this information overwhelm you though. If it’s too much to take in, then please let our Moving Specialists help you. Again, this is only for your reference and you are not expected to memorize it all.

For full customs regulations for returning and foreign citizens, including details such as restricted and prohibited items, please follow the link to view and/or download an official U.S.A. Customs Guide from FIDI:

Customs Regulations U.S.A.

That said, here are some of the main regulations you should be made aware of:

All shipments are subject to examination at the discretion of Customs officials.
Do not indicate “packed by owner” (PBO) or miscellaneous descriptions on the detailed inventory.
For duty-free clearance, the household goods must have been used at least 1 year in the foreign household prior to shipment from the origin country.

Required Documentation

Following documents are required for import of household goods and personal effects into the United States:

Passport (copy) showing personal data and photo page
Copy of Visa (if non-US citizen / permanent resident) / copy of Permanent Resident Card
Customs Form 3299 “Declaration for Free Entry of Unaccompanied Articles”
Supplement Declaration for Unaccompanied Personal and Household Effects
Power of Attorney Form authorizing Destination Agent to act on Customer’s behalf in liaisons with U.S. Customs
Inventory/Packing List in English. Items listed as “PBO” (packed by owner) or “Misc.” (miscellaneous) are not acceptable)
Importers Security Filing (ISF)

For more detailed information, please view the full Customs Regulations Guide from FIDI. Please also contact one of our move specialists who are here to help you with importing your house hold goods into U.S.A from Thailand.

Motor Vehicles

Import of automobiles/motor vehicles are subject to import duties and taxes unless previously exported from the United States provided the customer can supply the export Ocean Bill of Lading and can prove that no modifications have been made to the vehicle since it was exported. Import is also subject to the following requirements and documents:

Pets

There are strict controls and restrictions on the importation of animals, which is regulated by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service and U.S. Public Health Service. Import regulations for pets may include the following, depending on the country of origin:
Original Certificate of rabies vaccination showing proof that the vaccination was administered more than 30 days prior to the flight, but not more than 180 days
Health Certificate from a veterinarian must be issued within 15 to 10 days prior to animals’ departure
Dogs and cats are not normally quarantined, but birds require 30 days quarantine and an Import Permit
Cats are subject to inspection at ports of entry and may be denied entry into the United States if they have evidence of an infectious disease that can be transmitted to humans. If a cat appears to be ill, further examination by a licensed veterinarian at the owner’s expense might be required at the port of entry.
All pet cats arriving in the state of Hawaii and the territory of Guam, even from the U.S. mainland, are subject to locally imposed quarantine requirements.

Transit Times and Ports of Entry

Sea Shipments:

The United States is massive, and so there are many sea ports of entry depending on the state you are moving to. Here are a few of the most popular ones:

Port of Entry	Transit Time	Customs Clearance
New York	30-31 Days	2-10 Working Days
Los Angeles	25-30 Days	2-10 Working Days
Long Beach, FL	35 Days	2-10 Working Days

Air Shipments:

As there are 50 different states to choose from, there are also more than 50 different air ports to choose. For this reason, we will not overwhelm you by listing them all here.

Port of Entry	Transit Time	Customs Clearance
Varies by state	Approx. 3-5 Days	2-10 Working Days