Getting started
From GRA
Getting started Living in the USI have my pair of jeans, I have my hat, I have my gum and I am going to America!!! Yeah!!! Hey, wait a minute cowboy, are you sure you are that ready to ride the bull? Have you checked you have everything?
Ok, let's start with the boring part: administrative matters. First of all, check your status. You will most probably need a visa to enter the country. All the paperwork to get a visa will be provided to you by the OIAA. So, when you receive the thick envelope from NIST, don't throw it away! Once you get the paperwork, just go to the US Embassy in your country to get the appropriate visa. In general, if you come as a guest researcher, then, you will be under a J1 visa (click here for more information on J-1 visas delivered by NIST) and if you are a student, you will be under an F1 visa. One piece of advice: please, please always keep three things in your passport! If you were missing them, you would be in big troubles! The visa but for that, there should not be any problems since it will be stuck in your passport. The pink paper (IAP66) if you have a J1 visa or the white paper (I20) if you have an F1 visa. The little white form (I94) that will be given to you at the US customs.
What else? Well, something really important! Your health! Be really careful, health care in the States can be extremely expensive if you don't have any health insurance. Along with the package from NIST, you will find some brochures for health insurance to help you choose an insurance company. And don't forget that it is mandatory to be covered if you work at NIST.
You are not completely done with the administrative things yet. You will also need a social security number. This number is like an identification number. It is needed to open a bank account, to apply for a credit card... You should get this number as soon as you arrive at NIST.
Talking about credit card? well, you might also want to open a bank account. It will make it easier to you for all your financial transactions.
Unfortunately, who says money, implies taxes? In most cases, you will have to pay taxes! Depending on your country and status, you will have to pay federal and state taxes. So think about it as soon as possible! It could become an unpleasant surprise for your budget at the end of the fiscal year if you don't consider that matter early enough! For more information, see our tax pages.
Ok, now that you have a status, what would you need? Well, maybe, you would like to have a place to stay? You have several options. Let's eliminate the friend's place option because eventually he/she will kick you out. You can rent your own apartment (around $1000 for one bedroom) or share an apartment with a housemate (around $500 per person). And if you want to experience the American way of life, you can always rent a bedroom offered by families around NIST. For $400, you will have your own bedroom and bathroom and you will share the kitchen with the family. And don't worry, if you are looking for stuff to furnish your place, you can always use the classified section of this website!
You will soon realize that in the States, everything is Huge! Want to discover all that and don'tt have transportation? .... Consider taking the Metro? Bus? Train? Plane? Or maybe even consider buying a car? For a few hints on public transportation, go to our links; for cars, click here.
A little bit of fun now? Maryland and Colorado are great places to live and there is a lot to do around! Theatres, traveling, local events, sports? Check out our links.
Ok, so now are you really ready???
And by the way, if you want more information about NIST, click here!
Welcome to NIST and Have a great stay!
