For those who don't know, I have just moved back to New York and I couldn't be anymore EXCITED!! Exciting as it is, moving to New York was no joke, it is a very daunting and stressful experience (but well worth it in the end....Hopefully).
Before I moved I had wished that there was some sort of magic book that just told me everything I needed to know about moving and surviving in the Big Apple. So, I have decided to write about all my experiences (good and bad) here on my blog to help any of you out there thinking of doing the same as I have. Although these posts will be focused on my experience of moving to New York it also apply's to anyone thinking of doing the 1 Year grad programme I hope that my tips and tricks will help and guide you not only if you are moving to New York but also if you are visiting as I will be posting lots of recommendations for the best bars, restaurants, places to shop and things to do here in the city.
Firstly, I have always wanted to live in New York it has being a dream of mine since I was younger. I think Sex in the City and Home Alone are to blame! I feel New York is a place that you will either love or hate, for me I adored it! When I got to move here last summer for a J1 I was so excited, it was the best thing I ever did, although I did find it hard being away from home at times. I highly encourage doing a J1 first to be extra sure if the place you are thinking of moving to is for you before doing the grad visa because a year is a long time and the visa doesn't come cheap.
Gaining Access
Okay so if you are like me and are not blessed with an American passport you need to gain access to work and live in the US. I got my visa through USIT which I found super helpful when I went to them with my J1 so I decided to go through them again. Really it is the safest and easiest way to get your visa. They are always there with any questions you may have and honestly made the whole process a lot less stressful. I went to the Dublin office this time around as I was studying there but you can go to any of them. There are offices in Dublin, Galway, Limerick and Cork. If you are not able to get to any offices you can also do it all over the phone or by email as well.
I moved to New York on the graduate visa which is a visa that you can do once you finish your degree and allows you to work and live in America for the year. You have to work in the sector that you studied in, because of this I decided to wait until I had my masters degree as I did not want to work in New York with what I studied in my undergraduate. My undergraduate was in politics and sociology. I just recently completed my masters in Public Relations back in May which is what I will be working at over here. USIT allow you a full year from the date you graduate to move so for me I graduate in November 2016 so I had until November 2017 to move but decided to go as soon as I could as I couldn't wait to get back to this crazy place.
As soon as you apply and pay off everything you will get an appointment to go to the embassy for your interview. Most people usually freak out about this interview but really once you have all your correct documents that USIT say to bring as well as the correct photos you should be fine. You will find out then and there if your visa has been accepted and your passport will be taken away for about a week or two for the visa to be put in it so if you are going to be going on holidays or needing your passport remember that.
I moved to New York on the graduate visa which is a visa that you can do once you finish your degree and allows you to work and live in America for the year. You have to work in the sector that you studied in, because of this I decided to wait until I had my masters degree as I did not want to work in New York with what I studied in my undergraduate. My undergraduate was in politics and sociology. I just recently completed my masters in Public Relations back in May which is what I will be working at over here. USIT allow you a full year from the date you graduate to move so for me I graduate in November 2016 so I had until November 2017 to move but decided to go as soon as I could as I couldn't wait to get back to this crazy place.
As soon as you apply and pay off everything you will get an appointment to go to the embassy for your interview. Most people usually freak out about this interview but really once you have all your correct documents that USIT say to bring as well as the correct photos you should be fine. You will find out then and there if your visa has been accepted and your passport will be taken away for about a week or two for the visa to be put in it so if you are going to be going on holidays or needing your passport remember that.
Before You Go...
It is extremely stressful the week before you leave especially if you are working straight up to when you go and haven't had the time to even think about moving like I was. I decided to make a list of everything I needed to get done before I left to make landing and adjusting as easy as I could for myself. The more you have sorted before you go the easier it will be for when you land because once you land you will have a million and one things to do (blog post coming on what to do when you land). Once I decided to do the grad visa I got myself straight over to the Facebook pages that are for j1ers in New york or graduates in New York. These pages are great especially if you are travelling on your own like I did. The Facebook page is where I found my two room mates and is a great place for making friends.
Be sure to weigh your luggage before you go as I did not and was A LOT over 22 kgs but luckily I had a lovely girl at the desk who put it through anyway. I would also recommend getting the sim card that USIT provide, this way you can register the sim card to activate the day you land and you can contact home straight away after you land. You also can set up a direct debit so you never have to worry about topping up which is great.
I will have lots more posts coming now that I have FINALLY settled here in the city on how to survive this crazy place so stay tuned :)
Be sure to weigh your luggage before you go as I did not and was A LOT over 22 kgs but luckily I had a lovely girl at the desk who put it through anyway. I would also recommend getting the sim card that USIT provide, this way you can register the sim card to activate the day you land and you can contact home straight away after you land. You also can set up a direct debit so you never have to worry about topping up which is great.
I will have lots more posts coming now that I have FINALLY settled here in the city on how to survive this crazy place so stay tuned :)
Lots of Love,
Leah x
