Guide library
Browse published guides for arrival, documents, phone service, transportation, money, healthcare, and everyday life.
The route map walks you through your first months stage by stage, in order. This library is for when you already know the topic you need.
Search by task or keyword, filter by journey stage or topic. Guides are listed in journey order.
Showing 56 of 56 guides.
A pre-arrival checklist for planning documents, flights, housing, transportation, phone access, money, packing, and first-week basics.
A practical guide to choosing safe temporary housing before or after arriving in the U.S., including hotels, extended stays, short-term rentals, campus housing, hosts, scams, and proof-of-address limits.
A practical comparison of hotels, Airbnb-style short-term rentals, and extended stay hotels for choosing temporary housing after arrival.
A step-by-step arrival guide, covering documents, airport arrival, transportation, phone service, and the first week.
A practical guide to what happens after landing at a U.S. airport, including immigration, baggage claim, customs, phone data, and transportation.
A beginner guide to airport rides and local travel in U.S. cities using rideshare, taxis, buses, trains, transit cards, walking, biking, and safety basics.
A practical arrival guide to staying connected in the United States, including eSIM, SIM cards, temporary data, Wi-Fi, tethering, and common phone mistakes.
A first-week checklist covering housing, phone service, transportation, groceries, documents, banking, safety, school, and work.
A practical beginner guide to when you need an SSN, how to apply, what documents to bring, and common mistakes to avoid.
A practical guide to choosing a first U.S. checking account, comparing banks, credit unions, online banks, fees, ATM access, cash deposits, and safety.
A guide to opening your first U.S. bank account, including documents, SSN rules, online applications, debit cards, direct deposit, and account safety.
A practical guide to choosing primary care, urgent care, retail clinics, telehealth, the emergency room, or 911 when you need medical help.
A beginner guide to using U.S. public transit, including subways, buses, commuter trains, regional differences, payment, transit cards, and mistakes.
A practical beginner guide to finding a laundromat, paying for machines, washing and drying clothes, and avoiding common laundry mistakes.
A guide to waiting for a Social Security Number, including what you can do without it, when to follow up, paperwork, banking, housing, and scams.
A beginner guide to proof of address in the U.S., what documents may count, who asks for it, and what to do if you just arrived.
A step-by-step guide to getting proof of address quickly for banks, DMV, school, work, housing, phone service, utilities, or records.
A practical guide to updating USCIS, forwarding mail with USPS, and changing separate school, employer, DMV, bank, and utility records after you move.
A practical guide to choosing a state ID or driver license, checking state rules, preparing documents, understanding REAL ID, and using AAA services where available.
A beginner guide to premiums, deductibles, copays, networks, urgent care, emergency rooms, prescriptions, and health insurance mistakes to avoid.
A plain-English guide to premiums, deductibles, copays, coinsurance, networks, claims, prior authorization, EOBs, and how visit costs usually work.
A practical guide to finding primary care, clinics, urgent care, student health services, and in-network providers before you need medical help.
A practical beginner guide to finding and renting a first apartment in the U.S., including budgets, tours, applications, credit checks, deposits, leases, scams, and move-in timing.
A practical guide to apartment applications, including documents, fees, credit checks, income proof, guarantors, denials, scams, and next steps.
A practical beginner guide to U.S. credit checks, where they are used, what hard and soft checks mean, and why your file may be thin or missing.
A practical beginner guide to reading an apartment lease before signing, including rent dates, deposits, fees, utilities, guests, roommates, repairs, renewal, penalties, and document safety.
A practical guide to rental security deposits, first and last month's rent, broker or Realtor fees, roommates, private landlords, apartment complexes, deductions, and deposit return basics.
A move-in checklist for setting up assigned housing, dorms, apartments, or temporary rooms, including bedding, food, cleaning, and bulky items.
A short practical guide to what renters insurance usually covers, what it does not cover, when landlords require it, and how to choose a basic policy.
A practical beginner guide to electricity, gas, water, trash, sewer, internet, landlord-paid utilities, renter-paid utilities, deposits, due dates, proof of address, and shutoff notices.
A practical guide to finding your electric provider, starting service, setting up an account, handling deposits, avoiding shutoff problems, and planning for outages.
A practical guide to choosing and installing home internet after moving into housing, including availability checks, equipment, fees, contracts, data caps, roommates, and temporary hotspot options.
A practical guide to prepaid and postpaid phone plans, major U.S. carriers, credit checks, device financing, discounts, data, and common phone-plan mistakes.
A beginner guide to U.S. credit scores, credit reports, secured cards, rent applications, and the mistakes that make credit harder to build.
A practical beginner guide to building U.S. credit history with secured cards, credit builder loans, authorized user accounts, low balances, and on-time payments.
A beginner guide to protecting SSNs, avoiding identity theft, freezing credit, ignoring spam calls, and monitoring credit reports.
A practical guide to Zipcar-style car sharing, traditional rental cars, peer-to-peer car rentals, campus programs, insurance, deposits, fees, and driving risks.
A practical beginner guide to gross pay, net pay, direct deposit, taxes withheld, payroll deductions, and what to check on your first paycheck.
A practical beginner guide to deciding whether to buy a car, comparing used and new vehicles, checking loans and fees, and handling title, registration, insurance, and scam risks.
A practical beginner guide to liability, collision, comprehensive, deductibles, limits, proof of insurance, state minimums, and how to shop for your first U.S. car policy.
A practical beginner guide to title transfer, registration, insurance proof, inspections, plates, fees, and state deadlines after you buy a car.
A practical guide to pulling over safely, showing documents, handling questions, understanding citations, and getting help after a traffic stop.
A practical beginner guide to choosing a first U.S. credit card, comparing secured cards, student cards, approval odds, fees, deposits, and credit bureau reporting.
A practical guide to buying furniture in stages, choosing what matters first, avoiding furniture debt, and furnishing a room or apartment without wasting money.
A practical guide to checking used furniture for pests, damage, scams, unsafe pickup plans, delivery problems, and move-in risks before bringing it home.
A practical guide to receiving money after arrival, sending money abroad, comparing fees and exchange rates, avoiding scams, and keeping transfer records.
A beginner guide to using payment apps safely, including Zelle, Venmo, Cash App, PayPal, Apple Cash, roommate payments, deposits, online buying and selling, scams, refunds, and privacy.
A practical guide to government impersonation, immigration legal-help scams, housing scams, fake jobs, bank and SSN verification scams, utility scams, payment red flags, and where to report fraud.
A practical guide to fake utility shutoff calls, suspicious payment demands, fake technician visits, roommate utility problems, and how to verify a real utility company before paying.
A practical recovery guide for newcomers who already sent money, shared documents, or clicked a scam link, including immediate steps, reporting paths, and identity-theft protection.
A practical beginner guide to understanding stores, sales tax, receipts, returns, price matching, pickup orders, warranties, and store credit card pressure.
A practical guide to warehouse club memberships, including bulk buying, unit prices, transportation, storage, and when stores like Costco, Sam's Club, or BJ's actually save money.
A beginner overview of federal and state taxes, filing season, tax residency, income documents, refunds, ITINs, and common first-year tax mistakes.
A beginner guide to federal, state, local, payroll, sales, and property taxes, including what to check when you live or work in more than one state.
A short guide to employee and contractor pay, tax withholding, benefits, records, and warning signs when a job uses W-2 or 1099 paperwork.
A practical guide to resume length, contact details, education, experience, skills, references, and work-authorization wording before you apply.