How to Guide: Relocating from Singapore to the United States

There are many aspects of relocating from Singapore to United States (US) that are not obvious and I haven’t been able to find a concise guide about it. They gradually surfaced over time as we progressed with our relocation plans, so I hope this article will be helpful for you.

To give you some context, we are moving to San Francisco Bay Area as my husband is starting his PhD there. It’s going to be a 6-year stint, and we look forward to the opportunities for career development and taking outdoor trips here.

There will be money and finances related tips as well as tips on things to cancel and purchase. I will continue to update the article as I experience various things like tax filing.

Life and Medical Health Insurance

What should I do with my health insurance plans when relocating from Singapore to US?

In our case, we are not doing anything about our current plans because we already locked in a cheaper premium at a younger age. That means we will continue paying the premiums as usual, especially since we plan to rely on Singapore healthcare when we get older.

There are a few types of insurance that we have been paying for ever since we started work.

• Life
• Total Permanent Disability (TPD)
• Critical Illness (CI)
• Hospitalisation

Our personal accidents are covered by previous employment benefits, which stopped once we resigned.

This is a good time for you to quickly review the coverage you have and check if it is still valid when you move overseas. In general, if you have insurance plans that will only “pay off” in the long term, I think you should keep them. In the short term, you will probably need to have a US-based health plan.

Is health insurance compulsory in US?

Health insurance will only be compulsory depending on your visa type (e.g. J1, H1B) and the state you are in. The following states have imposed rules on health insurance coverage which you may need to check:

• California
• Massachusetts
• New Jersey
• Rhode Island
• Vermont

Up till 2019, health insurance was compulsory under the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), but it is no longer required at the federal level.

In some cases, employers of H1B professionals may include health insurance coverage as part of the compensation package.

How much savings do you need when relocating from Singapore to US?

This is a big question for those who are relocating from Singapore to US as dependents or students. It is probably more straightforward for those moving for work as you probably just need to have the standard 6 month emergency funds buffer.

As a more conservative planner, I prefer to plan finances based on the full duration, with sufficient preparation for the worst case scenario.

Proof of funds when applying for visa (students and dependents)

If you are applying for F or J visa, you will also need to show proof of sufficient funds. You can find this figure by searching for financial budget guides for each college. Although you are required to show just 1 year of funds, it will be prudent to plan out a few years in advance.

If you are neither under scholarship nor receive a stipend from the college, tuition fees and daily expenses will also be a huge sum to save up for.

For example, if the J1 person receives a salary and tuition allowance from the college, the J2 dependent may need to show about $16k USD per year. That assumes a monthly expense $1.3k USD, which is a fair budget for one half of a couple who can share housing and car expenses.

Disclaimer: Do not rely on anything I have mentioned above as they are just examples. Please check on the necessary funds required for your visa type and program.

How much does it cost to own a car in US?

I am sure you will be happy that car ownership is much more affordable in US compared to Singapore. It is also the preferred mode of transport in many states, especially if you need to commute for work. Having a car also makes it easy for you to travel around the country.

For reference, a brand new Toyota Camry can cost around $28k USD. Used cars have a broad range of prices, and you could get something like a 5-year old Toyota Prius for about $18k. If you are unable to pay the full cost of the car upfront, you may also take a car loan which could help you to build your credit score.

You should also consider the expected depreciation, maintenance, insurance, fuel, tax and parking costs, which could amount to $450 per month depending on the car. Assuming a 15-20% depreciation annually, it could cost around $500-700 USD per month to own a car in US.

If you don’t plan on driving much, you can consider car sharing alternatives like Zipcar or renting a car for some weekends. Uber and Lyft are also great options for nearby trips.

Setting aside cash for income tax assessment

The income tax you need to pay the next year will be based on what you have earned so far before relocating from Singapore to US. You can make use of the relevant income tax tool from IRAS to help you to plan this amount to set aside.

Terminate WiFi and utilities

Take note that you might need to return the WiFi consoles to a physical branch to cancel them (e.g. for StarHub). Do make preparations in advance for any internet requirements during the time between cancelling your WiFi and your departure date.

We were renting before relocating from Singapore to US, so the landlord helped us to apply for the takeover of the utilities account for that unit. After that, we received a text message from SP Group informing us about it and there was no further action required.

Cancel gym membership in advance to avoid overpaying

Some gyms might require a notice period before you can cancel the membership. We could have avoided paying 1 extra month of fees if we had contacted the gym for cancellation earlier.

Should I keep my phone number when relocating from Singapore to US?

Yes, you should keep it for some time to ease your transition. You can ask your mobile plan provider about options on downgrading to the bare minimum plan. This is so that you can still receive SMS for 2FA authorisation, especially for banking needs. After some time, you can freeze it for a monthly fee or terminate the line.

I am currently using GOMO, and they don’t have the option to freeze the line. Their cheapest plan (updated Jul 2023) is $10.19, which gives me 10GB of data with 100 SMS and 100mins of call. On the other hand, StarHub allows you to freeze your number for a monthly fee of $5.

Getting a phone number upon arrival in US

Without a SSN or ITIN, you are probably only eligible for prepaid phone plans. If your priority is to save money, you can opt for a 12-month unlimited 16GB prepaid plan with AT&T (updated Jul 2023) that costs $25/month.

There are other value-for-money postpaid mobile plans like T-Mobile’s 5G unlimited 50GB plan which cost $45/month (updated Jul 2023, when signing up for 2 lines). Postpaid plans usually have more perks over prepaid plans, such as streaming site discounts.

We chose a monthly prepaid plan with T-Mobile as it was located near the college campus and we wanted to get a phone number immediately. This makes it easy for us to switch to a postpaid plan once we have our SSN, or if we found a better option.

If your phone is eSIM compatible, you can easily set that up. This way, you don’t necessarily need dual SIM card slots and you can still use your Singapore SIM card.

Some providers also have student discounts, so be sure to enquire about that.

Opening a bank account in US

Another important thing to settle right away is to make an appointment at your chosen bank to open an account. During my 4-month exchange in 2018, I used Bank of America and it has been a good experience. Hence, we decided to start an account with them this time too.

For reference, you will need to prepare some supporting documents as a J visa holder when applying at Bank of America.

• Primary and secondary identification documents: Passport and driving license/IC
• Proof of US physical address
• $100 cash for opening deposit

Be sure to enquire about key information including minimum balance amounts, fall-below fees, the initial duration of fee-waiver, and maximum withdrawal frequency for savings accounts. The interest is going to be close to 0% unless you commit the funds to CDs or money market funds.

Once you have a US bank account, you will be able to make payments more easily.

Transferring money for relocating from Singapore to US

Most of the costs incurred in transferring large sums of money from Singapore to US will be found in the FX rate spread. Although banks typically charge a fixed sum to wire money to your US bank, their FX rates are usually much worse than other non-bank payment agents. Based on a quick comparison on Monito, banks may be charging around 1% more based on the FX rate differential.

Hence, narrowed down to either Wise or Instarem for the transfer. There would be a quick Know-Your-Customer questionnaire just so they can check that you are not doing any money laundering. Using Instarem, there will be an initial PayNow transfer, then they will handle the bank transfer. The whole process might take up to 4 days.

What you need to buy after relocating from Singapore to US

We tried to sell and give away most of our things so that we can pack light for this big move. Hence we needed to buy a quite a number of things when we arrived in our apartment.

What you need on your first night in US

Amazon is very reliable in US, and Prime makes deliveries very fast within the country. If you know your address, it would be good if you can time your order to be delivered ahead of your arrival. Here are some useful things to prepare in advance.

• Pillows and pillowcases
• Bedsheets
• Duvet with cover or Comforter
• Bathroom cloth
• Water or water filter

What you need on your first week in US

• Kitchen tools and dish ware: Pots, pans, plates, cups, cutting board, knives, utensils, spatulas
• Dishwashing liquid and sponge
• Shampoo and soap
• Laundry bag and soap
• Food ingredients
• Cleaning supplies like vacuum and trash bags
• Hangers

Should you bring your electrical appliances when relocating from Singapore to US?

Appliances bought outside US, such as from Singapore or EU, may not work in US due to differences in frequency, voltage or plug type. I always thought that universal power adaptors will do the trick in any country. However, Dyson Hairdryer did not work and I was so shocked! So much for sacrificing luggage space for it.

The reason is due to the voltage incompatibility of non-US appliances (approximately 110V in US vs 220V elsewhere). This issue is more likely for devices that require larger power supply. After doing some research, here are examples of products that might suffer the same fate if you were to bring them to the US. I am excluding bulky items that you are unlikely to ship over anyway.

• Hairdryer, straightener, curling iron
• Coffee machine, electric kettle, toaster
• Audio/visual equipment like stereo systems, amplifiers, and projectors
• Power tools
• Electric stovetops

Driving in the US with a Singapore License

You are allowed to drive in the US with a Singapore License for a certain period of time before having the convert to a local license. Do note that each state will have their own guidelines.

This opens up the option for you to rent a car easily on platforms like Zipcar, Turo or a traditional company like Hertz.

However, if you want to buy a car insurance will be much cheaper when you have a local license.

Converting your license to a local state driver’s license

In some states, a social security number (SSN) is required for you to get a local driver’s license.

However, in California you can apply for a license without a SSN if you are ineligible for it. The key documents required would be:

• Proof of residency (utility bill/bank statement/rental confirmation)
• Passport
• Arrival I-94 document

In general, you will need to take both the written test and behind-the-wheel driving test before you get your license.

The written test is based on the driver’s manual in your state and I recommend studying it before heading down to the DMV for the test. You can also choose to do the test online with proctoring. Note that you may still have to head down physically to get your pictures taken after passing.

After that, you need to make a separate appointment for the behind-the-wheel test w. This time, you need to have a local licensed person drive down to the test dmv.

The vehicle also has to have the adequate insurance coverage for the test. Some people borrow cars from their friends, or you can make arrangements with a nearby driving school.

You get 3 tries for each of those tests, and beyond that you need to re-apply.

Other things I am still trying to figure out

• How to declare and avoid double tax of rental income
• Any tax deduction for depreciation of real estate held outside US
• Is a nonresident alien allowed to hold investments and stocks in a Singapore broker

Let me know if you have any tips, or if there’s anything I missed! I can be found on Instagram @wheresjanice, or via email Janice@wheresjanice.com.

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