What US state do you propose to live in as a DV winner?

[Itsjustme10 0]

Hello everyone! I’m glad that I found a forum like the old ones where people can help each other. 

Me and my wife won the DV-2023 lottery, we’ve got our visas and are ready to settle in USA. But we know America only from movies and we don’t know which state would be suited for us to start our life there in the US. We don’t know many things like how life will be there, but the first thing I wanted to know and ask, was as a new comer, first time immigrant, which US state is the best for a young couple to start their life in? 
Cause we are all on our own and we don’t got any relative that would introduce us with the life, rules, living etc there.

Thank you very much for your time!

[Verrou 1,962]

u can live in any states without issue. there are young couple in the whole 50 states. u might get 50 answers from 50 states.

now i dont know where u from. normally (not always) people tend to reach out to their community and stick with their community especially in the beginning when they plan to immigrate. so i guess if u have friends in the US, u can ask their opinion? where the community is bigger so its easy for u to settle in

 

[Adventine 3,196]

I recommend choosing a city with a significant community of people from your country. That support network will help you get started with places to live, job referrals, and just a new network of friends and acquaintances. Facebook is actually a good place to find these communities and ask for their recommendations before you make the move.

[kiwibean 45]

I think part of it depends on where you might be able to find a job.  You can always start in one state and then move to another later on.  I'd look for a lower cost of living, and a robust economy for whatever type of job you hope to have.  I don't know what climate you're used to, but learning to live with snow when you've never seen it can be an adjustment (it was for me!)

[Itsjustme10 0]

On 4/24/2023 at 5:48 PM, Adventine said:

I recommend choosing a city with a significant community of people from your country. That support network will help you get started with places to live, job referrals, and just a new network of friends and acquaintances. Facebook is actually a good place to find these communities and ask for their recommendations before you make the move.

Thank you very much for your answer. I was hoping that someone that has lived and mabye still lives in the US would come out with a name(state) that they’d think that it would be the best for a young couple to start their life in. I come from Kosova, and I know that my community(albanian) the most lives in the New York area, but from what I know, that place is a very expensive place to live especially for first timers. But I’d like to know from people that live in America where would they move in if they were in my place. Cause I don’t have any relative that would kinda introduce me with the life there. I need someone to guide me on which state, what city I can go, or where can I live cause I learnt that it’s somewhat hard to rent an apartment for the first and things like this. I kinda need a book or an article like this “Guide to the new life of newcomers in USA” 😂! 
Thank you again! 

[Itsjustme10 0]

On 4/24/2023 at 5:48 PM, Adventine said:

I recommend choosing a city with a significant community of people from your country. That support network will help you get started with places to live, job referrals, and just a new network of friends and acquaintances. Facebook is actually a good place to find these communities and ask for their recommendations before you make the move.

Thank you very much for your answer! I will try to find those groups. But if may I ask, what are the first steps that you make when you arrive in the US, like how did you do it, how did you find an apartment etc. 

Thank you again, I appreciate it.

[Itsjustme10 0]

20 hours ago, kiwibean said:

I think part of it depends on where you might be able to find a job.  You can always start in one state and then move to another later on.  I'd look for a lower cost of living, and a robust economy for whatever type of job you hope to have.  I don't know what climate you're used to, but learning to live with snow when you've never seen it can be an adjustment (it was for me!)

Because it’s USA I think that you can find a job anywhere, if that’s what you want. But I’d like to know from you guys, what states are those with a lower cost living.
In my country I’ve experienced all four seasons and I don’t think that, that will be a problem for me.

[milimelo 4,475]

Plenty of forums with DV lottery winners - - try searching for those. Your best bet is to start looking for jobs (linkedin, glassdoor and similar) and decide where it makes sense work-wise, family-wise. I think I read somewhere Iowa was providing start up family costs for their newcomers (this was couple years ago, not sure if that's still the case). 

Look at the website of the city/county chamber of commerce you're interested in moving to. 

 

Also google US states by cost of living; search for in-demand occupations by state.

[Adventine 3,196]

3 hours ago, Itsjustme10 said:

Thank you very much for your answer! I will try to find those groups. But if may I ask, what are the first steps that you make when you arrive in the US, like how did you do it, how did you find an apartment etc. 

Thank you again, I appreciate it.

My situation was different, because my husband was a US citizen, so I just moved into his home. 

 

Decent landlords in the US usually want to see your credit history, which you won't have as a new immigrant. This is why I recommend you search for areas with a large immigrant population from your country, because there will likely be landlords from your country who understand your situation and will be more open to renting to you.  Same principle with looking for jobs. Since you don't have a US job history or degree, people from your country will be able to evaluate your qualifications better, and be more willing to offer you a job, since they are more likely to be familiar with the schools you went to / companies you worked for.

[Verrou 1,962]

i landed in NYC and stayed with someone that i met through twitter because we both love the same band. she's from same hometown with me and we met once in our country before i went to the US. i stayed at her place for couple weeks and gave her couple hundred of dollar just because i dont want to stay in someone's place for free. then i met old friend from high school who live in NYC for 20 years and he suggested to joined facebook group. same country community. i found sublets from them, stayed in that sublet for 2 months, and the whole apartment which is from the same country move to another apartment and asked if i want to split rent with them and i did. i lived with them for 1,5 years. 

 

i'm a gypsy and always moved from place to place, and easy for me to make friends, so i navigate to live in NYC by making friends and ask questions. unfortunately there's no handbook for that, which is awesome if there is any. all i can say i combine being book smart and street smart to live in the (NYC) jungle. also im a city girl, so for me NYC is the right place for me, it feels more home than my hometown. im not interested to live in small city even though the cost of living is less. u also dont need a car if u live in NYC. if not because of covid i wont moved to Maine, but that's story for another time. 

 

i wont suggest to live in maine either because of the housing shortage. the rent is almost the same with when i live in NYC.  less pay but the cost of living is the same than NYC

 

my advise : no need to settle in if u dont like it, just move to another place until u find a place u can call home. 

Edited April 25, 2023 by Misscloud

[Chancy 6,241]

*** Moved from Diversity Visas forum to Moving to the US & Your New Life In America forum ***

 

[EatBulaga 315]

On 4/25/2023 at 12:36 PM, Itsjustme10 said:

Because it’s USA I think that you can find a job anywhere, if that’s what you want. But I’d like to know from you guys, what states are those with a lower cost living.
In my country I’ve experienced all four seasons and I don’t think that, that will be a problem for me.

According to wikipedia, the largest Albanian communities are in NY, NJ, Mich, or Mass.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albanian_Americans

Other places with sizeable Albanian communities are greater Cleveland, Ohio area, Illinois, Conn, or Paterson, NJ.

Fairview, NC, has a high percentage as well as Hamtramck, Mich.

I would think the lower cost states among those are Mich, Ohio, Illinois, NC.

 

Edited May 11, 2023 by EatBulaga