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Unofficial Waterloo USA Intern Guide |
This document is unofficial and not endorsed by my school or employers.
I'm not a lawyer, a tax specialist nor do a purport to have any real knowledge.
This is a collection of things I wished I knew when I went away on my first co-op term to the US. I hope it helps you out. Many things contained in this document were gained through mistakes and conversations with older students.
This document is a work in progress. While I may say I, that's actually one of us (contributors). So you should become one of us so you could be I. Do us got it?
If you are a past intern and have thoughts/ideas to add to this document, let me know. Even better submit a pull request. I'll note you if you want to be noted.
- Akshay Joshi
- Aamir Mansoor
- Chris Vandevelde
- Michael Truong
- Stephen Holiday
Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 Canada
For many, the JobMine process is familiar so I won't speak about that. You probably know how to get a job.
Something to note is that many companies in the US (particularly California) are much more laid back and don't care if you wear a suit or not. Depends on the company. I suit up for Morgan Stanley but not Facebook.
If you read earlier, I got my first co-op in the US. Which is something CECS says not to do in your first year. Even if you only have 4 months of school under your belt, there is no actual restriction for going in first year.
Don't believe 'competitive pay', that can range from $25/hr - $45/hr.
Many companies offer a housing stipend (a bit of money, often taxable). Some will put you up in subsidized or free housing (Amazon, Apple etc).
Ask if they cover flight. If you are going to San Francisco, $500-750 round trip after tax as a guide. You could probably do better with connecting flights. New York is a lot cheaper.
Asking your company to put you in a hotel for a few days has always worked out well for me. Instead of making housing decisions while still in Canada (which could be pretty risky), I prefer spending a few days in a hotel at my company's expense as I wrap-up apartment search.
Sometimes stipends are large, sometimes they are not. If you're not sure, assume that your stipend will be taxed at ~26% in California. I've heard you can get much of it back if you save your receipts, something to look into.
I'd recommend against working at a place that does not cover some part of your housing. If you have the financial ability to not care, then lucky you :-P.
It's worth checking out.
CECS and CDS/AIPT (now Cultural Vistas) will guide you through the process. If you have questions ask the awesome Cathy Stein ([email protected]). She's amazing.
- DS-2019
- Passport
- Training Plan
- SEVIS fee receipt
- Resume (for customs, weird eh)
- Map surrounding hotel/apartment
- Boarding pass
Don't call it a job or say you are working! The J1 visa status is not meant for "working", but rather for "training" in the United States. Remember, you're just a poor little intern training in the United States!
I prefer keeping all the above as a digital copy in my Dropbox/Google Docs so I have instant access to them just in case I lose anything.
- Fill in form SS-5 available at the Social Security Administration's website.
- Bring forms and documentation to your local SSA office.
- There is no step three.
Not as long of a wait to get into the office (not as much security screening), but took longer for the card to arrive.
Long wait just to get into the building (outdoor wait due to security screening), but card arrived in 2 business days (was promised two weeks).
As with everything else, your mileage may vary.
Check out the area specific section for more info.
Contact your company and try to get emails of other Waterloo students going down the same time as you.
Contact them and ask them to meet up somewhere in Waterloo for dinner. It gives everyone a great opportunity to meet each other, get a feel for who would be a good roommate.
I like to find outgoing people who like to travel on weekends, it's a personal choice.
Craigslist is an option. Before you do so, we would suggest checking "Vacation Rental" or "Corporate Housing" websites because they usually work better with our 4-month work terms. Some websites I've used are:
AirBnB is also a viable option, especially in the SF Bay Area. If you are stuck in situations where you are unable to move in for a couple of days, finding a place on AirBnB will get you a better value for less cost than a hotel. Just remember to use common sense and good judgement. Always read the reviews.
If you are the adventurous type and enjoy living in hostel-like acommodations, I highly recommend Pacific Tradewinds in San Francisco. It's feels very home-y and undoubtedly a great place to meet technical folks and entrepreneurs.
- Airbnb Sublets -- vacation rentals
- Vacation Rentals by Owner -- vacation rentals
- AMSI -- corporate housing
- Corporate Housing by Owner -- Corporate housing
- PadMapper -- A great way to visualize Craigslist.
If you just want a phone that makes phone calls and texts (weirdo) you can get some cheap pay as you go phone. I have a BOOST prepaid phone which I use for when people come to visit me and haven't had any trouble with it.
I think T-Mobile and AT&T both offer options in this arena.
In the past some groups were able to get a reduced rate by getting a family plan.
I used to use T-Mobile with a weird prepaid plan but they stopped that and make you put down a deposit. I'm told that this may have changed, you may want to check this one in your state.
My one friend knows a trick with AT&T where you can get them to check your Canadian credit history. I tried it and spend an hour arguing with the staff telling them it could be done and gave up. My friend told me it takes about three hours before they will relent, uggh.
I tried SimpleMobile this term (Winter '12) and have mixed feelings. Their customer support is pretty terrible, they don't know what BIS is and they think data is data. But you can get it to work, and the service itself is fine (I think they actually are on T-Mobile).
Note, if you have a Rogers/AT&T phone it will likely only get EDGE not 3G.
Akshay just sticks to using Rogers' BIS One Rate Plan - $35 for 500 MB of BIS data. Then, he uses a SIP client on it to make calls (Google Voice/Voip.ms). You don't pay too much to Rogers, and you save on roaming costs as well. Win/win.
Note: Some banks have a savings account. You may not want one for several reasons:
- There may be a minimum balance after 6 months
- Having interest income in the US can complicate taxes (not an expert)
Choosing a Bank is up to you and your preferences. I'd stick to one of:
- Citibank
- Chase
- Bank of America
- Wells Fargo
If you are in NY Chase is the one to open. There are so many Chase branches and ATMs.
Bank of America is pretty good in the SF/Bay Area. Chase is OK there too.
Wells Fargo is known for being super nice.
You will not need a SSN to open an account at the four listed banks. Bring your passport and visa. You don't even need a permanent address. Some have had luck with using their hotel's or their company's.
I've always kept a US bank account open. It's super useful to have. If you come back to the US again you're all setup. If you travel you can get cash easy. If you want to buy stuff online it's great.
Some people want to close their account to avoid bank fees. Most banks (BoA, Chase, Wells Fargo) offer a student account for 5 years from when you signup. Bring your student ID card. They don't require any minimum activity other than some nominal balance.
Getting credit in the US is very hard. Especially if you are under 21.
Keep in mind that instead of Interac for debit cards, all American debit cards (also known as "check cards") are actually VISA/MasterCard cards. You can use them anywhere you would use a credit card except the money comes out of your account immediately.
You can get a Secured Credit card where you put some money into a special account and that amount becomes your credit limit. Something to look into.
Sometimes you can get BoA or TD America to look up your Canadian credit history. TD Ameritrade and BoA has a Canadian credit check form. Really tough if you are under 21.
This worked for an 18 year old guy with two credit cards in good standing back in Canada. Apply for the card at the branch in person. When asked for your information, inform them that you would like to request a Canadian credit bureau check to augment your US credit bureau reports (especially important if it's your first work term in the States). If the representative is knowledgeable, they will process the credit card application normally and then will ask you to call a number (or call for you on your behalf) about 24-48 hours later (excluding weekends). If not, here's the number you can call: 1 888 503 6092. They'll ask for your Canadian SIN number and your last address in Canada. YMMV.
One surefire way of getting a credit card fairly soon would be to apply for a Capital One credit card that's directly targeted for people with no credit history/newcomers. Beware this card is free for the first year, but costs around $30 per year after that.
Some really creative ways:
- Bring it in cash across the border (10k limit, it's a lot in $20's, I don't do
this anymore) - Mailing it by UPS/FedEx insured (got this from a TD Canada banker)
- Buying equity on a cross listed item and selling it on a Canadian exchange (best rate I hear, but sounds tricky)
Some more tame ways:
- xe.com, this is my preferred method. 1.5% spread which is pretty good.
- Wire transfer
- Cash a check (takes 20-30 days I hear)
- RBC Royal Bank (they have a cross boarder checking account, but the spread is 2.5%, I don't do this any more)
- Using your family member who works at a bank and gets currency exchanged at cost (I'm told this is the best possible)
If you end up with American funds in Canada, I recommend opening a US dollar account and convert it over time so you don't get bit by the exchange rate.
I suck at playing the market so I just transfer money over ~$1k at a time to try and even out my loss/gain.
Keep in mind that some banks charge different spreads depending on how much you transfer. $1,100 worked best for me.
CECS has some information on taxes. Stephen plans on being lazy and using "Peter Cuttini" (contact info on Waterloo site) this term. He's heard good things about him for co-op students. (Around $300).
H&R Block will also do it for around $300.
Some people have had luck with this free government program.
Sadly you will have to pay taxes on your hard-earned income. Chances are you already paid the American ones in your paycheque. Depending on your State and situation you will end up receiving much (50% is not unreasonable) of that back. You may owe money in Canada. You definitely have to fill out both Canadian Federal and Provincial forms as well as US Federal and State.
There are short versions of US forms for non-residents (you may not apply) which Stephen used last tax year.
The main question Stephen had was whether I had to pay taxes twice in both Canada and the US. In his situation, Canada knew how much he was taxed in the US and applied some formula to not tax him twice.
- MUNI is the basic transit service, there are buses, streetcars, cable cars (streetcars that go up steep hills, $6/ride and in tourist areas) and subways as well.
- BART is a high-speed subway-ish system that goes around the more city-like parts of the Bay Area and hits more major destinations. BART from the airport to SF is super clean and ~$8.
- Caltrain is a light-rail system that goes through all of Silicon Valley for under $10. If you've heard of the GO train in the GTA, it's similar. They do often check tickets though!
- Clipper Card is a free card you can get and load with money which can be used on all of these transit systems seamlessly. Get one.
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Paramount/SFO Housing is pretty decent (Park or Herbert). The internet is slow. They are older buildings.
- 2010F - Stephen has stayed at the Park. Liked it, would recommend
- Hipsters just drink tea.
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Foster City - Sand Cove Apartments is a good apartment complex and they are very helpful with setting up housing for people out of the country. They do flexible leasing and month to month rentals. In the past, QuinStreet co-ops have lived at the other properties owned by the parent company (Woodmont, who seem to own a lot of land around here).
- 2010W - Stephen - Liked it, very close to the old QuinStreet buildings. 2 Bedroom 2 Bath $1909/mo.
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Mountain View - Central Park at Whisman Station is a good apartment complex and they are very helpful with setting up housing for people out of the country. 20 minute walk from Caltrain. Not that convent for transit. Safeway is about 2 miles away.
- 2012W - Stephen - We pay 2700/mo unfurnished plus utilities for 3 bedrooms. Clean and very nice. Less than 20 minute bike ride to Google.
- Stephen waited in the rain for 2 hours to eat at Phil's BBQ. The ribs are amazing.
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Brooklyn (Bay Ridge) - 328 91st Street, Brooklyn (close to the subway). The landlord is Annette Sobczynski (718-974-0368 [email protected]). Multiple furnished apartments.
- 2011S - Stephen - It was fully furnished for 1900/month, 2 bedrooms, large kitchen and a pullout bed in the living room. Stayed for 1 month while looking for apartments in Manhattan.
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There are so many places to eat in NYC, try new stuff!
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Halcart at 53rd and 6th is to die for. Make sure you go to the right one Get the hot sauce. There will be a line, it is worth it.
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Pizza - In NY it's a different kind of food. It's also highly contentious which place is best.
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Grimaldi's is usually number 1 or 2 on most lists. It will be packed. Go on a weeknight. You will stand outside for 20-45 minutes or more. On Saturday expect over an hour. You can do take out which will be a bit faster. Eat it under the Brooklyn bridge!
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Lombardi's is really good and in Manhattan. The wait is more reasonable.
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Fat Cat is a nice bar and has lots of pool tables, ping-pong tables and even scrabble. Prices are decent. Also allow people under 21 in before a certain time.
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Dallas BBQ is really good and has awesome prices.
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Carmines is family style (gigantic plates) Italian food and really tasty. Pretty busy.
- Kayak on the river for free!
- The American Museum of Natural History is large and fun!
- Go to a comedy club.