That "onsite" visit

the_maniac · Mar 1, 2012

I'm likely to be sent on an onsite assignment to USA (NJ) in a month or so. The duration I hear is 6months but that could get shortened out to 3 months as well (or extended to 1 year, depending on the 'status' of our contract with the client.)

Now this will be my first journey across continents and I'd like to get a few things clarified (you know the curiosity/eagerness)

1. How much will be the cost of living over there? And whats the most preferred mode of stay? Wii there be something similar to the el cheapo PG's that we have here?

2. I don't know much about the likely salary that I'll be getting there but assuming it to be the bare minimum, how much can I save from this visit? (yeah thats whats on the minds of most people who go on foreign trips and I'm no different ;p)

3. How do i get back the money saved over there to India? (money transfer ?)

4. What about the things like mobile/internet connectivity once I get there? I will need a phone to contact my folks here so how can I get that and the good old internet? i don't have a laptop and plan to buy one while i'm there..right approach?

And there are many more such lingering questions which I'll be posting as and when I can...

You can make 4 more posts until 02 March 2012 - 09:46 AM. This restriction is in place until you have 1 more approved posts

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raksrules · Mar 1, 2012

First of all congrats on getting an onsite opportunity. I am myself in US currently on an onsite opportunity through the company i work for.

I will try to answer your queries from what my knowledge and experience is.

1. Cost of Living highly depends on the state / city you are in. In fact in my company, they have classified cities in categories A,B,C etc and that decided the salary. Like if you are in city C, you get X salary, then in city B you might get X + 400$ extra or for city A you might get C+ 700$ extra.

NJ is full of Indians from what i have heard (never been there) so accomodation should not be a problem but might be expensive vis-a-vis other states.

Like for example, i stay in Dallas and pay around 800 $ per month rent for a 1BHK. But same type of apartment in east coast might be 1600 $ per month.

2. Savings depend on various factors like type of accomodation you have, shared or individual, mode of transport you use, own car or public transport, where you have food, cook yourself or always have it out.

3. I have not yet done money transfer to India but money2india / remit2india and such websites are there which will get your money transferred to India.

4. Since you will be there for short amount of time, i suggest you get a prepaid card. That's what i have, a Tmobile prepaid with monthly plan with unlimited calls, text and EDGE internet. Remember that in US most networks charge for incoming calls / texts too in many of the plans.

Internet will be dependant on what is available in your area. I pay like 58$ per month for verizon FiOS which has 15 Mbps Down and 5 Mbps Up speed UL. But there are other cheaper options too like comcast / AT&T Uverse / Load Runner etc.

You can buy laptop from here but you need to bring adequate cash for that. Decent laptop will cost you 300$ or so.

PM me if you have any specific queries.

Malique · Mar 1, 2012

where in NJ would you be located? i've been to NJ and if its Jersey city or around, i can help.

Many accomodations (renting) requires contract here, but you would be able to find temporary accomodation. check craigslist.com

if its < 6 months, you may not be on salary but on a per-diem basis with the accomodation or its cost provided by the company. do provide this information, since that can help in guiding you to the right solution for accomodation.

agupta02 · Mar 1, 2012

Another way of finding good, cheap accomodation is to get in touch with the Indian Students' associations at the local universities around your area. A lot of students share apartments and generally there is no contract sigining involved. You also save on groceries and utlities as well as find good "Desi" company for the wknds.

Sanav3 · Mar 1, 2012

raksrules said:
3. I have not yet done money transfer to India but money2india / remit2india and such websites are there which will get your money transferred to India.

4. Since you will be there for short amount of time, i suggest you get a prepaid card. That's what i have, a Tmobile prepaid with monthly plan with unlimited calls, text and EDGE internet. Remember that in US most networks charge for incoming calls / texts too in many of the plans.

Internet will be dependant on what is available in your area. I pay like 58$ per month for verizon FiOS which has 15 Mbps Down and 5 Mbps Up speed UL. But there are other cheaper options too like comcast / AT&T Uverse / Load Runner etc.

You can buy laptop from here but you need to bring adequate cash for that. Decent laptop will cost you 300$ or so.

PM me if you have any specific queries.

@ OP Money2India works perfectly fine, I have used it (5 days for transferring to Indian account) or use xoom.com for locked in rates within one day.

#raksrules Some companies reimburse the internet charges as well (upto 25 $)

raksrules · Mar 1, 2012

Sanav3 said:
@ OP Money2India works perfectly fine, I have used it (5 days for transferring to Indian account) or use xoom.com for locked in rates within one day.

#raksrules Some companies reimburse the internet charges as well (upto 25 $)

Yes mine does, 20$ per month.

the_maniac · Mar 3, 2012

Thanks for your input guys.

I really have no clue about how much my company will pay me since i'm still waiting for my visa stamping to happen. Once that gets done, i will probably be informed about all the payment detaisl.

I do however know that IF and WHEN i do get a chance to goto US, its going to be some place called Weehawken (client location)

And the worst part is that i'll be going there alone and I've to work there alone (nobody else from my company) so any suggestions regarding the staying options, kindly keep this in mind...

and slightly off topic:

incoming calls are charged in US? WTF?! and how much would be the call charges back to India?

whatsinaname · Mar 3, 2012

the_maniac said:
Thanks for your input guys.

I really have no clue about how much my company will pay me since i'm still waiting for my visa stamping to happen. Once that gets done, i will probably be informed about all the payment detaisl.

I do however know that IF and WHEN i do get a chance to goto US, its going to be some place called Weehawken (client location)

And the worst part is that i'll be going there alone and I've to work there alone (nobody else from my company) so any suggestions regarding the staying options, kindly keep this in mind...

and slightly off topic:

incoming calls are charged in US? WTF?! and how much would be the call charges back to India?

Likes raksrules said, people in colleges are always looking for roommates. If it is for 6 months or so, you could also look at www.sublet.com where you can get short term leases. Usually there are a few people who are stuck in an old lease who sublet for lower prices.

Yeah, incoming calls/texts are charged. You basically pay for airtime minutes, and the number of minutes you talk on the phone are cut from your monthly allowance.

You should be able to get a Google Voice number, which makes sending and receiving non-premium texts free and outgoing calls to any US number is free (til end of 2012 I believe). You can make the calls from your PC using a headset.

For calling India, your best option is getting a skype/gchat account setup for your parents and chatting with them on a PC. The second best option is getting a international calling account (I have mine with relianceglobalcall). Basically you call a phone number reliance provides and when connected, dial the Indian number. Takes a few extra seconds to call out but the charges are about 2 cents per minute.

Edit: I just realised you said Weehawken. It is right across the river from Manhattan. Nice place and easy access to Manhattan, but rents might be a bit high. You may also want to look at a few other areas that are connected by the bus system. Good public transport as well. So if you are looking to save money, I think you can do without a car.

raksrules · Mar 3, 2012

For calling to India, if you do not want to use skype etc, i suggest Dial91. I am using it for past 7 months and rates are super low. I think less than cent a minute. Not sure though.

If you do not want to get charged for incoming, you will need to get an appropriate mobile plan. Like I have, 50$ unlimited everything (text, talk, web-EDGE only)

stalker · Mar 3, 2012

+1 to Dial91.com I've been using that as well.

For transferring money to India, I have my regular Wells Fargo bank account setup with my dad's ICICI account in India. I get good rates and transfers reflect instantaneously (or almost, within an hour or two).

the_maniac · Mar 9, 2012

Finally, looks like there is some more info about my 'onsite' visit..

As per my manager, I should get the visa appointment in Chennai somewhere between 12th - 15th of this month and should travel by 24th - which is just about 2 weeks (f00k)

This is all I know as of now. I don't know how much I'll be paid over there (i'm guessing 5k/month) and within this, i'll have to 'adjust'

Now:

1. I heard that NJ is quite an expensive place and staying there within a budget might be a bit more of a challenge..any ideas on kind of outskirts/suburbs where I can stay and travel to Weehawken (travel about an hour if possible via train?) so that theres a relatively smaller hole in my pocket?

2. Phone- I'll take ,y HTC over there and for a temporary basis, i'm was planning to buy a prepaid card - and then probably work my way around from there.

3. What to carry from here to US? Food items/clothing/things of day-to-day use?

4. Laptop- A guy I met said it would be difficult to survive there without a laptop.. is it true?

{on a related note, can i take atleast some of my collection of movies/tv shows which i'd procured through BSNL from 2-8 am over the years ;-) ...i mean will anyone check how legal my collection is?}

many more Q's to come ;-)

raksrules · Mar 9, 2012

Will try to answer you...

1. NJ will be relatively expensive. No much idea as never been there but i am 100% sure it should be almost double of Dallas in terms of house rent etc.

2. For phone, just get a prepaid SIM Card. Decide your usage and then buy it. I wanted all unlimited so went for a higher priced 50$ per month plan. Your preferances might be different.

3. What you carry depends on how much you are going to stay. Will you be cooking food yourself ? If yes then carry the masalas and may be 1-2Kg rice for initial days. In my case, since i came with my wife, we carried rice, aata, all masalas and lots of utensils and pressure cooker. I would recommend carrying a small (5 liter) pressure cooker.

Clothes in less number, more of formal for office, casual you can buy here.

4. The guy you met told you about laptop assuming you won't be getting a TV and the only source of entertainment at home shall be movies etc on laptop. Hence laptop is something you should carry. Won't your company provide you one ? No one will check your HDD contents so be rest assured.

Sanav3 · Mar 9, 2012

I used a prepaid AT&T sim card in US.. 25 $ for three months and call rates were 10 cents per minute.

I regularly used google voice for local US calls and fring for calls to India (1.4 cents per minute) , over WiFi.

if you are planning to buy a new laptop, dont carry your personal laptop it would be a problem while travelling back as you can carry only one personal laptop.

As raksrules said, you might get a office laptop, if no then plan for buying a laptop as soon as you reach there. Find stores located around your office area, check availability of products online.

And pressure cooker is available on amazon as well (I bought a 3 ltr prestige for 35 $) and utensils are damn cheap from walmart (whole package of 5 utensils for cooking + tawa for 40$ ) and you will find plates, bowls, spoons available for few dollars , check out their website.

the_maniac · Mar 9, 2012

I'm not getting any office laptop .. so i have to buy one over there .. any specific places where I can get one @ a good rate?

and any idea about where i can find a cheap/affordable stay?

EDIT:

For affordable stay, I meant @ places nearby which can be reached in an hour by train/local transport, provided that the expense for travel doesn't go beyond the money saved in moving to that place

raksrules · Mar 9, 2012

For laptops, deals keep on coming. Join slickdeals and set a deal alert for laptop and then keep searching for good deal. I have found that Fry's has good deals but that store is not everywhere in US. But they do so ship, so should not be an issue.

BestBuy is expensive IMO.

the_maniac · Mar 29, 2012

The D-day has arrived: saturday morning 4:15 flight from Bangalore

Just a few last minute questions:

1. Can I carry (kissan) Jam, Ketchup, knife, nail cutter kinda stuff?

2. Is there any way that I can call up my parents back home while waiting for the connecting flight?

3. Will airports have free wifi? I want to be able to check my emails

And how can I charge my phone? I have a HTC phone with its charge cum datacable ..will I be able to use the same in US? {some power specs thingy}

4. I want to carry a portable HDD (no laptop) with some of my not so legal content. Will anyone check the contents?

5. Since my flight is @ 4:15 what time should I reach the airport?

Any other dos and don'ts ?

stalker · Mar 30, 2012

the_maniac said:
1. Can I carry (kissan) Jam, Ketchup, knife, nail cutter kinda stuff?

2. Is there any way that I can call up my parents back home while waiting for the connecting flight?

3. Will airports have free wifi? I want to be able to check my emails

And how can I charge my phone? I have a HTC phone with its charge cum datacable ..will I be able to use the same in US? {some power specs thingy}

4. I want to carry a portable HDD (no laptop) with some of my not so legal content. Will anyone check the contents?

5. Since my flight is @ 4:15 what time should I reach the airport?

Any other dos and don'ts ?

1. Food in carryon yes. knife in carryon, no. Everything in checkin, yes.

2. Airports will have public phones. Depending on where you are connecting through, they might charge you an arm and a leg (of the order of $40 per minute at Amsterdam).

3. Depends on the airport. Most airports have usb charging ports (within the us), can't say much about your connection. You will need a different kind of plug in the US. You can get those adapters even in India (cheap 15-20 buck stuff), as long as your charger is rated for 110v-220v.

4. Nope.

Relax and enjoy your flight. Don't overthink things

whatsinaname · Mar 30, 2012

the_maniac said:
The D-day has arrived: saturday morning 4:15 flight from Bangalore

Just a few last minute questions:

1. Can I carry (kissan) Jam, Ketchup, knife, nail cutter kinda stuff?

2. Is there any way that I can call up my parents back home while waiting for the connecting flight?

3. Will airports have free wifi? I want to be able to check my emails

And how can I charge my phone? I have a HTC phone with its charge cum datacable ..will I be able to use the same in US? {some power specs thingy}

4. I want to carry a portable HDD (no laptop) with some of my not so legal content. Will anyone check the contents?

5. Since my flight is @ 4:15 what time should I reach the airport?

Any other dos and don'ts ?

1) Knife/Nail cutter can be in the check-in baggage. Personally, I would suggest you ditch the jam/ketchup. You can buy them in the US. If you do insist on bringing them, put them in the bag you are checking-in.

2) Public phone or Skype (look at 3) )

3) Amsterdam has an hours free Wi-Fi. Frankfurt is about half an hour. (It's been a while since I traveled through those airports. I prefer to fly direct) Paris is paid, about 8$ for 3 hours if I remember correctly. Just ask around in the shops at the airport, someone will be selling access codes. Charging will be painful. Even if the voltages match, the pins might not.

4) Don't think that will be a problem. If you are that worried, just encrypt it.

5) Maybe between 12:00 and 1:00 AM?

raksrules · Mar 30, 2012

Answers Inline...

the_maniac said:
The D-day has arrived: saturday morning 4:15 flight from Bangalore

Just a few last minute questions:

1. Can I carry (kissan) Jam, Ketchup, knife, nail cutter kinda stuff?

Jam / Ketchup / Knife / Niail cutter can be carried but only in check in baggage. Btw why you want to carry Jam / Ketchup, you get that here. Knife is fine and nail cutter is ok

2. Is there any way that I can call up my parents back home while waiting for the connecting flight?

What is your connecting airport ? If BA then London Heathrow, if Luftansa then Frankfurt, if Air France then Paris, don't know about anyone else.

Btw you can but it will cost you a bomb and you might have to use your credit card to call. If you are lucky to get a free wifi at the connecting airport, you can either make a skype call to mobile (offcourse you need credit) or just go to websites likes way2sms.com or fullonsms.com and SMS them that you are fine etc etc. This SMS thing helped me when i was stuck at Toronto airport 4 years back when my flight was cancelled. I had internet access but no skype etc and no mobile phone so just SMSed my family in India.

3. Will airports have free wifi? I want to be able to check my emails

And how can I charge my phone? I have a HTC phone with its charge cum datacable ..will I be able to use the same in US? {some power specs thingy}

Free wifi - No guarantee. At least i did not get in London Heathrow Airport. For charging, i suggest you get a wall charger which takes USB input (110v-220v), will work everywhere. May be buy a universal adapter before you leave.

4. I want to carry a portable HDD (no laptop) with some of my not so legal content. Will anyone check the contents?

No one cares what you have in your HDD

5. Since my flight is @ 4:15 what time should I reach the airport?

3 hours before (so 1:15 AM) is the norm but if you think you have overweight luggage then reach bit more early and get your luggage checked in sooner before other passengers. Because if you are one of the initial passengers to check in then they might pass on even if your luggage is bit over weight (by 2-3 kgs) else they screw you with their obscene charges per kg.

Any other dos and don'ts ?

DO NOT FORGET to take the immigration form and fill it duly.

DO NOT Carry anything sharp in pocket, they will throw away when they frisk you (check).

Carry a pair of clothes in cabin baggage for worst case scenario where your baggage arrives late (slim chances but be prepared).

No expensive items / electronics / money etc in check in bag.

Your credit card or change 5$ for taking the cart on US airport. They cost 5$ each and i suggest paying through credit card (Indian CC will do fine). Keep some change like 1$ / 5$ / 10$ / 20$ too and not only 100$

Anything else you want to know?

the_maniac · Apr 7, 2012

thanks for all your suggestions and advice guys...

I've finally reached USA ... i'm in Jersey City right now.. reached here last week (31st local time)...the flight was butter smooth without any kind of stupidity anywhere...