Erieversible

Actually, no, it’s more like 22 hours.  Yet it seems so much longer.  Since arriving last night I have signed the bank paperwork to get a credit card, applied for a Social Security Number (SSN), signed up on a lease for a rental property, obtained a PO Box for the business venture planned, applied for use of a ‘Fictitious Name’ for the same business venture and started shopping for cars.  Quite a 22 hours, given that I also got some sleep in there somewhere.

The SSN, I was told this morning, could be with me in a week.  That’s a lot less than the 1 month previously advised and, if true, means that so many other things can be brought forward too.  It is going to be a very busy June if that is the case.  The big item on the list, once I get my SSN, is to take (and pass!) the driving test.

The house rental is a big relief.  The rental market is very tight and we have found a commercial outfit that is happy with short term leases.  The property falls into the ‘it will do’ category rather than the ‘I wish it was available to buy’ category, but that’s just fine.  We have 4 days to buy the basics necessary to move into the property.

The application for the Fictitious Name and also PO Box for Celtic Grid are almost the last stages in preparing to create a new little venture.  All I need to complete the set up is to sort out a mobile phone, but that will be tied into the family mobile phone deal and is not at the top of the list quite yet.  Nearly, but not quite.

Of course the big event was my arrival.  The kids were asleep when I got in last night and didn’t know I was due in.  This morning there was a screech from the 5-year old’s bedroom as she awoke and heard my voice.  If only every day could start like that

So, a very busy, very different 22 hours.  Luckily the next couple of days are the weekend so there will be a bit of an easing off on the pace of progress, but we still need to start shopping for the basics for the rental.  for the adults that means looking for beds and suchlike; for the kids it means a Playstation 3 and Wii.

The pace of change over the last 10 weeks on the Isle of Man was considerable but I suspect it will be put into the shade by what’s going to happen in Erie in the next 10 weeks.

It is quite easy to get health insurance if you have a Social Security Number (SSN).  It is less easy if you haven’t.  Today I’ve arranged health insurance for myself for the first 3 months as an immigrant.  Lots of sites are offering cover but on all the ones I looked at, once you look at the details, they are essentially selling travel insurance.  Still, it covers in an emergency.

There are far too many things that can’t be done until I get my SSN.  I think the immigrant experience would be greatly enhanced by speeding up the SSN part of the process.  That’s just my view, and I can understand why the SSN is so important, but as an immigrant entering the country on a private basis, rather than as part of a corporate move, the current process simply adds to the burden.  Luckily in this case we should be able to manage quite well, but others may have less of a buffer.