Being born inside and living within the United States is something many American citizens take for granted, but there are many cultural differences to expect if you’re a foreigner. Whether you plan on visiting, working, or immigrating, there are a plethora of things you should know beforehand.
States are All Unique
The state-to-state differences inside the United States vary massively. The distance between a couple of states can be the distance of three separate countries in Europe and thus you will find that each unique State has its own flair and culture.
Aside from cultural differences, States can also have completely different laws as each has its own sovereign under the federal government. For example, it’s legal to smoke and possess marijuana in Virginia, however, its neighbor Kentucky this would be illegal and will land you in jail.
States laws also affect things such as owned property. Depending on which state you live in your assets could be owned automatically by a spouse or family member. Therefore, if you plan on immigrating to the United States, it’s not just about learning Federal Laws, it’s equally important to learn state-wide laws for the state you plan on living in.
How the Roads Work
Driving in the United States is essentially mandatory outside of major cities. The US is enormous and there aren’t really any public transit systems to navigate quickly throughout the country. Like the aforementioned point, because driving is required, it’s super important to know the laws surrounding driving, and what to do in an accident. It’s also good to know that foreigners can drive legally with an international driver’s license inside the U.S.
Notable laws include quality of life such as being able to turn right on red but an often-ignored part of driving within the United States is making sure the car you drive is insured. The biggest difference in insurance between the U.S. and the U.K. for example is that in the US, the car is insured instead of the driver. The good news is that depending on circumstances you can get U.S. car insurance for U.K. drivers, which would be extremely beneficial if you’re immigrating into the U.S.
Aside from statewide driving laws, the most obvious difference from many other countries is that Americans drive on the ride side of the road. To add to that, the states use the imperial system rather than the metric system. Distance and speed are measured differently and it’s important to make sure you’re using the correct speed on your speedometer to ensure safety when traveling inside the United States.
Healthcare
The last big elephant in the room when speaking about America is its healthcare system or lack thereof and trying to stay healthy. If you do find yourself in a medical emergency it’s important to know that regardless of your financial state you will be treated with great care, but just expect to be billed afterward. When planning to live in the U.S., plan ahead a means to gain access to medical insurance, whether through federally offered Medicaid or through your employer.
The United States is full of opportunities, culture, and basically just about anything someone could want. You could take a vacation to somewhere new every month and still not have enough time to see all it has to offer. If you’re planning on immigrating in or just visiting, knowing about some of these extra caveats about the United States is invaluable to make the process that much smoother.
