U.S. cultural guide

I have recently published my 1st book from the "Unforgettable Christmas" project - "Unforgettable Christmas: Activities, Events and Resources Guide to 25 Days of Christmas". And guess what? - it turned out to be an excellent cultural reference guide to living in the U.S.

If you are an expat living in the U.S., especially if you have a family with children, this book is a must have. There is so much going on in America in December, the variety of events and activities is amazing, which is sure to please anybody and everybody. Participation in these events have several benefits:
1. You will learn a lot about the culture and the country you live in
2. It's a great opportunity to network in a casual atmosphere (CEOs take their children to a Breakfast with Santa too!)
3. FUN!

Here is a link where you can learn more about "Unforgettable Christmas" guide and purchase it if you like it: http://www.unforgettable-christmas.com/Unforgettable-Christmas.html

Website for expats

Today I would like to share with you are useful website for expats relocating to the U.S. It will not only be helpful to people relocating to Chicago, it actually has information about 7 major cities in addition to the Windy City: New York, Washington D.C., Los Angeles, Miami, Hartford, Boston and San Francisco.

Here is Chicago page: http://www.expatarrivals.com/the-usa/chicago/moving-to-chicago (from which you can navigate to other destinations).

The site provides you with a wide variety of information: cost of living, education, safety, healthcare, working, taxes, etc. It also has a forum for expacts to interact and share experiences while helping each other.

View educational videos on how to save more and spend less in the U.S.

It is very difficult to relocate to a new country because you need to learn a lot about ways of living, how not to be fooled in certain situations, for instance, especially when you deal with issues related to your finances, job, small business, etc.

The famous American Emmy Award winning program, Money Talks, broadcasts consumer/personal finance news series. As they say, they "help America to save more and spend less". They provide news that help you to keep more money in your pocket with simple informative stories.

Now you can view some of their educational series on my video player on my website: http://www.legalaliensguide.com/videos.html . I've put in very useful video clips on the topics of starting a small business, working from home, deducting your vacation expenses (i.e. have them tax free), how to avoid banks scam, etc. I am sure these videos will be helpful not only to immigrants but to locals too (after all, Money Talks was created for American audience)

The videos rotate on the player so come often to see the new ones!

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Most helpful Chicago guide
http://www.legalaliensguide.com

A good informational site for people relocating to USA

I have recently found another great site for people relocating to the U.S. - http://www.usaers.com/

It provides information per state on the following topics:
- General Information
- Education
- Visa and Immigration
- Business
- Government
- Tourism

The information provided is very detailed, well-structured and the site is very easy to navigate. The site is great as a reference guide, for instance, in Illinois it lists virtually all (nearly 200) newspapers in the state on one page with their web site addresses.

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Most helpful Chicago guide
http://www.legalaliensguide.com

Gotta relocate?

Today I want to share with you some useful relocation information: www.gottarelocate.com provides "local, human-edited and actively maintained directory of relocation and travel information, listings and resources for people traveling or relocating to the United States. Whether you are traveling or relocating to a new city, this site will serve as a great starting point. "

While many sites have good travel information Gottarelocate.com is specifically great in terms of relocation information. It provides data not only for major cities but all small towns and suburbs in each state. Some of the topics they cover are:

-Apartments for rent
-Attractions
-Car rentals
-Commercial real estate
-Corporate relocation
-Homes for sale
-Hotels and short term
-Job listings
-Moving companies
-Self-storage
-Travel guides
-Airports
-AMTRAK Stations
-Colleges and universities

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Most helpful Chicago guide
http://www.legalaliensguide.com

"How to Live and Thrive in the U.S."

On this blog I usually post information about various opportunities for job seekers and entrepreneurs but I could not help sharing the following information about a BOOK that I have recently discovered: "How to Live and Thrive in the U.S." by Donna Poisl. It is a bilingual book targeted to Hispanic immigrants but it will be helpful to everyone else too.

While my book, "The Legal Alien's Guide", help you to find a job, start own business or just find friends, "How to Live and Thrive in the U.S." answers important day-to-day questions of newcomers to USA, such as:
Where do I get my driver license?
What hours are they open?
What do I need to register my children for school?
How do I find a new doctor? and many others.

The book has 2 sites:

In English: http://www.howtoliveandthrive.com/
In Spanish: http://www.howtoliveandthrive.com/

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Most helpful Chicago guide
http://www.legalaliensguide.com

Useful statistical information on U.S. states

If you are a newcomer to the United Sates you will definitely find the following website very useful: http://www.statemaster.com

It is a unique statistical database which allows you to research and compare a multitude of different data on US states. Do you want to know which state is the most taxed, most educated, most murderous, the healthiest, the richest, etc. before you decide where to settle? Or alternatively, instead of checking the rankings, you can go directly to a state page you are interested in and get all the data you need from housing to lifestyle to unemployment, etc.

This website will give you loads of valuable statistical information, maps and state profiles.

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Most helpful Chicago guide
http://www.legalaliensguide.com

Life in the USA

Life in the USA http://www.lifeintheusa.com is the complete web guide to American life for immigrants and Americans. This site has a great collection of articles related to various aspects of living in the United States. Some of the traditional sections include:
- Culture
- Education
- Making a living
- Retirement and aging
- Medical care
- Government and Law
and dozens more!

Some non-traditional sections (rarely found on other sites) will provide you information on such topics as:
- Payday loans
-Rent to own purchases
- Networking
- Fraternities and Sororities, etc.

The website is very informative - a virtual encyclopedia about life in America. All information is FREE and the site is really user-friendly.

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Most helpful Chicago guide
http://www.legalaliensguide.com