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India → US · Field Guide Early access 2026

The guide nobody
gave you on arrival.

Week-by-week guidance for Indian engineers moving to the US on H1B or L1 — the financial, visa, and life decisions nobody puts in your offer letter.

Free · No spam · Built by someone who made these mistakes

90 Day plan 6 Chapters \$23K Avg. gap · RSU tax 240 On waitlist
⚠ Tax alert

Your company withholds 22% on RSU vesting. At \$150K+ total comp, your real rate is 35%+. That gap — often \$10,000–\$23,000 — appears as an IRS bill in April. Nobody put this in your offer letter. We will.

\$23K
The problem · №01

When you move countries, you don’t know what you don’t know. Google gives you answers to questions you already know to ask. Nobody gives you the questions. ArrivalKit gives you the questions — in the order you need them, personalized to your situation, before the decisions are already made.

— ArrivalKit Built by someone who moved countries three times
22%
RSU withholding
What your company deducts. Not what you owe.
35%+
Real bracket
Your actual rate at \$150K+ total compensation.
\$23K
The gap
Average surprise IRS bill, year one. Avoidable.
90
Day plan
Week by week. Not all at once. In order of urgency.

01

Stock & Tax Traps

The decisions that determine whether April is a refund or a crisis.

Before day one

RSUs, ESPP, cost basis, supplemental withholding rates — this is the chapter your company’s HR will never send you. The decisions you make before your first vest date determine your tax bill eighteen months later. You’ll also need to send money internationally ↗ through a service like Wise, or use Remitly ↗ as an alternative, and find an expat-specialist CPA ↗ through Greenback Tax who understands FBAR, FATCA, and India–US treaty nuances.

The core problem
22% vs 35%+
Withholding rate vs real bracket at \$150K TC. Nobody explains this before your first vest.
What to do first
File a new W-4
Request additional withholding in week one. Highest-leverage financial move of year one.
Cost basis at vest
Income, not gain
RSUs are taxed as ordinary income when they vest. FMV on vest date is your cost basis. Most people get this wrong.
ESPP
Two tax events
Purchase and sale are both taxable. The discount is ordinary income. Most CPAs miss this for new H1B holders.

State taxes change the math significantly. State income tax rates range from 0% in TX, WA, FL, and NV to 13.3% in CA. Two offers at the same \$180K salary are not equal — a California offer nets roughly \$15K–\$20K less per year than the same salary in Texas or Washington. Factor state tax into every offer comparison.

TX
0%
WA
0%
FL / NV
0%
CA
13.3%

02

Benefits Windows

Thirty days. One chance. Everything else waits a year.

Week 1–2

401k, HSA, FSA — these are not optional reading. You have a 30-day enrollment window from your start date. Miss it and you wait until November open enrollment. Nobody told you that either. Banking and credit building are covered in Chapter 03 — but don’t let that distract you from benefits enrollment. This window closes and does not reopen.

401k — do this first
Day one contribution
Set to capture employer match immediately. You can adjust later. You cannot reclaim missed match.
HSA — triple advantage
Pre-tax in, grows free
If on a high-deductible plan, the HSA is the best tax vehicle in the US. Tax-free in, grows tax-free, tax-free out for medical.
The 30-day rule
One window only
Health, dental, vision, FSA — all require enrollment within 30 days. After that: open enrollment in November only.
Roth vs Traditional
Early career → Roth
If your income will rise, Roth 401k is often better. H1B holders have specific considerations not covered in standard guides.

03

Banking & Credit

No SSN for 2–6 weeks. Every bank needs one. Here’s the workaround.

Week 1–6

Here’s what nobody tells you: you cannot apply for an SSN until day 10 after US entry, and it takes 2–6 weeks to arrive. Most online banking requires an SSN. So for your first month, you’re stuck — unless you plan ahead. Open a Wise multi-currency account ↗ from India before you fly. No SSN needed, and you can receive your first US payments into it while you wait.

The SSN gap
2–6 weeks, no banking
You can’t apply until day 10 after entry. SSA offices are backlogged. Most online banks reject you without one. Plan for this gap before you fly.
Bridge: Wise account
Open from India
No SSN required. Hold USD, receive ACH transfers, get a US debit card. Use this for your first 2–6 weeks while waiting for SSN.
Week 1: branch banking
Chase or BofA, in person
Chase ↗ and Bank of America ↗ allow in-branch account opening with passport + offer letter, no SSN. You must visit a branch — cannot do this online.
Once SSN arrives
Upgrade everything
Link SSN to your bank account, apply for a Discover It Secured card ↗ — best for H1B holders, no SSN needed at application with ITIN, reports to all 3 bureaus.

Credit building timeline:

Month 1
Secured card
Small purchases only. Pay statement balance in full every month. Never miss a payment.
Month 3
Score appears: ~650–680
First FICO score generated. Enough for basic utilities and some landlords.
Month 6
Unsecured card eligible
Qualify for real credit cards and better car loan rates. Keep old card open for history length.
Month 12
Chase Sapphire eligible
Premium cards, apartment without extra deposit, competitive auto loan rates. The payoff of month-1 discipline.

04

Housing Without Credit

US landlords run credit checks. You have none. Solvable — if you know how.

Week 1–3

Every US landlord will run a credit check. You have no US credit history. This is a solvable problem — but only if you know about it before you need an apartment, not while you’re sleeping in a hotel. Start by using find your first apartment ↗ on Apartments.com to search verified listings, and get renter’s insurance ↗ through Lemonade before you move in — most landlords require it and it takes five minutes.

The workaround
Offer 2–3 months upfront
Most landlords accept this in lieu of credit history. Offer letter + Indian bank statement is often enough in tech hubs.
Where engineers land
Know the clusters
Fremont/Sunnyvale (Bay Area), Bellevue (Seattle), Edison/Jersey City (NYC metro). Community matters in year one.
Average rents 2026
\$2,400–\$4,200
1BR in tech hubs. SF highest, Austin/Seattle mid-range. Budget 28–32% of monthly take-home maximum.
Start credit now
Secured card, week 1
Open a secured card the week you arrive. Your credit score in month 6 depends entirely on what you do in month 1.

05

Getting Around

Driver’s license, car, insurance — the mobility stack nobody explains.

Week 2–4

In most US cities, you need a car. But you have no US license, no credit history for a loan, and no idea what insurance costs. Every state has different deadlines for when your international license expires. Miss it and you’re driving illegally. Since May 2025, you also need a REAL ID to board domestic flights — get it on your first DMV visit. Once your SSN arrives, get pre-approved through DCU ↗ before visiting a dealership. Then compare car insurance quotes ↗ on The Zebra before you sign anything.

No SSN yet? You still have options for buying a car before your SSN arrives:

Option 1
Cash purchase
No financing needed. Buy a reliable used car for \$8K–\$15K outright. No credit check, no SSN, drive off same day.
Option 2
Buy-here-pay-here
Dealer finances directly. Higher rates (15–25% APR) but no SSN required. Refinance through DCU once SSN arrives.
Option 3
Wait (transit cities)
SF, NYC, Seattle, Chicago: public transit works fine. Wait 6+ weeks for SSN, then finance at a real rate.

Driver’s license deadlines by state:

California
10 days
No SSN required
Texas
90 days
SSN required
New York
On residency
No SSN required
Washington
30 days
No SSN required
REAL ID
Required for flights
Since May 2025, REAL ID is mandatory for domestic flights. Get it on your first DMV visit — you need passport, visa, I-94, and two proofs of address.
Buying a car, no credit
DCU or 20–35% down
DCU pre-approves auto loans for new arrivals. Alternatively, some dealerships accept offer letter financing or a large down payment (20–35%).
What to buy & when
City-dependent
SF/NYC: delay — transit works. Austin/Dallas/suburbs: buy in month 1. Used Toyota/Honda holds value. Don’t lease with no credit.
Car insurance basics
\$40–\$200/month
Required before you drive off the lot. No US driving history means higher premiums. Compare quotes — rates vary 3–4x between providers for the same car.

06

Visa Realities

What your visa actually restricts — before a layoff forces you to find out.

Ongoing

H1B and L1 are not the same. L1 ties you to your company. H1B gives more flexibility — but you need to know the rules before a better offer or a layoff forces you to learn them in 60 days.

L1 → H1B
Not automatic
L1 does not lead directly to a green card. Many holders don’t realise they need to initiate an H1B transfer to switch companies.
If you’re laid off
60-day grace period
H1B holders have 60 days to find a new sponsor, change status, or depart. Know this now, not when it happens.
Green card timeline
EB-2/3: 10–40 years
Indian nationals face per-country caps creating extraordinary backlogs. Start PERM as early as possible. This is not exaggerated.
Travel on H1B
Stamp expires
H1B stamp in your passport expires. Travelling to India? Get it renewed there — you cannot renew inside the US.
The 90-day plan 4 phases · 22 actions · 🔒 = requires SSN
Before you land
Prepare
Week 1–2
Land & Register
  • Apply for SSN (day 10+ after entry)
  • Open Chase/BofA account in branch (no SSN)
  • Enroll in health insurance (30-day window)
  • Set 401k to capture employer match
  • File new W-4 with additional withholding
  • Visit DMV for driver’s license + REAL ID
Month 1–2
Settle In
Month 3+
Optimize
R
P
A
S
V

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ArrivalKit · arrivalkit.app · 2026 India → United States