01
Stock & Tax Traps
Before day one
RSU withholding gaps, W-4 adjustments, ESPP tax events, state tax differences. The April surprise, avoided.
For engineers on H1B, L1 & E2 visas
Don’t move first.
Read this first.
A personalized 90-day playbook for engineers relocating to the US, whether from India, Korea, or anywhere else. The money, visa, and life stuff your offer letter conveniently left out.
Free · No spam · Takes 90 seconds
What nobody tells you
Three numbers your offer letter doesn’t mention.
$0K–$0K
The April surprise
Companies withhold 22% on RSUs. Your real rate at $150K+ comp is 35%+. The gap shows up as an IRS bill.
0 days
To enroll in benefits
401k, HSA, health, vision, dental. Miss it and you wait until November. Most people don’t know.
0 credit
And every landlord checks
You can’t get a credit card without history. You can’t get history without a card. There’s a workaround.
How it works
Offer letter to landed,
in three steps.
01
Five quick questions
Visa, state, timeline, comp, RSUs: 90 seconds. We filter the 47 tasks down to what applies to you.
02
Your personalized plan
A California H1B engineer with RSUs sees different tasks than an L1 engineer headed to Texas. No generic checklist.
03
Track, sync, ship
Check tasks off as you go. Sign in with Google or email code to sync between your phone and laptop.
Six chapters
Ordered by what hurts most
if you miss it.
02
Benefits Windows
Week 1–2
30-day deadline. 401k match, HSA triple-tax advantage, Roth vs Traditional for H1B. Don’t leave money behind.
03
Banking & Credit
Week 1–6
Open accounts without an SSN. Build credit from month 1. Reach 700+ FICO by month 12.
04
Housing Without Credit
Week 1–3
The 2–3 months upfront trick. Average rents by tech hub. What landlords actually want to see.
05
Getting Around
Week 2–4
Driver’s license deadlines by state (CA gives you 10 days). Buying a car with no credit. REAL ID rules.
06
Visa Realities
Ongoing
H1B vs L1 vs E2. 60-day grace period if laid off. EB-2/EB-3 timelines (10–40 years for high-backlog countries). Travel rules.
Why it’s different
Advice from a friend
who’s done it before.
Personalized, not generic
Tasks change based on your visa, your state, your timeline, your salary band, whether you have RSUs. A generic checklist tells you everything; this tells you what matters for you.
Comparisons where you need them
When the task is “send money home,” you see Wise vs Remitly side-by-side with fees and rates. When the task is “open a bank account,” Chase vs Bank of America. No tab-switching.
Phone or laptop, progress syncs
Start on your phone during the flight. Pick up on your laptop after landing. Sign in with Google or an email code, and we’ll remember where you left off.
Inline comparisons for
Wise·
Remitly·
Chase·
Bank of America·
Discover·
Lemonade·
Apartments.com·
DCU·
Mint Mobile·
The Zebra·
Greenback Tax·
Why I built this
- Korea
- Singapore
- United States
By the third move, I figured relocating couldn’t surprise me anymore. Then I landed in the US with a signed offer and a salary on the way, and still couldn’t open a bank account, get a credit card, or pass a landlord’s credit check. Employed, funded, and invisible on paper.
Nobody hands you the workarounds, or the dozen other deadlines hiding in your first 90 days. I wrote them down as I solved them. That list became ArrivalKit, the guide I wish someone had given me before the flight.
FAQ
Common questions,
answered.
How much tax do H1B holders pay on RSUs?
Companies withhold 22% on RSU vesting, but at $150K+ total compensation your real rate is 35%+. The $10K–$23K gap appears as an IRS bill in April. File a new W-4 with additional withholding in your first week.
Can I open a bank account in the US without an SSN?
Yes. Chase and Bank of America allow in-branch account opening with passport and offer letter, no SSN required. You can also open a Wise multi-currency account from your home country before you fly. SSN applications can be filed starting day 10 after US entry and take 2–6 weeks.
How long do I have to enroll in benefits as a new H1B employee?
30 days from your start date. This covers health insurance, dental, vision, 401k, HSA, and FSA. If you miss this window, you wait until November open enrollment. Set your 401k to capture employer match on day one.
How do I rent an apartment in the US with no credit history?
Offer 2–3 months rent upfront along with your employment offer letter and home-country bank statements. Most landlords in tech hubs accept this in lieu of credit history. Get a secured credit card in week 1 to start building credit for future rentals.
Your 90-day plan.
Free.
240+ engineers already on the waitlist. Built by someone who made these mistakes so you don’t have to.
Get started →Free · No spam · Takes 90 seconds
ArrivalKit · arrivalkit.app · 2026
Worldwide → United States