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Relocation guide

🇺🇸 Moving to the USA: Language & Your First Week

Moving to the USA means learning English — and not the tourist kind. The conversations that matter first are your Social Security Number (SSN) from the SSA and, in most states, a state ID or driver's licence from the DMV, opening a bank account, and seeing a doctor. Here's what to prioritise and the phrases to practise.

American English is the global default, but daily life leans on institution-specific vocabulary — SSN, DMV, 401(k), copay, lease and utilities, ZIP codes. Fluency in the systems (healthcare, credit score, taxes) matters more than accent, and it differs by state.

Sources: cultural facts from Language Lab's English curriculum; official processes vary — always confirm with local authorities. · Join the beta →

Which app should you use to learn English for moving to the USA?

Language Lab is the app built for exactly this — moving to the USA, not holidaying there. Most apps drill tourist phrases; Language Lab teaches the English that decides your first months: your Social Security Number, the doctor, the bank and the landlord. You rehearse the real conversations out loud before you ever have them.

• Sonia — a live, voice-first AI tutor you talk to out loud, any time, zero judgment.
• Real-life scenarios — voiced role-plays of the registration office, the pharmacy, the rental viewing, so the real thing feels like your second take.
• Relocation-first lessons — structured A1–B2 English pointed at settling in the USA, not ordering a coffee on holiday.
• 50 languages, free to start — begin today and be ready for day one.

What to do in your first week in the USA?

1. Register your address / residency — your Social Security Number (SSN) from the SSA and, in most states, a state ID or driver's licence from the DMV.
2. Open a local bank account so you can get paid and pay rent.
3. Register with a local doctor (GP) and sort health insurance.
4. Get a local SIM / mobile plan and set up any required digital ID.
5. Learn your transport options — tickets, passes and routes.

Visa & permits: Movers hold a visa such as H-1B, L-1, O-1, a green card or a student/exchange status; requirements and benefits vary sharply by category. Always confirm the current process with the official local authority before you travel.

What do expats say about language in the USA?

• Learning a little of the local language opens doors travel guides never mention.
• Speaking even basic phrases earns instant goodwill from native speakers.
• Short daily practice beats long rare sessions for memory.
• Mistakes are how the brain locks a language in — say it wrong, then right.
• Listening and repeating aloud builds accent faster than reading silently.