Tips For Moving Back To Usa After 12 Years

[Tangerine]

Four forms of ID to get a drivers license has more to do with who gets to vote in White Florida.

 

[ElQueso]

Interesting. So non-white residents wouldn't have:

- Birth Certificate (I think even non-white people can come up with this, pretty much how the rest of us do it).
- Social Security Card (Same - this is a federal instrument that isn't caught up in state regulations)
- Two of the following:

- Mortgage payment booklet (believe it or not, there are actually non-white people who have a mortgage!)​

- Rental Agreement (A lot of white people don't have mortgages either. I'd bet anyone who doesn't have a mortgage and isn't homeless would have one of these, even if it's from a state- or federal-run housing program)​

- Voter registration card (ah geez, I'm sure someone's going to tell me this is the killer - you just can't get one of these unless you're white in Florida)​

- Utility hookup or work order for services within 60 days​

- Medical or health care card (didn't Obama supposedly fix that??)​

- Automobile Insurance policy or bill (I have known an awful lot of non-white people who drive and actually maintain insurance, no matter their economic condition)​

- W-2 or 1099 form (non-white people have to pay taxes too, or at least account for why they're not paying. Don't you have to file income taxes even if you don't owe anything and receive government subsidies?)​

- A letter from a homeless shelter, transitional service provider, or a half-way house verifying that they receive mail for the customer. (yeah, let's make sure poor, homeless non-white people can't vote, right?)​

- Utility bills, not more than two months old (non-white and/or poor people use electricity unless they're in a homeless shelter. Many even have gas and cable ).​

- Mail from Federal, State, County or City government agencies (including city and county agencies). So, if you're poor (whether white or non-white, BTW) you can even use the mail they send you for your government subsidies as proof.​

So where in those requirements does it actually restrict "non-White" voters from getting a driver's license?

Geez Exactly how much racism can we create that isn't already there?

 

[ElQueso]

On a more serious note.

Last year I was in the States and set up a bank account in Missouri (maybe I was successful because I am "white"?). It wasn't exactly easy because they required pretty much the same forms of identification that Florida requires. I have no residence in Missouri (nor anywhere in the States), but my father happens to have the same name as I do. We are delineated between ourselves as Senior and Junior, but he has a couple of bills that did not have the suffix. Without those I would have had more problems opening up the account. Directly due to Patriot Act crap, according to the bank. This was at a local, regional bank, which seem to be a little more strict than at least some national banks.

I opened up another account at a big national bank with my Argentina address, but as a US citizen, Argentine resident. I had to show my passport, SSN, DNI and proof of residential bills (my wife faxed me some bills from here) and had it opened up a lot more easily.

As far as I could determine then, and since then having done some investigation, you cannot open a bank account remotely any more, anywhere in the US. I even have had a bank account for nearly 20 years at another institution that wouldn't let me open up another account without signing the papers in person (it was in another state and I wasn't going to travel there, and they are regional and had no locations in Missouri). I was told that new laws require that the bank "know their client", which seems to mean you have to be there in person at some point to have an active bank account. I could set up the account at my 20-year institution remotely, but I would have to be there in person to actually activate the account.

I wouldn't sweat it too much though. It may take a couple of weeks to get some of these things set up, but I believe it would be easier in the end than setting up a bank account here.

 

[steveinbsas]

Four forms of ID to get a drivers license has more to do with who gets to vote in White Florida.

Does this mean a drivers license is required to vote in "White" Florida?

If so, I guess the Whites won't have to worry about any non-white politicians in Florida ever being elected to a high public office...

 

[sevi]

Maybe open an account with an online bank (Ally Bank, Discover Bank, Capital One 360, ...) using a mailing address in the US?

 

[Silvie]

Anybody with a passport may open a Bank account, the Bank clerks would normally want to see you in person although I have also done it by internet,
Just keep in mind that salaries - at least in the Miami area - tend to be quite low, compared to other areas in the USA.

 

[RichardP]

Just be prepared that things might be shockingly easier than you have been used to for the past 12 years.

 

[ajoknoblauch]

Does this mean a drivers license is required to vote in "White" Florida?

If so, I guess the Whites won't have to worry about any non-white politicians in Florida ever being elected to a high public office...

Actually it means that, in Florida and everywhere else in the South, state officials have made concerted efforts to discourage even registration for anyone they suspect might not vote for them. And they're pretty sure they know who those people are.

 

[ElCordobés]

Maybe open an account with an online bank (Ally Bank, Discover Bank, Capital One 360, ...) using a mailing address in the US?

I did Chuck Schwab from South America a few years ago. I did have one signed paper document that I had to mail. I simply sent regular post so it took a couple weeks. You can fund the account via wire. They knew I was in South America when I opened the account.

ATM fees are reimbursed. I used to get US$50-60 back each month when I was in Uruguay. I don't believe there have been significant changes in policy in the last several years.

Customer service is excellent.

 

[Davidglen77]

[background=rgb(252, 252, 252)]Directly due to Patriot Act crap, according to the bank. This was at a local, regional bank, which seem to be a little more strict than at least some national banks.[/background]

I moved back to the US (New York City, my hometown) after living in Buenos Aires for over 7 years full time, except for the wonderful trips I took around the southern cone.
While I miss some things about Argentina, mostly my friends, kissing my friends and colleagues, meeting their families and the occasional food item, parrilla libre and you won't believe this the drain in the floor in the kitchen and bathroom (now I have to use much less water to clean my floors LOL). besides those things, I am REALLY glad to be back home.
Opening a bank account is a bit harder than it used to be in the US, and yes, it's due to the implementation of the Patriot Act which is NOT crap. I work in banking, and since the Patriot Act was passed into law, fraudulent account openings have been cut in half. That saves the bank and the customers a lot of money and prevents, to some small extent money gained from illegal activites from being laundered through the banking system in the US. While there is still plenty of fraud and money laundering, it's not like it used to be. There is nothing wrong with having to prove your identity. That is another thing I liked about Argentina, the fact that without your DNI you are not going to get anywhere for most official transactions, no ifs ands or buts.
What I suggest you do is open a post office box, not at the post office but one of those business centers that offer an actual street address and suite number. Have your correspondence sent there. Open a cell phone account and have the bills sent there as well. Open a checking account with Charles Schwab, all banking transactions are free, (except security trades) and they are very nice to work with. The 24 hour customer service center is located in the US and the reps get top notch customer service training. Life here in the US is so much easier in so many ways. I loved living in Argentina for probably 4 out of the 7 years I was there, life in general got too difficult and there was no reason for me to stay there anymore. I feel blessed to be back in the US.