Vivinavi : Los Angeles : (United States) Los Angeles

• 断捨離
• 2023/10/16 (Mon) 12:46
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It is less burdensome for employers because they do not have to pay Social Security or Medicare taxes, even if they pay the same level of wages as Americans.

• J１経験者
• 2023/10/16 (Mon) 13:27
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I was involved in arranging the J1 visa program 20 years ago, and
there is still a supply and demand for it. The first priority would be to secure a company that will accept you, not to mention an agent.
If you can do that, the way will naturally open up for you.

• samsan
• 2023/10/17 (Tue) 04:17
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Thank you all for your advice.
It was very helpful to hear various opinions. I am a little hesitant about coming to the US at this time because of the high prices （ due to the current high inflation ＋ in my case and the weak yen ）.
But I don't know when inflation will settle down, so it is difficult to make a decision.

The SoCal area seems to have a particularly high cost of living compared to other cities in the US.
I don't expect to earn a high salary with a J1 visa, but it seems that there will be times when the cost of living （ food, rent, transportation, entertainment, etc. ） exceeds my salary （ and I will be in the red every month ）. I am thinking that it will be a burden.

• キャンパー
• 2023/10/17 (Tue) 06:10
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As for the cost of living, of course it all depends on where you live and how you live. Rent is certainly expensive, but you can get by with a shared room or even a studio type place if you choose the right location.

However, traffic jams during commuting are terrible, so it would be better to think about transportation between where you work and where you live, along with rents.

Personally, I think that the cost of food is the same as in Japan, or even cheaper than in Japan, as long as you don't eat out that much.


However, as the commenter says, it will be hard to cover travel expenses and initial living expenses with the current weak yen, unless you have assets denominated in dollars. My personal opinion is that whatever the current situation is, I came to the US because I felt a sense of crisis in Japan today. However, the U.S. is not everything, and other potential destinations such as Australia, Canada, Europe, etc. are also fine ！.

• 挫折
• 2023/10/17 (Tue) 06:38
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A training level job with no special skills on a J1 visa wouldn't pay more than $1500-$2200 a month.
You won't be able to live in California first. I think it will be a less safe area where rents are cheap, but the noise and music in the neighborhood late at night on weekdays is unmatched compared to Japan. Every weekend is a party with the speakers turned up to maximum volume.

I came here with a vision of an elegant American life, but.... But, I have to say, it's not that easy to live in America.