Relocating to Silicon Valley
Making the decision to move here is the biggest one. Once you've done that, you basically have three options. Get the company that's bringing you over to organize everything (good, but often not specific to your family), hire a relocation specialist (we recommend California Concierges), or do it yourself.
Regardless of how you get here, there is some basic information that's worth knowing. We've compiled a simple list - in no particular order - of stuff we needed... hope it helps!
Airports
Two international airports service Silicon Valley.
SFO sits about half way between Silicon Valley and San Francisco. Highway 101 will get you
to both, head north if you need to get to San Francisco, south if you need to get to
Silicon Valley.
Transportation
Four options. Your company picks you up, you grab a taxi, limo or public transport. Public transport is not recommended - too hard, especially if there is a group of you.
Limo service from San Francisco airport.
Taxi's are available at the airports, but can also be ordered by telephone.
Yellow Checker Cab Company 800 829 4222.
Car Rental
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San Francisco Airport |
Tel: 650 616 2400
Open 24 Hours
|
| Palo Alto 94306 |
4218 El Camino Real
Mon - Fri: 7.30 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Sat: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Sun: 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
|
| San Jose Airport 95110 |
Tel: 408 283 4896
Sun - Sat: 5.30 a.m. - 11.59 p.m.
|
| |
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San Jose International Airport |
Tel: 408 993 2224
Open 24 Hours
|
| Mountain View 94090 |
809 West El Camino Real
Tel: 650 564 9898
Mon - Fri: 8 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Sat: 8 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Sun: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.
|
| Santa Clara 95051 |
2895 El Camino Real
Tel: 408 246 7900
Mon - Fri: 7.30 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Sat & Sun: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.
|
| Palo Alto 94306 |
4216 El Camino Real
Tel: 650 493 8888
Mon - Fri: 8 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Sat: 8 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Sun: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.
|
| San Jose 95118 |
4750 Almaden Expressway, Unit L
Tel: 408 448 2194
Mon - Fri: 8 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Sat: 8 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Sun: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.
|
| Milpitas 95035 |
148 W Calaveras Blvd
Tel: 408 942 3300
Mon - Fri: 8 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Sat: 8 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Sun: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.
|
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San Francisco International Airport |
Tel: 650 624 6600
24 Hours, 7 Days
|
| San Jose International Airport |
Tel: 408-437-5700
5 a.m. - 2 a.m. 7 Days
|
| Palo Alto 94306 |
4220 El Camino Real
Tel: 650 493 2009
Mon - Fri: 7 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Sat & Sun: 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.
|
| Sunnyvale 94087
| 510 East El Camino Real, Suite D
Tel: 408 524 8700
Mon - Fri: 7 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Sat: 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Sun: Closed
|
Hotels
There are many hotels in Silicon Valley; just make sure you book in advance. We learned the
hard way that many are booked out during the week - two kids, two big people, lots of luggage and
still jetlagged - finding accommodation for the night and moving about a lot is not fun.
The Santa Clara Silicon Valley Central Chamber of Commerce and Convention Visitors Bureau has links
to various hotels in Silicon Valley. These are great for a few days, and give you a bit of
space to find your feet, but costly.
Regardless of who ends up paying, you should ask your company to book your hotel. Prices are
better this way. We stayed at the Staybridge Suites in Sunnyvale, which had two bedrooms,
a small kitchen and a lounge room, and paid about $150 a night - had we booked on our own,
the same room would have cost us about $200 per night.
Temporary Accommodation
As everyone has different tastes and needs, it is difficult to go by recommendations as to the "best"
cities to live in. You need to work out where you and your family will fit in - and what your needs are.
The only way you can do this is by spending a little time here, and to do this without breaking the bank,
we recommend staying in a furnished apartment for a couple of months.
A good place to start looking for temporary accommodation is
For Rent which allows you to search on city,
state, price, and size.
Social Security
Once in America, you will need a Social Security number, as without one you basically can't do anything.
You can only apply for a Social Security number once you are present in the US. You will need a SS-5 form to
start the ball rolling.
Most American government agencies will allow you to make an appointment, in which case you will be seen within
10-15 minutes of the allocated time; however, you may find that you have to wait a number of weeks for such an appointment.
If you turn up unannounced, you will be allocated a ticket upon arrival. It is usually best to arrive 30 minutes before
the office opens, where you will join an already forming queue (Americans love queues), to ensure you will be
seen in the first hour.
Social Security offices can be found using their locator.
If your visa allows your spouse to work, there is an added step in the process, as their visa does not give them
the automatic right of a Social Security number, which applies only to the visa holder. Your spouse will need to apply for
an Employment Authorization Document from the
Department of Homeland Security before they can apply for a Social Security
number. Whereas the Social Security number is free of any charge, the employment authorization will cost you in the order
of US$180.
Once you have your Social Security number, which may take as long as 4 weeks to receive, you will need to notify
basically any Government agency or private company you have any dealings with, as everything revolves around this magic number.
Banks
Most likely the first thing you will do is to open a bank account, and the best recommendation is to use the same
bank as the one your company uses, so any sign-on bonuses or salary in advance checks can be cashed immediately, and
also salary checks will be available on the day of payment. Otherwise, you might find checks could take as long as
10 days to clear. In this wonderful age of technology, where communications are almost instant,
it is amazing that banks are still able to slow it down so they can invest your money on the short term money market
for their benefit.
Mobile/Cell Phones - Getting Connected
Silicon Valley has four major telecommunications providers
You can buy the phone at many places; best prices are at BestBuy and
Fry's.
NOTE: If you choose to go on a plan with your phone, most companies will want a deposit if you have no credit
rating in the United States, and if you have never lived here, you definitely don't have a rating.
