San Francisco Bay Area
Moving to the US is exciting. It’s also a lot.
Everything you have to figure out to live here, visa to housing to bank to friends, in the right order, from people who just did it.
Free to start, no credit card.
what we’re making easier
The immigration tax.
The hidden cost of not being born where you live. Paid in time, energy, and the afternoons you lose to browser tabs.
We’ve all paid it. So we drew the map.
so, what is oyster?
Turn the chaos of starting over
into a path you can see.
Making a new place home takes more than paperwork. Oyster helps with all of it:
Getting settled
First things first. Visa, SSN, bank, lease, healthcare, taxes. The things you can’t afford to get wrong, in the right order.
Becoming a local
The stuff you only learn by living here. Where to actually go, what to skip, the shortcuts that save you months.
Belonging
The part that turns a strange city into your city. Real people who moved here too, who just get it.
Oyster’s roadmap is paced to how moving actually feels, not just the paperwork. Every step is written from what people actually did, with migration psychology in mind, and kept current by newcomers a few months ahead of you.
how it works
Four steps to truly land.
Like a friend who’s already done it: what to do, when, and how.
Tell us where you’re landing
Your city, your visa, your situation. One minute, and the roadmap is built around you.
Get your stepped roadmap
Every big task, broken into small, doable steps, so it never feels like too much.
Learn from people who did it
Real answers from people like you, who landed in your city just months ago.
Leave a breadcrumb behind you
Mark what worked, and the next person who lands finds a trail instead of a wall, thanks to you.
the more of us, the smarter it gets
Every newcomer leaves a breadcrumb. The next one finds a trail.
Oyster gets sharper every time someone shares what worked. The answers Google and Claude can’t give you, the ones only someone like you, a few steps ahead, can.
No reinventing the wheel. Whatever you’re facing, someone here has already been through it, and left you the notes.
A stream of questions newcomers are asking each other in Oyster, on banking with no credit history, finding a doctor, phone carriers, renter's insurance, how long an SSN takes, neighbourhoods and commutes, credit cards and renting, making friends.
what people are saying
Real voices, in the city you’re landing in.
“I filed my SSN paperwork in a day instead of a week. Someone had literally written down which line to stand in.”
“I moved for my partner and felt invisible for months. Oyster was the first place that asked what I wanted.”
“Every answer came from someone who’d actually done it this year. Not a 2019 forum post.”
a note from the founder
“I created Oyster to be the guide I wish I’d had when I moved here. Something to make the hard parts easier, clearer, and a little less lonely.”
Common questions, answered.
Is Oyster really free?
Yes. We believe everyone deserves a soft landing, whatever their budget, so the core roadmap stays free. A paid tier for extra power features will come later.
Who is Oyster for?
Anyone moving to the US to work, study, launch a startup, or build a life here, and the partners and families who move with them.
How is this different from Googling everything or asking Claude?
Googling sends you into a maze of outdated blogs and conflicting advice. Claude is smart (we’re fans!), but it doesn’t always have the local context or lived experience you need. Oyster gives you the steps in order, real-time local tips, and advice from people who’ve actually been through it, so you can skip the guesswork and get it done right.
Who’s behind it?
A founder and a small group of founding members: immigrants who made every mistake first, then mapped the shortcuts. Made in SF.
What about my data?
We won’t sell it. Ever. We ask for the minimum, and you can delete it anytime.
Land better. Land ahead.
You don’t have to figure it out alone. Request access, and we’ll save you a seat.
Free to start · We won’t sell your data · Delete it anytime.
for companies
Relocating employees to the US? Help them land faster, and actually stay.