Yes OP the info is here:
https://www.acf.hhs.gov/ohsepr/repatriation/repatriate-assistance
They will pay for your flight (and possibly even give you a small loan to get you on your feet). You'll need to pay the loan back before you can use your passport again.
> Overseas
If you are a U.S. citizen overseas and need assistance to return to the United States, contact the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate or the U.S. Department of State, Office of Overseas Citizens Services, at (888) 407-4747 (or from overseas +1 202-501-4444).
In the United States
If you need assistance upon your arrival to the United States, the U.S. Department of State will refer you to the U.S. Repatriation Program (“the Program”), managed by OHSEPR. OHSEPR will coordinate with its grantee, ISS-USA , and the state of your final destination to provide assistance.
The Program can provide you temporary assistance for up to 90 days after your return to the United States by the U.S. Department of State, to include cash assistance, shelter, and transportation, as well as case management.
Temporary assistance is provided as a loan which is payable to the U.S. government. You must complete and sign Form RR-05: Repatriation Repayment and Privacy Agreement to receive temporary assistance.
Your case will be closed either at the end of the 90-day period, or when you have enough resources to meet your basic needs (such as income, familial support, and/or other state government-provided social services).
For safety reasons, always verify phone numbers provided in comments on an official website before calling. That includes toll-free numbers!
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>I just cant go to a bank institution since that would require me to leave the house and I cant drive yet.
They apparently can't leave the house so I don't know if this will be much help.
Weird that they mentioned that as if Uber, taxi, or even public transportation is not a thing? If they want to go to the airport, they need to figure out the logistic.
OP should really reconsider moving to the US as a teenager with $500 to his name. This is a one way ticket to homelessness and a lot of suffering and exposure to everything that will come with it. If he really needs to leave, he should find a way to raise money in Guatemala before moving to the US.
Edit: for a subreddit focused on responsible financing, it is troubling that so many are affirming the massive risk and action that a teenager wants to take with literally no stability, backup, or resources.
There's some options. If you work in a National Park, for example, you get somewhere to live and likely some discount at a store that makes food reasonable.
Working for the concessions groups in the parks is generally not a very hard job to get. If you're okay with living in basically a fancy tent for a few months, it can get you off the ground with some savings.
The minimum wage in Guatemala is $1.47 per hour.
The minimum wage in every US state is at least $7.25. In some states it’s twice that.
You really think it would be better to raise money in Guatemala?
$1.47 with no housing or food costs and drastically lower CoL vs $7.25 trying to make rent, transport to work, eat. They might not be able to save up fast in Guatemala but they won't be instantly homeless.
If you're willing to rent a bed in a hostel, take public transportation everywhere, and work a job most people don't like. You can survive pretty well in the US *compared* to Guatemala.
There is an enormous gap between what we all expect being an American to entail (decent health care, a home with some privacy and space to raise a family, a car; good protections if you're sick and/or disabled and don't have a wealthy family member to help advocate) and what someone immigrating from Guatemala would need for things to be worth it.
In fact, this post does a great job capturing the fundamental tension between established folks in the US and would-be immigrants, a tension that is surprisingly similar to what existed all the way back in the 1800's when people thought it was too hard to live in the industrializing US already and the Irish and Chinese immigrants building the railroads were a "problem".
I work with a lot of them and it is a massive fucking risk and generally the ones that do well are those with some amount of cash to build from. $500 to start with in the US is wholly irresponsible and likely to end in homelessness. Please stop affirming the actions of a teenager to take on such a massive risk with pretty much no safety net in a country that punishes you for it.
Affirming and condoning the actions of an 18 year old to take such a massive risk and action is wholly irresponsible for a subreddit focused on responsible financing.
Why so pessimistic? It’s the land of opportunity. Also, they are a teenager like you said so taking risks is far less punishing than if they were far older.
Take a look at Job Corps. They’ll take youth as young as 16. It’s a federally sponsored vocational training program for at-risk youth who are 16-24 years old (it seems you would qualify). They’ll provide on site dormitory style housing, food, etc. everything that you’ll need to get a positive start in the US. Take a look at the requirements:
https://prh.jobcorps.gov/Exhibits/Exhibit%201-1%20Job%20Corps%20Eligibility%20Requirements.pdf
Then contact a Job Corps that you’d like to attend. I’ve done these searches from Mexico and have encountered a few pages that block my access due to being overseas. If you run into problems, I know that there are facilities in San Diego, San Francisco and Sacramento, California as well as Reno, Nevada. A simple google search will get you their number so you can call directly with any questions. I highly recommend that you explore this option.
Please do. My mother is a retired educator who worked at one of their facilities. Programs like this seem to be made for young people in your situation.
There seems to be a physical United Airlines office in Guatemala City. Will they not accept a cash transaction?
As another practical matter — just landing in the U.S. with no job or housing lined up is going to be an *extremely* rough time if you don’t have someone that can support you for the first several weeks-months.
I'm actually calling BS on this.
* Go to an airlines ticket office. Very likely they will accept cash.
* Go to a mom and pop travel agency. There might be a small premium but they would absolutely accept cash.
Find a way to leave the house and just go to a bank. If you want to come back to the U.S. you can’t let something like “I can’t drive” be the thing that stops you.
Just take a long walk to a friends house and actually go to a bank instead. Writing it like this, honestly makes it seem like you are actually in a jail cell and trying to do something illegal. Hopefully you are not. Just walk around. Ride a bike. Get a ride. Heck, get a job. Then get a bank account. Then just leave someday.
If you are trying to do this quietly, I would probably make sure you are not using Reddit in a web browser that saves web history. Incognito burrito is your friend.
Okay seeing some of your comments, you are *not* prepared to move to the US. If you really need to leave, I suggest the military. I chose Navy because they guarantee what job you’ll have when you sign the contract. I’m sure you can find a recruiter office that’s desperate enough to do just about anything to get you over here and enlisted (I’m only half joking). While you’re in you can attend college classes to get all the core classes and some credits out of the way, then post 9/11 GI bill not only pays for your tuition once you separate, but also a monthly allowance direct deposit into your bank account, which they will help you set up one on the first couple days of boot.
In the meantime I’d seek assistance from the US embassy.
There’s plenty of work if you have authorization, you know. There are programs for temporary assistance. Assuming OP gets a job, which shouldn’t be hard to get at some sort of warehousing facility, they can probably earn enough in a month to get a bank account opened and find someone to sublet a room from.
OP is an able bodied 18 year old with US citizenship meaning they can work. Shouldn't be a problem. Hit up the local shelter system for immediate housing, get updated documents from government offices (social security card and other proof of citizenship), and then apply for any service sector work. Retail is hiring like mad right now.
Consider joining the US armed forces. If you connect through a US recruiting office online, I know they’ll work to try and get you state side. Not ideal for many, but for you it’s an immediate job, and independence from your parents.
This might be the best answer here. If things are truly so bad that fleeing to another country that OP's parents, presumably, can't travel freely to themselves is the only answer, then armed service is the only realistic way to make that happen.
I am not huge on the idea of 18 yr olds enlisting (it may be right for some, but so many, at least when I was coming up, chose it as a path just because they didn't really have a clear idea what else to do...then Iraq happened), but OP, this could be your only real option. Contact a recruiting office or the Embassy and tell them you are a citizen and want to enlist but can't get to an office or out of the country. Honestly, if you're not serious enough about it to take this path, then you may need to rethink your plans.
I joined last year, if you test well, you can very well line up a 30k+ signing bonus as well. You won’t have to worry about housing, gives you time to save up, and possible job training. If you have nothing here, this is the move.
Sounds like OP has no money and family in the US. Military really sounds like the best option.
Alternative is being homeless with $0, no bank account, no connections.
This might be the easiest way for you. You’ll have housing, a job, and some training. It will be really hard to land without a job and housing. You will end up homeless and without resources. Assistance for homeless and youth are stretched thin and sloooooow. Help yourself by joining the military.
You need a plan. As of now, it looks like you don't have one and it can only end terribly for you.
Your $550 USD won't even last you a month unless you plan to just live on the streets.
Ppl have given you good advice already but I also want to sincerely urge you to have an actual plan in place.
What happens when you run out of money? You won't be able to do banking in the US either without an address. How will you get a job? Who do you know? Strangers likely won't just let you crash.
Think about all the trouble you will run into. Consider that you can't even find a way to walk to a bank in the country you live in and reevaluate your plans.
So what's your plan? "tired of their restriction" is not a good reason to flee to another country. How much money do you have? Who are you going to stay with? You are only 18 so do you have any skills?
>Now here's the part: My parents nor any family members aren't willing to make me a personal bank account, and I just cant go to a bank institution since that would require me to leave the house and I cant drive yet.
If you consider not driving a barrier to get a bank account, then you should most definitely not come to the US with no local family or friends, if you want to be homeless and starving then feel free to come right now
You need to mentally become an adult before moving to a new country
Perhaps that is why your family wont help you cause they know you wont make it in a country all by yourself
I honestly think you need to research more about what you're trying to do. You're 18 and don't know basic life skills in your own country. Please don't try to flee to the states without any plan or money.
That date doesn't make sense. An adult passport is valid for ten years, so that would suggest you got it in 2021. But if you just turned 18 in 2024 then you were only 15 in 2021, and the child passport you received should only be valid for five years. Is that what it says on your passport details page?
Legally you can fly back to the US as a citizen with an expired passport, but you probably can't just book a commercial ticket with it.
I agree that this makes no sense. I can’t see how it is possible for an 18 year old to have a US passport that expires 7 years from now. It’s either 10 years or less than 5, nothing in between.
OP traveled from the US to GT at age 13, presumably on his US passport. But that was 5 years ago so that passport should be expired or expiring by now. If he can’t figure out how to get a bank account I’m having a hard time figuring out how he managed the larger challenge of an overseas passport renewal.
I checked their very detailed post history and it looks like they fudged their age here, and would have been 16 for the last few months of 2021. You need a parent to sign for a passport at that age so they would have had to organize it, perhaps they weren't as restrictive then.
Same.
The good news is a non-expired USA passport is not required to reenter the USA anyway. As long as he/she can prove citizenship, access to the country is guaranteed.
I don't think they fudged their age, they turned 18 in October 2023 which is in line with being 16 for the last few months of 2021. They likely just misremembered the expiration date on the passport.
That's strange, because federal regulations say that it can't be issued for that long. If you have some special circumstance I'd love to hear about it.
https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/22/51.4
> since that would require me to leave the house and I cant drive yet.
What do you mean? Do you live in a very rural place where the only way to get somewhere is to drive?
I'm willing to bet that if you went to a travel agency they'd allow you to pay with cash for a plane ticket. I recommend finding some near you and calling them to ask if you can pay with cash. If so, buy the ticket through them.
I see. I’ll look into the travel agency sites. I hope they will let me pay in cash soon. For now June isn’t a good time to pay since right now airline tickets are expensive but I’ll save more cash as time passes
If you are worried about the expense of only the flight ticket alone, you are in for a rude awakening for how much things cost in the US, especially rent. And places that are super cheap in rent don't have many job opportunities and don't have public transit (so you would be forced to buy a car and drive which you can't afford). You need a more solid plan for this or you'll immediately end up homeless and the job market here the past year especially has been horrendous
I saw a different comment about you only having $550 and cost of travel came to mind. I’m not sure what city you want to go so I priced out my home city of Dallas. Frontier had a ticket for this Saturday with a long layover in Miami for 185USD. I was shocked. https://google.com/flights can be real helpful. Cost of ticket will of course depend on the destination.
That's why I asked for more details about that part. Seems strange to me that they couldn't get anywhere without a car unless they are in an extremely rural area.
Sorry to say this sounds extremely scammy to me. 1.) Almost 20 years ago I was heading home from travels in Guatemala and had a friend who wanted to come with me. The travel visa was a straight forward process but more importantly the actual ticket was purchased in Quetzales at a little hole-in-the-wall travel agency in zone 10 iirc. It isn't like this is a country without banks or services. The American Embassy will help, as well as any travel agency. At worst it's a bus ride up to Mexico and hop on a flight from there. With a US Passport there are no hoops to jump through.
Op, everyone seems to be avoiding the question and just guessing different things, why are you leaving?
If it's because of some dumb teenager shit where you hate your parents, please do not fuck up your entire life over this.
If you have a real reason, please do not think "I'll talk to a priest for help" or "I'll sell my stuff on facebook" is gonna get you anywhere. You need to really read some of these comments and take them to heart.
If you can’t figure out how to buy a plane ticket because you don’t have a car or can’t drive…
…you don’t have the smarts to live on your own in the United States.
>I just cant go to a bank institution since that would require me to leave the house and I cant drive yet.
Why can’t you get to a bank? You live 50 miles from the closest one? Are you chained in your house? Your neighborhood is lethal if you’re under 20? Your feet don’t work? Nobody you know owns a bicycle? No friends or classmates or cab drivers will take you to the neatest physical bank when you offer to pay them in cash?
Ask the banks if they consider cell phone bills, voter registration mail, tax forms, or anything else as proof of residence. They accept Something or nobody with roommates would have a bank account.
The bank account is actually a minor issue compared to the major one. It sounds like your parents do not want you to emigrate.
So, without their help, how will you pay for your life in the US? It will take you at least a few months to be self-supporting, and that’s IF you get a decent unskilled job and have four roommates and an apartment on a bus line to your workplace so you don’t need a car. Then you can try to work out health insurance, education, better jobs, and so on.
Do you have a few thousand dollars US saved up already and hidden in cash somewhere to support you for those few months? Do you have a particular city in mind, and an accurate knowledge of it’s suitability in terms of housing, employment, public transit, racism quotient, etc?
You're probably going to need more of a plan for what you are going to do once you are in the US. One option that is probably unpopular on Reddit would be to sign up for the military. Something like aircraft maintenance for the Air Force wouldn't require you to see combat and would provide assistance with housing, food, and education. It won't be all that fun or lucrative but it will provide a decent place to start from.
You can’t figure out how to get to the bank to open an account because you can’t drive yet but you want to move to another country on your own? You might want to rethink what you are capable of.
Please do not run away, especially to another country, without proper planning unless you are being harmed at home and have to get out. From your other comments, it seems like you are unhappy with your parents over certain “restrictions.” I’m not sure what those restrictions are, and I’m not going to dismiss your feelings, but please think about this: By moving to the US with little to nothing on you, you might put yourself in far worse conditions and even endanger your life. You will be put at the mercy of strangers—if you happened to get help from a nice person, great; but what if you ran into someone who wanted to exploit, scam, or even harm you, especially if that individual knew you ran away and had no one else to rely on? And as other people have pointed out, you will need to meet your other basic needs: a place to stay, food, transportation, etc. I doubt that a teenager’s saving will last very long. And again, as I cannot stress this enough, once you are in a dire situation as your money quickly runs out, you are vulnerable to other people taking advantage of you: get stiffed on a job that pays under the table, get paid/talked into doing something illegal, get scammed, get your documents stolen and trapped, get assaulted, get kidnapped, so on and so on. Even if nothing bad happens and you find a job to survive on, life will be difficult and your future will forever be altered, for better or worse, because of an uninformed choice you made at the age of 18.
If you want to get away from your family, only do so after more planning and having acquired the skills needed to live on your own and be employed. Look into trade schools or colleges that offer scholarships/aid/loans. Or find jobs that offer training/accommodation of some sorts from TRUSTED sources. Don’t go out there and be like “I want to run away from my family and need work,” you might receive help from genuinely good people, but you will also attract a whole lot of scammers or worse.
Have you tried contacting a travel agent company in Guatemala?
They can book your ticket for you and are likely to accept cash or bank transfers (if you can't leave the house).
Alternatively, ask if any of your friends or relatives who has a debit or credit card to help pay for your ticket online and you pay them cash. Its easier than asking them to help you open a bank account.
Or is there any shop in Guatemala that sells prepaid cashcards? If there is, make sure to get one with a VISA or MasterCard logo.
Subscribe to a print magazine. Any will do. If you find yourself unable to subscribe to one because you don't have a bank account, ask a friend to do it for you *under your name to your address* and pay them.
OP, don't take this the wrong way, but as others have stated, you are really, really emotional, financially, and mentally unprepared for this move. Which makes sense, since you're a teenager, and in many ways shouldn't be expected to be anything else.
That said, you are absolutely not going to have a good time attempting to make this work. No friends, family, money, and most importantly - marketable skills - will have you wondering what you have gotten yourself into once you get into the US. Contrary to what some folks might suggest or think, you will 100% live in some inhumane conditions in your position once you land here, as help will be extremely scarce with the current immigration issues here as is. And honestly, you sound like a person who can't handle the stress and rigors of 1/10th of what I'd imagine your expected outcome to be, so do yourself a favor and stay home. Make up with your family, and don't do anything stupid. The fact you're even this far into this says a lot about how emotionally mature you might be, and while I'm sure your parents are unbearable at times, this is a part of adulting that you'll have to learn to deal with sooner or later.
Good luck.
Can I just make the observation - if you can’t even find a way to get yourself to a BANK, what on earth is your plan for heading to an entirely different country by yourself?
At this point, try to get any job. Then rethink a strategy. I learned a lot in my first job. Lots of good suggestions here such as college or military. Moving out without a plan is not the way to go. Average monthly rent in the US is almost $2k/month. Most minimum wage jobs won't cover that rent and would need roommates. Not to mention finding a place to rent without any credit history. Again think about this.
>and I just cant go to a bank institution since that would require me to leave the house and I cant drive yet.
Can you not get a ride? Or taxi? Or bus? If you can't make it to a physical bank, how are you going to get to the airport to catch a plane?
Well the plan is to leave my entire family so I’ll be free of their restrictions, allowing me to go to the airport.
What I’m saying is that I want to go to the bank and obtain a debit card while being in their custody so I can prepare
If you are the victim of a crime, you should definitively contact your US Embassy to get help you get out safely. Especially if your parents are not US citizen.
Maybe this question was asked and didn’t notice. What is your plan when you arrive in U.S? Where will you live? What work skillset do you have that you’ll be able to get a job and make an income to live off of?
Also, you don’t have to fly from Guatemala. A bus from Estación Central to Tapachula is only $27. From there you can take another bus to the Texas border for $150 or so and from there walk across legally to the U.S. to catch buses into other parts of the U.S. Bus fares you can pay cash so you have options.
Unless you are being physically restrained if seeing up a bank account for yourself is too hard and getting alone workout a car is too hard in a place you know, you are not ready to move to the USA. You will have to do both things again when you get there, in a place you don't know. If you don't have the money for a taxi or transport to the bank, you do not have enough to survive once you land. You might want to check your US passport expiry date too. Assuming you have one.
Call the US embassy in Guatemala [https://gt.usembassy.gov/](https://gt.usembassy.gov/) about returning to the US . There is a system to get a US citizens home, but you have repay the travel costs. Once in the US you need help from a priest or pastor to find a job etc.
A priest or pastor is not the best way or even a normal way to find a job. Instead you should go to a shelter for homeless youth, which will have help for getting a job and place to live and even work training if required.
They won't be eligible to apply while living as a dependent with their parents, but it would definitely be an option worth exploring and even talking to an admissions counselor to figure out where they might go. They will be eligible once they have left home. http://www.jobcorps.gov/i-am-a/student
Be careful with youth shelters - I know people who have spent time on the streets who find the shelters to be more dangerous than being on the streets themselves. If the people (other shelterees) decide they don't like you, they will take everything from you and the staff can't or won't do anything about it.
For a very naive kid like this one, I think they'll be better off inside than outside. Youth shelters specifically are usually more closely supervised and managed. Many of them have casual/drop-in shelters and also permanent supportive housing to get young people on a path out of homelessness.
Yes - "youth shelter" also covers young adults. Most places will be restricted to only minors or only adults, but for young adults it means 18-24, sometimes 25. This is partly for safety, and partly because that age group needs a lot of targeted services that aren't as relevant for older people - like help finishing high school or getting a GED, learning what kind of jobs exist, maybe getting trained in showing up to work on time because they've never done that. They also respond to different incentives, and generally are homeless for different reasons (e.g not many military vets at 18, but lots of people who have potential family or friends to live with and no idea how to get from "I got kicked out" to their grandparents that they know live in Maine.)
Check the unemployment rate where you decide to go lower the easier to find job [https://www.bls.gov/web/metro/laummtrk.htm](https://www.bls.gov/web/metro/laummtrk.htm)
Work with the US embassy and a college of your choice. There are opportunities for foreign students but being a US citizen also eases the process. Plenty of US colleges in the southwest have scholarships for Hispanics and international students.
> I don't really understand why bank insitiutions require a proof of address with the exact name as the ID card
Because anyone who knows you well enough or a relative could pretend to be you or use your address and a fake name.
Having the utility bill in your name means you have some degree of control over the household.
Apply for a U.S. credit card and use that
You can probably get away with a Guatemalan address for that, but if not do you have any friends in the U.S. who will let you use their address
Is there any chance that would work? I have a pristine paper trail and very much standard documents and I still have trouble getting through the hoops to get a card. I can't imagine how a kid, in Guatemala, with dodgy records is going to pull it off.
I can't even see him getting past like step one (name and address).
What issues are you running into?
They’re shouldn’t be too many issues I’ve opened up bank accounts and ccs going to addresses that don’t match my id (move a ton for work kinda nomadic) they’re can occasionally be hiccups after I get it but nowadays you can get the card issued and start using it online right away…nothing should be flagged if they make one plane ticket purchase
If it’s a bank card (ie citizens, BoA, etc) once they’re stateside they can go in and provide their identity/get a signature card for their checking/savings account
You mentioned you dont drive. Thats okay however, are there no buses or do you have or can borrow a bike, even walking to a physical bank to open an account in your name. You're 18 you can open it yourself.
Take photos of ALL of your critical documents. You should have photos of all of these items, with clear, readable ID values. The photos should be saved to the cloud. Send them to yourself in an email if you have to. If there is a risk of someone seeing the photos on your phone, delete them from the phone and only ever access them from cloud storage.
Write down the ID values as well, just in case. These are the most critical pieces of information you have, and losing them will make returning to the US significantly more difficult.
Contacta a la embajada.
Los bancos necesitan pruebas de domicilio por cuestiones legales, la única forma de evadir eso sería con fraude lo cual podría prevenir la ida a los estados unidos de cualquier forma.
Tienes pasaporte?
Where do you live? Uber works in Guatemala with cash and pretty much any travel agency I’m sure will take quetzales. If you’re 18 there’s no restriction on leaving the country.
Edit: Story is a bit strange thinking there is no restriction For US citizen to leave the country and travel agencies will likely take his money. If you are in real need for help reach out.
[Start here](https://gt.usembassy.gov/)
You will find having a US passport will make getting home much easier, btw. Do you have a place to stay once you get to the US? A job? School? These are some of the first things the ambassador will ask.
At your age, my suggestion would be to attend a college in the US. Figure out where you want to live, apply to some schools and try to get financial aid or grants. At least then you can dorm, work on campus and get an education. Just coming to the US without a plan is a recipe for disaster.
for what to do once in the us, i’m not an expert but living in a rural area i can say this;
if you go somewhere rural, yet close (50 miles) to a decent sized city, get a labor job like construction or concrete etc and your boss will take care of you if you work hard and show you want to learn the trade. i’ve seen rural small businesses owners pay out of their pocket to help young employees make ends meet until they can live off their wage,,, and while all of that goes on they build their skills in the industry which they can rely on at any point in their life for work
This is crazy OP, you will literally starve and die if you come to the USA without any plan. You might think you have a plan, but you don't. Others on here are suggesting that you should join the military, and that might be the best option realistically.
Tell your parents you have a way to make money online but it requires a bank account in your name. Tell them you will give them the money cause you want to contribute to the house.
Dont act like you are wanting or trying to leave. Tell them you need to be a man and get a job.
Cash app? I know Venmo is owned by PayPal and they are using the Wells Fargo bank to get their accounts in the USA so they don’t have to worry about the Federal governments laws that govern them.
I wish you the best of luck!
I know this may seem like you are trying to overthrow a giant, but you seem determined. You have a very large amount of time left when you are going to face harder times and have to rely on your strength to keep your mind on your goals.
Just don’t let your decisions affect your ability to control your situation, and your outcome.
You will have a lot of opportunities for offers that will help you get to the your desired destination. Just be prepared to take them with a grain of salt. As a matter fact the most people in record who are not from this continent, have been coming up in the southern border.
Some of them have been running around for the people who were interested with their safety and some have been robbed, raped and murdered on the way.
So stick to your plan and keep your mind off the rest of the noise and don’t let strangers get in your head.
Also do the thing that is been said seek a US embassy even if you have to pay to get there it’ll be worth it because you’re a US citizen they’ll let you in no matter where it’s at!
Best of luck.
A
The real question is what are your plans once you land in the US? Do you have a job lined up? Where are you going to stay? It is extremely difficult for an 18 year old to survive in the US in current economy. You absolutely have to drive in the US, there is no public transportation. The only viable option is to join US military.
Some banks will let you make an account online. I’m not sure if they work where you are but I’ve done it for my last two. Discover has a debit card account that I signed up for completely online. They gave me my routing and account numbers immediately (you could go to a store that wires money and use the cash to deposit with those numbers) and the mailed the debit card.
You can buy a ticket at the airport or even go to the airline office. When I was younger i used to go to American Airlines office in midtown and buy the ticket there.
This person is likely not to pass the psychological tests for entry into the U.S. armed forces. Little initiative, no ability to plan, no curiosity to research, no situational awareness, shaky English skills, no practical skills (not even driving!).
This is how human trafficking stories begin. So sad!
Does anyone else get some sketchy vibe from this post? First off I hope you’re ok, sounds like you’re imprisoned, idk if legally or illegally. Second, get help through a US embassy. You have online access so search how to get there, get directions, call, and walk there if you have to. Save up some money working whatever job is nearby that will pay you in paper currency. Bet it will be cheap labor but you have to get money legally. Buy a bus ticket, rent a room, establish some credit there, seems they want to know you are living and existing and not some thief that stole some papers and information. Idk what is the cut off age for someone to be considered legally an adult in Guatemala but if you’re at that age then a parent’s curfew and the inability to drive can’t prevent from going out.
Contact the US embassy for assistance. Line up work in the US, using the various recommendations you’ve received in this thread. Whether you join the military, a government jobs program, or work for Amazon, you’ll need to organize housing and work, and by extension food. Good luck.
Edit: go to capital one’s website and open a checking account if you are still going that route.
OP I hope you can get back. My wife is Guatemalan and she suggested having a trusted friend purchase the ticket for you if you have someone able to do it. They just need to make sure the ticket is in your name. Her cousin had her boyfriend pay out of his account for a trip back to the US (she was born in US, sent back to Guatemala as a little girl, and now wanted to come back to visit family). Good luck.
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The people in here giving op advice to leave need to pipe down. This kid is not ready to move out of a country away from his support system to unknown territory with only 500 bucks and a dream. Yes plenty of immigrants do that but the “successful” ones have family/friends to fall back on. OP if you are serious about this you need a little more money to your name to even think about attempting a journey like that.
I'm sorry this is the only option left for you.
Some very great direction for you in the comments for when you arrive in the US. But as a child who also had to "get away" from their parents too, I will help you leave your situation safely. You have to be smart.
In order to prepare from now until October, a number of things need to be planned ahead:
You must find a new "friend" that lives close by, or an elderly person, or a job or kid you can help tutor. The reason for this is to establish a pattern your parents wouldn't suspect so you can visit the consulate, go to the bank, the travel agency, maybe even work for real and make some money.
Make sure it's real and you go often and regularly. Make sure they meet them or drop you off/pick you up a couple of times.
Once you've got this setup, you'll find a bit more freedom to get all the information you need, prepare ahead and hopefully, have a successful transition.
I wish you the best of luck, seriously. If what I think is happening to you soon is true, you must tell the consulate immediately. You might get extracted for your own safety. Take advantage of it, don't be ashamed, you are a fighter!
If you have family out here in the states, contact them. Also contact any friends you have in the states. They can open American accounts for u or help you get a plane ticket home. But honestly, you really don’t have a plan besides wanting to “escape” your parents. Do you have a plan? Money saved? No. I would really rethink things and plan it out better.
If you find a way to make it to the US, look into the joining the military it could be a way for you to start making a living l, getting some skills and roof over your head. Just to get on your feet for a few years and once you serve out your contract you can leave
$550 no te alcanza ni para una semana si empezamos a considerar el costo del pasaje bro.
Tienes familia acá en EE.UU? En que estado?
Yo te puedo ayudar a hacerte la compra del boleto pero realmente tienes un plan concreto para vivir acá en Estados Unidos?
Reading your comments- you will make it about 5 days in the US before running out of money. Unfortunately you will quickly become a homeless statistic.
Look into the job corp or military service. You need at least another year of solid planning or you will end up in a very dark place, very quickly.
You can just get a PDF Editor and change the name on your parents' invoice to yours. Not "legal", but you can definitely do it and banks won't check it. Chances of 99%/1% they'd do. So, worth a shot 👍🏼. Not really a lie, just circumventing standardized approval systems.
Is there a US Embassy there? Since you are a citizen they might be somewhat helpful
The embassy can definitely arrange repatriation flights
Yes OP the info is here: https://www.acf.hhs.gov/ohsepr/repatriation/repatriate-assistance They will pay for your flight (and possibly even give you a small loan to get you on your feet). You'll need to pay the loan back before you can use your passport again. > Overseas If you are a U.S. citizen overseas and need assistance to return to the United States, contact the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate or the U.S. Department of State, Office of Overseas Citizens Services, at (888) 407-4747 (or from overseas +1 202-501-4444). In the United States If you need assistance upon your arrival to the United States, the U.S. Department of State will refer you to the U.S. Repatriation Program (“the Program”), managed by OHSEPR. OHSEPR will coordinate with its grantee, ISS-USA , and the state of your final destination to provide assistance. The Program can provide you temporary assistance for up to 90 days after your return to the United States by the U.S. Department of State, to include cash assistance, shelter, and transportation, as well as case management. Temporary assistance is provided as a loan which is payable to the U.S. government. You must complete and sign Form RR-05: Repatriation Repayment and Privacy Agreement to receive temporary assistance. Your case will be closed either at the end of the 90-day period, or when you have enough resources to meet your basic needs (such as income, familial support, and/or other state government-provided social services).
Wow, I had no idea this was a service the State Dept would provide. Makes total sense, and glad to know it exists.
Benefits of having a US citizenship
lol, now try to get into the US embassy even with a passport. Few places I’ve gone have been more unfriendly than my own country’s embassy.
Lmao yeah the one time I needed help from a US Embassy they were absolutely useless.
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To clarify, you have to repay the cost of the ticket as well as any loan they give you.
>I just cant go to a bank institution since that would require me to leave the house and I cant drive yet. They apparently can't leave the house so I don't know if this will be much help.
Weird that they mentioned that as if Uber, taxi, or even public transportation is not a thing? If they want to go to the airport, they need to figure out the logistic.
OP should really reconsider moving to the US as a teenager with $500 to his name. This is a one way ticket to homelessness and a lot of suffering and exposure to everything that will come with it. If he really needs to leave, he should find a way to raise money in Guatemala before moving to the US. Edit: for a subreddit focused on responsible financing, it is troubling that so many are affirming the massive risk and action that a teenager wants to take with literally no stability, backup, or resources.
There's some options. If you work in a National Park, for example, you get somewhere to live and likely some discount at a store that makes food reasonable. Working for the concessions groups in the parks is generally not a very hard job to get. If you're okay with living in basically a fancy tent for a few months, it can get you off the ground with some savings.
The minimum wage in Guatemala is $1.47 per hour. The minimum wage in every US state is at least $7.25. In some states it’s twice that. You really think it would be better to raise money in Guatemala?
$1.47 with no housing or food costs and drastically lower CoL vs $7.25 trying to make rent, transport to work, eat. They might not be able to save up fast in Guatemala but they won't be instantly homeless.
If you're willing to rent a bed in a hostel, take public transportation everywhere, and work a job most people don't like. You can survive pretty well in the US *compared* to Guatemala. There is an enormous gap between what we all expect being an American to entail (decent health care, a home with some privacy and space to raise a family, a car; good protections if you're sick and/or disabled and don't have a wealthy family member to help advocate) and what someone immigrating from Guatemala would need for things to be worth it. In fact, this post does a great job capturing the fundamental tension between established folks in the US and would-be immigrants, a tension that is surprisingly similar to what existed all the way back in the 1800's when people thought it was too hard to live in the industrializing US already and the Irish and Chinese immigrants building the railroads were a "problem".
Millions of people immigrate to the US from countries with lower CoLs every year. How do you think they do it?
And the vast majority of those folks do not have citizenship, so OP is in a much better position than most potential immigrants.
I work with a lot of them and it is a massive fucking risk and generally the ones that do well are those with some amount of cash to build from. $500 to start with in the US is wholly irresponsible and likely to end in homelessness. Please stop affirming the actions of a teenager to take on such a massive risk with pretty much no safety net in a country that punishes you for it.
Affirming and condoning the actions of an 18 year old to take such a massive risk and action is wholly irresponsible for a subreddit focused on responsible financing.
I’m willing to bet OP can handle being homeless for a short period if it means an opportunity at a better life.
Why so pessimistic? It’s the land of opportunity. Also, they are a teenager like you said so taking risks is far less punishing than if they were far older.
Take a look at Job Corps. They’ll take youth as young as 16. It’s a federally sponsored vocational training program for at-risk youth who are 16-24 years old (it seems you would qualify). They’ll provide on site dormitory style housing, food, etc. everything that you’ll need to get a positive start in the US. Take a look at the requirements: https://prh.jobcorps.gov/Exhibits/Exhibit%201-1%20Job%20Corps%20Eligibility%20Requirements.pdf Then contact a Job Corps that you’d like to attend. I’ve done these searches from Mexico and have encountered a few pages that block my access due to being overseas. If you run into problems, I know that there are facilities in San Diego, San Francisco and Sacramento, California as well as Reno, Nevada. A simple google search will get you their number so you can call directly with any questions. I highly recommend that you explore this option.
I’ll look into it
Please do. My mother is a retired educator who worked at one of their facilities. Programs like this seem to be made for young people in your situation.
They are pretty much everywhere in the country, including many lower cost of living areas.
There seems to be a physical United Airlines office in Guatemala City. Will they not accept a cash transaction? As another practical matter — just landing in the U.S. with no job or housing lined up is going to be an *extremely* rough time if you don’t have someone that can support you for the first several weeks-months.
I'm actually calling BS on this. * Go to an airlines ticket office. Very likely they will accept cash. * Go to a mom and pop travel agency. There might be a small premium but they would absolutely accept cash.
Find a way to leave the house and just go to a bank. If you want to come back to the U.S. you can’t let something like “I can’t drive” be the thing that stops you.
I am planning for an escape from my parents and I will do it in the coming months, maybe in October.
Just take a long walk to a friends house and actually go to a bank instead. Writing it like this, honestly makes it seem like you are actually in a jail cell and trying to do something illegal. Hopefully you are not. Just walk around. Ride a bike. Get a ride. Heck, get a job. Then get a bank account. Then just leave someday.
If you are trying to do this quietly, I would probably make sure you are not using Reddit in a web browser that saves web history. Incognito burrito is your friend.
Why October instead of next week?
Okay seeing some of your comments, you are *not* prepared to move to the US. If you really need to leave, I suggest the military. I chose Navy because they guarantee what job you’ll have when you sign the contract. I’m sure you can find a recruiter office that’s desperate enough to do just about anything to get you over here and enlisted (I’m only half joking). While you’re in you can attend college classes to get all the core classes and some credits out of the way, then post 9/11 GI bill not only pays for your tuition once you separate, but also a monthly allowance direct deposit into your bank account, which they will help you set up one on the first couple days of boot. In the meantime I’d seek assistance from the US embassy.
You have no plan, no job, no place to stay. I don’t see how this is going to work out. How much money do you have ?
I don't think you're ready to travel to the US without a plan. You can't go to a bank in Guatemala bc you can't drive. How are you going to survive?
There’s plenty of work if you have authorization, you know. There are programs for temporary assistance. Assuming OP gets a job, which shouldn’t be hard to get at some sort of warehousing facility, they can probably earn enough in a month to get a bank account opened and find someone to sublet a room from.
OP is an able bodied 18 year old with US citizenship meaning they can work. Shouldn't be a problem. Hit up the local shelter system for immediate housing, get updated documents from government offices (social security card and other proof of citizenship), and then apply for any service sector work. Retail is hiring like mad right now.
Consider joining the US armed forces. If you connect through a US recruiting office online, I know they’ll work to try and get you state side. Not ideal for many, but for you it’s an immediate job, and independence from your parents.
This might be the best answer here. If things are truly so bad that fleeing to another country that OP's parents, presumably, can't travel freely to themselves is the only answer, then armed service is the only realistic way to make that happen. I am not huge on the idea of 18 yr olds enlisting (it may be right for some, but so many, at least when I was coming up, chose it as a path just because they didn't really have a clear idea what else to do...then Iraq happened), but OP, this could be your only real option. Contact a recruiting office or the Embassy and tell them you are a citizen and want to enlist but can't get to an office or out of the country. Honestly, if you're not serious enough about it to take this path, then you may need to rethink your plans.
I joined last year, if you test well, you can very well line up a 30k+ signing bonus as well. You won’t have to worry about housing, gives you time to save up, and possible job training. If you have nothing here, this is the move.
Sounds like OP has no money and family in the US. Military really sounds like the best option. Alternative is being homeless with $0, no bank account, no connections.
This might be the easiest way for you. You’ll have housing, a job, and some training. It will be really hard to land without a job and housing. You will end up homeless and without resources. Assistance for homeless and youth are stretched thin and sloooooow. Help yourself by joining the military.
This is the only option. OP doesnt drive and overall very infantile for an 18 year old. He will not make it on his own unless he joins the military.
You need a plan. As of now, it looks like you don't have one and it can only end terribly for you. Your $550 USD won't even last you a month unless you plan to just live on the streets. Ppl have given you good advice already but I also want to sincerely urge you to have an actual plan in place. What happens when you run out of money? You won't be able to do banking in the US either without an address. How will you get a job? Who do you know? Strangers likely won't just let you crash. Think about all the trouble you will run into. Consider that you can't even find a way to walk to a bank in the country you live in and reevaluate your plans.
So what's your plan? "tired of their restriction" is not a good reason to flee to another country. How much money do you have? Who are you going to stay with? You are only 18 so do you have any skills?
If you can't get to the bank to open an account, how the hell are you going to get to the airport?!?
>Now here's the part: My parents nor any family members aren't willing to make me a personal bank account, and I just cant go to a bank institution since that would require me to leave the house and I cant drive yet. If you consider not driving a barrier to get a bank account, then you should most definitely not come to the US with no local family or friends, if you want to be homeless and starving then feel free to come right now You need to mentally become an adult before moving to a new country Perhaps that is why your family wont help you cause they know you wont make it in a country all by yourself
I honestly think you need to research more about what you're trying to do. You're 18 and don't know basic life skills in your own country. Please don't try to flee to the states without any plan or money.
Is your US passport still valid? When does it expire?
2031
That date doesn't make sense. An adult passport is valid for ten years, so that would suggest you got it in 2021. But if you just turned 18 in 2024 then you were only 15 in 2021, and the child passport you received should only be valid for five years. Is that what it says on your passport details page? Legally you can fly back to the US as a citizen with an expired passport, but you probably can't just book a commercial ticket with it.
I agree that this makes no sense. I can’t see how it is possible for an 18 year old to have a US passport that expires 7 years from now. It’s either 10 years or less than 5, nothing in between. OP traveled from the US to GT at age 13, presumably on his US passport. But that was 5 years ago so that passport should be expired or expiring by now. If he can’t figure out how to get a bank account I’m having a hard time figuring out how he managed the larger challenge of an overseas passport renewal.
I checked their very detailed post history and it looks like they fudged their age here, and would have been 16 for the last few months of 2021. You need a parent to sign for a passport at that age so they would have had to organize it, perhaps they weren't as restrictive then.
You need two parents to sign usually. We got one for my kids and it required both of us going to the passport office in person...
Same. The good news is a non-expired USA passport is not required to reenter the USA anyway. As long as he/she can prove citizenship, access to the country is guaranteed.
I don't think they fudged their age, they turned 18 in October 2023 which is in line with being 16 for the last few months of 2021. They likely just misremembered the expiration date on the passport.
I got my passport when I was 15 and it doesn’t expire until I’m 25
That's strange, because federal regulations say that it can't be issued for that long. If you have some special circumstance I'd love to hear about it. https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/22/51.4
You’re right I just checked and I was 16
I was curious about returning to the US with an expired passport but looks like it's no longer a thing: https://www.help.cbp.gov/s/article/Article1861
Yea, that was just a temporary covid rule because people were stuck and they weren't really issuing new ones.
You don't need a valid passport to get into the US as a citizen. You only need to be able to prove citizenship in any way.
That's true, but you need one to board a commercial flight. You can use your birth certificate at the embassy to get an emergency passport.
> since that would require me to leave the house and I cant drive yet. What do you mean? Do you live in a very rural place where the only way to get somewhere is to drive? I'm willing to bet that if you went to a travel agency they'd allow you to pay with cash for a plane ticket. I recommend finding some near you and calling them to ask if you can pay with cash. If so, buy the ticket through them.
I see. I’ll look into the travel agency sites. I hope they will let me pay in cash soon. For now June isn’t a good time to pay since right now airline tickets are expensive but I’ll save more cash as time passes
If you are worried about the expense of only the flight ticket alone, you are in for a rude awakening for how much things cost in the US, especially rent. And places that are super cheap in rent don't have many job opportunities and don't have public transit (so you would be forced to buy a car and drive which you can't afford). You need a more solid plan for this or you'll immediately end up homeless and the job market here the past year especially has been horrendous
I saw a different comment about you only having $550 and cost of travel came to mind. I’m not sure what city you want to go so I priced out my home city of Dallas. Frontier had a ticket for this Saturday with a long layover in Miami for 185USD. I was shocked. https://google.com/flights can be real helpful. Cost of ticket will of course depend on the destination.
But how is he going to get to a travel agency if he can't drive?
That's why I asked for more details about that part. Seems strange to me that they couldn't get anywhere without a car unless they are in an extremely rural area.
Sorry to say this sounds extremely scammy to me. 1.) Almost 20 years ago I was heading home from travels in Guatemala and had a friend who wanted to come with me. The travel visa was a straight forward process but more importantly the actual ticket was purchased in Quetzales at a little hole-in-the-wall travel agency in zone 10 iirc. It isn't like this is a country without banks or services. The American Embassy will help, as well as any travel agency. At worst it's a bus ride up to Mexico and hop on a flight from there. With a US Passport there are no hoops to jump through.
Op, everyone seems to be avoiding the question and just guessing different things, why are you leaving? If it's because of some dumb teenager shit where you hate your parents, please do not fuck up your entire life over this. If you have a real reason, please do not think "I'll talk to a priest for help" or "I'll sell my stuff on facebook" is gonna get you anywhere. You need to really read some of these comments and take them to heart.
If you can’t figure out how to buy a plane ticket because you don’t have a car or can’t drive… …you don’t have the smarts to live on your own in the United States.
And if OP thinks $550 is enough to get started in America taking Ubers, he’s in for a ride (or not, cause he can’t afford it)
You can’t drive to the bank but somehow you think you’re able to fly to a different country with nothing and survive?
If you can’t drive, that’s the least of worries if you’re going to come into the US with no money, job, or house
I’m curious - when you get to the US, what’s your plan? Siap.
>I just cant go to a bank institution since that would require me to leave the house and I cant drive yet. Why can’t you get to a bank? You live 50 miles from the closest one? Are you chained in your house? Your neighborhood is lethal if you’re under 20? Your feet don’t work? Nobody you know owns a bicycle? No friends or classmates or cab drivers will take you to the neatest physical bank when you offer to pay them in cash? Ask the banks if they consider cell phone bills, voter registration mail, tax forms, or anything else as proof of residence. They accept Something or nobody with roommates would have a bank account. The bank account is actually a minor issue compared to the major one. It sounds like your parents do not want you to emigrate. So, without their help, how will you pay for your life in the US? It will take you at least a few months to be self-supporting, and that’s IF you get a decent unskilled job and have four roommates and an apartment on a bus line to your workplace so you don’t need a car. Then you can try to work out health insurance, education, better jobs, and so on. Do you have a few thousand dollars US saved up already and hidden in cash somewhere to support you for those few months? Do you have a particular city in mind, and an accurate knowledge of it’s suitability in terms of housing, employment, public transit, racism quotient, etc?
You're probably going to need more of a plan for what you are going to do once you are in the US. One option that is probably unpopular on Reddit would be to sign up for the military. Something like aircraft maintenance for the Air Force wouldn't require you to see combat and would provide assistance with housing, food, and education. It won't be all that fun or lucrative but it will provide a decent place to start from.
>>> since that would require me to leave the house and I cant drive yet. How do you plan to get to the airport?
You can’t figure out how to get to the bank to open an account because you can’t drive yet but you want to move to another country on your own? You might want to rethink what you are capable of.
Please do not run away, especially to another country, without proper planning unless you are being harmed at home and have to get out. From your other comments, it seems like you are unhappy with your parents over certain “restrictions.” I’m not sure what those restrictions are, and I’m not going to dismiss your feelings, but please think about this: By moving to the US with little to nothing on you, you might put yourself in far worse conditions and even endanger your life. You will be put at the mercy of strangers—if you happened to get help from a nice person, great; but what if you ran into someone who wanted to exploit, scam, or even harm you, especially if that individual knew you ran away and had no one else to rely on? And as other people have pointed out, you will need to meet your other basic needs: a place to stay, food, transportation, etc. I doubt that a teenager’s saving will last very long. And again, as I cannot stress this enough, once you are in a dire situation as your money quickly runs out, you are vulnerable to other people taking advantage of you: get stiffed on a job that pays under the table, get paid/talked into doing something illegal, get scammed, get your documents stolen and trapped, get assaulted, get kidnapped, so on and so on. Even if nothing bad happens and you find a job to survive on, life will be difficult and your future will forever be altered, for better or worse, because of an uninformed choice you made at the age of 18. If you want to get away from your family, only do so after more planning and having acquired the skills needed to live on your own and be employed. Look into trade schools or colleges that offer scholarships/aid/loans. Or find jobs that offer training/accommodation of some sorts from TRUSTED sources. Don’t go out there and be like “I want to run away from my family and need work,” you might receive help from genuinely good people, but you will also attract a whole lot of scammers or worse.
Have you tried contacting a travel agent company in Guatemala? They can book your ticket for you and are likely to accept cash or bank transfers (if you can't leave the house). Alternatively, ask if any of your friends or relatives who has a debit or credit card to help pay for your ticket online and you pay them cash. Its easier than asking them to help you open a bank account. Or is there any shop in Guatemala that sells prepaid cashcards? If there is, make sure to get one with a VISA or MasterCard logo.
Subscribe to a print magazine. Any will do. If you find yourself unable to subscribe to one because you don't have a bank account, ask a friend to do it for you *under your name to your address* and pay them.
I mean, how would you get to the airport if you can't leave your house to go to a bank?
There are no travel agencies that will take your cash and buy you a ticket?!
OP, don't take this the wrong way, but as others have stated, you are really, really emotional, financially, and mentally unprepared for this move. Which makes sense, since you're a teenager, and in many ways shouldn't be expected to be anything else. That said, you are absolutely not going to have a good time attempting to make this work. No friends, family, money, and most importantly - marketable skills - will have you wondering what you have gotten yourself into once you get into the US. Contrary to what some folks might suggest or think, you will 100% live in some inhumane conditions in your position once you land here, as help will be extremely scarce with the current immigration issues here as is. And honestly, you sound like a person who can't handle the stress and rigors of 1/10th of what I'd imagine your expected outcome to be, so do yourself a favor and stay home. Make up with your family, and don't do anything stupid. The fact you're even this far into this says a lot about how emotionally mature you might be, and while I'm sure your parents are unbearable at times, this is a part of adulting that you'll have to learn to deal with sooner or later. Good luck.
Can I just make the observation - if you can’t even find a way to get yourself to a BANK, what on earth is your plan for heading to an entirely different country by yourself?
We're not going to know about Guatemalan banking policies here.
At this point, try to get any job. Then rethink a strategy. I learned a lot in my first job. Lots of good suggestions here such as college or military. Moving out without a plan is not the way to go. Average monthly rent in the US is almost $2k/month. Most minimum wage jobs won't cover that rent and would need roommates. Not to mention finding a place to rent without any credit history. Again think about this.
Do you get mail? That could potentially work as proof. You can have friends write you? Or send you invitations. Just a thought ! Unsure
I dont get mail at all unfortunately
>and I just cant go to a bank institution since that would require me to leave the house and I cant drive yet. Can you not get a ride? Or taxi? Or bus? If you can't make it to a physical bank, how are you going to get to the airport to catch a plane?
Well the plan is to leave my entire family so I’ll be free of their restrictions, allowing me to go to the airport. What I’m saying is that I want to go to the bank and obtain a debit card while being in their custody so I can prepare
Are you literally restricted from leaving the house? At all? You can't leave the house to hang out with a friend or run an errand?
Technically I could leave the house forever, but only as an escape. And no I can’t really do errands and I only go out with the house with my family
If you are the victim of a crime, you should definitively contact your US Embassy to get help you get out safely. Especially if your parents are not US citizen.
Maybe this question was asked and didn’t notice. What is your plan when you arrive in U.S? Where will you live? What work skillset do you have that you’ll be able to get a job and make an income to live off of? Also, you don’t have to fly from Guatemala. A bus from Estación Central to Tapachula is only $27. From there you can take another bus to the Texas border for $150 or so and from there walk across legally to the U.S. to catch buses into other parts of the U.S. Bus fares you can pay cash so you have options.
Unless you are being physically restrained if seeing up a bank account for yourself is too hard and getting alone workout a car is too hard in a place you know, you are not ready to move to the USA. You will have to do both things again when you get there, in a place you don't know. If you don't have the money for a taxi or transport to the bank, you do not have enough to survive once you land. You might want to check your US passport expiry date too. Assuming you have one.
Do you have a place to stay and family in the US? No offense but it doesn’t quite sound like you’re independent enough yet to make it on your own.
You will need to go to the US embassy no matter what. If your US passport is from when you were 13 and you are now 18, it’s expired.
Drop a postcard in the mail addressed to yourself that should work for proof of address
Call the US embassy in Guatemala [https://gt.usembassy.gov/](https://gt.usembassy.gov/) about returning to the US . There is a system to get a US citizens home, but you have repay the travel costs. Once in the US you need help from a priest or pastor to find a job etc.
A priest or pastor is not the best way or even a normal way to find a job. Instead you should go to a shelter for homeless youth, which will have help for getting a job and place to live and even work training if required.
Maybe can pre-arrange for jobcore? Not sure how that works but would provide a roof and a skill.
Or Americorps. Job and a place to stay.
They won't be eligible to apply while living as a dependent with their parents, but it would definitely be an option worth exploring and even talking to an admissions counselor to figure out where they might go. They will be eligible once they have left home. http://www.jobcorps.gov/i-am-a/student
Be careful with youth shelters - I know people who have spent time on the streets who find the shelters to be more dangerous than being on the streets themselves. If the people (other shelterees) decide they don't like you, they will take everything from you and the staff can't or won't do anything about it.
For a very naive kid like this one, I think they'll be better off inside than outside. Youth shelters specifically are usually more closely supervised and managed. Many of them have casual/drop-in shelters and also permanent supportive housing to get young people on a path out of homelessness.
OP is a legal adult, are they even eligible for a youth shelter at this point?
Yes - "youth shelter" also covers young adults. Most places will be restricted to only minors or only adults, but for young adults it means 18-24, sometimes 25. This is partly for safety, and partly because that age group needs a lot of targeted services that aren't as relevant for older people - like help finishing high school or getting a GED, learning what kind of jobs exist, maybe getting trained in showing up to work on time because they've never done that. They also respond to different incentives, and generally are homeless for different reasons (e.g not many military vets at 18, but lots of people who have potential family or friends to live with and no idea how to get from "I got kicked out" to their grandparents that they know live in Maine.)
Check the unemployment rate where you decide to go lower the easier to find job [https://www.bls.gov/web/metro/laummtrk.htm](https://www.bls.gov/web/metro/laummtrk.htm)
Work with the US embassy and a college of your choice. There are opportunities for foreign students but being a US citizen also eases the process. Plenty of US colleges in the southwest have scholarships for Hispanics and international students.
Find an employer first or come to a big city where you can quickly get a job
> I don't really understand why bank insitiutions require a proof of address with the exact name as the ID card Because anyone who knows you well enough or a relative could pretend to be you or use your address and a fake name. Having the utility bill in your name means you have some degree of control over the household.
Can you buy a prepaid American Express, Visa or Mastercard there? You could load it up with your cash and then buy the airline ticket.
Apply for a U.S. credit card and use that You can probably get away with a Guatemalan address for that, but if not do you have any friends in the U.S. who will let you use their address
Is there any chance that would work? I have a pristine paper trail and very much standard documents and I still have trouble getting through the hoops to get a card. I can't imagine how a kid, in Guatemala, with dodgy records is going to pull it off. I can't even see him getting past like step one (name and address).
What issues are you running into? They’re shouldn’t be too many issues I’ve opened up bank accounts and ccs going to addresses that don’t match my id (move a ton for work kinda nomadic) they’re can occasionally be hiccups after I get it but nowadays you can get the card issued and start using it online right away…nothing should be flagged if they make one plane ticket purchase If it’s a bank card (ie citizens, BoA, etc) once they’re stateside they can go in and provide their identity/get a signature card for their checking/savings account
You mentioned you dont drive. Thats okay however, are there no buses or do you have or can borrow a bike, even walking to a physical bank to open an account in your name. You're 18 you can open it yourself.
Maybe a travel agent can accept cash for an airline ticket?
Have you considered asking a trusted friend or neighbor to help with proof of address?
Can’t you just go the airport with cash and go to the airline’s ticket counter and buy a ticket?
Not every airline sells tickets at the airport any more.
Take photos of ALL of your critical documents. You should have photos of all of these items, with clear, readable ID values. The photos should be saved to the cloud. Send them to yourself in an email if you have to. If there is a risk of someone seeing the photos on your phone, delete them from the phone and only ever access them from cloud storage. Write down the ID values as well, just in case. These are the most critical pieces of information you have, and losing them will make returning to the US significantly more difficult.
Contacta a la embajada. Los bancos necesitan pruebas de domicilio por cuestiones legales, la única forma de evadir eso sería con fraude lo cual podría prevenir la ida a los estados unidos de cualquier forma. Tienes pasaporte?
You can buy airline tickets with cash from a travel agency
Where do you live? Uber works in Guatemala with cash and pretty much any travel agency I’m sure will take quetzales. If you’re 18 there’s no restriction on leaving the country. Edit: Story is a bit strange thinking there is no restriction For US citizen to leave the country and travel agencies will likely take his money. If you are in real need for help reach out.
[Start here](https://gt.usembassy.gov/) You will find having a US passport will make getting home much easier, btw. Do you have a place to stay once you get to the US? A job? School? These are some of the first things the ambassador will ask.
The ambassador doesn’t make passport (or even visa) decisions…
At your age, my suggestion would be to attend a college in the US. Figure out where you want to live, apply to some schools and try to get financial aid or grants. At least then you can dorm, work on campus and get an education. Just coming to the US without a plan is a recipe for disaster.
You can possibly buy a prepaid credit card.
for what to do once in the us, i’m not an expert but living in a rural area i can say this; if you go somewhere rural, yet close (50 miles) to a decent sized city, get a labor job like construction or concrete etc and your boss will take care of you if you work hard and show you want to learn the trade. i’ve seen rural small businesses owners pay out of their pocket to help young employees make ends meet until they can live off their wage,,, and while all of that goes on they build their skills in the industry which they can rely on at any point in their life for work
This is crazy OP, you will literally starve and die if you come to the USA without any plan. You might think you have a plan, but you don't. Others on here are suggesting that you should join the military, and that might be the best option realistically.
The military will SA you and leave you traumatized and without veteran support. Do NOT join the USA military
Pretty sure you can open a Sofi bank account fully online with those docs
Can you take a bus, bike, or catch a ride with a neighbor to get to the bank?
Can you open a credit card without a bank account?
Have you checked if you have a good old fashioned, old school travel agent in your area?
Tell your parents you have a way to make money online but it requires a bank account in your name. Tell them you will give them the money cause you want to contribute to the house. Dont act like you are wanting or trying to leave. Tell them you need to be a man and get a job.
Cash app? I know Venmo is owned by PayPal and they are using the Wells Fargo bank to get their accounts in the USA so they don’t have to worry about the Federal governments laws that govern them. I wish you the best of luck! I know this may seem like you are trying to overthrow a giant, but you seem determined. You have a very large amount of time left when you are going to face harder times and have to rely on your strength to keep your mind on your goals. Just don’t let your decisions affect your ability to control your situation, and your outcome. You will have a lot of opportunities for offers that will help you get to the your desired destination. Just be prepared to take them with a grain of salt. As a matter fact the most people in record who are not from this continent, have been coming up in the southern border. Some of them have been running around for the people who were interested with their safety and some have been robbed, raped and murdered on the way. So stick to your plan and keep your mind off the rest of the noise and don’t let strangers get in your head. Also do the thing that is been said seek a US embassy even if you have to pay to get there it’ll be worth it because you’re a US citizen they’ll let you in no matter where it’s at! Best of luck. A
The real question is what are your plans once you land in the US? Do you have a job lined up? Where are you going to stay? It is extremely difficult for an 18 year old to survive in the US in current economy. You absolutely have to drive in the US, there is no public transportation. The only viable option is to join US military.
Some banks will let you make an account online. I’m not sure if they work where you are but I’ve done it for my last two. Discover has a debit card account that I signed up for completely online. They gave me my routing and account numbers immediately (you could go to a store that wires money and use the cash to deposit with those numbers) and the mailed the debit card.
You can buy a ticket at the airport or even go to the airline office. When I was younger i used to go to American Airlines office in midtown and buy the ticket there.
This person is likely not to pass the psychological tests for entry into the U.S. armed forces. Little initiative, no ability to plan, no curiosity to research, no situational awareness, shaky English skills, no practical skills (not even driving!). This is how human trafficking stories begin. So sad!
plenty of shipping companies offer rooms on their cargo vessels. They aren't luxurious, but they are reasonably priced and comfortable.
Open an account at a US Bank. Many Americans do all of their banking online, without ever visiting a physical bank.
Does anyone else get some sketchy vibe from this post? First off I hope you’re ok, sounds like you’re imprisoned, idk if legally or illegally. Second, get help through a US embassy. You have online access so search how to get there, get directions, call, and walk there if you have to. Save up some money working whatever job is nearby that will pay you in paper currency. Bet it will be cheap labor but you have to get money legally. Buy a bus ticket, rent a room, establish some credit there, seems they want to know you are living and existing and not some thief that stole some papers and information. Idk what is the cut off age for someone to be considered legally an adult in Guatemala but if you’re at that age then a parent’s curfew and the inability to drive can’t prevent from going out.
Put some utility under your name and pay it. You’ll have proof of address
Contact the US embassy for assistance. Line up work in the US, using the various recommendations you’ve received in this thread. Whether you join the military, a government jobs program, or work for Amazon, you’ll need to organize housing and work, and by extension food. Good luck. Edit: go to capital one’s website and open a checking account if you are still going that route.
OP I hope you can get back. My wife is Guatemalan and she suggested having a trusted friend purchase the ticket for you if you have someone able to do it. They just need to make sure the ticket is in your name. Her cousin had her boyfriend pay out of his account for a trip back to the US (she was born in US, sent back to Guatemala as a little girl, and now wanted to come back to visit family). Good luck.
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The people in here giving op advice to leave need to pipe down. This kid is not ready to move out of a country away from his support system to unknown territory with only 500 bucks and a dream. Yes plenty of immigrants do that but the “successful” ones have family/friends to fall back on. OP if you are serious about this you need a little more money to your name to even think about attempting a journey like that.
I'm sorry this is the only option left for you. Some very great direction for you in the comments for when you arrive in the US. But as a child who also had to "get away" from their parents too, I will help you leave your situation safely. You have to be smart. In order to prepare from now until October, a number of things need to be planned ahead: You must find a new "friend" that lives close by, or an elderly person, or a job or kid you can help tutor. The reason for this is to establish a pattern your parents wouldn't suspect so you can visit the consulate, go to the bank, the travel agency, maybe even work for real and make some money. Make sure it's real and you go often and regularly. Make sure they meet them or drop you off/pick you up a couple of times. Once you've got this setup, you'll find a bit more freedom to get all the information you need, prepare ahead and hopefully, have a successful transition. I wish you the best of luck, seriously. If what I think is happening to you soon is true, you must tell the consulate immediately. You might get extracted for your own safety. Take advantage of it, don't be ashamed, you are a fighter!
If you have family out here in the states, contact them. Also contact any friends you have in the states. They can open American accounts for u or help you get a plane ticket home. But honestly, you really don’t have a plan besides wanting to “escape” your parents. Do you have a plan? Money saved? No. I would really rethink things and plan it out better.
If you find a way to make it to the US, look into the joining the military it could be a way for you to start making a living l, getting some skills and roof over your head. Just to get on your feet for a few years and once you serve out your contract you can leave
$550 no te alcanza ni para una semana si empezamos a considerar el costo del pasaje bro. Tienes familia acá en EE.UU? En que estado? Yo te puedo ayudar a hacerte la compra del boleto pero realmente tienes un plan concreto para vivir acá en Estados Unidos?
Reading your comments- you will make it about 5 days in the US before running out of money. Unfortunately you will quickly become a homeless statistic. Look into the job corp or military service. You need at least another year of solid planning or you will end up in a very dark place, very quickly.
You can just get a PDF Editor and change the name on your parents' invoice to yours. Not "legal", but you can definitely do it and banks won't check it. Chances of 99%/1% they'd do. So, worth a shot 👍🏼. Not really a lie, just circumventing standardized approval systems.