U.S. essentials

The original book covers mainland-China rules. These tips are written by this site from official U.S. sources, in the same format: what it costs, what you get, how strong the evidence is.

Dial 911 for police, fire or an ambulance, give the address first, and stay on the line In the U.S., one number, 911, gets you the police, the fire department or an ambulance. When someone answers, say where you are first (street address, and the apartment or room number in a big building), then what is happening. Do what the call-taker tells you and don't hang up until they say so. Call if you can. Texting 911 works only in some places.
- Top value
- Evidence A
- Buys life
Call, text or chat 988 when you're thinking about suicide or are in emotional crisis Call or text 988, or chat online, any time of day. It's free and confidential, and it isn't only for suicide. Mental health, substance use and other emotional crises count too. Help is available for Spanish speakers and for people who are deaf or hard of hearing. Veterans can dial 988 and then press 1. You can also call 988 if you're worried about someone else.
- Top value
- Evidence A
- Buys life
Call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 right away if someone swallowed, breathed in or touched something poisonous Call 1-800-222-1222 as soon as you think someone has been poisoned. Don't wait for symptoms. The call is free and confidential, it's answered 24/7 by a poison expert at the center that serves your area, and interpreters are available. If the person is not breathing, call 911 instead. Often you get what you need over the phone and don't have to go to the hospital.
- Top value
- Evidence A
- Buys life
Call 1-800-799-7233 or text START to 88788 for domestic violence help, and ask your local family court about a restraining order In an emergency, call 911. Otherwise, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (1-800-799-7233) or text START to 88788. Trained advocates answer for free, 24/7, without asking your name or address. They can help you find a shelter and help in your state. To get a restraining (protection) order, contact your local family court, or a domestic violence court if your state has one. The rules differ from state to state.
- High value
- Evidence B
- Buys life
If you've been scammed, call the bank or company you paid through right away, then report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov Speed matters. Call the bank, card company, wire service, gift card company or crypto exchange you paid through right away. With a lost or stolen debit card, reporting within 2 business days keeps your loss at $50 or less. Wait longer and it can be $500, or everything. For a credit card, the most you might owe is $50. Then report the scam to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and online crime to the FBI at ic3.gov. If someone used your Social Security number, go to IdentityTheft.gov.
- High value
- Evidence A
- Saves money
File for unemployment benefits in the state where you worked as soon as you lose your job Unemployment benefits are run by each state, so who qualifies and how much you get depend on where you worked. You usually qualify if you lost your job through no fault of your own, for example because there wasn't enough work, and you earned enough in the past year or so. File as soon as you can. The first payment usually comes two to three weeks later. In most states, benefits last up to 26 weeks.
- High value
- Evidence B
- Saves money
If your employer doesn't pay minimum wage or overtime, complain to the Wage and Hour Division at 1-866-487-9243 within two years Call the U.S. Labor Department's Wage and Hour Division at 1-866-487-9243. Complaints are confidential, and your employer is not allowed to punish you for complaining. The federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour, and if your state's is higher, you get the higher one. Under federal law you generally have 2 years to sue for unpaid minimum wage or overtime, or 3 years if the violation was willful. A court can also award an equal extra amount on top of the back pay.
- Moderate value
- Evidence A
- Saves money
When you lose your job, know that severance is not required by federal law, check whether the 60-day WARN notice applies, and file an EEOC charge within 180 days if it was discrimination U.S. federal law does not require severance pay. You get it only if your employer's plan or your agreement promises it, so read any severance offer carefully before you sign. Large employers (100 or more employees) must give at least 60 days' written notice before a plant closing or mass layoff. If you believe you were fired because of discrimination, you generally have 180 calendar days to file a charge with the EEOC, or 300 days where a state or local agency enforces a similar law.
- High value
- Evidence A
- Saves money
Don't count on paid vacation by law: federal law doesn't require it, so get it in writing from your employer and check your state's rules There is no federal law in the U.S. that gives you paid vacation, paid sick days or paid holidays. Whether you get them, and how many days, depends on your agreement with your employer. Before you accept a job, ask for the vacation policy in writing. Also check your state's labor department, because some states have their own leave rules.
- High value
- Evidence B
- Saves time
If you're a non-exempt worker, make sure you get at least 1.5 times your regular pay for every hour over 40 in a workweek Under federal law, covered workers who are not "exempt" must be paid at least one and a half times their regular hourly rate for every hour over 40 in a workweek. Working on a weekend or at night does not by itself mean extra pay; that's up to your agreement with your employer. If your state's overtime law gives more, you get the better deal. If you aren't paid, you can complain to the Wage and Hour Division at 1-866-487-9243.
- Moderate value
- Evidence A
- Saves money
If you're hurt at work, tell your employer and contact your state's workers' compensation board Workers' compensation for people who work for private companies or for state and local governments is run by each state. If you're hurt on the job, report it to your employer and contact your state's workers' compensation board. Each state sets its own deadlines and benefit amounts. Federal employees and a few special groups, such as longshore and harbor workers and coal miners with black lung, use federal programs instead.
- High value
- Evidence B
- Saves money
Before you move out, look up your state's security deposit law: the cap, the return deadline and the penalty There's no national rule for security deposits. Each state sets how much a landlord can charge, how fast it must be returned and what happens if it isn't. Read your lease, then find your state's tenant-rights agency through USA.gov. One example: in California, most landlords can charge at most one month's rent as a deposit, and must return what's left with an itemized list of deductions within 21 days after you move out.
- High value
- Evidence B
- Saves money
Enroll in health coverage during Open Enrollment, or within 60 days after losing job-based coverage, so you don't go uninsured Outside your job, the main ways to get covered are the HealthCare.gov Marketplace, Medicaid and CHIP. Marketplace Open Enrollment starts November 1. Sign up by December 15 for coverage from January 1. It ends January 15. If you lose job-based coverage, including COBRA, you usually get a Special Enrollment Period of 60 days. If you may qualify for Medicaid or CHIP, you can apply now instead of waiting.
- Moderate value
- Evidence A
- Saves money
If you can't cover food and rent, apply for SNAP food benefits and your state's TANF cash help The U.S. has no single national welfare payment. Help comes through several programs, most of them run by your state. SNAP (food stamps) helps people with low income pay for food. WIC helps pregnant women, new mothers and young children with food. TANF ("welfare") helps families pay for food, housing, home energy and child care. Each state sets its own rules and program names, and you apply in the state where you live.
- High value
- Evidence B
- Saves money
For a civil legal problem, find a free LSC-funded legal aid office; if you're charged with a crime and can't afford a lawyer, ask the court for one For civil problems such as eviction, family matters, debt or benefits, legal aid offices give free legal help to people with low incomes. The Legal Services Corporation (LSC) funds them, and its website finds the nearest one by address. LSC-funded offices generally serve households with incomes up to 125% of the federal poverty guidelines. In a criminal case, if you can't afford a lawyer, the court can appoint one, often a public defender.
- High value
- Evidence B
- Saves money
Before a birth or adoption, check whether you qualify for 12 weeks of job-protected FMLA leave, and plan for it to be unpaid The federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) lets eligible workers take up to 12 weeks off in a 12-month period for the birth, adoption or foster placement of a child, and keeps the job protected. The leave can be unpaid. You can use your saved paid vacation or other paid leave for part of it, or your employer can require that. You qualify if your employer is covered, you've worked there at least 12 months and at least 1,250 hours in the past year, and your employer has at least 50 employees within 75 miles of where you work.
- Top value
- Evidence A
- Saves time
Claim the Child Tax Credit on your federal tax return: up to $2,200 for each child under 17 The main federal child benefit in the U.S. is the Child Tax Credit, claimed on your tax return. For the 2025 tax year it is worth up to $2,200 for each child under 17. If you owe little or no income tax, you may still get up to $1,700 per child back as a refund, as long as you earned at least $2,500. You and each child need a Social Security number valid for work. For help paying for child care, ask your state's TANF office.
- Top value
- Evidence A
- Saves money
After a family member dies, order several certified copies of the death certificate from the state vital records office and make sure Social Security knows Death certificates come from the vital records office of the state where the person died. You can usually order certified copies online, by mail or in person, and the state sets the price. Order several, because banks, insurers and agencies may each want one. A funeral home usually tells Social Security about the death. Ask the funeral home whether it has. Family members may be able to get monthly survivor benefits, and a surviving spouse or child may get a one-time $255 payment.
- Moderate value
- Evidence B
- Saves time
Cancel a sale made at your home or a pop-up location by midnight of the third business day under the FTC Cooling-Off Rule If you bought something for $25 or more at your home, or $130 or more at a seller's temporary spot like a hotel room or fairground, you can cancel for a full refund. You have until midnight of the third business day after the sale; Saturday counts, but Sunday and federal holidays don't. The seller must refund you within 10 days. The rule doesn't cover sales made entirely online, by mail or by phone. For those, check the seller's return policy, and report scams at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
- High value
- Evidence A
- Saves money
Ask businesses what personal data they hold about you and have it deleted; your rights depend on your state, and California's CCPA is the main example The U.S. has no general federal law that lets everyone see or delete the personal data companies hold. It depends on your state. California's law (the CCPA) is the main example. You can ask a business what personal information it collects and how it uses and shares it. You can ask it to delete or correct that information, and tell it to stop selling or sharing it. The business must answer within 45 calendar days. It can extend that once by another 45 days if it tells you.
- Moderate value
- Evidence B
- Keeps you free