Use suitcases as your default and ship only overflow; use Boston’s housing services and MassHire for your searches, but work only if your immigration status authorizes it.

Before committing to the move

Confirm each person’s stay and work category

Do not use ESTA/VWP as the basis for this move: it allows visits of no more than 90 days and prohibits employment. For each person, apply the correct branch: a Green Card or qualifying employer-specific status may authorize work without an EAD; a category requiring an EAD generally uses Form I-765 at https://www.uscis.gov/i-765; a visitor or other non-work-authorized status does not permit employment. Your categories were not supplied, so no single I-765 fee or filing route can be stated (State Department Visa Waiver Program; USCIS Employment Authorization Document).

Before buying shipping service

Price accompanied bags before shipping

Use accompanied suitcases as the baseline because CBP says no Form 3299 is needed when the goods travel with you. Compare only the overflow: if shipping is preferable, complete CBP Form 3299 for the unaccompanied articles and declare items subject to additional requirements. The exact cheaper choice remains unresolved until your fare and quote are known (CBP Article 1392; CBP Form 3299).

Before airport check-in

Pack electronics under the battery rules

Place power banks, charging cases, and all spare lithium batteries in carry-on baggage. Protect terminals against short circuits; ordinary rechargeable batteries are limited to 100 Wh, while up to two 101–160 Wh spares require airline approval. Remove these items if your cabin bag is checked at the gate (FAA PackSafe).

Before signing or paying

Start with Boston’s housing offices

Call the Boston Office of Housing Stability at 617-635-4200 or visit 26 Court Street, Boston, Monday–Friday, 9 a.m.–5 p.m. For income-restricted opportunities, search https://www.boston.gov/metrolist/search; Metrolist does not contain market-rate, public, or subsidized units. Do not rely on BHA for immediate placement: it reports no immediate housing, waits that can take years, and a closed tenant-based Section 8 list (Boston OHS; Boston Metrolist; BHA Eligibility).

Once the work branch is clear

Create MassHire JobQuest profiles

Create a profile through https://www.mass.gov/find-your-next-job-with-masshire-jobquest to search jobs, workshops, training, and hiring events. In person, use MassHire Boston ABCD Career Center, 10 Malcolm X Boulevard, Roxbury, 617-442-2791, Monday–Thursday 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. and Friday 8:30 a.m.–3 p.m.; or MassHire Downtown Boston, 75 Federal Street, 3rd Floor, 617-399-3100, Monday–Friday 9 a.m.–5 p.m. (MassHire JobQuest; MassHire Career Center Locations).

Before engaging a rental broker

Protect yourself from the wrong broker fee

The person who hired the broker pays the fee. If the landlord hired the broker, you should not pay it; you may owe a fee only when you choose a broker who works exclusively for you. The broker must provide a fee-disclosure form before engaging with you. Improper charges can be reported to the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Consumer Advocacy and Response Division online at https://www.mass.gov/how-to/file-a-consumer-complaint or by calling 617-727-8400 (Massachusetts Residential Rental Broker’s Fees FAQ).