“Are You Still Glad You Went?”: Refugee Couple Get Honest About Challenges in the USA After 3 Months

• An Afrikaner refugee couple living in the USA marked their three-month milestone by documenting the exhausting reality of life abroad
• The couple spent one of their days off travelling to a government agency to sign paperwork and collect overdue cash assistance
• South Africans online flooded the comments with questions about work, finances and how the couple was managing without transport

Three months into their new life in the United States, an Afrikaner refugee couple have opened up about just how relentless the resettlement process has been. Rather than settling in, they spent a recent day off navigating government offices to sign paperwork and collect overdue cash assistance through a relocation support programme. TikTok user @jansenn61 posted the update on 14 October 2026, documenting the couple's visit to their caseworker's agency. In the video, they were candid about the fact that life in America had been anything but a soft landing.

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From SA to starting over in the USA

The couple's days had been packed with chasing paperwork, searching for suitable work clothes and sorting out government aid. The couple were among the South Africans who relocated to the United States under a refugee resettlement pathway that has drawn significant attention in recent months.

While many South Africans watching from home have imagined the move as an escape to something easier, the couple's honest account painted a more complicated picture. They described the experience as a non-stop hustle, with the administrative side of resettlement demanding most of their time and energy. The couple also addressed the challenge of getting around without their own transport, something their viewers were quick to pick up on.

Watch the couple's honest update on life in America after three months in the TikTok video here.

Mzansi weighs in on the couple's journey

The clip struck a nerve, drawing questions and mixed reactions from South Africans in the comments:

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@madelein asked:

"Is julle steeds bly julle het gegaan (Are you guys still glad you went)?"

@andre said:

"Hoekom kla julle so baie (Why do you complain so much)?"

@Saarkie Myburgh asked:

"Wat is cash assistance (What is cash assistance)?"

@Toetie commented:

"Wanneer soek julle work (When are you looking for work?) Love."

@Hettie Botha wrote:

"Watse werk doen julle en is dit genoeg om daar 'n maand te kom (What work do you do, and is it enough to get through a month there)?"

@the_real_1st_king noted:

"Your caseworker would have set you up with an apartment that is already furnished."

3 Briefly News articles about Afrikaner refugees

• An Afrikaner refugee gave social media users an inside look into her family's new life in the United States by sharing a video tour of their spacious, fully furnished Dallas apartment.
• A US-based South African creator explained that Afrikaner refugee bids are being rejected for failing to prove credible fear of persecution, leaving applicants with no right of appeal.
• South African refugees cannot enlist directly in the US Army using a regular visa or passport, as military regulations require non-citizen recruits to hold a valid Green Card before applying.

Source: Briefly News