When finally in the US - waiting for job permit

[Irisandjoel 52]

Hi, my K1 visa is finally approved and I am moving the the US next month to marry my fiance. So now when the awful visa process is mostly behind us, now the next thing is of course getting married and then AOS and getting my work permit. Since getting the work permit takes 3-6 months as far as I know, and I have never been unemployed and not having a routine is a scary thought to me.

I've heard that this is a challenging period of time where you can easily feel isolated in a new country far away from family and friends and your whole life revolves around your new spouse waiting for him/her to come home from work. 

So any advice or tips? 

 

[WandY 430]

Volunteer at the local animal shelter or contact the local United Way and ask about volunteer jobs. It's a great way to help out and to learn about American culture/language. You'll also find some of the best people in the community. If you are into church activities, find a church in your community. As a former human resources manager, I always look at how people serve their community. Volunteering is one of the best things anyone can do - especially someone new and someone looking for a job. And it's perfectly legal for you to do.

[phildinftlaudy 17]

Perhaps look into taking a class at a community college; volunteer; learn the bus and other transportation routes (if you are going to be living in a big city).... The time goes pretty fast. My partner arrived in mid-May of last year and had the work permit by October. He was working by November. He also started taking ESOL classes at the local college in June (one month after he arrived). 

[Irisandjoel 52]

10 minutes ago, WandY said:

Volunteer at the local animal shelter or contact the local United Way and ask about volunteer jobs. It's a great way to help out and to learn about American culture/language. You'll also find some of the best people in the community. If you are into church activities, find a church in your community. As a former human resources manager, I always look at how people serve their community. Volunteering is one of the best things anyone can do - especially someone new and someone looking for a job. And it's perfectly legal for you to do.

Yeah I figured volunteer work is a good idea. But the thing is too we aren't sure where we will live yet, he will start a internship to become a master guide next month that will take a year to finish and it is in the middle of nowhere and the closest town has a population of about 1000 people.. not much to do around there. 

[Irisandjoel 52]

6 minutes ago, phildinftlaudy said:

Perhaps look into taking a class at a community college; volunteer; learn the bus and other transportation routes (if you are going to be living in a big city).... The time goes pretty fast. My partner arrived in mid-May of last year and had the work permit by October. He was working by November. He also started taking ESOL classes at the local college in June (one month after he arrived). 

No we will be living somewhere in the middle of nowhere probably since he is gonna do a master guide internship starting next month and we'd prefer to live close by so he won't have to drive a long way on crappy roads in bad winter weather. So no transport or much other activities around

I'm supposed to be able to go to school and get paid for it since he is a veteran and spouses are able to do that, I just don't know if I need my social security number first to be able to sign up for classes or what? 

[phildinftlaudy 17]

1 minute ago, Irisandjoel said:

No we will be living somewhere in the middle of nowhere probably since he is gonna do a master guide internship starting next month and we'd prefer to live close by so he won't have to drive a long way on crappy roads in bad winter weather. So no transport or much other activities around

I'm supposed to be able to go to school and get paid for it since he is a veteran and spouses are able to do that, I just don't know if I need my social security number first to be able to sign up for classes or what? 

My partner didn't need SSN to start non-credit classes. I don't know if you would need it for credit courses or not. I do know that you would need it to apply for financial aid; however, if spouse is military and they are paying, there may be different rules. That would be one thing you can do when you settle in... check on eligibility status for school... arrange to complete the applications and take any pre-college tests that you may need for formal admission. 

[Irisandjoel 52]

4 minutes ago, phildinftlaudy said:

My partner didn't need SSN to start non-credit classes. I don't know if you would need it for credit courses or not. I do know that you would need it to apply for financial aid; however, if spouse is military and they are paying, there may be different rules. That would be one thing you can do when you settle in... check on eligibility status for school... arrange to complete the applications and take any pre-college tests that you may need for formal admission. 

Thank you, I will look into it.

[SandiB 48]

17 minutes ago, Irisandjoel said:

Thank you, I will look into it.

From what I've read, I believe you can apply for your SSN shortly after you arrive, before even getting married. Since you're about to go there soon, I would look into that as an option. It will allow for a drivers license and other things that could help with the wait for AOS. Good luck!

[TheSkywalkers 143]

Here's a list of what I did while waiting for my work permit:

 

1. Volunteered at a wildlife rescue center

2. Learned how to cook different cuisines

3. Watched a lot of series and movies online

4. Did household chores (and I still do)

5. Spent a lot of time with my husband since I know that once I start working again, our quality time would be lessened.

6. Spent time with our friends here in Jacksonville, went on potlucks and lunchdates along with our husbands, went to the park, did kayaking, went to the beach and played board games

7. Studied how to drive (with learner's permit of course  )

8. Went on out of town trips with family

9. Researched about the AOS process and helped those who are processing K1 visa (spent a lot of time doing this too)

10. Skyped (a lot) with family and friends

11. Started a hobby like crocheting, arts and crafts, painting, stuff like that. I may be able to sell those on Etsy since I already have a work permit.

12. Read books ( a whole lot of them)

 

I was never bored and I always find something to do. I know I would never be able to do much of the extra curricular activities once I get back to working like volunteering etc.

 

Congrats on your approval and best of luck on your new journey, marriage and AOS that is.

[Diane and Chris 651]

8 hours ago, Irisandjoel said:

No we will be living somewhere in the middle of nowhere probably since he is gonna do a master guide internship starting next month and we'd prefer to live close by so he won't have to drive a long way on crappy roads in bad winter weather. So no transport or much other activities around

I'm supposed to be able to go to school and get paid for it since he is a veteran and spouses are able to do that, I just don't know if I need my social security number first to be able to sign up for classes or what? 

You will not be able to use his education benefits unless he served 10+ years in the military and signed over his benefits to you while he was on active duty. That is what I understand after reading about this. 

[Irisandjoel 52]

2 hours ago, Diane and Chris said:

You will not be able to use his education benefits unless he served 10+ years in the military and signed over his benefits to you while he was on active duty. That is what I understand after reading about this. 

This program is called a Dependents' educational assistance program(DEA) and is offered to dependents of fully disabled veterans due to a service related conditions, which he is. His ex wife did this program and went to school while they were married.

[JFH 12,189]

*~*~*mobed from "K-1 fiancé visa process and procedures" to "moving to America" - discussion on adjustment and settling into a new life*~*~*

[AshMarty 359]

On ‎8‎/‎23‎/‎2017 at 10:27 PM, Diane and Chris said:

You will not be able to use his education benefits unless he served 10+ years in the military and signed over his benefits to you while he was on active duty. That is what I understand after reading about this. 

This actually is not completely true. I used my father's education benefits but he was disabled in the line of duty. There are multiple ways to use a family's military benefits. He was also able to go to school completely free in the 1970s because of the military. The best option is to discuss it with someone like a college military councilor if you aren't sure.

On ‎8‎/‎24‎/‎2017 at 1:25 AM, Irisandjoel said:

This program is called a Dependents' educational assistance program(DEA) and is offered to dependents of fully disabled veterans due to a service related conditions, which he is. His ex wife did this program and went to school while they were married.

I used this program for graduate school and it was a huge assistance

[Irisandjoel 52]

20 minutes ago, AshMarty said:

This actually is not completely true. I used my father's education benefits but he was disabled in the line of duty. There are multiple ways to use a family's military benefits. He was also able to go to school completely free in the 1970s because of the military. The best option is to discuss it with someone like a college military councilor if you aren't sure.

I used this program for graduate school and it was a huge assistance

Ok awesome, does it cover tuition fees too? 

[AshMarty 359]

1 hour ago, Irisandjoel said:

Ok awesome, does it cover tuition fees too? 

It was a stipend that I was given every month to use as you wish. It was a pretty good chunk of change for a student.

 

My father is 100% disabled from active duty. There are stipulations on how many years you can use it and as his daughter up til the age of 27(?) I was considered his dependent through the program. I was in graduate school getting my doctorate at the time, so I was just under the cut off of the age and right under the allotment of use for how many years the program provided. (It has been close to 8 years since I graduated so I am a little foggy on details)

 

I didn't realize this at the time but my campus, University of South Carolina, had a department that dealt with all these programs, I could have used their resources to file for the program. I completed the paperwork on my own with the help of my father . It took 1.5 years for the paperwork to go through but they back tracked the payments in a lump check for me.

 

The military benefits are super confusing and can be just as complicated as immigration at times (both government programs). I would see if you could talk to someone at the VA or through his military base, or if you know which college/university some provide military departments for military students or family members  and can guide you through the process.

Edited August 25, 2017 by AshMarty