Gloves

Hello there!

This is an issue that is very close to my heart as I'm sure most VJr's on here. It's tough in the beginning. There can be no denying it. You go through 9 months plus of stress trying to get your visa and as soon as it's in your hand the whole idea of moving hits home hard. I have a great family and group of friends that I left back home in Northern Ireland and it was incredibly difficult to leave them. I moved here in June this year and after 2 months of organising wedding stuff, having our wedding it was slap bang into reality in August when my wife began school. She is doing her Masters and completes a 40 hour week with studies and work combined. It was incredibly tough seeing her leave at 7.30 am and not get back till 10pm twice a week never mind her 9-6 the other 3 days. I was very lonely and had cabin fever of being alone in our apartment for so long.

I struggled without a car, credit card, phone, friends to phone (!), no job.... it was incredibly difficult.

BUT, that was then... and only 6 months later I find myself having bought my first car, finally given a credit card, bought a new smart phone, working a job that I love, slowly building up a friends base and LOVING EVERY MINUTE OF IT. It just takes time to adjust but the good thing is that YOU WILL ADJUST. I treated it like a real adventure, trying my best to settle into the country, getting used to their silly little coins and useless $1 dollar bills! I still stare blankly at their coins and always forget their amount. Finding a car kept me focused and gave me a purpose for a while. We had a small budget but i shopped and shopped around till I found a bargain, a very fun experience.

Get involved in as much as possible. I have begun joining local sports clubs and since I miss rugby so much have set up my own youth rugby club here in West Virginia. Get involved, get out there and meet as many people as you can. I'm sure by now you'll realise how much Americans love your accent, its a great conversation starter.

MY BEST BEST BEST ADVICE is to get yourself a smart phone, I can't even stress how much of a help this was to me in keeping contact with friends and family. I got an Iphone and downloaded the following apps which I HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend:

1. Whatsapp - allows you to text anyone in the world for free who has the same app.

2. Viber - allows you to phone anyone in the world for free who has the same app.

Both free and both amazing. I set up a group conversation on whatsapp with my sisters and parents and we text everyday and send pictures, its a lot of fun and has been a big help for me. Viber is also great as I can pick up the phone whenever I want and ring home.

I really want to stress that things will get better. It just takes time and soon you'll realise just how exciting and brave you are being for setting up a life in this great country with a ton of opportunities.

Good luck and keep using VJ for support!

Main thing to say about Istanbul airport is the free wi-fi which is very handy. I found it very easy to get through, well labelled, didn't have to wait too long at security, customs etc. Turkish airlines however... personally I wasn't a fan but as people have already said, they're very cheap and get you from point A to B...just! Enjoy the flight.

I think I have experienced this woman in the Belfast Consulate before. I have been out to the US on J1 visas for the past 5 years and been interviewed by her three times. (obviously I understand it could be somebody completely different). However, the difference between her and the other guy that interviews is that she is much more meticulous when it comes to evidence of return (and rightly so). She turned me away once and told me to return with more evidence before she issued the visa, which I did and was approved.

My point being, she is only doing her job and I think from what she told me and from reading your story she is right in denying the visa. It is so important you have CONCRETE ties to home that leave absolutely no doubt of not returning. I had to bring in a job contract with a school I was teaching in to show that I had a well paid job to return to. Temporary or part time work isn't sufficient.

Unfortunately, people do abuse the tourist visas so they have to be extra careful. The other catch is that once out of university/college with no mortgage or permanent job it is increasingly hard to prove ties (the issue I had last year).

My best advice is to apply for the VWP and just stay for 90 days and bring a bucket load of evidence and such as who you will be staying with, signed letters from them stating you can stay with them for free, return flight booked, permanent job contract with letter from employer stating you role and what you will be doing when you return etc etc

I panicked and sent Nich-Nick (thank you very much) a PM as well as this post. You're right JoannaV, Nich-Nick said they aren't required for London but are needed later for AOS. Thank you again guys for the advice, bring on the interview!

I am now ready for my interview on the 25th May and have already gathered all the necessary documents needed (I hope!). The only issue is that my fiancee has been struggling to obtain her tax transcripts. She has requested them weeks and weeks ago but they have not turned up which is disappoitning. She has sent over a letter from her employer (West Virginia University) a letter from her bank showing her good credit and her past 5 months pay stubs. She has been a student from 2006-2010 so we think this might be why there's a delay.

We are using her Dad as a co-sponsor and he more than meets the required poverty level income and has provided his past 3 years tax transcripts, letter from employer and bank statements/letters.

My question is, since our co-sponosr meets all the requirements, will Carly not having her tax transcripts be an issue or should we still push to obtain them..?

I guess the main crux of my question is, if our co-sponsor meets all the required standards is the original sponsor all that important?

Thanks in advance

So I thought I would fill you in on the end of the story... today, I WAS APPROVED AS A CERTIFIED TEACHER IN WEST VIRGINIA! Huge news and an end to a long line of stress and fuss! Well technically I have gained my teaching permit, only american citizens can gain certification but the permit is the same thing, only difference is that it has to be renewed every year.

So in short, yes there is hope for potential PGCE'rs out there to come to the US and teach. If anyone has any specific questions feel free to send me a message

Good luck to you all!

Hello there Chris and Paige,

This is a topic that is quite close to my heart as I was facing the EXACT same situation a little over a year ago. I too met my fiancee after working 5 summers at a summer camp and was considering doing a PGCE (Post Graduate Certificate in Education) for secondary history teaching. I had a similar debate in that I wanted to teach in the States but didn't want to waste time or money in the UK doing a degree that isn't guaranteed to allow me to teach in the States. After much research and thought I came to the following conclusion: It is better to go to the States with a teaching degree than without.

As I'm sure you're aware, our education is much cheaper that in the US (even with the increased fees). A lot of Americans become teachers after a couple of years in university, not one like our PGCE. (correct me If im wrong US citizens please). So you may be saving yourself $10,000s if you complete your education in the UK first rather than paying international fees ina US uni. I found it difficult to find a direct yes/no answer to the debate on pgce being transferable but after discussion with universities and education boards I was given the impression that it would at least count towards american certification.

I now find myself heading to the US (hopefully soon) with a pgce under my belt and a good 7 months of supply work and a pending application for teaching certification in West Virginia. You will have to have all your educational background 'compared' to see what it is equivalent to in America. Most education departments use AACRAO (American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers) although I would check with the board you intend to teach in first to see if it uses a different one. The AACRAO evaluation requires copies of your secondary education and university level transcripts and costs $150. Mine took over 3 months to come through and wasn't entirely accurate which was very demoralizing. It told me that I received a pass grade for my PGCE which is correct as it was a pass/course (similar to many in the UK) however the evaluation said that I received a pass out of a possible: outstanding, very good, good and pass!!!! Which obviously doesn't look great. So my advice is to include as much evidence as possible if it is pass fail to make sure they state this.

You won't be able to apply for any certification in any state until this evaluation has been completed so make sure you get it completed asap. Unfortunately I have no 'end' to my story as of yet as, after 4 months my teaching application is still pending... The story of my life! However I will keep my progress posted.

I apologize if this has become too long winded...! I will summarize my advice on this matter below: This is all personal opinion and I completely understand if somebody else argues my get a PGCE point

1. If you have the time and don't mind spending that little bit longer apart then get your PGCE: It's a great course that provides you with specific training and experience on being a teacher - all of which will help you in a future teaching career.

2. Regarding you NQT year - any experience after the PGCE in teaching is obviously invaluable and helps your case of teaching in the states further. I however ws done with long distance so have been doing supply work till my visa comes through.

3. Call or e-mail the education department in the state you wish to teach in - they will offer great advice and I found they were more than willing to help and point me in the right direction. As Nich Nick said, each state is different and requires different qualification/certification standards.

4. Once you have completed your PGCE or Degree, get an AACRAO (or other) evaluation completed ASAP.

5. To teach in private schools in the US they dont require certification, only a decent education so there's always a back up plan

5. Use your accent like there's no tomorrow to get a job...

I hope this post is of some use to other would-be-teachers and I wish you all the best with becoming US educators..!

So I figured it would be best to post my answer (after much research and communication with London Embassy) to help out any future Northern Irish hopefuls...!

I rang the London Embassy and discussed the following and the London replies:

1. Prospect of attending my medical in Dublin - No. As I have filed with the London embassy I must attend the medical for London and London only.

2. Prospect of scheduling my visa appointment first and then a medical - No. I MUST have my medical before my visa interview

3. Transferring my case to the Dublin Embassy - Yes. This is actually what they suggested although it would obviously cause further delays to the process if I transferred which I wasn't very keen on for obvious reasons!!

So, in effect, I made my bed so now I lie in it. I have scheduled a medical for next week and booked my flights across. Luckily, as Rebecca Jo said, Ryanair have just recently started a route from L'Derry to Stanstead which is really cheap so it only cost me £40 rtn which is great.

Thank you all again for all of your help and advice and I hope this post will help others in future.

Thank you all for the fantastic advice and help, it is greatly appreciated! I think I'm just going to have to bite the bullet and head to London twice. I'm going to ring the embassy like Nich Nick said and see if they will make an exception first of all. You never know..! In regards flights, thanks again for the information. The closing stages are on their way...

Hi there VJr's!

Well everything has been moving a lot faster since Carly and I received our NOA2. We have now received our packet 3 and I completed all forms and sent it off to London a few days ago. I was under the initial impression that I would receive an interview date first and then be able to schedule a medical before this in an attempt to make just one trip to London (I live in Northern Ireland). However, after much research on here I have discovered that I will only be given an interview date once I have completed a medical exam... argh!

So my question is as follows: Would it be possible for me to schedule a medical exam with the Dublin US Embassy approved medical doctor rather than Londons Knightbridge? This is a vain attempt to reduce further expenditure to an already depleted visa fund...!

I can't believe there isn't one approved doctor in each of the home nations ie Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and England? Wouldn't this make more sense and save people so much hassle!!!!

Thanks in advance for all advice

Well I just thought I would share an incredible moment that Carly and I experienced just a few short hours ago..

I rang her cell phone via skype just for a quick catch up on her day while she was on her break from work. She was very upset as she had just got off the phone from a tier 2 USCIS officer regarding our I-129F application. After 6 months of waiting he told her that it was going to take another 60 day period until we had a further answer/information on the status of our application.

As I was trying my best to keep her spirits up I received an e-mail on the computer WITH OUR APPROVAL!!!! So amazing to be able to share the surprise together, it truly was incredible. Needless to say there were a lot of tears and laughs and a feeling of complete and utter relief. For those of you out there approaching or past the 5/6/7 month mark.... I completely feel your pain and frustration. Seeing so many people who applied after us be approved was simply heart breaking. But there is an end and you will get there.

For people still waiting, keep pushing, I know how tough it gets, for those about to start, enjoy the journey and for those beyond us... good luck!

Thank you for all the support and advice VJ, I know we're still not quite there yet but it feels like the main fight is behind us! So happy.

I wouldn't heed too much attention to the dates they provide you with. We are going through Vermont Service Centre and they told us 3 weeks ago they were processing 25th August 2011 and just today they told us they are at 21st August 2011....!!! Argh! I recommend the congressperson approach. We contacted our local congresswoman and she was very helpful. She put in an inquiry and then told us that if we haven't heard from USCIS by the 1st March (our 6 month since NOA1 date) that she would have it expedited. Whether this will actually happen of not is another question but it can't hurt to ask...

Thank you guys for the opinions and support. It really was a help coming back on and seeing all the replies and knowing that I'm not the only one struggling with this concept! I completely, absolutely and entirely agree about making the best of my time at home while I can. Who knows when I'll be back and I'll certainly miss the place and people when I'm gone! PS. loving the money in the bank analogy...so true

You should have your girlfriend contact a U.S. Senator or Congressman. You're beyond the estimated time frame for approval now. Some petitions from November 2011 have been approved according to timelines on this website. It would be good to find out what's going on, or at the very least get something moving at this point.

Thanks for the advice Paul. We actually contacted her congresswoman last week and she was very helpful. After putting in a few inquiries at USCIS she told us that if we haven't heard from them by 1st March that our petition would be expediated guaranteed so at least we have a fall back date which is looking more and more like it will be 'the' date!

Hi there VJ!

Last Summer I proposed to my American girlfriend while I was working in the US on a J1 visa. At the same time, another couple who worked with us, also got engaged, he was from England and she was American. The two of us Brits talked over the different options of how best to immigrate to the US and live with our American fiancee's. He chose to stay in the US and adjust his J1 status (which he had planned before entering the states). I decided against and went for the K1 visa with the belief that doing it 'by the book' would be easier and faster in the long run. However I find myself after 5 months still waiting for my NOA2 and in the mean time my friend has changed his status and received his work permit in the post today........

As much as I am very happy for him I can't help but feel a little let down by the K1 process and I feel that if I was to go back and do it all over again I would choose to adjust status also. Can anyone please reassure me of the benefits of choosing the K1 over the other method? What are the advantages... I need my mind put at rest!

I know this raises the issue of intent to marry before entering but since my friend entered with intent to marry and stay, and was successful I can't help but feel discouraged... Reassurance is needed!

Thank you for your help in advance!

Hi Liam, congrats on the NOA2 and as a fellow Northern Irishman I wish you both all the best of luck in the next steps..! I wouldn't fly Ryanair (at least for the return leg) as you will definitely need your passport. Check airline websites but I'm pretty sure Easyjet allow driving licence to travel.

For a bit of fun, check out the Youtube video: "flights for 50p" for a bit of craic on Ryanair...