SigmaLa

Visa arrived in the mail. Took less then 8 month.

Visa arrived today via mail. 4 days after the interview.

1000 Dank für die Info!

Ich war am Dienstag eine halbe Stunde zu spät. Weil der Bus vom Schienenersatzverkehr viel zu spät kam und als er endlich da war, hat der Busfahrer kurz nach der Abfahrt ein Auto gerammt, was dazu geführt hatte das ich nochmal auf den nächsten Bus warten musste.

Beim Konsulat hat es aber wohl niemanden gestört, da man eh eine Nummer ziehen muss.

Hi sigmala, has your CEAC status changed yet?

Yes changed to issued on the 12th and its now in the mail.

Hallo,

wer bis mitte August nach Frankfurt faehrt sollte beachten, dass die U5 nicht faehrt. Der Schinenersatzverkehr ist ein Witz. Solltet lieber ein Taxi nehmen!

Interview on the 10th of may went smooth, got approved.

The website still says status ready, guess thats gonna change soon?

Got the Interview Date for May 10. Does anyone knows how far in advance the medical has to be done?

Hi I am trying to use turbo tax to file jointly.

I am still a NRA but want to be treated as a residential alien. I have a specific question on how to declare my income inside turbo tax. I declare my income from Germany as Foreign Earned Income and Exclusion. But I tell turbo tax not to try to exclude it since I want to use foreign earned income tax credits?

Then I switch to Deductions & Credits and declare my payed taxes in germany.

But it returns me 0$ deduction.

Question: Do I need to declare my income again in Deductions & Credits: Foreign Tax Credit? Or should I only declare my german income in this section and not in Wages & Income: Foreign Earned Income and Exclusion

Hope someone had this problem before, its really confusing. Thanks in advance

• Interview scheduled march 28th

• Interview May 10th

Got a CC on March 10th. Now on to the interview.

CC. Scan date 2/8

She is currently studying for the USMLE, hoping to complete all three steps in time for the 2018 match at latest. She's serious about this. I floated the idea of working in the US on an H1B after graduation so as to be immersed in English while studying for it - she's considering it, but was leery at the prospect citing cost-of-living concerns, believing it would be easier to complete the tests while living in Turkey after graduation.

Not sure if HFM18's still around, but for the record, I have no interest in being used for a green card as he kept insinuating. I know it was basically your job *not* to believe such claims, but this is a good-faith effort to help someone who's making an effort.

Something I'm left wondering about, though, is the residency interview process. I understand she'd need to be physically present to interview at these schools. Would an ECFMG-certified applicant be denied a visa to come over here to interview for a residency position for fear that they'd request asylum as soon as they arrived?

If it truly is a "Syrians need not apply" situation, it would only be fair to warn her before she invests all of that time and money into taking the tests.

She also needs to enter the US to do the USMLE Step 2 Clinical Skills.

Does she has another university degree to obtain a H1B visa?

I would strongly suggest to try to go to Germany, the bar is much lower to be able to practice medicine.

So better not to be an international applicant, better to be a domestic applicant?

There are 2 groups which enter the Match for a residency position.

• US trained (MD/DO Schools inside the US)
• international medical graduate

Since she is a non US citizen trained at non US accredited medical school she counts as international medical graduate. An asylee status does not change this fact. Therefore she would be still at the end of the food chain.

Only way to overcome this is to restart at a US medical school. Which brings a new bag of problems.

So what route would you recommend that gives her the best chance of becoming a Doctor in the US?

There is only one route: Take the USMLEs and enter the match. You need to be a very competitive candidate to overcome the international applicant stigma. Additional you need the funds.

It is not easy or cheap to be able to work as a Doctor.

There is nothing banning her if she is up for it.

I answered regarding you comment that asylum is cheaper and easier. An asylum only allows her to stay inside the US and work.

She is not banned from working as a physician because she is an asylee. She cant work as a physician, because she has no US license. In oder to obtain a license she has to go through the process I pointed out in my previous posts, which is pricy with slim chances to obtain a residency spot.

If there is a ban on asylees being able to work as Doctors I have never seen it. Nor do believe it is true.

You need a US medical license to work as a physician inside the US. (Some regulation vary across States).

In order obtain a license you need min. finish the intern year of residency and finish the USMLE Exams.

Further Information: http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/about-ama/our-people/member-groups-sections/international-medical-graduates/practicing-medicine.page?

^{But she would not be able to work as a doctor in the US.}

Here is some Information about matching into a residency Position as foreign doctor:

http://www.nrmp.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/NRMP-and-ECFMG-Publish-Charting-Outcomes-in-the-Match-for-International-Medical-Graduates-Revised.PDF-File.pdf

Not to burst your bubble, but the chances are slim and it is an uphill battle, due to more and more US med school graduates the international applicants get squeezed out. Also she would need to do rotations at a US hospital to have a valid chance, furthermore its hugely expensive! USMLE Steps + travel costs for interviews could be easly 10.000+$

Hi we are trying to file taxes with Turbotax but its seems that Turbotax also claims taxes on my german income, I declared it as foreign earned income inside the software, does anyone did this before?

Honest question whats the difference between expat and an immigrant, seem you immigrated to the US? Good read by the way.

Hi, i have 2 questions regarding my understanding of the process to file MFJ as a NRA. We are currently in the middle of the CR1 Visa and got married in 2015. Right now I am a NRA and have income in Germany.

1. To apply for an ITIN I need to send the W7 and a certified copy of my passport? It also mentions a tax return, since I need the ITIN to file taxes, this seems counter intuitive.
2. I payed income tax on my german income, so its no longer subjected to the federal income tax?

Thank you in advance.