Teachers

Tito - At the top of the page I see the topic TRAZE.  However, I do NOT see an answer to neimagriffin's question about whether the app is required.  Further, if I am traveling with my wife, my son and myself, but we are only carrying one phone, how is this supposed to work?

Prices there are way too high.  If you plan to visit (obviously not right now), buy here and then check the unopened box as luggage.  But camouflage the box to make it look like the box is being used for something else so that it is less theft prone.

From New York to Manila - about $600 mid-September, mid-October, mid-November.  Those all seem like very good prices to me. (Used Kayak.com, with 3 day search window in each direction.)

RN in the U.S. is a 2 year degree.  BSN is 4 year degree.  MSN is BSN + Masters coursework, about 10 more courses.  She/you might contact local employers (hospitals) to see what she would have to do to qualify for positions that require the BSN or MSN.  Hospitals with Magnet status have a strong preference for nurses with at least BSN, so meeting that standard would be very helpful for having more opportunities and greater pay and responsibility. And, as others said, study for and pass the NCLEX.

As a professor, I've had to evaluate many transcripts over the year for academic purposes (placement and/or credit).  Each university has it's own preferred provider(s) for transcript evaluation.  If it's for employment, I agree that experience will matter.  But if licensing is involved, then the licensing agency may well have preferred provider(s), just as a school does.

I do not think the question is asking about whether you have a Masters.  Rather, it is asking if you have "received certification from the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools".  Do you have that now?  If you do then say no, because you are already credentialed to work in the US.  If you do not yet have it, but intend to get it, then the answer would be Yes.

You should start studying for the nursing certification exam, the NCLEX.  Also, there is an interesting article at 

https://www.nurse.com/blog/2015/01/28/coming-to-america/ that might be helpful.

My wife is from the Philippines.  She had over a decade of elementary teaching experience.  However, she didn't have any luck getting a teaching job in the U.S.  She is now midway through her nursing program.

I am not an expert on the questions.  But my reading is a bit different than yours.  To the first, no, you are not a graduate of a medical school, so answer no.  To the second, yes you are a healthcare worker and yes you are going to seek this work in the US, so answer yes.  To me, these questions are not about you using your fiance to do an "end run" around immigration rules.  In fact, it indicates that you want to contribute to U.S. society in an area where this is a shortage, once you get to the U.S.

I believe I've heard somewhere that nurses have a harder time immigrating to the U.S.  But I don't know if this is accurate, and feel strongly that you should be sought, not rejected. Sadly, that doesn't mean the US government will think the same way.

I usually start my searches on Kayak.com.  They will direct me to a booking site, sometimes Cheap-o-air.  Airlines often charge a premium for non-stop flights.  I did a search for MNL-LAX for June 8.  Non-stop $797, one stop $504 (through Taipei), 2 stop $281.  I wouldn't do the 2-stop, as I don't know how easy it is to connect in secondary Chinese airports, or what happens if something goes wrong.  But a one-stop through Taipei is definitely doable if you're comfortable with connections in foreign countries where English is not common.

I would try for a flight that arrives morning or early afternoon.  I've had international flights delayed by up to 4 hours.  If that happens and you're due to land at 11 p.m., you will arrive in the middle of the night, with no connection until the next morning.

Another flight option (Aug. 13):

China Eastern Manila-Shanghai (10 hour layover)-JFK(New York) $664.

You could fly up to meet her.  Overnight at JFK.

Aug.14:

Delta JFK-Tampa $129.

This has two long lay-overs, but gets the cost down to $793.  If you wanted, you could even see New York for a couple of days before going to Tampa.

On 7/8/2019 at 12:38 PM, Bill & Katya said:

Agreed, with ROC and N400 filings at the closest at least 1 year apart, biometrics would seem to follow suit.  Heck, back when Katya filed, the N400 biometrics appointment also allowed her to get an I551 stamp.

Many of you get your biometrics shortly after you file your I-751, long before you can file your N400.  In spite of this, the two timelines seem to converge.  See all the people who are having both interviews together. 

For us, the biometrics were about 9-10 months after the I-751 was filed.  The I-751 seems almost irrelevant, since the N400 is likely to get citizenship by about the end of the year.  Then we won't care how long the I-751 takes.  It will be moot. We could easily have postponed the I-751 biometrics, saved a trip, and then done the I-751 biometrics when we do the N400 biometrics.  YMMV.

One tip for joint I-751 + N-400.  My wife just had her biometrics for her I-751.  They said that if she had already gotten the biometric appointment for the N-400, she could have done them together, saving a trip.  I would suggest to those whose timing is close to similar for the two that they delay the I-751 biometric appointment and do the two together.

The bag re-check after going through customs is very simple, as the bag is already tagged to the final destination.  (This assumes all travel is on one ticket, and the bag was checked through to Jacksonville when checking in at MNL.)  You pick up your bag, go through customs, then drop it right after customs to the Delta bag connect person.  You don't have to go through ticket counter check-in again.  Sadly, if you went to Atlanta, you could not help her with that part of the process.  If she has the courage to ask a stranger, most experienced Americans can help her with the process.  Also, there may well be other Filipina on her flight.  Crowd sourcing courage and information works wonders.   

I checked using Kayak.com with flexible dates. I found June 5, Cebu-Incheon- JFK (New York) (Asiana)-Jacksonville (Jet Blue) $723, total 33:16, including 9:55 layover at JFK.  Both Korean and Asiana have excellent service. 

Earlier flight JFK-JAX, arriving 4 hours earlier, only raises the fare to $754.53.  Total travel time 29:13.  Looking at other weeks, Wednesday seems the cheapest day to fly.

You might want to fly up to JFK to welcome her.  She would land at Terminal 4, go out to Air Train to Terminal 5, and go back through security.  

Taking Korean to Atlanta and then Delta to Jacksonville has total travel time of 26:01 (a real plus) for $906.51.  Also, one does not have to leave the building.

The non-stop Manila-Los Angeles on Philippines Airlines is actually cheaper in May than in peak summer (June-August).  Using Kayak and flexible dates, I found tickets for the two of them for $817 non-stop, $465 one stop in Taipei on China Airlines.  Also note that round-trip is just under $1,000.  If you fly there and guide them back, the savings on their fares of the one-stop ($350) will cover a significant portion of your ticket.  Also, it will increase the luggage allowance, which can be very helpful.

Second, realize you will have to marry rapidly, within 90 days.  Depending on how big a wedding you plan, this may well take some doing.  She may well find it easier and cheaper to find a wedding dress before she leaves, especially if she is petite.

Have you gathered information on clothing shopping in her size near your home?  My wife found that she had FAR more selection in the Philippines than in Michigan.

Yes! You are a team/couple.

Tom

Congratulations!  Enjoy the rest of your life - together with the man you love.

Caution:  I've lived in Chicago.  It is COLD for MONTHS in winter.  I'm sure your future husband will help you get lots of very warm clothes.  And get ready to shovel snow.  The novelty wears off, but the snow does not stop, or care.

Best of wishes for your new life.

Tom & Caren

I agree with Greenbaum's advice, excellent as always.  There is simply no way to count on being through immigration and customs in under 2-3 hours.  One might get very lucky.  But it is unlikely.

There are some good web sites for shopping for fares, such as Kayak.  By checking every few days, one can get a sense of a good fare.  Once one knows what a good fare is, one can buy with confidence.  There is nothing wrong with buying with cash.  But buying with a credit card from the U.S. can give some consumer protections in case things go wrong.

If the ticket is already purchased, I would not change it.  United has 6 non-stops a day from SFO to AUS (Austin).  If your fiance misses her flight, United would just switch her to the next flight, assuming there is room.

Also, realize that arrival times across the Pacific (in either direction) are quite wind/weather dependent.  If she arrives 1-2 hours early (due to good tail winds), she might well make the original connection.  If she arrives late (due to lack of tail winds), she could land after the scheduled connection takes off.

Tom

Hank and Greenbaum are the experts. Our experience is that while bringing original documents to the Embassy Interview is good in case they want to authenticate the copies, they did not take any originals.

Sorry, but I have no expertise regarding your fiance's situation. Adoption and citizenship are not the same thing. I don't know if adoption conveys citizenship.

Tom

Photos together are a standard part of the application. But you can everything ready to send before you go, and then send the day you get back to the U.S. Getting the packet together before you go has the advantage that your fiance can gather everything needed on her end and give it to you when you are together.

Also, I think it is VERY important to meet before either of you fully commit to the other. I've had a couple of very bad experiences domestically where once one meets one finds there is zero chemistry, regardless of how well things went online. Don't put the cart before the horse.

While you are together, relax, but get several pictures. Pictures with her family can be useful. Stories of interviews are quite varied - sometimes photos are examined in some detail, other times they are ignored. But just having them in the file helps convey the authenticity of the connection.

As to timeline, it can be quite variable. You can get a sense by doing a search on K1 timelines, sorting by approval date, and then counting backward to submission date. I just did a quick check of the last 50 interviews for Philippine applications, and the range was 4 to 9 months, longer if you get an RFE.

If you visit in September, you might well plan to visit again in Dec.-Jan. Photos from a second visit, which you could show during the interview, could substantiate an ongoing and deepening relationship. It can also keep your spirits up (both of you) while going through the wait. Also, it can help convince her family and friends how serious you are. My experience is that my mother-in-law doubted my seriousness over multiple visits, and did not believe her daughter would leave until we had the CFO sticker in hand and the departure plane tickets.

Best of luck to the two of you for your visit (s), and the maddening wait of dealing with USCIS.

This is a great deal! Thanks for posting.

To Brassballs question: I think the Chicago service is new. I did not find any flights when I checked for September. If they are just starting service, they need to fill the planes to minimize losses. Once the service is well established, I certainly expect fares to rise substantially.

Fares are low until about Dec. 8 departure, then rise rapidly for the Christmas rush. Book early!

Tom

My wife (then fiance) flew to the U.S. on a one-way ticket with no problems, as all the others have said.

One reason to buy a round-trip with open-ended return is her peace of mind. Asian women have heard horror stories of being treated badly by Western men once they get to the U.S., just as Western men have heard horror stories of being ripped off by Asian women. Knowing that she can go home if things get really bad is good for her sanity.

I've flown across the Pacfic perhaps 20 round trips in the last 10 years, almost all in coach. I would rate Korean far superior to the others I've flown (mostly Delta, with a bit of JAL, EVA, China Air, China Eastern). Korean typically has more spacious seating in coach, and better service. On one flight they had a restroom reserved for women, and an attendant gave it a quick clean after each use. Now that's service!

The only ones I'd truely avoid are the mainland Chinese carriers. The cramped seating and inadequate food are among the issues. That said, once I've booked a flight, I tend to stay with it. The stress and hassle of changing, or thinking about changing, is much worse that the difference in flight service quality.

Good luck!

Tom

We had a 7:30 appointment time (Nov. 23). We arrived about 7:15, and were done before 2 p.m. Your mileage may vary.

Traffic around NAIA is horrific. Last week the shuttle from Terminal 1 to my hotel across from Terminal 3 took 2 1/2 hours, and that was starting at 11 p.m. I think you've got a good chance, but it is not a sure thing.

Tell your/her cab driver to take the Skyway, and that you'll pay the toll (perhaps 200 PhP?). That could easily cut an hour or more off your transit time from embassy to airport. Terminal 3 (Cebu Pacific) is much faster to get to than Terminal 4 (Air Asia). It may not be intuitive, but the 7:45 p.m. on Cebu Pacific from Terminal 3 is more likely to make than the 8:10 on AirAsia from Terminal 4.

Also tell your driver to cut through Newport City on Newport Blvd. to get to the traffic circle faster than if they just stop-and-go along NAIA "Expressway" (i.e. parking lot). Once at the circle, the driver should get in the left-most lane, reserved for Terminal 3.

Tom

We had our interview on Monday, Nov. 23. We were pleasantly surprised when our status changed to "Issued" the end of the day Friday, Nov. 27. We got the actual visa about 10 days later. But, aothers said, things are quite variable, especially during the holiday season. But start packing, and checking flight schedules. If you have enough frequent flyer miles, you may well find that a much cheaper way to travel than paying high air fares around the holiday.

Also, do you have the CFO, or at least have is scheduled? That can take a while! We had my fiance do that before she got her visa to speed things up. But then you have to get the sticker separately. It is up to you.

Good luck. The visa journey is almost over!

Tom

Two other comments on Philippine security matters than differ from the U.S.:

a. water policy is all over the place. One can run a full water bottle through domestic security scanning without incident. But for international travel, at least on Delta, you can not fill a water bottle AFTER security and bring it on the plane. There is separate security at the gate.

b. the enforcement for nail files, nail clippers, and children's blunt-ended scissors is all much stricter than in the U.S. I've had all 3 confiscated from carry-on in the last year. This is similar to but tighter than the U.S. right after 9/11.

Tom