Daneandkathy

2 hours ago, SalishSea said:

I have been an RN for 23 years in all types of settings, and I've never encountered an RN who had been a doctor previously in another country.

 

Why would he just not pursue a medical degree in the US?  The English proficiency requirement is the same.

Well I recognize this is an unorthodox method, if he pursued a medical degree he would have to essentially redo medical school and the cost and time to do that would be huge. In Macedonia doctors are not paid well, he maybe earns $1000 a month if he is working close to 60 hrs a week. But if he gets his nursing school accredited ( he did that before medical school) he can be in the states with a job in less than a year earning about 3-5 times more. Eventually he would like to specialize into anesthesia nurse or cardiac nurse or something like that. I know it seems backward but it is what he wants to do. 

14 minutes ago, SalishSea said:

How is he eligible to sit for the NCLEX without a degree in nursing from an accredited college or university?   That is one of the testing requirements.

Thank you for your comment, as I said he has to have his credentials approved BEFORE he can take the NCLEX. He went to nursing school in Macedonia and then directly to medical school to become a doctor. The company CGFNS has to approve his credentials before he can move forward with the NCLEX. I am hoping someone from that region had gone through a similar process to get first hand knowledge of how it went. 

HI everyone

I am hoping someone might have experience with this. Here is the run down

Our cousin from Macedonia is a doctor (for past 10 years) currently a cardiology resident.

He and his wife and hoping to come to the states on a work visa 

Currently doctor credentials don't transfer and so he is looking at coming as a nurse. 

We live in South Carolina and to take the NCLEX (nursing exam) the person must have a green card / work visa and or Social Security card

He has a limited SS# from when he came as a student 10 years  ago but it states on the card it is only active with a work visa. 

So he has to go through North Carolina to apply to take the NCLEX

First he has to get his credentials reviewed by a company called CGFNS

It took a 3 month visit to try and sort all this out, it was like trying to figure out what came first, the chicken or the egg. 

We think: 

CGFNS approves credentials

This info is sent to North Carolina nurse board who approves the NCLEX exam

He can take it in Turkey or France I believe

Once the NCLEX is passed

He can get a job offer and start work visa proceedings ( he already has an offer pending NCLEX results)

Has anyone been through something like this before? 

Thanks 

Kathy

HI All

I am so sorry that I seem to be offending some people, I really didn't mean to post something that caused people to be so harsh. I understand what you are all saying and if you read it as me being naive or not knowing, it's just because I literally just starting to figure this all out and am finding conflicting information. If anyone knows how I can just delete this post please let me know. Thanks to those who have given me some information to help me understand the process more. 

@ROK2USA thank you for the information. I spoke with the school yesterday and they said if we are her legal guardians it would be a cost as if she were our child. But I will double check that. 

9 hours ago, Cathi said:

With a student exchange program she cannot live with you, she must live with a host family. A student visa is needed first and for that she will need proof up front that she has the money to pay for school 100% plus living expenses. It seems to me that you're not grasping everything that goes into the process, including how very expensive it will be. After the year is up she cannot simply stay and apply for a new visa to a different school. She needs to go home and reapply for the new school and prove all over again that she has all money in the bank for school and living expenses. Pharmacy school is very expensive and it takes five years of school.

The plan is for us to be approved as a host family and continue hosting students after that, I have already looked into that. 

Thank you for the information about needing to reapply after the first year. 

@nelmagriffin thank you so much for all this information, I really appreciate. most people have just said I have no idea and this is too expensive, without helping with any information about how to move forward. I have spoken to the local high school and if she does decide to come for a year, since it is public school there is a negligible cost to it (since it is included in our taxes already, I think $20 for administration). 

I know when I moved to the states and started university we had to do the SATs and we also paid out of state tuition for 2 terms and had to petition the school to allow us to have instate tuition after that, but we were on green cards. 

I need to research more about pharmacy and see what she actually wants to do, I am not sure if she wants to be an actual pharmacist or just work in a pharmacy, but she may change her mind completely later. In macedonia there are limited options and so she chose pharmacy. Once she comes here she may realise she can choose anything. 

I know if we go through an exchange program she can only stay with a host family, but my hope was to become approved as a host family so she can stay with us and possibly continue hosting students from Macedonia. 

Thank you again for the useful information, I was starting to feel quite discouraged by the folks who were just saying negative things. 

@SusieQQQ Thank you, I will take a look at these. I appreciate it. 

@AnnaCa thank you I will look into this. 

1 minute ago, Zoeeeeeee said:

To my knowledge, that doesn't exist (though this definitely isn't my area of expertise). The visa is needed to enter the country - they can't apply for it when they're already here. And even a year of high school won't be cheap (to my understanding, even public schools aren't free to international students, who arent residents or citizens, though I could be wrong about that). 

 

sorry I don't think I am making sense. At the moment there is a very long wait for all visas for Macedonians into the US. So I am trying to find an international student exchange program that you can work with who would bring students out to the US and hopefully we can act as the host family. Give her that experience for her last year of high school. Then after that, she can apply for a student visa for pharmacy college (probably after she goes home). But this would be a way for her to come and see if she even likes studying in the US and to look at some schools she can apply to when she needs to do the student visa. We realise it is expensive and will cover cost of high school and she would live with us for that year. 

Just now, Boiler said:

She needs a student visa to do a year of high school 

thanks, I am looking into all that now. 

Just now, Boiler said:

Normally a money issue, she can only study for a year at a State school and obviously has to pay. More obvious is schools who attract international students

 

I would speak to the School International Admissions Officer

I am looking into schools now. I found one program that is approved by the US embassy in Macedonia and hope I can use that one to get her here for the first year. then we can look at Pharmacy schools and she can apply for a student visa for that school. Just starting the process and trying to figure everything out. 

Just now, Zoeeeeeee said:

You/your husband can't sponsor his nieces, as they're not direct relatives. So if they want to come over, it would need to be on their own (ie, on a student or working visa). You could obviously provide them with a place to stay and help out with their school tuition (spoiler alert - not cheap) - but they would need to do all the visa stuff themselves.

Yes, I guessed as much, I am trying to find a program to bring her out to do a year of high school to start while we figure out how they need to do the student visa. 

Hi All

Now that my husband is a citizen we are working to bring his nieces over from Macedonia. The oldest is 16yrs and wants to come and study, perhaps finish high school and then study pharmacy. I am not exactly sure where to start. Any ideas? Thanks os much. 

12 hours ago, SoCal2021 said:

It is my understanding that just prior to Citizenship oath ceremony, you will be asked to return all USCIS cards (Both 2 and 10 years GC, Employment authorization/I-512 Advance Parole card, etc).   

 

Sorry, I just re-read your note.  Looks like your husband has already had oath ceremony...in that case I would call USCIS and ask them for instructions on what to do.

Hahaha don't worry I just reread your note and saw that you had reread mine.... yes I have posted a question through the online portal and will wait to see if I get an answer, otherwise I will try and call them, but if they need to look up his case then he needs to be here to tell them I can talk to them.... and here I thought it was all over.... 

3 minutes ago, Sarah_k92 said:

You will hand it back in when he takes his oath. Keep it safe until then.

 

Congrats! 

Hi Sarah, that's the problem, he did his oath ceremony the same day he was approved..... Thanks for the congrats!!! 

Hey all

So my husband's citizenship was approved 30 seconds after the interviewer approved his 10 year green card. Now they have sent us his 10 year green card. He was asked to hand in his green card at the oath ceremony, he gave them the 2 yr one. But do we need to mail it back or go hand it in or something? 

Did this happen to anyone else? 

Thanks 

Hey all

So my husband's citizenship was approved 30 seconds after the interviewer approved his 10 year green card. Now they have sent us his 10 year green card. He was asked to hand in his green card at the oath ceremony, he gave them the 2 yr one. But do we need to mail it back or go hand it in or something? 

Did this happen to anyone else? 

cross posting this from the N-400 thread

And we are done!!! Yay!!

Yesterday we had the interview and they had an oath ceremony so we got it all done at one.

Timeline:

I-751 - applied April 2020

Biometrics - June 2021

Adit stamp - December 21 2021

Interview - Jan 31 2022 (Same time as N-400)

Notice that card is being produced and sent - 1 Feb 2022

N-400 - applied April 2021

Biometrics - June 2021

Interview - Jan 31 2022 (Charleston, SC)

Oath Ceremony - Jan 31st 2022

Passport appointment - 4 Feb 2022

Interview process:

Husband was called in first

Interviewer asked a number of questions, such as:

Did you serve in the military

Did you ever kill or hurt anyone

How did you meet your wife

What is your zipcode (He couldn't remember this but explained I run his life, the interview laughed and said so does his wife)

He had to write: We pay taxes

He had to read something

Questions: What is the highest court of the land?

Who becomes president if the president and vice president die?

What does the judicial branch do?

Then the interviewer called me in and asked me a number of questions about how we met, when did we start dating, where did my family live, where was I born. 

He never looked at any of the paperwork or photos I had prepared. He then stamped and approved the I-751 and the N-400. Luckily there was an oath ceremony that day and there was still space for him to join. 

Thank you all for your support and assistance over the last few years. This community has been a godsend! Good luck to you all. 

And we are done!!! Yay!!

Yesterday we had the interview and they had an oath ceremony so we got it all done at one.

Timeline:

I-751 - applied April 2020

Biometrics - June 2021

Adit stamp - December 21 2021

Interview - Jan 31 2022 (Same time as N-400)

Notice that card is being produced and sent - 1 Feb 2022

N-400 - applied April 2021

Biometrics - June 2021

Interview - Jan 31 2022 (Charleston, SC)

Oath Ceremony - Jan 31st 2022

Passport appointment - 4 Feb 2022

Interview process:

Husband was called in first

Interviewer asked a number of questions, such as:

Did you serve in the military

Did you ever kill or hurt anyone

How did you meet your wife

What is your zipcode (He couldn't remember this but explained I run his life, the interview laughed and said so does his wife)

He had to write: We pay taxes

He had to read something

Questions: What is the highest court of the land?

Who becomes president if the president and vice president die?

What does the judicial branch do?

Then the interviewer called me in and asked me a number of questions about how we met, when did we start dating, where did my family live, where was I born. 

He never looked at any of the paperwork or photos I had prepared. He then stamped and approved the I-751 and the N-400. Luckily there was an oath ceremony that day and there was still space for him to join. 

Thank you all for your support and assistance over the last few years. This community has been a godsend! Good luck to you all. 

My husband has his interview on Monday the 31st and I thought I would share the documents I am have prepared, in addition to these I have the full tax returns available, around 20 photos in an album from the past 3 yrs, 2 photo books compiled over the first 2 years of our marriage. Hopefully I have enough, I really don't want to print out 3 years worth of bank statement so am hoping 3 months is enough. Any suggestions?  (Side note: the reason the exhibits start at H is because the first half of these tabs I used for the NVC application and figured I would use the rest for the N-400)

On 1/19/2022 at 9:10 AM, Sam2134 said:

Yes I do have a house mortgage and took monthly statements with me (past 1yr). The officer asked me for the mortgage amount that we pay each month and also the total outstanding loan amount (approx).

 

I had my N400 interview last week and will share my experience soon.

Thanks for the insight, 10 days and counting till the interview....

Hey All 

I am working on the paperwork for my husbands interview at the end of the month. Does anyone know for a house mortgage, would a monthly statement be ok, or do I need some sort of document that states what the loan is and that it is with both of us? Thanks all. 

@Mill&bill I got an email notification, then a text. I checked the website and it showed that the N-400 interview had been scheduled and in the documents section there was the letter stating where and when. The email said they would also be sending it in the mail. The next day I got another email stating action had been taken but there was nothing new on the website and the email didn't specify if it was the N-400 or the I-751, am assuming it was just an extra email. 

@Sam2134 thanks, I figured I would just take all of that stuff plus extra but when the email came through my mind went completely blank. Kind shear panic and disbelief. Calming words help with a reminder to take everything plus a little extra. Thanks again.

12 hours ago, Mill&bill said:

its not 24 month extension. technically its six month more extension because on extension letter it says from green card expiration date. so they already sent u 18 month extension letter which already expired. the 24 extension letter is extra six month on top of 18 months. 

@Mill&bill Thanks for the clarification, I was so irritated I didn't even look at it, can't use it anyway since they kept his green card. But we just got notification his N-400 interview (and I assume his I-751 at the same time) will be January 31st. 

I swear they make us jump through goops for fun... so close to the end.