Bayoubrit

5 minutes ago, Inikamoze said:

Lots if places you can get hold of PG tips or Tetleys....

digestives are making their way into normal ailes in the supermarket now too.... we're slowly turning them! 

I have see Tetleys but never PG tips down here... only these health teas

8 minutes ago, Angeluth12 said:

Why wouldn't EU countries be eligible ? The American law says that all countries where the affluence of migrants to the USA is low are eligible.

 

As i said ... I don't know about the EU countries because the UK isn't allowed i assumed that it applied across the EU. As a Englishman and a Brit why would i know about immigrating from Spain or the EU?  I then went on to say thank you for setting the record straight.

7 minutes ago, SusieQQQ said:

Lovely story! Thanks for sharing. It's clear your positive attitude is going a long way to help you settle in a strange place

 

There are various places to get British stuff like marmite - bigger supermarkets may have "international aisles". If World Market is in NO they always have it in stock, if no local store  you can shop online - worldmarket.com - too so worth a look to stock up on that and various other British goodies too (aeros, birds custard powder, hobnobs....)  There are various "British stores" dotted around the country too and a few of them also do online, but World Market will probably be cheapest.

Thank you , i will look into that! 

3 minutes ago, SusieQQQ said:

Just to correct some of the misinformation in the thread about DV, almost all European countries ARE eligible for the DV lottery, including Portugal. And, it doesn't matter what country you are a citizen of, it matters where you were born.

 

However it is not a new visa. It's been around since, I believe,the early 

 

so follow the link someone gave above for DV, be sure you only apply on the official site and not on one of the scam sites. It's a better chance than most lotteries but it's still a lottery with a small chance of winning. Still, people do get lucky on it, I did and so did most of the people posting in this forum!

Thank you for clearing up the DV mis-information, being from the UK and not included i wasn't sure so gave a wishy washy answer like ' i don't think' 

interesting that the EU countries are ellagiable, i might have to look at it and see why.

1 hour ago, CMBx3 said:

Is it best for Jane not to sponsor her father then? 

The fact that this happened when she was a minor and innocent to the misrepresentation would it still affect her? 

Is there the chance that uscis wouldn't ask about the fathers marriage history or not not link his case with what the mother had done?

 

Not a personal story, I'm asking on someone's behalf.

Considering how much information i had to provide in my case , short of many many people not doing there job i would say them not noticing would not be a hope i would want. She can not be that innocent in the story because she is going around telling people and asking advice. What is she going to say under oath if they ask about the first marriage? Lie? The last people you want to be caught in a lie with is the US government.

Well in my eyes if the first marriage stands and there is no divorce then the second marriage is either polygamy or immigration fraud, both which don't sit well with the USCIS. If the second marriage is not recognized because the first marriage wasn't resolved then the sham marriage for the green card is not lawful. therefore give the mother and daughter no claim to stay in the US.  

I am by no means an expert but that is how i see it.

My last comment would be go to an immigration attorney and present the case there. They will tell you straight away what the crack is!

i believe the EB 5 visa is also an option if you got a lot of money to invest. 

hate to be a rain on the parade type of guy here but the chances of getting employment now would be almost impossible. With the change in the white house the US companies are going to freeze hiring for some positions, I know for a fact Apple has in some areas. You could apply to a UK company with a head office here and transfer. i know you have to be with the company for over a year and on a management level / extraordinary employee or that's how it was when i applied.  

I don't think the EU qualifies for the green card lotto either, gone are the wild west days you turned up with a hope and dream.

Just now, SAT said:

You ever been to an ER?

No but the ER isnt over the telephone.....

I am going to plant my rant flag for a minute....

So i called USCIS for my tracking number and got transferred through to a tier 2. ....we will call you back we currently have a 275 minute wait !! I have never heard of a wait time so long!! 

Don't get me wrong in understand that they deal with 6 million + applications a year and i am grateful i had a relatively smooth case but the constant wait when you are this close ...frustrating to say the least!!

rant over......

at least the sun is shinning, weather is 78 degrees and i have been approved... 

to give you my case experience, we did not have a lease together, bank account or anything that had both our names on. We had pictures, letters from relatives , flight tickets , hotel bookings and text messages. When the IO asked why we didn't have joint documents i explained that i didn't have a SSN to be allowed to do some items and that i never wanted to do anything in a grey area to ruin my chances of getting approved.  He said that it makes perfect sense and approved us on the spot. The most important things in my eyes are the divorce decrees for ALL previous marriages, married documentation and a copy of everything in the file you submitted & anything that has happened since the filling. 

4 minutes ago, Talha282 said:

In family based green card did you mean f2a?

Not very familiar with that Visa type but as i said I could see the quotas change or other more stringent checks making the wait time longer. As a greencard holder and a contributing member to society who could become a voting member of the public in the future, i cannot see to much being changed if anything at all. The main focus is going to be on immigration fraud and the whole tinderbox about illegals.   

He isn't practicing polygamy here in the US yet ... but as been previously pointed out. If the word of someone meant something to the USCIS we all would not need to send endless evidence to prove situations.

I think saying no is an error that could have huge implications to you and him. Even when he goes to the interview and swears an oath he would have to lie then too. Its a can of worms that i wouldn't touch . It is safer to be in line with what is required and then apply... USCIS doesn't see grey areas only yes or nos.

I agree that the Illegal , DACA and others will change. Employment based will be another that will be overhauled to make sure companies can't play the system or grey areas anymore. Family based i could see changing based on green card holders bringing family but unlikely in my opinion. US citizens bring spouses or family i think is highly unlikely, some of these would have voted for trump.

The main focus is going to be on the people who have no claim to be here, a green card holder / perm resident is paying tax and putting money into the system. We don't have access to public funds etc.

I am more worried about the ignorant employers / employees that don't understand the way it works legally than immigration reform. 

1 minute ago, Ash.1101 said:

My families been in the oil industry since before I was born. Right now it's down. Within the last couple of years mass layoff's happened and it's slowly starting to pick back up, but it's not there yet.

Look for the big companies right now. My dad had wonderful experiences with National Oilwell Varco for years until they sold their part distribution section to another company, but as you wouldn't be in rig part distribution, they may have something for you.


But yes, networking is HUGE in the oil field. My dad had been in the business since he was 19 (so early 70s) and got out in the crash in 98, he was out for almost 10 years when he put in his resume into a system that I guess a lot of employers check when looking to hire SPECIFICALLY in the oil field. From what he says, one of his old friends/work partner saw his resume hit and told his boss that they needed him and that he knew him from international sales in the 90s.

My dad was then hired on the spot for store manager, and then within 2 years was managing international sales in two regions in the middle east, then Australia and PI until the company sold the distribution portion (he was rig parts sales), the company that bought out that section ended up bringing him back to the states, told him he would run a store, and then promptly laid him off while his stuff was still in Australia. 

With all that said though, he's looking back into the oil field, it's been a couple of years since the mass lay offs and he feels it's picking back up enough to where it was when he originally put in his resume 10+ years ago that got him his international job.


I also do recommend getting your foot in the field, but not necessarily your dream job/job that matches your skills. You -CAN- move up in the oil field as I'm sure you know, you just need your foot in the door because knowing people really can bump you up high places in this business.

You will find that A LOT of rig work happens in Texas. Here's this place if you haven't seen it, but I'm sure you have. http://www.rigzone.com/oil/jobs/categories/oilfield-services-8/

Thanks Ash 1101, 

The reason why i am in the USA now is because i was laid off from oil and gas.... The southern states as you said it is who you know along side what you know. I have thought long and hard and maybe the move to the US should be a new chapter and new experiences. So i have started since jan 10th to look at anything i have the skills for and think i would enjoy. At a later date once i have been here a year as a residence of NOLA then i could always look at going back to do a qualification. Unfortunately a move out of the state is a no go, i promised my wife she could move back home and New Orleans is her home. So its time for me to adapt and be happy!

30 minutes ago, CMBx3 said:

What would happen in this situation.

 

Jane,  a US citizen wants to file for her father who is now out of status in the USA.  Jane became a resident as a child through her mom who married a us citizen. Problem is that before the mother married the us citizen she was previously married to Jane's father. They were never legally divorced and Jane's mother didn't make uscis aware of her previous marriage. The 2nd marriage was just to get Jane's mom legal status at the time, there hasn't been an ongoing relationship since then.  Jane's mom is still a resident  and still legally married to Jane's father and the us citizen who petitioned her. 

 

Jane wants to know if and how this will now affect her petitioning for her father?

 

I would thing their legal status changes, if the first marriage was not over then the second marriage isn't legal. Therefore you cant claim status if it doesn't exist. During my GC interview we did not include my wife's' first set of divorce papers just the second and the IO said he can not approve the case until he can see that the first marriage ended legally.

It also sounds like a story as to why genuine married people have to jump through hoops just to prove they are genuine today. 

1 minute ago, NikLR said:

Honestly don't include your green card.  That's really sensitive information.  In the wrong hands your identity could easily be stolen. Mention you have it if you get a call or an interview if they ask. Provide it with an I-9. 

If you're in a specialized career and dont want to expand, then you may take longer to find a job than someone in retail or food industry.  After leaving the Air Force it took my husband almost a year to get his job with the FAA.  He was really picky about what he wanted to do.  Really, it was to the point where he was about to move to Canada when he was informed he had gotten the job.  

That is so true, that had not even crossed my mind! 

I have already decided that stressing and complaining is not going to solve anything. So i am going to look for something related to my field but keep looking once i have something. The old saying it is easy to find a job when you have a job rings true. 

Thank you for pointing that out, i forgot what information that card will have on it!

2 minutes ago, Virginie-Thomas said:

What is my best path after the normal delay for EAD?
On monday I reach 90 days, without RFE... Should I call the USCIS?

My congressman says they cannot do anything faster than this....

What should I do?

Call USCIS or do a service request online.. I did 3 and got a stranded response to all ' we are processing your case and an update will be available soon' 

The stranded response leads me to believe it is processing delays apposed to case delays. 

Just now, KristaW said:

Ah, yes, mine did that same thing. 1/11 I have New Card was produced or ordered, then it switched to Case was approved. 

Does that mean they mailed it? I thought it had another status that I was waiting for that said 'Card was mailed to me'? 

As far as i know it will change to mailed card to you, i am basing that on my green card. That status changed to we mailed the card to you on  Saturday but i call Tuesday because of MLK day and there was no tracking information and had not left yet. 

But to answer your question, i do believe it does change to card has been mailed. I received my EAD approval letter last night and that said you should receive the card with in 3 weeks of the letter.

20 minutes ago, KristaW said:

Hi there, I checked some of the EAD timelines and see most people who have received their approval, receive their card in the mail 7-10 days after.

 

Our case still says 'Approved' from the 11th and we are wondering how long until it changes to 'Card was mailed' .... Or, is there anyone on this thread who received their card before the system updated to 'card was mailed'?

 

Thanks in advance!

Mine changed straight to ' Your case was approved' but i notice in the history section on the bottom right at the top was something like ' we ordered your new card' . I noticed it by accident as i opened a SR that morning and then the case was approved and i wanted to see if the SR had been assigned. 

12 minutes ago, yuna628 said:

Things you need to think about

 

1) Have you tailored your resume into a one-page American style format and a single cover letter? Use key buzzwords and make each resume you send in unique and specific to the company you're trying to match it to.

2) There is no need to attach welcome letters or green cards. You can put on your resume or letter that you are an LPR and you are authorized to work without sponsorship. Even if you put this, don't expect bites to come right away. It took a very long time for my husband to find a job in his field. He is well overqualified for that job, but he took what he could get.

3) Things that count against you are indeed no US work experience. You are an immigrant and will have to fight twice as hard to get a space amongst the piles of tardy HR staff looking for the next best person.

4) Be prepared for the fact that you may need to switch fields entirely or get yourself a job that is only good for establishing US work experience.

5) Look at recruitment agencies and consider LinkedIn.

1) - I have done the Resume, checked the UK to US English spelling, got an American in engineering to proof read the Resume. 

2) - I realize there is no need but was wondering if it would give them the proof to take the application seriously.

3) - Amen brother! 

4) - This is a big one, I expanded my job type hugely just to start the journey into US experience. The idea is to work and do community college courses to get the US qualifications. 

9 minutes ago, NikLR said:

Also consider getting qualifications in the US that may help you for the jobs you are applying for.  IE: cdl, cpr and first aid, etc...

Thank you to both for the answers, sometimes you want to hear advice from like situation people to get your thinking straight!!

2 hours ago, ASEIRDLO said:

 

Indeed every case is different. A trend doesn't mean that all the cases follow the same trend. It simply means that there are enough similarities for a pattern to be noticeable. That's all I'm pointing out. Congratulations on your progress and good luck in the interview.

I heard from the an immigration attorney that the late October and November EAD processing was almost put on hold to try deal with the influx of naturalization paper work they got before the election.  

Mine was a 19th October and i got the status change on the 11th January to ' Card being produced' & ' Case approved' But i also got my I 485 case approved on the 10th and that staus has changed to ' we mailed the card to you' . My EAD was processed through NBC (MSC) and AOS through New Orleans Field office.

I don't think Trump in power is going to change the family visa's, as i understand it and as it has been said in this post he is looking at the illegal immigration. Making it harder for the under the table wages and stopping the use of the illegals as cheap labor. As someone who has invested a big chunk of change into doing it legally ,went through the long wait times and jumped through hoops to please the USCIS i am happy about that. As permanent residences we should also be on the receiving end of more jobs for america, so again that does give me some hope.

Does it remove the fact that some ignorant, buck tooth hick thinks immigration steals from his family...... no  .

I think people need to start making the distinction between the soon to be President Trumps policies and some right wing supports views. As a free democratic society with immense pressure on the boarder something was going to give and america spoke. Similar to the Brexit, to me it is not about being afraid of immigration but a fear immigration could be used to get some really bad evil people in. You have to remember a big majority of Americans would not know what we know about the immigration system and what it does expect. They think immigration and think people sneaking across the boarder.

I don't believe Trump getting in is as bad as the liberals are crying about , there are systems in place to stop him and ensure it is best for the legal residents. 

Hey everyone, 

I am a mechanical engineer in the oil & gas field with 19 years experience. When i first moved to New Orleans i was applied left right and center. I did find out that here in Louisiana it is who you know as well as what you know, so i decided to look at other jobs that my skills matched. In my field i have had not one response or invitation to interview!

So my question is this: 

Since this is the US and it seems 90% of the world would like to live and work here, does the fact my CV/ resume only has UK company and work experience? Are we going to be fighting against all the internet applications that can be done anywhere in the world? Now i am thinking i am going to start sending a copy of my green card or welcome letter attached to prove i can work here. Now i know that resume rules or norms says you dont include that information but i almost feel i am being put into the ' another UK guy wants us to sponsor a Visa to work here' category. 

Thanks,

Hey everyone,

I recently came across this forum , late because i have already got my green card approved and just waiting for the offices to open so i can get a tracking number. 

I found this forum because of the section helping people get SSN, job advice etc.

Look forward to interacting

Mine took 98 days through the NBC (MSC) center, i got approved on my green card before my EAD by 3 days.