silvana.toma

Sounds about right. However, most community colleges do NOT require TOEFL score, you'll take their placement test (reading, writing, math) and it'll determine your math level, and also whether or not you need to take some reading class before going any further. So you kinda know where to start from.

Most four-yr colleges/universities, on the other hand, require you to take TOEFL.

This is based on my personal experience. I have a BA majoring Communications (from my home country Indonesia) and was considering to go to either graduate school or nursing school. Applied to a local state university for two grad programs, took their institutional TOEFL, and got accepted in both. But I changed my mind and am currently working on my nursing prerequiste courses at a local community college. Only have two more classes to do and been getting straight A's. As long as you have a strong foundation in English, math and other basic science subjects you should be ok. Good luck!

I was debating either to do ocupational therspist or nursing, but i was never really good at chemistry, and i am not sure if nursing requires chemistry. Also, i heard you have to get your RN because not a lot of people hire CNA's. I heard it's hard to het your RN, it takes 4 years, and it is not easy AT ALL.

I have been thinking...AND ..if i end up going back to school it will have to be something really good where the job market is up and coming,that will also give me a job almos right away, i don't want to get into debt and still going back to square one: having a hard time finding a job. ALSO, i have some friends that have a collage degree...and they make anywhere from $8-14 an hour . I hate to say this but it's almost no point to go to school for 4 years get yourself into debt for a long time, just to make the same amount of money as the guy without the degree. And i am saying this because this is america...the land where without a degree you can make 6 figures a year. If you are smart you can promote and possibly make more money that even somone with a masters degree.

I hate to sound materialistic, but now days the way this world works we are forced to focus on more practical profesions rather than doing somethign we love, unfortunatelly that's a luxury that most of us don't have.

A better assumption is that he said that, unawares of the travel plans to St. Johns. If if knows anything about USA Immigration Law(and I'm praying he does) then IF he had known about the trip to St. Johns, he would have advised YOU not to leave the USA. Yer really close on the I-94 expiration date, and out of country for 2 weeks usually means (at first blush to CBP officer, the goon that matters, here) that yer trying to get around US Immigration laws by making a border run (leave USA for short period of time, return within 30 days). Even the dumbest of the dumbest CBP officers have been trained to look out for potential border run folksen - so be aware, yes?

Perhaps you'll get a new stamp in the passport that says 'no adjustment allowed' since you match the pattern of a 'border runner'- and if that's the case, will be the 'kiss of death' for attempting to file an adjustment of status case (as opposed to a visa case) as CBP/DHS will have already found you ineligible, and marked yer passport to SHOW THAT, when you return to the USA (and play with US Customs and Immigration at the Point of Entry in the Airport) from St. John's Island.

But hey - that's just my opinion, based on reading stuff here - in yer particular case, I could be dead wrong, as well, as St. John Island is a US Territory, part of the US Virgin Islands. I guess it will be depend on IF the flight back originated from the US Virgin Islands or the British Virgin Islands (next door). If from BVI, then that's an international flight, for certain, with US CBP POE processing.

you have a point here. A very good point. I remember when i left ships i flew from florida to st martin and then i came back to us the very next day(this is a long story short), because i wanted to take a vacation with my hubby in vegas. We went to the customs together, and even if we told the guy we are engaged he stamped my passport for 6 months(and no we did not get married in vegas ). So it depends on the Customs agent, some are a real pain, but some don't care too much.

But in her case, i think it's more questionable because her visa will expire soon, so I would suggest coming up with a good story for the customs to let you back in...like you have most of your clothes and stuff still in us, so you have to go back for them and say good bye to all of you friends before you leave us...

i know it's wrong to lie ..but who doesn't lie ...ever?

Yes, she will have to go thru immigration in St.John's even thru it is US territory. St. Croix, St. Thomas and St, John are all part of the Virgin island. But when I left St. Thomas I had to show my US passport to board the plane. So if she don't already have a GC or AP parole, i don't know if they will let her board the plane back to the mainland(Mass).

That is correct.

We are meeting with the loan people next friday, and as soon as we get pre-quaalified we will get a realtor(my huby's friend had a freind who is a realtor), and hopefully we will have a better experience with buying a home.

I'm sorry to hear some of your stories, it's so sad...when this should be such a fun time for you, people make it a nightmare.

This is something off topic for vanessa and tony:

Vanessa(or tony, whoever is writting here on VJ) speaking of true colors..I have to make a comment and let you know you are not alone as far as your relationship with your in law's. My husband's mother(as i will never call her mother in law) actually kicked him out, she had the suit cases ready for him at the door. Of course she kept a 3 grand watch, and other valuables...It's so sad when they behave like you are 5, and try to control your life, and they think they know better what's good for you. We do not comunicate with her since last april, and i don't see any further comunication in the near future either...so as you can see you are not alone.

i can only pray that when i have kids i will never be so narrow minded, selfish, and manipulative as those atributes will only bring me misery.

i will keep you guys posted in regards to my bumpy(or not) ride to the process of buying our first home.

again, thank you for every input, it is really valuable and i really appreciated it

It did happen to me. I filled my aos in nov 8 2010, and got my noa's in nov 17. Since then i was not able to see anything on my case status, so i called them. They told me they just sent me a RFE letter, and if i don't get it to call back. When i called back as i did not get anything they told me the letter was undeliberable. Long story short, they resend it, and when i checked the adress on the letter i noticed that they put a sticker on top of the old address with the corrected address. They had apt 3, instead of apt 303. I called them up told them about the mistake....so they "corrected it"..5 days later i recieve my biometrics with the wrong apt number AGAIN only this time someone from visa journey gave me a good tip to put my name on the mail box.SO tx to the mail man, who was smart enough to figure it out i got my biometrics letter. When i went for biometrics as the lady was taken my fingerprints i noticed they still had the apt wrong so i asked her to corect it. Well we found out that in the address box it wasn't enough space for the 303...just for the 3...so i guess whoever does this kind of paperwork didn't bother to correct it, or try to fit it in...

So i called again to make sure they have the adress corrected, and tell them that they still have it wrong, and the lady there had no clue what she was talking about and basically didn't do anything for me except writte down "the correct adress"AGAIN and get my e-mail address- they already did that once and nothing has changed-they still have the wrong info

Now i just have to hope the mail man will be smart enough when i get my future letters...

I spoke to at least 10 people as i called several times usis....and i have to say they are not very helpfull..90%of them just read q cards..at least so it seems.

I would call and make sure the address is correct, and ask to speak to a supervisor-that's what i did.

if you get a RFe you have 87 days to respond, if you don't they will consider you abandoned the case...just like anything you recieve from them..biometrics appointment and etc...so you HAVE TO MAKE SURE YOU TALK TO SOMEONE AND GET THAT SORTED OUT, because it can complicate and pospond your process.

I hope this helps, and good luck to you!

good luck.

If you have the missing document ready to send why are you waiting for the hard copy of the RFE? I'd say go ahead and send it and quote her receipt number.

You have to wait for the hard copy, and together with the FRe letter you send in the evidence they are requesting. If you send it separate or without actually getting the REF letter chances are it will let lost.

When i got my RFE..it actually said to submit the evidence with the RFE letter. So they have to go together.

I was in the exact same situation. I called USCIS in dec. because i could not see my case on the website(my case status) so they told me a letter is on the way(rfe letter)and if i don't get it in 2 weeks to call again. Called again, and they told me the letter went back as undeliverable. She told me she will resend it.I don't understand what happened because i got my first NOA, so obviously they had the right address. Someone here told me to put my name on the mail box, so i did. A week later i get the letter, and i noticed that the apt no was 3 instead of 303, so thanks to the mail man who saw my name on the mail box i was able to recieve it. Then i went for biometrics, and there i noticed that they had the wrong address, so i told the lady to correct it....what happened was that there was no more space in the box for the 03...so they just put 3....

If i were you i would call and when you do tell them you already talked to someone, a supervisor and you forgot to ask one more question, they will put you through a spervisor and they actually can see everything about your case...

The people who answer the phones at uscis are only reading off a tele promter, they don't actually know much about your case...trust me on this one as i have called like 20 times, but thank god i did, otherwise i would be still waiting for my RFE.

Good luck!

Well...more valuable info...thanks guys!

I agree with nikita and charles, we should buy the home we can afford. Just because you can afford it, doen't mean you have to go for it...because having a home is a lot more expensive than renting no more calling people for free when something breaks down..

Also, you don't want to pay so much on your mortgage that for 30 years you are stuck in your home without beeing able to take vacations, or have fun. As we all know nobody lives forever!

I was reading something on the net that i found quite interesting- they were saying that you should buy a home that is twice or twice and a half your anual salary.So let's say husband and wife make 60k together they should not buy a home more worth more than 150k. I admit here in va to find a home that is 150k and does not look my great grandma's house or a glorified barn as i like to call it is tough...but i saw some forclosures that were unbelievable 150k for 3,700sq feet, and the interior looked amazing...good neighbourhood...of course someone put an offer already.

I am a bit confused...so we pay the downpayment...and the closing costs? can we get the bank to do that? how is that working?

Thank you guys!!

I am also looking forward for the next steps, and hopefully everything will move quick, and get my green card in the next few months.

Thank you all for your help, i would have never been able to do this without your help!

This is ridiculous! Why do we have computers and cell phones and so much new technology if we don't know how to use it?

Why should you have to go again when they clearly have you in their computers that you have completed your biometrics???

I would have asked to speak with a supervisor, because what was the point to do a walk in biometrics then? I live 1,3min to the biometrics place...i would be pissed of if that would happen to me.

I realised lately that when you call uscis not everyone knows the same information...some say something some say something different...

Today i went to Alexandria, virginia for my biometrics appointment, and i have to say it was super easy, took max of 15 min from the moment we got in, mu hubby could come in with me as well, and that was nice.

As the lady was filling up the required forms, i realised why they put the wrong apartment number(as i got a RFE and went back undeliverable, and the second letter-the biometrics appointment, i got it because i put my name on the mail box, so the mailman was smart to figure it put) : because on the address box in the computer there was no more space for the entire address, so they just put 3 instead of 303... ...So if it doesn't fit ..we just put in whatever fits i guess..So i told the lady to adjust it somehow, so there will be no more mistakes or letters going back to the uscis saying they were undeliverable.

And just a tip for you guys, when you call uscis(the number from my case status) don't rely 100% on what they say...i have a feeling all they do is read off q cards. I have called several times and they only give you basic information, and usually tell you to wait 30 days...

I have called few weeks back and asked them to change the apt number, since they have it wrong, and they not only"corrected it" they also asked me for a e-mail address....few weeks later i get the biometrics letter-tx to the mail man who was smart to figure it out, and no e-mail as they said they will also e-mail me. So why did we went thruogh all that trouble and stayed on the phone for 35 min to correct stuff when nothing got done anyway...I am a bit frustrated as i would expect people answering the uscis phone calls to be more prepared and know more about your specific case rather then just answering basic info that i can also get on my own...

All in all i hope i will get my future corespondance from uscis, and not miss my interview....but based on my experience i would sudgest you all should be on top of things so you don't mess up your process due to minor mistakes...

Wish you all easy biometrics with no big lines, and easy interviews...and finally i wish you all to get the green card soon!

Speaking of asking eachother questions to prepare for the interview..it's so funny..me and my husband we have been together for almost 5 years now, and we did like a silly test the other day, to find out that we are not really prepared!i said thank god it wasn't the interview. Like what's my favorite color? really i don't even think i have a favorite color? so if i don't know it...how should my hubby know it? the problem is i think the easiest questions will be the hardest ones...

there is a show about people buying homes, and the entire process (these days there is a show for everything...), and i remember some people in the show waited long time before they could move in the home.

Now you guys are giving me your real experiences and i have to say it's exectley how i have imagined it! it's super exciting but in the same time it could also be a lot of headache.

I have told my husband what you guys said, and we decided we will get the ball rolling, and start looking for homes, and we will also talk to a loan officer.

I will let you know more after we talk to the realtor tomorrow.

thank you again for everything!

I will check a carrer center for sure, there is like a good will for careeers near me just oepened up, and i will let you know aht is about, aparently they also have internships and etc..

i will also check if i would qualify for grants that would be awsome if i did.

thanks guys, appreciate all the help!

hmmm....iuliana that is very interesting, i would assume i would have to wait for my ead to arrive so i can get my ssn before i do any of that, right?

i am curious how easy it is to get a student loan?

as i was looking for radiology schools here close to where i live,and bummer the only one that has this program requires me to be in a biology class for one year..then another 2 years for the actuall radiology...so 3 years?? might as well get a collage degree then.

SO i think i will look into my second choice-ocupational therapist program.

I applied to some jobs on craigs's list just to see where i stand and how easy it is to get a job...another bummer...i got 2 e-mails(scam) they wanted me to do my credit report... so obviously it was just a scam... it's hard to get a job thses days...

thanks again for sharing your knowledge with me!

Yayyyy!!!!Congrats, Silvana!I'm so happy that things got back on the right track for you!

Thanks Iuliana, i am also very happy to know everything is back on track..

Thank you guys so much for giving me all these valuable insights. I really appreciate it. We will try to find a good loan officer and try to get pre-aproved. We are only looking to move in april may when our lease is up. So how long do you think we will get the pre-aproval will be valid for? then we should look for a good realtor. Do you think it has any sense looking for a home if we will only want to buy it and move in in april? i know sometimes it can take many months to find the right home, and i don't want to start looking a week before i wamt to move in.

thank you again for all the info you guys gave me, it really helps me a lot getting ideeas on the whole process.

lol

Like Krikit said you want to be pre-approved for a certain amount (this is where the loan officer comes in)...They can jot down your numbers (annual income and credit score) and tell you what you "should" be approved for in a matter of minutes assuming everything goes smoothly in the loan process.

Craigslist has some good offers around and I can spend a lot of time browsing through. Here are some homes in the $140,000 to $280,000 range in or near Richmond, VA...You can adjust the min/max price and explore what is out there very easily...

http://richmond.craigslist.org/search/rea?query=&srchType=A&minAsk=140000&maxAsk=280000&bedrooms=&hasPic=1

thanks a lot, i will check it out right now!

I love Craftsman-style homes.

Silvana, we have recently purchased a home in VA. (We own another home in FL but we have a good tenant in there.) Your first step is to find a good mortgage consultant and get pre-approved. A realtor is not terribly interested in taking you out and about if they think you are not serious and/or if there is a risk of your loan not being approved. It also helps them know which homes you can afford. Choose your area(s) and then find a realtor who specializes in that area. If they know their stuff, they'll have the inside information on which homes are coming onto the market so you can get in before it's spent too much (or any) time on the market. You may need to do several "interviews" to find the right fit.

I found Redfin to be a valuable resource, along with Zillow and Trulia. If you are willing to risk the stress and strain of a short sale or a foreclosure, that is where you will find your best deal. If you prefer a smoother transition, go for the traditional sale.

As for your reference to putting an offer in on a home which already has an offer in on it..... a realtor is not going to put in an offer on a home if there is one already pending. Unless, of course, the sale was designed to draw multiple offers, in which case there will be a deadline on when offers can be received.

Anyway, good luck on your home search. It's a great time to be buying with the rates low and the inventory high.

thanks for the input. What is redfin zillow and trulia? never heard of them. i agree with you we are lucky to be buying a home in this housing market...i'm sorry for people who bought high and have to sell low now...

Silvana, I have read that normally, RFEs do not make your application timeline totally start over. Of course, it CAN have that effect but there is a good chance that your EAD application is still holding its place in line and that you will get it approved very soon after you respond to your RFE and get biometrics. I'd still tentatively expect your EAD around 90 days from when you originally filed. They always tell you to expect longer than it is just to cover their rumps.

After much deliberation with my husband, we actually came to the conclusion that i will be better off trying to go back to school, and get a degree. So now the fact that i will have an EAD amlost like it doesn't matter much:(

my hubby told me i should go to a school, and not do the onling thing. This would mean i will not have much time to go to work, unless i find a part time job or something...but even that would be hard as i do not have a car nor a driver's licence...

Adjusting is not easy, but i know one day i will look back and i will be proud of myself for going through all this...

thank you so much for beeing on my side in this crazy journey, and helping me with so many good tips!

Man good luck...I got Approved yesterday...its a great new year for all of us...no panic....

Have faith in you...

U will make it

yey!!! good for you, i bet you must be happy you are done with all the waiting and all the craziness...

For realtors, are you looking at known national companies? They should have somebody working the phones while others are out showing houses. Your experience is enough to put off anybody.

I think homebuying varies by state sometimes. Here's a Virginia page about homebuyer education.

http://www.vhda.com/Homebuyers/HomeownershipEdu/Pages/HomeownershipEdu.aspx

A government resource page http://www.hud.gov/local/index.cfm?state=va&topic=homeownership

Some tips http://www.jble.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-101004-044.pdf

It discusses realtors.

Lastly, do you have any older, wiser aquaintances who know the ropes locally who would mentor you? Somebody from work or church perhaps?

Well, my husbands assistant's friend is a realtor-but how good she is in what she is doing we don't know. And we don't have anyone here that we would be able to ask questions, since we don't talk to his family at all, and most of his friends are not from here...

that's why for us is hard as we have no ideea about anything.

But i will read the websites you gave me, and i hope i can get some more information, so when we decide to buy a home we will make an informed decision.

thanks for your advice.

i know!!! i am so excited i have been waiting for this everyday!

a well trained sommelier can make or break a good resturant - keep that in mind if you'd like to pursue that career path in the short term- usually the sommelier has a piece of the business, and ties into the wholesale wine biz as well.

My wife has a degree in hoteliery/hospitality, and took early retirement from her family's insurance business about 2 years before I met her. For her, it was just to 'get a degree' as the 'degree' was entry into the rest of the world in Wuhan, and in the end,

she simply took over an Agency Office, and ran it for 10 years, before AIG bought them out It is kinda strange - my grandparents had huge agency, her family had huge agency - it's really interesting how it all worked out.

So - many times in USA, it doesn't matter what yer degree is IN, as long as you have one - if it's any 'non-technical client facing business'. For long-term, IMO, anything medically related will have some legs/longevity to it, as well - my wife wants to do something with that here, but I taught her how to trade US stock 2 years ago - we don't have this 'what to do in USA' conversation much anymore She now has her own monies in USA, and I just give her basic stock advice..

you know...i appreciate anyone who can trade stocks and be in that bussines! Is that like brokers? i heard you can make sooo much money doing that!!but you also have to be very good! i wish i would have the brains to do that!

To be honest, the main reason(and i know it's the wrong reason) why i want to pursue a medical career is mostly for it's longevity and the fact that it's a more secure environment than other careers...

People say you should do what you enjoy...problem is i don't really think i enjoy anything in particular(except maybe winning the loto and beeing a house wife )SO since there is nothing that i would really enjoy doing..might as well get into something practical...like health care.

that is such a big coincidence that your grandparents and also her granparents owned an agency!! that's so cool!

So, after calling the uscis several times things have started to move- in a very fast manner. Four days after i complained to a supervisor about my problem i got my rfe and 4 days later after that- yesterday i got my biometrics letter for next week. Chances are it's just a coincidence...but i like it!

On the biometrics letter the apartment number is incorect again, but i put my name on the mail box so the post man figure it out this time ...

I wish to all still waiting for biometrics to have patience...but just to be on the safe side after a month after you got your NOA i would call to make sure they have everything right. It could be a simple mistake- like mine, and it was their mistake but that is only hurting you either who's mistake it is.

Good luck to you all!!!!

You want to do 2 things when you start your journey.

Number 1 you want to find a great loan officer. Number 2 you want a great realtor that can show you houses in your price range. You tell him the cities you are interested in and the prices. He will send you an email listing each day. You scan through the listings and pick out 3-7 that you really like. Set aside an afternoon or a morning and go look at all of them.

If you get a sh!tty loan officer you might get denied the loan. They basically have to put together an organized portfolio (such as a K-1 app) and if they put it together like a slob then the underwriters will deny it (this happened to me with first loan officer).

I'm not sure all the types of loans out there but we got an FHA loan through PNC bank. Very smooth experience.

Thanks for sharing that with me. That helps me a lot.