Starting Life/Work in US - Tips and Stories

[babyboy_james]

ok,thank you mga sissies,babalik pa rin daw kami ni husband sa DMV to take the driving test just to make sure daw,sis,am i allowed to get a bank account kahit wala pa ako personal income?di pa kasi ako makapag work,1 yrs old pa lang si baby,although di ko pa naman talaga kailangan mag open dahil wala pa ako sarili ko income,and si hubby yung nagbabayad nung car ko and yung bahay namin,na provide na niya yung mga importanteng bagay na kailangan talaga,gusto ko lang talaga malaman yung mga ganyan importanteng bagay dito,like you said ang hirap naka depende dito kahit sa husband pa,sometimes nga i feel so self pity ,kasi ang dami  ko pa hindi alam,yung super basic pa lang nang normal living yung alam ko,sa pinas kasi at my age i'm so independent na,kahit ano alam ko at kaya ko gawin mag isa,pagdating dito para akong naputulan ng isang paa,lol,si husband kasi gumagawa sa lahat eh,yan tuloy wala ako natututunan,kahit pag fill up ng files minsan siya yung nag fill up for me tapos check ko na lang kung tama at signature ko,want to be independent kasi dito,buti na lang at marunong na ako mag drive nung nakarating ako dito,kaya kahit nasa work si hubby nakaka alis ako,sabi ni hubby sis na add niya na ako sa credit card niya,wala lang akong hawak na credit card ko,pero mas prefer ko naman to use cash kung groceries at shopping lang naman,mas na bu2dget ko kasi maigi pag ganun,i just want to find out kung pano yung kalakaran dito nang mga credit cards at bank account,

[gnela_21]

hi babyboy_james, as what our other sisses mention, i think yung DL differs from one state to another. may SSN ka ba? dito kasi sa IL, if you have a SSN, you can get the normal DL, as in walang difference from others. when we first got here, I am on H4 visa, kaya TVDL (temp vehicle drivers license) yung nakuha ko and that's valid until valid yung visa mo.

with regards to CC, what you can do is apply for a secured card. nag-ooffer ng secured card ang Bank of America and Chase ata. Basically, ang concept nun, popondohan mo yung CC, example lagay ka ng $1000, tapos $1000 din ang magiging credit limit mo. Gagamitin mo yung CC to build your credit score, use it to pay for everyday needs, just be sure na ipapa-off mo yung balance every month para tumataas agad ang score. After a year, inform ka nila kung pwede mo na kunin yung pera na nilagay mo as pondo.

From what I understand, kapag nagpa-extention ka lang sa card ng husband mo, under sa pangalan nya pa din yun, kasi same CC number ang gagamitin ng card. Kaya di pa din tataas ang credit history mo kasi di talaga sya sayo naka-pangalan.

[huckleberry]

babyboy_james - yes, you can open an account in any bank you wish (checking or savings) even if you don't have a job yet. that's what I did.
teka pala, sabi mo napa-extension ka na ni hubby mo sa credit card nya bakit wala ka pang credit card na hawak? it usually takes only 2 weeks for you to receive the card with your name on it in the mail. tapos activate mo na lang.

 

From what I understand, kapag nagpa-extention ka lang sa card ng husband mo, under sa pangalan nya pa din yun, kasi same CC number ang gagamitin ng card. Kaya di pa din tataas ang credit history mo kasi di talaga sya sayo naka-pangalan.

extension lang ni hubby credit card ko pero mas maganda pa credit score ko kaysa kay hubby, so I guess it helped me slowly build my credit history.

[huckleberry]

question po sa mga sis/bro na citizens or nakapag-apply na for citizenship.

1.  kailan soonest na pwede mag-submit ng application? some people say 1 yr before the 5th yr of residency, some say 6 months, others say 3 months. ano po ba talaga?

2.  kailangan din ba namin i-apply and pay the corresponding fee pag below 10 y/o yun child?

[mooncake and leaves]

^ Ang alam ko 90 days before the 5th anniversary though some people say puwede nga daw 6 months. To be sure, follow the 90 days na lang. When I went to a seminar before, yun din suggestion eh.

[huckleberry]

^thanks sis!
another question pala - usually gaano katagal aabutin hanggang sa mag-oath taking?

[mooncake and leaves]

^ Hehe yun din tanong ko. But sabi 6 months to a year yung process of application to interview/tests. Though I know some people na di umabot ng ganun katagal. 6 months I think is average. Yung oath taking comes shortly after ata. But a month ata after you submit your application, you have to do the biometrics (?).

[huckleberry]

^medyo mabilis din pala. mag-apply na kasi kami this year kaya gusto ko malaman yun mga dapat gawin para walang delay

[mooncake and leaves]

^ hehe kami din. i think wala naman delay kasi waiting game lang mangyayari. tipong as long as na-submit paperwork and ok na lahat, ayos na.  goodluck to us!

[seduce_me]

hi sis, you can refer to this discussion board for more info  http://www.visajourney.com/forums/forum/114-us-citizenship-general-discussion/

[CoolChick]

^Mooncake and Leaves, pareho pala tayo, this year rin ako magaapply for naturalization.

Thanks for posting that Seduce_me! Ngayon pa lang ako magstastart magresearch about application.

Question about citizenship, I have downloaded the instructions pero nascan ko pa lang basahin, I was told by people I know na hindi ako pwede lumabas ng US 3 months before I submit my application. Ganun nga ba? Hindi ko kasi mahanap yun sa instructions nila.

[mooncake and leaves]

^ I asked a friend who works for the immigration and he said basta andito ka on the day you applied, ok na yun. I asked nga if puwede umalis, puwede din daw. When I went to the seminar din, the lawyer I spoke to said puwede umalis

[CoolChick]

^ Thank you sa info! Nalilito na nga rin ako. Almost everyone I know who is applying keep telling me the same thing na hindi pwede umalis ng US 3 months before. Kailangan ko sana pumunta ng Canada but that "rumor" is stopping me. Nakapag apply ka na Mooncake?

[mooncake and leaves]

Baka 'di pa sila abot sa minimum requirement. 'Di pa ako nakakapag-apply hehe. Baka middle of the year pa. I'm going out of the country too hehe

[khat]

yes,so happy!!! i passed the road (driving) test yesterday,it's been 2 years na kasi since i had my written test,yesterday lang ako nag take ng road test,i got preggy kasi,buti pasado.di na kailangan bumalik kailangan na kasi dahil lumalaki na si baby,i have to drive na on my own,dati kasi we have to wait for my hubby pa,now i can take my son to the park etc..kahit ako lang mag isa,super review at practice pa man din ako kahit matagal na ako nakakapag drive sa pinas at dito,tapos ang dali lang ng pinagawa sakin,umabot lang ng 15-20 mins. ata,balik na kami agad sa DMV,oh well,malaking advantage talaga na matagal na ako nag di-drive sa pinas pa lang,

[morbiedoll]

income tax return season na. lol

[lyn]

@CoolChick and Mooncake, mag apply na kayo. Mabilis lang application. Feeling nyo bago lang kayo ng submit may results agad. 2 1/2 months lang may interview na kayo and if gusto na ninyo on that day din mag oath pwede. If hindi wait ka nanaman for them to schedule your oath taking. Ako nag wait ako, para madami kami mag oath so 5 months total lahat2x.

@khat, maganda talaga na hindi ka palaging nagde-depend sa hubby mo for rides. Mas okay ikaw nagd-drive din. Hirap dito wala kasi mga jeepneys, may bus nga pero all by schedule din. Taxis are expensive.

@morbiedoll, yup. Tax season na. We did ours early. Once we had our W2. Fi-nile na namin noong Jan pa. Para wala ng iisipin pa.

[CoolChick]

^ Mooncake, abot naman nila yung mga requirements. Hindi ko talaga alam saan nakuha yung restriction na bawal umalis ng US 90 days before filing. I tried to read the instructions again and I asked around too and sabi nila ok lang to travel before, during and after filing. Ako rin middle of the year rin.

^Khat, congrats on your driver's license!

^ Ako rin I had my taxes done a few days ago.

^ Lyn, kung pwede lang magapply na pero yung permanent resident status ko hindi pa hinog until September. Hopefully things will be smooth sailing and kasing bilis rin yung pagprocess. Any news on any fee increase?

[lyn]

^CoolChick, pagkakaalam ko same pa din yung fees for Naturalization.  $595 + 85 =$680 total.

Ahh, pag nahinog na on Sept. magfile kana sis. I know mabilis lang yan. Pwede ka naman lumabas, but by the time sa interview mo kailangan sabihan mo sila at bigyan mo na proof that yung pag out mo hindi nag disturb sa continueous residency mo. I think yun ang worry ng kakilala mo na why sabi nila hindi pweding lumabas. Baka kasi sa kanila paglumabas sila ma-d-disturb yung continueous residency nila dito.

[khat]

@khat, maganda talaga na hindi ka palaging nagde-depend sa hubby mo for rides. Mas okay ikaw nagd-drive din. Hirap dito wala kasi mga jeepneys, may bus nga pero all by schedule din. Taxis are expensive.

oo nga sis,super tama ka talaga,lalo na ngayon kailangan na,kasi si baby lumalaki na at kailangan ng igala,most of the time kasi dito lang kami sa bahay ni baby at kung lalabas man eh hanggang dito lang sa loob ng apartment,kapag off work ni hubby dun lang kami naka2pag mall at punta sa park and libraries,binibiro nga ako ni hubby,konti na lang daw at kaya ko na maging independent dito,pwede ko na daw siya iwan,lol,drama 

^Khat, congrats on your driver's license!

Thank you sis