Starting Life/Work in US - Tips and Stories

[CoolChick]

^ Lyn, ah ok, basta same ang address ko ok lang right? Mga 4 days na vacation sana kasi balak ko before I submit my application sa June.

[lyn]

@khat, nag drama pa hubby mo ha? Parang the same din sabi ng hubby ko noon nagd-drive na ako dito. LOL

@CoolChick, yup. Ok lang. Ahhh so before ka mag apply mag vacation ka muna? If ganun, may questions naman sa application if you recently went out sa US. Kailangan mo lang e-lista all your travels. Yun ang requirements nila.

Have you traveled outside the United States since becoming a permanent resident?

If yes, you need to show all foreign travel from the date you became a permanent resident. Even if you have not traveled outside the United States since becoming a permanent resident, you should bring all of your valid and expired passports and any travel documents issued by USCIS to your naturalization interview. If you do not bring your passport(s) and other documents to your interview, your case could be delayed.

Source Link: http://www.uscis.gov/USCIS/Office%20of%20Citizenship/Citizenship%20Resource%20Center%20Site/Publications/PDFs/G-1151.pdf

[CoolChick]

^ Lyn, yun din ang pagkakaintindi ko. I was just talking to my friend and she insisted that travelling within 90 days before submitting the application will have an effect on the rule that you need to reside in the same district or state where one is applying citizenship for the past 3 months. Ang pagkakaintindi ko rin is as long as I live sa same address na yun, I'm fine to travel di ba? Nilito nya ako. Lol.

[gnela_21]

^ i missed seeing you here Cool Chick!  hahaha, kita-kits tayo sa bday ni Chairman!

[CoolChick]

^Gnela!!! Namiss ko ang paggGT! Lol. When, when? Sige, message tayo later. Yup, here I am again dealing with USCIS paperwork, and alam mo naman na malituhin ako when it comes to things like these. Lol!

[gnela_21]

^ Hehe, hindi ko pa alam kung kelan magpapa-party si Chairman. Sarado daw ang Lexington Drive, hehe. Goodluck dyan sa USCIS papers, alam mo naman na ikaw ang front runner satin regarding dyan sa citizenship, hehe.

[lyn]

@CoolChick, ang alam ko sis pwede as long as you qualify the continuous residency. Actually sa Eligibilty test if you look there 30 months lang kailangan nila na stay ka dito out of 5 years. That's 2 1/2 years.

Sa True and False q's:

4. During the last five years, I have not been out of the United States for 30 months or more.

Ito yung link: http://www.uscis.gov/files/article/attachments.pdf

Oo nga sis, it's been awhile since I saw your post here sa GT. Welcome back...

[anmar]

I entered all my tax info on Turbotax and TaxAct and got the same refund amount. Probably will go with TaxAct since it's cheaper.

[CoolChick]

^ Salamat Gnela! Ang gastos nga ng magfile ng mga papeles noh? Sige, let me know kailan tayo maggeget together.

^ Lyn, thank you! Oo nga, medyo matagal na akong hindi nagGT. Thanks ulit sa mga links and advice! I'm trying to get everything together para hindi ako magpanic ng last minute. Sige, I'll read the links. Thanks again!

[lyn]

^^We use the free efile there in IRS website. In a way the process of filling up the forms are like doing it in snail mail. But sending it electronically is free.  As compare at the other tax softwares. But the advantage of these tax softwares are they ask question so it is easy on your part to fill out everything. But you all get the same results naman.

^You're welcome sis. Goodluck on your application.

[seduce_me]

hello mga sis, ask ko lang if there's a round trip fare from Phils to California? plan ko to get my mom over for a tourist visa around September. Since first time niya to go here, ayaw ko naman maligaw siya sa airports if ever may connection flights. Dito ako North Carolina, my husband can meet her up sa CA.

[khat]

^ sa PAL they have round trip ticket sis,wala na connecting flight,just stop over sa guam,pero minsan walang stop over at diretso na,from phil. to cali,or the other way around,sa PAL kami kasi palagi sumasakay everytime we go to pinas at round trip yung ticket namin

[lyn]

^^Yup PAL has nonstop flight from Manila-LAX/SAN FO

[tulips28]

Hi mga sisses.. Looking for tips, advices, etc. I'm an IT professional, currently working in SG as a software engineer. But since my fiance is leaning towards working in US, specifically in Chicago as PT (he is currently on the process pa lang naman po but ayaw ko lang naman kasi na magresearch-research kung kelan anjan na), I myself is looking for a job din sana jan po sa US. Ayaw ko naman kasing pumunta jan sa US na totally dependent on my fiance. I want to work din of course and help him in every aspect to achieve the life we plan together with our future kids. Ngayon pa nga lang naiiyak na ako kasi natatakot ako na pagdating ko jan, maging totally dependent ako sa kanya, sobrang yon ang kinatatakot ko talaga but thinking din na if I stay here in SG while he is in US, nakakalungkot din naman. We are planning to move in US late this year or next year or depende sa takbo ng processing ng mga papers niya. We are already planning of our wedding, fyi, in sync of his processings of papers and all. So may mga advices po ba kayo to someone like me who is looking for a job in US? May mga kakilala po ba kayong job agents to help me? Any jobs related po sa IT will do. Based from the  forums din na nababasa ko, parang H4 visa ang ginagrant sa mga immediate families of H1B visa holder, which I believe na H4 visa holders are not allowed to work. Any advices po will be greatly appreciated. Thank you po in advance mga sisses.

[lyn]

^sis if ever your fiancee will get H1B visa, di ka makapunta with an H4 visa bec di pa kayo kasal. Need to get married first. So when he get his H1B kasali kana pag lipad nya. Okay lang H4 visa kuha mo, if makakakita ka ng work dito the company you got hired might work/adjust your status/sponsor you an H1B visa.

You can also read the I-130 Petition of Alien Relatives sis tulips.

[tulips28]

^sis if ever your fiancee will get H1B visa, di ka makapunta with an H4 visa bec di pa kayo kasal. Need to get married first. So when he get his H1B kasali kana pag lipad nya. Okay lang H4 visa kuha mo, if makakakita ka ng work dito the company you got hired might work/adjust your status/sponsor you an H1B visa.

You can also read the I-130 Petition of Alien Relatives sis tulips.

Hi sis, thanks sa reply mo h4, i was just referring to "after marriage", hehe, we have plans kasi of church wedding on 2012, but dahil sa mga out-of-control events, we may have a civil wedding this year, but still all plans are uncertain (my main concern muna is he may get what he really aims for, maging smooth lahat until the end for him). We are still looking things pa in all their angles. This will be a very BIG leap talaga, if ever and we pray. Ang hirap, but this is his BIG goal and BIG dream talaga eversince for his profession, kaya I have to adjust mine din for a support to him. Concern ko talaga sis yung recession jan sa US, recession greatly affected pa naman IT industry. Fear ko talaga na hinde ako makahanap ng work jan, kaya I was asking everywhere and everyone from the US if still nararamdaman pa ren ba ang recession para hinde yung mangangapa ako kung kailan anjan na, parang hangga't may oras pa ako, I have to look for some options and set myself what to expect from there.

[seduce_me]

Thanks Khat ans Lyn!

another Q, how much naman usually ang fare ng roundtrip? any idea kung torture ang Point-of-Entry sa LAX? tia!

[mooncake and leaves]

^^ depende sa state. I'm not sure but they say texas is ok. Still, don't expect to land your dream gig immediately. But you seem to have a good, marketable background so at the very least, you might get into a field that suits your preferences. Goodluck! Jobs don't come easy these days but as long as you're a legal resident, keri yan

^ depende sa length of stay saka how soon the trip is. then again, oil prices are skyrocketing currently so if the average rt ticket is say, 1k-1200, I wouldn't be surprised if they quote you for 1500, more or less. That's for PAL ha, indirect flights might be cheaper.

[khat]

Thanks Khat ans Lyn!

another Q, how much naman usually ang fare ng roundtrip? any idea kung torture ang Point-of-Entry sa LAX? tia!

sis sa PAL minsan depende sa season,alam ko pag December mas mahal yung ticket nila,last time na umuwi kami that was last year of October yung ticket namin is about more than $800 ata (per person lang yun sis ha),and that was a round trip ticket na,pero try mo mag inquire sa iba,baka mas mura sila,ang kagandahan lang sa pal,straight flight na from manila to lax,so less hassle talaga,

[mooncake and leaves]

^ pag December, pumapalo ang PAL minsan sa 1700+. kalurki. kaya no no no sa holiday season talaga.