Starting Life/Work in US - Tips and Stories

[s_h_o_b_z]

Mga sis patulong. I've been here in the US for 5 years na but still pending yung greencard petition ko.
I'm confused as to what my preference is and priority date. Our lawyer isn't giving us much help either.

Here's my scenario:
My mom, who is a nurse, came here as a tourist but eventually got her greencard through an employment based petition. She then applied for my adjustment of status (i-485). I was under 21yrs old then and unmarried. They sent me a Child Status Protection Act letter a few years later. With that, under what preference and category should I be classified as? I am still unmarried til this day.

I'm just getting really impatient and frustrated because my parents would always tell me na next year lalabas na yan but it never happened. My dad had a different petition process that's why he already got his greencard 2 years ago. I've been going to school here, got my driver's license a few years back, renewed my work permit twice but still waiting for my greencard. I'm really considering applying for advance parole because i want to visit my friends back home that i haven't seen for a long time. However, my dad has been discouraging me to do it because of the risks involved.

[m_lim]

girls, please enlighten me.

kung employed ka sa isang Philippine company then ipapadala ka sa U.S for a project na let's say one year, anong magiging visa mo?

yung wife daw pwede isama kasi considered long term na pag one year, anong visa ng wife?

what if manganak habang nasa U.S si wife? anong klaseng hospital ang option nila?

[swiTsuplada]

Dapat ata HR nyo mag-ayos sa iyo nyan sis. Ang alam ko if long term ka dyan is H1. Pero to be sure check their website.

[xthine]

^^im not sure but thousands of dollars, keep in mind the cost of prenatal visits:

http://www.ehow.com/about_5304362_much-cost-give-birth.html

I would make sure that the employer will provide health insurance. 

[m_lim]

thanks girls! dapat pala siguraduhin na may insurance. ang mahal pala sobra manganak sa U.S.

[khat]

Hi sis m_lim, when i gave birth to my child almost 2 years ago, ang bill namin sa hospital is almost $10,000,normal delivery pa yan and we just stayed at the hospital for only 2 days, it's good we have insurance and it covered most of our bills. LPR pala ako dito, and i think they charge the same lang din even you're not LPR yet. try to inquire sa mga insurance company sis, kasi it will help a lot talaga

[shopaholic18]

grabe mahal pala talaga manganak sa US, i wanted to work in a hospital too when i get there i'm just not sure about the benefits though kasi boyfriend tells me that its not the same here, you can still enjoy your medical benefits even without working in a hospital, like in my case daw i'm a pharmacist even if i work in cvs or walgreens may hospital benefits padin, boyfriend is working in a hospital there as well, we're still on the pre planning stage, but good to know ahead of time na mahal pala manganak dun, that's one thing i didn't anticipate.

[shubbs]

I had my child 7 months ago. Our hospital bill was almost 15k, supposedly out of pocket is about 2k but I got another insurance from dshs so we didnt pay anything. Not even a penny.
If you're a washington state resident, regardless of income, as long as buntis ka or minor you're eligible to get insurance from dshs(medicaid).

[m_lim]

hi khat! what is LPR?

what if hindi bibigyan ng insurance ang fiance ko? cheaper ba na kumuha kami ng sariling insurance before ako manganak?

dapat pala meron ka at least 1M peso kung kayo talaga magbabayad.

[xthine]

LPR = legal permanent resident

[khat]

@ m_lim, sis I'm not sure lang kung pwede ba kumuha ng insurance if you're not a LPR or Citizen (baka masagot ito ng ibang mga sissies natin dito , marami naman mga insurance company dito sis, once you get here try to inquire na lang, super malaki ang ma sa-save niyo once you have insurance kasi, like other sis here said out of her almost $15,000 bills eh she didn't pay anything,na cover lahat ng insurance niya ang bills, ako naman we payed $300 lang ata, ang bills namin is $10,000 noon, see? super laki ng matitipid mo talaga kung may insurance ka, but my husband told me, hospitals here will never turn you down kahit pa wala kang insurance and you can't pay all your bills (againts sa law ata yun), parang they'll negotiate with you ata regarding how you can pay your bills, that if you don't have any insurance ha, kaya palaging may debate here about sa mga illegal aliens regarding about their medical issue, kasi hospitals still accept them kahit wala silang insurance (sorry medyo OT na yun sis,lol

[m_lim]

thanks khat and xthine! gusto ko kasi kumuha ng madaming info para once mag offer sa fiance ko, may idea kami kung saan ba kami magbbaby.

[khat]

your welcome sis :)may mga pros and cons nga lang sis pros-   it's good if during your stays here you'll give birth kasi automatic na citizen na yung baby niyo (since hindi pa naman ata na pass yung law about this) cons naman  if you don't have any friends or relatives here tapos first baby mo pa, naku super hirap sis, wala kang makakasama at katulong na mag alaga sa baby,tapos mga house chores mo pa, diyan ako super nahirapan after i gave birth, we just relocate noon dito sa lugar namin at wala ni isa kami relatives and friends kaya napaka hirap noon, si husband naman hindi ko masyado maasahan dahil he need to go back sa work niya agad. kaya ready yourself for that sis

[m_lim]

^naisip ko nga rin yan sis eh. gusto ko nga sana isama yung yaya na nagpalaki saken. sana mabigyan siya ng visa kung matuloy kami.

kung ako kasi, gusto ko na mag migrate sa U.S. less social expectations kasi. walang mga kamag anak na intindihin.

kaso sa side ko, may family business kami and i'm the eldest. kaya hindi ko alam kung papapasukin ko ba yung husband to be ko sa business namin or tuloy nalang niya career niya at pwede na kami mag migrate.

hindi pa kami makadecide!

thanks again sis!!

[gnela_21]

kung employed ka sa isang Philippine company then ipapadala ka sa U.S for a project na let's say one year, anong magiging visa mo?

yung wife daw pwede isama kasi considered long term na pag one year, anong visa ng wife?

what if manganak habang nasa U.S si wife? anong klaseng hospital ang option nila?

You would be under L1 visa (Intercompany visa), and then yung mga dependents ng L1 holder will be under L2. With the L2 visa, you can actually work. And syempre with full-time work, may insurance yun na benefits. And kahit hindi magwork ang wife or dependents, as long as working full time ang L1 holder, pwede ka i-cover ng insurance. Usually kasi kapag intercompany visa, may company din dito sa US yun, so once he started working here, he should be able to apply for the benefits as well. I have friends under L1 visa and let me know if you have any other questions.

[m_lim]

^super thank you sis gnela_21!!

[gnela_21]

You're welcome.

[bea_wang]

Hi! I don't know if this is the right thread to post this but I just wanna ask if you have any idea how I can bring my kids' nanny with us when we migrate to the US, particularly to Hawaii? What type of visa will it be and what are the requirements? How much will it cost kaya? Thanks in advance!

[m_lim]

^interesting question! gusto ko rin malaman paano.

[gnela_21]

Hi! I don't know if this is the right thread to post this but I just wanna ask if you have any idea how I can bring my kids' nanny with us when we migrate to the US, particularly to Hawaii? What type of visa will it be and what are the requirements? How much will it cost kaya? Thanks in advance!

You can check this link- http://manila.usembassy.gov/wwwhnv06.html