met an accident a week after arriving, will be having surgery

[daisychain 0]

hi. i havent been posting for quite some time. i actually havent been able to do much a few days after arriving in the us. i met accident and i now have two fractures and a dislocation. i need surgery so im still in a temporary splint because i cannot have my operation until my husband's insurance at work kicks in two weeks. otherwise, we'd have to pay 13K for the surgery alone. anyway, we still have the exorbitant hospital bill to take care off - the ER, ambulance ride, doctor's fee, etc. which isn't covered by insurance. this really bites. im typing real slow with my left hand right now since my right arm is immobilized. and im right handed! heheh. i will be having a permanent implant and 2 metal plates. now i can call myself a bionic woman. heheh. what i'm really amazed at is how efficient the system is in here. a few minutes after the accident, police cruisers, a fire truck and an ambulance were already at the scene.

my question is, can we postpone applying for AOS? the hospital bill is weighing us down since it wont be covered by the insurance. how long can we put it off? should we contact USCIS and tell them about the accident?

[jonandros 0]

My wife arrived here on K1 visa in April and we still havent applied for AOS. 5 trips to

peru and a wedding completely drained me. I think you have 2 years to get AOS.

Im not even sure there is a deadline. But we want to apply soon so we can work.

I am not an expert though but thought I woud clime in.

hi. i havent been posting for quite some time. i actually havent been able to do much a few days after arriving in the us. i met accident and i now have two fractures and a dislocation. i need surgery so im still in a temporary splint because i cannot have my operation until my husband's insurance at work kicks in two weeks. otherwise, we'd have to pay 13K for the surgery alone. anyway, we still have the exorbitant hospital bill to take care off - the ER, ambulance ride, doctor's fee, etc. which isn't covered by insurance. this really bites. im typing real slow with my left hand right now since my right arm is immobilized. and im right handed! heheh. i will be having a permanent implant and 2 metal plates. now i can call myself a bionic woman. heheh. what i'm really amazed at is how efficient the system is in here. a few minutes after the accident, police cruisers, a fire truck and an ambulance were already at the scene.

my question is, can we postpone applying for AOS? the hospital bill is weighing us down since it wont be covered by the insurance. how long can we put it off? should we contact USCIS and tell them about the accident?

[muddyak 0]

hi. i havent been posting for quite some time. i actually havent been able to do much a few days after arriving in the us. i met accident and i now have two fractures and a dislocation. i need surgery so im still in a temporary splint because i cannot have my operation until my husband's insurance at work kicks in two weeks. otherwise, we'd have to pay 13K for the surgery alone. anyway, we still have the exorbitant hospital bill to take care off - the ER, ambulance ride, doctor's fee, etc. which isn't covered by insurance. this really bites. im typing real slow with my left hand right now since my right arm is immobilized. and im right handed! heheh. i will be having a permanent implant and 2 metal plates. now i can call myself a bionic woman. heheh. what i'm really amazed at is how efficient the system is in here. a few minutes after the accident, police cruisers, a fire truck and an ambulance were already at the scene.

my question is, can we postpone applying for AOS? the hospital bill is weighing us down since it wont be covered by the insurance. how long can we put it off? should we contact USCIS and tell them about the accident?

I'm so sorry to hear of your accident. We wish you a speedy recovery. You seem to have regained some sense of humor. You will need that to get well sooner. Health care is good here, but it also costs a lot... more than many people realize. Hang in there and take each day one at a time until you are healed. I brought my wife home to Anchorage (finally!!!) just this past Tuesday. The first thing I did today is apply for health insurance until the insurance is in place at my new job.

I believe you have until your K-3 visa expires to apply for AOS. So you have some time. Again, take care and keep up the good spirits.

[noel_jas 0]

hi there, I've read lots of K-3 visa holder who delayed filing for AOS and they did not encounter any problem. just focus on your recovery for now and think of the AOS later on. God bless you!

[daisychain 0]

thank u everyone for your kind words of encouragement. its been terrible being homesick and immobilized and in excruciating pain all at the same time but my husband has been really wonderful. i'm trying not to rely on the painkillers because it makes me crash and sleep the whole day or otherwise nauseous. when i told the paramedic attending to me in the ambulance that i just got to america, he gave me a toothy grin and said "welcome to america!" heheh.

we're tremendously relieved to know that we can postpone filing for the aos. jonathan and rosa, i believe u can apply for work auth ($300) which takes 30 days even before filing for aos.

[stuck_in_manila 0]

hi.

you have a couple of options to choose from:

a) first option. k-3 is a 2-year visa. so technically, you can delay your adjustment application until right before your visa expires. but, to be safe (since the uscis takes its sweet time processing applications), it may be prudent to send your application to adjust your status a few months before the visa expiration (in your case, early months of 2010). the downsides are: you need to undergo a full medical since the one you had in st luke's is good for only a year and you can't work.

now, if you're able to send you application before the one year anniv of your medical, your visit to the us civil surgeon wont cost as much as a full medical.

B) second option. if you have recovered already, are physically able and raring to work, but money supply remains tight, you can opt to apply for an ead (which will cost $340) and then later on apply for aos. the con: this would mean spending more compared to sending aos and ead applications (and paying just one fee)

in any case, pagaling ka muna. when you're already fit and when you have spare money for uscis fees, tsaka nyo na tag-isipan how to pursue your adjustment.

god bless.

[daisychain 0]

hi stuckinmanila. that was extrenely helpful. i think it'd be best to do the aos before the validity of the medical expires. if say i had my medical last july, how soon should i apply for aos considering the time it would take to process my application? moreover im thinking of getting a job asap as soon as i recover but from my understanding aos processing takes several months. how long does it take to issue the ead? will i also be eligible to apply for a driver's license prior to aos?

thank u so much.

hi.

you have a couple of options to choose from:

a) first option. k-3 is a 2-year visa. so technically, you can delay your adjustment application until right before your visa expires. but, to be safe (since the uscis takes its sweet time processing applications), it may be prudent to send your application to adjust your status a few months before the visa expiration (in your case, early months of 2010). the downsides are: you need to undergo a full medical since the one you had in st luke's is good for only a year and you can't work.

now, if you're able to send you application before the one year anniv of your medical, your visit to the us civil surgeon wont cost as much as a full medical.

B) second option. if you have recovered already, are physically able and raring to work, but money supply remains tight, you can opt to apply for an ead (which will cost $340) and then later on apply for aos. the con: this would mean spending more compared to sending aos and ead applications (and paying just one fee)

in any case, pagaling ka muna. when you're already fit and when you have spare money for uscis fees, tsaka nyo na tag-isipan how to pursue your adjustment.

god bless.

[daisychain 0]

i also heard that its best to wait for the 2nd yr anniversary of the marriage before applying for aos. we got married in may. if we apply for aos in may, will the medical i had in manila still be valid? im worried about starting the series of vaccinations all over again since some vaccines have a specified time frame between shots. what do u think?

[Reba 2]

Your original medical is valid for One Year, so if you had it in July, send in your AOS applications before July of next year.

EAD applications take 90 days to process, you can't get a SSN until you get an EAD. And likely cannot get a driver's license until you have at least an EAD as well.

I hope you feel better soon, I can't imagine how scary that was beding sent to hospital all banged up with no insurance. Even with insurance, it can cost a small fortune

[chris4gretchen 1]

i also heard that its best to wait for the 2nd yr anniversary of the marriage before applying for aos.

What you heard is incorrect. Your medical will not be valid after one year and you will have to pay to have it again. It is not cheap. My advice is you apply your AOS before your medical exam expires.

Chris

[stuck_in_manila 0]

hi!

reba answered all your questions already...

1. sending the aos applications before july 2009 is great, so that you wont undergo another medical

2. ead processing will take about 60-90 days, while aos takes longer (case by case basis, anywhere between 3 months and, i read here about 2 years! yikes!); like me (also a k3 visa holder or other k1 visa holders who failed to secure ssn within the prescribed time), you can't get a driver's license till you get your ssn number, which you can only get when you have either your ead or greencard

3. some people opt to wait till their 2 year wedding anniv or close (3 months before the anniv) before applying for aos to get a 10-year gc (therefore skipping the removal of conditions stage).

you did say you got married may (of 2007, i'm assuming, he he he) so yes, you should wait till may of 2009 to submit your aos applications. that way, the $545 that you will save (coz you wont pay for removal of conditions) will easily cover the $340 you will spend for sending the ead ahead... with $105 to spare... that should buy you a few pairs of shoes, assuming you have no passion for manolos he he he!

lots of luck:)

Edited September 28, 2008 by stuck_in_manila

[bevs 0]

hi daisy, sorry to hear about what happen to u, i dont know all about this, but i know medical is just valid for one year till u got them. i wish for your recovery, and may the LORD heal all your pain. get well soon.