For Immigrants- Do you ever feel overwhelmed?

[chrissbe17 3]

I never knew when I moved to Florida in July 2008 to get my Masters degree that I was going to meet the man who would be my husband. We met in October of that year, had some bumps along the road and got married March 28, 2011. We love each other very much but I am very frustrated with the whole immigration process. There is so much filing and waiting involved. It is the waiting that kills me! I am right now waiting for my OPT to be approved: 3 months has come and gone and they have said it will take a further 90 days. This will be the 3rd month that I am stuck doing nothing.And I still haven't begun to do the major part of the filing yet. Here I am with my Masters degree and I cannot work. I feel so helpless and frustrated! It doesn't help that I can find a job almost instantly if I were to move back to my home country. I tell my husband sometimes that I have a country, I don't have to stay here and wait for USCIS to give me permission to work. It feels horrible to be denied that right. I know that there has to be checks and balances otherwise everybody would be trying to move to the U.S. but it really is exhausting me. Sometimes it gets to be too much. I love my husband, that is why I am still here, I know he is the person I will spend the rest of my life with.

How do you beneficiaries deal with not being able to work? And how do you all deal with all of the WAITING?

[canadian_wife 1,822]

Well, you know it is not a right to work? You said "denied that right" but there is nothing that says you have the right to work

It is incredibly frustrating but you are at the hands of immigration, ther is nothing you can do but sit back and wait for them to get you what you need

Keep your chin up, it will come to an end and it will be great

Good luck

[chrissbe17 3]

Well, you know it is not a right to work? You said "denied that right" but there is nothing that says you have the right to work

It is incredibly frustrating but you are at the hands of immigration, ther is nothing you can do but sit back and wait for them to get you what you need

Keep your chin up, it will come to an end and it will be great

Good luck

I should have said ability. Thanks for your kind words, I keep hoping it will be sooner rather than later.

[VanessaTony 3,567]

I never knew when I moved to Florida in July 2008 to get my Masters degree that I was going to meet the man who would be my husband. We met in October of that year, had some bumps along the road and got married March 28, 2011. We love each other very much but I am very frustrated with the whole immigration process. There is so much filing and waiting involved. It is the waiting that kills me! I am right now waiting for my OPT to be approved: 3 months has come and gone and they have said it will take a further 90 days. This will be the 3rd month that I am stuck doing nothing.And I still haven't begun to do the major part of the filing yet. Here I am with my Masters degree and I cannot work. I feel so helpless and frustrated! It doesn't help that I can find a job almost instantly if I were to move back to my home country. I tell my husband sometimes that I have a country, I don't have to stay here and wait for USCIS to give me permission to work. It feels horrible to be denied that right. I know that there has to be checks and balances otherwise everybody would be trying to move to the U.S. but it really is exhausting me. Sometimes it gets to be too much. I love my husband, that is why I am still here, I know he is the person I will spend the rest of my life with.

How do you beneficiaries deal with not being able to work? And how do you all deal with all of the WAITING?

I'll be completely honest, it could be worse and 3 months is nothing. A friend of mine that I met here on VJ got his GC last year and has been job hunting non-stop for close to a year with no luck (finally got a call-back and third interview so it's looking good). In his case he had the card but he couldn't find a job and that was just as distressing to him as not having the card to start looking.

You need to stop focussing on what you can't do doing but can't and instead focus on you CAN do. You can volunteer, you can join clubs, you can travel around, you can take a short course in something, learn a new language (spanish is good here and helps get some jobs)... there are options.

There are a great number of "house wives" in the world and they don't work. How do you think they get through the days? Personally I've been a housewife for 18 months (for various reasons) and it drove me BATTY for quite a while but you have to find ways to adapt. Right now I'm working on redoing the kitchen which is taking up some time. I mowed the law, or cook, or clean, or walk the dog, or go to the post office and chat with the post master (a girl I know), or play Wii, or FB.. I took up crochet and made a cute axolotl toy. I joined another forum ABOUT axolotls because I want one (haven't had one for years) and there's a bit of research involved.

Like I said, you need to look for things you can do. You'll go insane otherwise!