What do you recomand to do/bring before and after entering the US

[julie85 0]

Hey,

I am Juliane (25 years old). I was approved on monday (YAAAYYY) and right now I am preparing to leave to the US and I was wondering if you guys have any advise for me what to bring or to organize back in good old germany?

After passing the AOS process I plan look for entry position in business or like to pursue a master degree.

-I canceled almost all of my bills (except of health insurance)

-I send almost everything to my fiance

-I schedule important doctor appointments (dentist,etc.)

-Got enough international birth certificates on me

and now I am running out of ideas what else could i prepare for my new life!! I appreciate any advises and ideas!

[Mononoke28 135]

Hey,

I am Juliane (25 years old). I was approved on monday (YAAAYYY) and right now I am preparing to leave to the US and I was wondering if you guys have any advise for me what to bring or to organize back in good old germany?

After passing the AOS process I plan look for entry position in business or like to pursue a master degree.

-I canceled almost all of my bills (except of health insurance)

-I send almost everything to my fiance

-I schedule important doctor appointments (dentist,etc.)

-Got enough international birth certificates on me

and now I am running out of ideas what else could i prepare for my new life!! I appreciate any advises and ideas!

If you're interested in validating your degree it's important to get all the necessary documentation before you leave. That's the one thing my husband didn't take care of before he left and now the only way to get his school transcripts is for him to go back to Colombia and get them in person. It's been a huge hassle.

Diana

[nane1104 146]

Well, take all important personal documents and records.

Also, if you want to get US citizenship while keeping german citizenship, you will need to apply for the "Beibehaltungsgenehmigung" and that will require you have some ties to Germany, like a Bankaccount, maybe some assets, familyties.

I still have a retirement account and a bank account in Germany which I wlll use for that purpose. But yeah, those are things you should get in order before coming over.

Where in the US are you going?

[Brother Hesekiel 2,236]

Hope for the best but expect the worst.

1) Stay "angemeldet," even it it's at your parents. If possible transfer your German driver's license to that address.

2) Keep your German bank account alive.

3) Start a file reading "USCIS" and put everything related to your immigration and proof of happy marriage and a life together in it.

4) Start an EXCEL file and note every trip outside the U.S. on it. Priceless if you travel a lot.

5) Bring 3 original birth certificates with you.

6) Use your German driver's license until you have your Green Card. Bring an International Fuehrerschein with you. You don't need it but still. Don't bother trying to get a U.S license before you have either EAD or the Green Card at hand.

7) About 2 weeks after your arrival, go to the SSA and apply for a SSN (and card) via form SS-5 in your maiden name.

8) Get a U.S. cell phone plan that gives you $.10 per minute calls to Germany. Do it immediately or you will be sorry.

9) Understand that it always takes time to feel home in another country.

10) Once you get your Green Card, keep it safe. You don't want to risk losing it.

11) Don't get in trouble with the law. If you get caught with a joint or driving drunk, you are jeopardizing everything. Yes, it's illegal to drink a beer in public (crazy, I know!).

You are not "safe" in the U.S. until you have become a U.S. citizen.

Edited August 12, 2011 by Just Bob

[julie85 0]

If you're interested in validating your degree it's important to get all the necessary documentation before you leave. That's the one thing my husband didn't take care of before he left and now the only way to get his school transcripts is for him to go back to Colombia and get them in person. It's been a huge hassle.

Diana

Yes that is something I looked it into it and that is so far everything I found about it: i got a bachelor of science in intern. business. In order to continue my studying at a US graduate school, the schools require a translation of my diploma (even though it is written English but since the grading system is different I need to do it), My research showed that depending on the graduate school of my choice will determine which international transcript institution will transfer your home countries diploma. For example the procedure for WES.org requires my school to send them my transcript and then they will translate it into the us-format and then forward it to the school I choose to be my graduate school.

That is only what I know. But do you have any tips for any other validation processes?

[julie85 0]

Well, take all important personal documents and records.

Also, if you want to get US citizenship while keeping german citizenship, you will need to apply for the "Beibehaltungsgenehmigung" and that will require you have some ties to Germany, like a bank account, maybe some assets, familyties.

I still have a retirement account and a bank account in Germany which I wlll use for that purpose. But yeah, those are things you should get in order before coming over.

Where in the US are you going?

thank you I was reading about the "Beibehaltungsgenehmigung" process. I will keep a German bank account and I have plenty of family ties back in Germany. When do you have to apply for "Beibehaltungsgenehmigung" after the AOS? or after receiving the 10 year greencard?

I will be living in northern New Jersey right to the boarder to NYC. I am so excited and so nervous - your baby got a very cute smile

[julie85 0]

Hope for the best but expect the worst.

1) Stay "angemeldet," even it it's at your parents. If possible transfer your German driver's license to that address.

-> for now that is not possible since my parents are not be able to do this for me (they are moving soon but dont know where , Under what circumstances that might be crucial to have?

2) Keep your German bank account alive.

-> planing on doing that

3) Start a file reading "USCIS" and put everything related to your immigration and proof of happy marriage and a life together in it.

-> thank you I will start recording as soon as I am there

4) Start an EXCEL file and note every trip outside the U.S. on it. Priceless if you travel a lot.

-> Do you mean flights to Germany or flights anywhere outside the US and why is that important to keep track on. Is it because of the 1.5 years min. you have to stay in states for the immigration process?

5) Bring 3 original birth certificates with you.

-> got those

6) Use your German driver's license until you have your Green Card. Bring an International Fuehrerschein with you. You don't need it but still. Don't bother trying to get a U.S license before you have either EAD or the Green Card at hand.

->I had to do my NJ drivers license in 2007 during my J1 Visa, it expired of course but I thought since I already have driver l., US bank account and the SSN from my previous stay that I could just go into MVC and renewed it on my K1 - Visa and then have it renewed once the 2yr. green card arrived. Do you think in my case it would be worth a try?.

->I have my international DL on me since I already had experience with police in NJ - and they like the international dl better

7) About 2 weeks after your arrival, go to the SSA and apply for a SSN (and card) via form SS-5 in your maiden name.

-> i got the one from my au pair stay from 2005-2007. Should be still good what do you think?

8) Get a U.S. cell phone plan that gives you $.10 per minute calls to Germany. Do it immediately or you will be sorry.

-> I have a Skype subscription for almost 4years for 10 EUR/ month unlimited calls to almost all landlines and US-cell phones. but .10$ per minutes counts this also for German cellphones because Skype charges 0.24$ per minute it might be worth to look into this!

9) Understand that it always takes time to feel home in another country.

-> true. It will be hard - leaving all my dear friends behind and try to make new ones

10) Once you get your Green Card, keep it safe. You don't want to risk losing it.

-> OK.

11) Don't get in trouble with the law. If you get caught with a joint or driving drunk, you are jeopardizing everything. Yes, it's illegal to drink a beer in public (crazy, I know!).

-> thanks for this advice, i always forget how easy it sometimes can be to get in trouble

You are not "safe" in the U.S. until you have become a U.S. citizen.

[Mononoke28 135]

Yes that is something I looked it into it and that is so far everything I found about it: i got a bachelor of science in intern. business. In order to continue my studying at a US graduate school, the schools require a translation of my diploma (even though it is written English but since the grading system is different I need to do it), My research showed that depending on the graduate school of my choice will determine which international transcript institution will transfer your home countries diploma. For example the procedure for WES.org requires my school to send them my transcript and then they will translate it into the us-format and then forward it to the school I choose to be my graduate school.

That is only what I know. But do you have any tips for any other validation processes?

Check with different places to see what they require to validate your transcript. We checked out WES but like you said, they want to get school transcripts directly from the foreign universities which in our case is close to impossible given that Colombia is still in the dark ages when it comes to that process. We also contacted Josef Silny & Associates and Education Credential Evaluators which seem pretty reliable as well.

Diana

[nane1104 146]

thank you I was reading about the "Beibehaltungsgenehmigung" process. I will keep a German bank account and I have plenty of family ties back in Germany. When do you have to apply for "Beibehaltungsgenehmigung" after the AOS? or after receiving the 10 year greencard?

I will be living in northern New Jersey right to the boarder to NYC. I am so excited and so nervous - your baby got a very cute smile

Before you file for Citizenship. Typically that is after you already filed for ROC (10 year greencard) after you have your conditional greencard for 2 years (well, you file within 90 days of the expiration date of your greencard). If married to your USC husband for three years, you become eligible to file for naturalisation and before you do that, you need the german BBG.

Well, that is the very short version but you still have a lot of time until then so I didn't want to get to detailed.

Good luck and best wishes for your move and the wedding!! And thanks...he is a sweetheart:)