Permanent resident- TOEFL Exam??

[Redwings 0]

Hello VJ members,

First of all Thanks to everyone for posting their experiences and guiding on visa journey. I finished my K1 visa journey by going through this website and now I am the permanent resident of the USA and citizen of India. Now I am back with my question on work.

I am holding bachelors degree(10+2+4) from one of the university in India. And I have experience in IT support for 3 years in India. Then married to a USA citizen and became PR just in April 2013. Started to search for a job from June 2013. But there is no luck yet and no interview calls. So I am thinking to take some online certification classes(Cisco or Java Sun or Microsoft) and even thought of doing a diploma in web designing. So I am contacted by Colorado university and asking if I am done my education accreditation and took TOEFL exam? :-( :-( That made me think a lot and nervous about my career.

Now I have questions:

1) Is bachelors degree from India is not valid to get a job in the USA? This is the reason I am not getting interview calls??

2) Even to just take certification classes like CIsco, I need TOEFL score? And need to do educational accreditation?

3) If I have to do accreditation, then I have made all my bachelors semester marks cards consolidated and some guys are telling I need all the marks cards(not consolidated) to get accreditation. Is that true? I have no marks cards which I get for my first attempt, I made them consolidated.

4) If still I can get accreditation from the consolidated marks cards then can you please suggest some institutes where I can do it?

Please help me with these confusions.

Thanks in advance.

[discoverusa 268]

I have experience transferring some of my credit classes. I can describe how it went for me, every school can have different procedure/requirements.

1. Applied for University as transfer student (transfer application).
2. Took TOEFL exam.
3. Arranged to have my transcripts sent to American University in sealed envelope with school's stamp on the flap.
4. After American University got the transcript, they called me, opened the envelope and made copies.
5. I took a set of copies to get them translated and brought it back to school.
6. Then the adviser sent them for transfer. In this step they decide what classes/credits will transfer.
7. I got letter showing what classes transferred with corresponding class name and number.

It took a chunk off my required courses. Saved lots of money and time.

Hope this helps. Good luck.

[Em&Stephanie 3]

As far as getting a job, I have no idea...but, to take classes in the U.S. (yes, even just online courses) you have to have your transcripts sent through a company called WES for them to translate and send to the school where you'll be taking classes. Even U.S. born citizens have to show transcripts in order to be accepted into a school. You should be able to contact the University where you got your bachelor's degree to ask them for your transcripts. I don't know what marks cards are, so I can't help with that. As far as the TOEFL exam, international/immigrant students have to either pass the TOEFL exam, or take and pass an ESL (English as a Second Language) class, depending on the school you wish to attend.

[Em&Stephanie 3]

And, what discoverusa said probably makes more sense than what I said.

[Redwings 0]

Hey thanks for your info.. :-)

Still I need answers... May be any Indians who have gone through this can tell me more on this.???????

[Boiler 45,519]

What sort of jobs are you applying for?

[Redwings 0]

IT software jobs.

[Boiler 45,519]

My guess is a combination of lack of qualifications and relevant job experience.

Plus of course a lot of those jobs have been outsourced.

[Redwings 0]

@Boiler, Yes might be. I am going to take a few resume making services :-) Thanks for the reply.

Still about my consolidated marks sheets I want to know. This is important. If anyone from India had this experience here would be a good person to answer.

Thanks.

[EmigratingSwede 16]

I don't know about India, but my employer didn't care that my degree was a Swedish degree. They verified my educational background and called every single previous employer to verify my work background.

[Harsh_77 718]

It would depend on what your bachelors degree is in.

If you are looking for similar kind of IT support role it would be difficult as many of those roles have been shipped to India.

Also if you taking the classes like just as continuing education than you do not need TOFEL or any other test you can take it but if you planning to enroll in the school than either they need to evaluate your current degree and all the classes you took. You will have to use one of the evaluation service normally go with one your school recommends, they would not just go by your bachelors degree.

Hope this helps.....

[Redwings 0]

Thanks for the reply guys....

[Redwings 0]

I was just going through my profile and came back here for more help, I saw this discussion..

I was working from 1 year but I just laid off because of no work and searching for another work now. I did take a few classes at a local college and they didn't ask for any transcripts transferred.. It was enough that I am a PR of the USA.

Edited November 16, 2014 by Redwings