EAD -- Making JFK the POE (Is it worth it in the end)....

[웃 910]

My fiancee wants to immediately start working within 1 week of her arrival. Only problem is she does not speak English. Just a slight problem, right?! ...But I think I can find her a job as a cook at this Spanish restaurant 5 minutes from my house. Is it worth the extra $200 and few hours of airport/plane hassle? SI O NO?

[ELW 5]

Did you go and talk to the restaurant people? If they are open to it and she will definitely get the job, I would say yes, it is worth it. She will make that $200 back in a week or two of work! My hubby went to a lot of trouble to get the EAD at JFK, because he then had to wait 17 hours for the flight to LAX (and then to Fresno). But it was worth it. He could start working right after he made contacts of other Indians here.

We filed for AOS about a month after he arrived, and there was a 2-week gap from when his 90-day EAD expired till getting the 1-year EAD. So get that AOS filed quickly!

[fedekat 0]

Yes, it is worth it.

[Earmuffs 1]

it will take at least 2-3 weeks before she can actually work.. she needs to wait around 2 weeks to be in th SSN system. then wait for the actual card.

[웃 910]

Do you get in the SSN system automatically, is it something you apply for separately from the AOS filing, or is it something that occurs simultaneously with the AOS filing?

Edited March 16, 2008 by thegreatgate

[Dan J 277]

Do you get in the SSN system automatically, is it something you apply for separately from the AOS filing, or is it something that occurs simultaneously with the AOS filing?

Only CR-1/IR-1 filers can get an SSN automatically. Everyone else has to apply for one.

On a K-1 visa, you can apply for one between arrival and two weeks prior to the expiration of the I-94. Otherwise you have to wait until you have your EAD/GC.

it will take at least 2-3 weeks before she can actually work.. she needs to wait around 2 weeks to be in th SSN system. then wait for the actual card.

You can start work before you have the SSN card. She will need to show it within a couple weeks of starting.

[ELW 5]

After two weeks of arriving in USA, you are in a govt computer system that qualifies you to apply for a SSN. You have to personally to to the Social Security office and apply for the card. It might take a week or two for the actual card to come in the mail. In the meantime, you can still get married (in some states, without a SSN) and gather all paperwork for AOS.

[athena_ny 1]

Are the people at the "Spanish" (whatever that means) restaurant willing to hiring someone who is legal and demands a fair wage? That's the question you need to be asking...

However, say they pay her 7.50 for the whole 3 months (12 weeks, to make it easy), and take away 20% for taxes (which is what is taken out of mine approx in taxes, so that number is overshot, they'll probably take less), for 40 hours a week ... that's about 2880 dollars.

Worth the 200 dollars and airport hassle? Uh, yeah.

[웃 910]

Are the people at the "Spanish" (whatever that means) restaurant

Spanish restaurant means that the owners are from Spain and that they cook Spanish food and that they speak Spanish.......

[웃 910]

I have a slight problem that I believe my fiancee will be encountering through her travels to New York. She will land in New York (JFK) at around 10pm at night and the flight to Detroit, MI does not leave until 9:00am the next day. So I looked up hotels nearby and the closest one that I found was located less than a half mile away. The problem is she does not speak English. I think it will be too difficult for her to get to that hotel considering that she doesn't speak the English language. Is there a hotel inside of the airport?

[Krikit 1,164]

I have a slight problem that I believe my fiancee will be encountering through her travels to New York. She will land in New York (JFK) at around 10pm at night and the flight to Detroit, MI does not leave until 9:00am the next day. So I looked up hotels nearby and the closest one that I found was located less than a half mile away. The problem is she does not speak English. I think it will be too difficult for her to get to that hotel considering that she doesn't speak the English language. Is there a hotel inside of the airport?

I went to the JFK Airport site and there doesn't appear to be any onsite hotels. But, truly, GreatGate.... practically everyone speaks Spanish here so I don't believe she'll have a problem.

[Cassie 8]

The seats right by the security checkpoint in the AA terminal are very comfortable for an overnight stay.

I say this because my husband and I have stayed overnight at JFK and it wasn't all that bad. You would be surprised how many people do that.

[athena_ny 1]

The seats right by the security checkpoint in the AA terminal are very comfortable for an overnight stay.

I say this because my husband and I have stayed overnight at JFK and it wasn't all that bad. You would be surprised how many people do that.

I've never flown through JFK, but OMG, the seats at MIA are terrible. I had a 12 hour overnight stay there before I had to go catch a train. You would think a major POE would buy benches that are comfortable, not just look good.

Are the people at the "Spanish" (whatever that means) restaurant

Spanish restaurant means that the owners are from Spain and that they cook Spanish food and that they speak Spanish.......

To a lot of people it just means the food is from a country where they speak Spanish ... though it's not really important it's still a small business and a lot of restaurants don't want to hire legal staff. Point is still valid.

[maya62 7]

We thought it was worth it to fly into JFK, although we had a longer gap between temp EAD expiry and permanent EAD issuance (not as on-the-ball as ELW )... she's right though, that's the way to do it.

I've slept overnight at JFK... while I wouldn't say it was exactly comfortable, it wasn't too bad. There was a large carpeted area where lots of folks were sacked out and nobody bothered us until maybe 5 am when the cleaners arrived. Not sure how it is these days though.... that was 2005... so try this site:

www.sleepinginairports.com

And ask yourself whether that's a good idea for your SO, too. A lot of women would not be comfortable (safety-wise) sleeping in an airport in NYC (or anywhere). If she's an intrepid world traveler like MOI , then maybe it would be OK. But if she's used to minor details like a bed, etc... it may not make a favorable first impression of the US. You don't want her to be MOA (mad on arrival) do you?

Best wishes,

Maya

[Johnnie Oz 0]

Just wanted to chime in since I've been fairly vocal on this topic.

YES, it's worth it IF you understand the "gap potential", i.e. that you might have to stop working between the time your I-94 expires and your 1 -year EAD arrives. While you may influence the length of the gap, by applying for AOS promptly etc, it is NOT up to you. USCIS decides when you get the EAD.

Moreover, you have to be prepared for employers who might not understand and/or like that situation.

And you will need a Soc Sec Nr, but like others wrote you don't need it to start working, just when you talk to the payroll people...you cannot get paid for legal work without one. In most cases you should have one by then.

So, while there be difficulties (e.g. the gap, confused/unwilling employers and issues getting a SSN) it can be "worth" it. To the tune of several thousand dollars no less...

Just don't pay too much attention to the nay-saying folks who claim it ain't worth it without providing any (real) reasons. They are likely projecting.

As long as we are honest about any potential pitfalls, then it is up to each and every person whether they want to go through these motions, from getting the job to traveling through JFK (use the search feature to read about the recent arrival who got a EA stamp at SFO)

Over and out.

Good luck!