LaJumpa

Drug test requirements in Colorado would absolutely wipe out most of the competition ahaha

Side note: In my personal experience, the job market here is brutal compared to what I was used to back in the UK. Here's some advice I wish I had before I got here. 1. Job referrals are really big here and having one can make a big difference. Speak with friends and family to see about getting something whilst you figure out what you want to do long term. 2. On occasion, some companies prefer a local candidate with experience and references they can easily verify with a quick phone call or email. Having nothing but work experience from abroad closed a few doors for me. 3. Some jobs (mostly government) require US Citizenship. Something to take into account if you wanted to pursue federal or enforcement employment. 4. Don't do what I did and apply for too many jobs. Im forever getting phone calls and emails from recruiters now. Your information gets passed around more than you think and it can be a job in itself blocking all these numbers. 5. Do some online courses whilst you're looking (Udemy etc) I added this to my resume and it was a good talking point in interviews and it shows you're taking yourself seriously. 6. Job hunting here is exhausting, don't burn yourself out. Designate time in your day just for applications. Lastly, educate yourself with how US taxes work if you haven't already. It's not like the UK where payroll do everything for you and you can kick back! Again, this is personal experience! My background is creative/tech and I live in a city which gets most of its money from tourism and has very few fields that I studied or worked in. That was 50% of the battle!

In Florida at least, if you're applying for a job within local government they require you to have your college/university degree assessed to determine how it equates to a US-studied degree. This was $75 per document. Personally I wouldn't pay for this unless a job offer is actually presented. My current employer has never asked to see my degree. Even during interviews I was never asked to verify my qualifications. But this can vary depending on the line of work you're hoping to get into. I imagine high skilled (Medicine, Engineering, Law etc) jobs may request to see your degree. Bottom line, it's not something to worry about! You kinda have to get out there and do some interviews to figure out the process. Good luck!

It’ll vary on what county you reside in. I’m based in Orlando and used Orange County Tax Collectors (https://www.octaxcol.com) I can’t remember the total cost. It was around $50 for my practical road test and new license. And then probably around the same for my learners permit and written test. I’d say budget around $150 in total. If you have a full European license you should be able to skip the 4 hour course and just go straight into your written and practical test!

I had a full UK drivers license and I still had to take the written and practical test. Took about 2 weeks in total, only because there were not many appointments at the time. You could probably get it sooner. Because of my UK license I was able to skip the 4-hour driving course. That may vary for other countries.... You'll need your Social Security Card before you can start the process.

Hello everyone! Im having a very frustrating time with USCIS right now and I was wondering if someone could give me some advice. Back in January this year my wife (USC) and I moved into a new apartment. I’ve been living here since June I already have my green card in hand. Anyway as per the USCIS website I put in a submission to change our address as well as filing the paperwork to update the sponsor address (my wife in this case) Fast forward a few weeks and received notice of the sponsorship address change. However my wife’s name was listed as the beneficiary as well as the petitioner. I called the UCSIS phone line to have this amended and after what felt like a lifetime. I was told that we would need to submit a typography error for that form online. I also asked if my address request had been taken care of and the advisor said they still had my old address on file and I would need to file the AR-11 form by mail. Which I did the next day. The first issue I have is that the I-865 form is not listed on the e-filing website. So how am I supposed to make them aware of this if the form is not able to be selected. My second issue is that it has been almost 4 weeks since I filed the AR-11 and I’m yet to receive any type of confirmation. I tried to call UCSIS today and as per usual the automated line just sent me in a loop and I’m not able to speak to an actual human about my situation. My worry is now that our information is effectively out of date. And I’m trying every avenue to get this done but it feels like I’m smashing my head against a brick wall each time. I have the submission requests to show we have done this within the 10 day time frame. But I’m not feeling super confident about this. Does anyone have any advice on how I can get this information fixed and confirmed. Is it something I can book an appointment for at our local UCSIS office for or will they just send me back in a loop again? Thanks!

Unfortunately everyones experiences will vary. I had my interview back in June and was only asked to present the original civil docs. However other people will be asked to present evidence, I-864 etc. General rule of thumb is to just bring everything you submitted since starting the process just in case.

From memory, its more of an extended version of the questionnaire you have attached. Asks about certain diseases or hospital visits. It's nothing too invasive!

Once you pay the immigration fee it will tell you to expect the physical card within 90 days of entry. Your stamped visa in your passport is good until then.

I think in total I waited around 5 weeks because my original got lost in the mail. And then I called to ask if it’s whereabouts and then they made me pay £15 to have a copied to delivered the next day.

I believe it was just radio silence until the dispatch notification was sent. I started chasing them up after it reached day 21

As far as im aware you can bring both passports to your interview. The valid passport will be the one they issue the visa to. I had a similar situation but luckily got my new passport around the time I submitted my DS-260. I uploaded a scan of the passport I used when we submitted our I-130 and made a note on the terminal. As long as you have both at the interview you'll be fine!

If the TB test was requirement for your Student Visa then the answer would be yes.

Hey! I’m the same but mine is on the right! The exact same thing was brought up at my medical recently and it does not make you inadmissible. They’re looking for infectious diseases and anything that could pose a threat to yourself or others (mental illness, addiction etc) I would suggest bringing some medical history surrounding your condition as a place holder. I found out that I had a similar condition when they did my X-ray and it caused a bit of panic. But you have nothing to worry about!

Probably due to volume of applicants they deal with. I think Visa Medicals cover Canada and a few other countries too.

Not for free! Unless you’re at high risk I believe. So my GP told me.

Thank you so much! I’m glad we’re almost at the end of this journey! So I got everything I needed from the receptionist at my GP. They gave me a “quick glance” summary which included my measurements and 3 past consultations with my GP. I pressed them for more information as I didn’t think that would cut it. After a few back and forth visits I managed to get a 3 page summary which had way more detail like allergies and my only hospital visit. it’s worth noting that Visa Medicals do not require a full medical history. You can request this from your GP but (on a good day) can take up to 2 weeks to receive from them. If you have any history that you feel maybe relevant for your medical you can get this and pick out the information you need! As for the appointment, I booked about a month in advanced and they had plenty of availability. As long as you book it no more than 10 days before your interview you’ll be all good!

This is for the nervous folk like me! I recently had my medical examination in London at Visa Medicals. And it was no where near as bad as I thought it would be. For context, gathering the necessary paperwork for this from my GP was a real pain. As I’m sure most of you have experienced. Despite having no ongoing or previous conditions, any history of mental illness, drug/alcohol issues or criminal past. My brain defaulted to the potential that I would be subject to extra scrutiny due to lack of medical history. If this sounds like it could be you then let me tell you, that’s not the case. I arrived in the afternoon. The lady behind the counter took all my medical summary, passport and police certificate to photocopy. She then gave me a more detailed questionnaire to fill out whilst I waited. First up was my vaccinations, I had everything up to date aside from my hep b jab. A tip for those who haven’t their hep b jab, you only need one to pass the medical. This one jab costs £50. If you were to do the full course at say your GP or pharmacy, you’re looking at around £120-£150. Do with this information as you may! I was then called in for my chest x-ray. All I had to do was remove my t shirt, stand up against the screen and then I was good to go. Lastly I was called in to discuss my medical questionnaire with the practitioner. The lady I spoke with was really pleasant. She asked me about any previous medical issues and a few lifestyle questions. I then had a quick vision test before removing my top again to sit on the bed to be given the full MOT which included blood pressure, lymph node checks, heart beat checks and then a glance for any scaring. To which I had scares from an operation I had as a child which I’d disclosed. She then took my blood whilst I laid on the bed. After that she explained that my results will be sent to the embassy after 5 working days once they do all their checks. She explained that no news is good news. If anything needed to be followed up I’d be contacted in the next couple of days. But she said that glancing at my x-ray results that everything looked to be all good. I then went back to the front desk to collect my passport and settle the tab. My total came to £430 (£380 for the medical + £50 for the hep b vaccination) To anyone who was nervous about their upcoming medical, I can assure you that if you’re a cut and dry case like me then you have absolutely nothing to worry about! I hope this puts your minds at ease! Feel free to shoot me any questions!

Only applicants between 18-24 need to provide a urine sample. You’re all good! I have mine tomorrow, how was your experience?

We have been married less than 2 years and mine says CR-1 at NVC. As you've probably got 2 months or so before your interview (London Consulate is smashing these out at the moment) would it bring you up to the 2 year mark before your interview?

Hey Everyone! Im currently in the final stages of applying for my CR-1 visa. My medical is scheduled this month and my embassy interview is next month. During this time I have been contemplating about what I would like to do "career wise" once I get back to my wife. Having worked in the tech industry for most of my life here in the UK I am looking to enter the realm of Software Development. My knowledge is somewhat limited and I would like to re-train in this field once I arrive. One potential option is to attend a bootcamp/course at the local College. As a CR-1 holder will this potentially limit my chances of being able to enrol in a college course until my conditions are removed? I was wondering if anyone has any similar experiences in attending school/college as a fresh-faced immigrant?

Hey! No the status stayed at “at NVC” until I got my interview date. I learned that day that checking the status every day won’t give you update ahaha

Received my IL today! June 20th

Hey there, Can I ask when you received your interview letter?

Hey! Yes I did however mine got lost in the post as they don’t send it out with tracking unless you choose the premium option. I had to pay an extra £15 to have it sent again with tracking.