[phurlamu]

Hi ghillbert,
it depends on your college. sometimes the college website lists the scholarships available with the eligiblity criteria. in my case, i checked my college website and got to know of scholarships for international students. also in your college email, you get emails when there's a new scholarship available.
good luck

[chepita]

We are basically on our own, but there a a few choices. Private loans, with a US citizen cosigner is one, but it is a loan. My son attends a private college and they have scholarships based on academics regardless of nationality. The state university I attended for nursing school offers some aid for need and some aid for academic achievement. When in F-1 I was awarded some aid per semester based on my grades, not much, but it helped. Look for private aid, F1 students are not elegible for anything state or federally funded. It's only fair I guess...

[ghillbert]

I'm not an F1 student, but thanks a lot for your info!

[Promin]

Originally Posted by chepita

We are basically on our own, but there a a few choices. Private loans, with a US citizen cosigner is one, but it is a loan. My son attends a private college and they have scholarships based on academics regardless of nationality. The state university I attended for nursing school offers some aid for need and some aid for academic achievement. When in F-1 I was awarded some aid per semester based on my grades, not much, but it helped. Look for private aid, F1 students are not elegible for anything state or federally funded. It's only fair I guess...

It's very fair. It was your choice to become an international student. Why would they waist limited resources on foreigners like you and me?

[jagoda]

Hi,
After reading all those posts regarding foreign nurses trying to get green cards, I am still confused about certain things. I need them claryfied baldy. Please!
OK, let's assume that I am on a student visa, just graduated with an ADN, just passed the NCLEX and found a hospital willing to file I140 for me and sponsor me. I do my OPT in that hospital. A year goes by, I get my I140 approved and am on a waiting list. My country's visa bulletin is current. I cannot work, so I extend my go back to being a student(bachelor degree) and wait to get my green card. Is that something that sounds possible?
Or did I get it all it wrong?

[lawrence01]

Originally Posted by jagoda

Hi,
After reading all those posts regarding foreign nurses trying to get green cards, I am still confused about certain things. I need them claryfied baldy. Please!
OK, let's assume that I am on a student visa, just graduated with an ADN, just passed the NCLEX and found a hospital willing to file I140 for me and sponsor me. I do my OPT in that hospital. A year goes by, I get my I140 approved and am on a waiting list. My country's visa bulletin is current. I cannot work, so I extend my go back to being a student(bachelor degree) and wait to get my green card. Is that something that sounds possible?
Or did I get it all it wrong?

If your country of birth says that your priority date (date when I-140 was received by USCIS) is already current then you could file for I-485 (Adj. of Status) and EAD (Employment Authorization Document) already. You can work with the EAD. You don't have to wait for the actual GC to be able to work and in fact if their is no improvements on the current immigration system as it is, it would be years before you get your GC. You will be leaving off your EAD for a while like most people who were able to file their AOS and EAD in 2006 and 2007. Majority are already on their 2nd year on EAD.


*FYI: There is a possibility that USCIS may suspend concurrent filing of the I-140 and the I-485 and EAD. If this actually happens this would mean you have to wait for the I-140 to be approved first besides from waiting that you priority date becoming current.

[jagoda]

Thank you so much for your quick reply.
One more question.. how will I know if my priority date is current?
I come from Poland and still do not really see how the whole retrogression could stop me from getting permanent residence through employment.
(I'm on a student visa, just passed the NCLEX, a hospital offered sponsorship). Again, am I grossly wrong?

[rhp123]

I think there is something wrong with the plan. Once I140 is filed, an immigration intention is established. After OPT, you want go back to school to maintain your student status. You may have trouble doing this. On your new I20 application, there is a question asking if somebody has filed an immigration petition for you. You have to answer YES, and I don't think you can get a new I20 past OPT.

But after OPT, you can change to H visa stutus. For example you hubby is H1b, then you can change to H4. There is no problem. Unlike F visa, H visa is dual-intention. H visa allows immigration intention.

[jagoda]

OK, so I found my answer about priority dates
Now, going back to school after doing OPT seems to be a problem.
But it seems that I might not need to do that since after getting my I140 approved, I would file for I485 and EAD. Even after my OPT ends, I believe I am allowed to stay in the country until my case is resolved or do I need to have another status while waiting for EAD? That is my understanding of it. But then again, what do i know...

[jagoda]

Ok, what about if I get my I140 approved and then I file for the I485 and EAD and wait to get these approved? Do I need to be on some sort of status while waiting to get these approved? Because this is the picture I have in my head: My OPT ends and I still haven't gotten my EAD and then what? Do I keep waiting? DO I need to leave the country? Or can I stay?