Nurse Dependent

as i do too. 'twas an interesting, life-altering 2 years for us, huh? how are you, my friends?

hi, sweet nurse. welcome to this wonderful forum. i tried the link you provided, i read through it til the last paragraph. i'm sorry to burst your bubble, but this is what the last paragraph stated: "the prospects for the legislation passing this year are, of course, completely unclear. many closely involved in the negotiations on the bill believe a compromise is still possible with the house of representatives. one idea being floated is for the delay in implementing legalization provisions in the bill. if that happens, the provisions above would likely still have a good chance at being included in the part of the legislation that would take effect immediately." please take note of the phrases in bold letters. this would indicate that any immigration bill hasn't been passed by congress. ergo, no law for mr. president to sign. one thing i agree with you though, about praying that retrogression will be just a very temporary setback for foreign nurses. good luck on your journey.

here's my personal take on your dilemma... assuming that you're done with all requirements making the adoption legal, and now you're just waiting for the court order? pray that it comes out before your embassy interview. i think you can go ahead with the filing of your own DS230, ahead of this child, since you can apply a legal dependent (file the DS230, pay the visa fee) at the embassy on the day of your actual interview. as long as you have all the legal documents supporting the adoption, of course. SAFE THING TO DO IS, PLEASE DOUBLE-CHECK / CONSULT WITH YOUR IMMIGRATION LAWYER. good luck.

so far, we're doing well, my friend. i asked my wife about your query, she's got a roommate whose sons are coming to the US in a month. and she heard that her roommate will indeed register (or have to register) her sons to that agency. she heard that they've got some college benefits too. so i guess, it's a must-requirement. i'm sorry, am not too knowledgable about this thing. otherwise, take care of your SSN, or nothing will be done without this (opening a bank account, applying for a state id and/or driver's license, etc.). don't worry about your green card. once you enter the US, the processing is automatically triggered once you present your visa packet to the immigration officer in the airport. oh, and one suggestion for those who are carrying their ultra-sized, mega-humongous x-ray results from st. luke... if you have a CARRY-ON that can fit the xray (mid-size luggage, messenger bag), do it, stuff it inside your luggage. that's what i did. just make sure the xray is protected, or won't bend or develop creases. it's a hassle to be lounging with it in and around the airport. the immigration officer never asked for my wife's or mine. just make sure it's easily accesible in case the officer asks for it.

yep, am busy now. taking care of the kids and the household. hehehe. wifey has just started her "formal" hospital shifts 2 weeks ago (preceptorship). seems like her 10yr working experience in a national hospital back home is truly paying off. she's adjusted immediately, and doing really well. pays to be assertive and proactive too, in everything we do 'round here. keep that in mind. am staying here in union city, ca. and having a blast. my employment offer from the phils. for our south sf office still stands, although i haven't reported yet. would want wifey to "normalize" first. besides, this is the first looooonnnggg vacation i had since i started working. so i'm enjoying it while it lasts. besides, lots to be accomplished. just done with whole family's ss#, cali id, bank account, recently received our "green cards," just passed written exam for driver's license, need to schedule for the actual driving exam. once you guys arrive, accomplish your "documents" immediately. especially, your ss#. congratulations to you, peanut and gwapo. have a safe trip. leah, 2 days to go. good luck on your interview. trust me. once you receive your visas, it's like having a big load bein' lifted your shoulders. getting ready for the new load, i guess (new life here). hehehe.

please follow these links: https://allnurses.com/forums/f75/finally-got-my-visa-im-loving-119116.html https://allnurses.com/forums/f75/last-we-have-our-visas-130007.html https://allnurses.com/forums/f75/nvc-cp-gc-tracker-112714-41.html#post1569950 good luck to you all!

i totally agree with you, demigod. anyway, you're welcome. good luck on your interview.

please contact your agency or the lawyers, stet! things won't move for your spouse if he's under eb3 (his papers will only move after 3-5 years, in light of the retrogression). the lawyers should liaise with nvc immediately for the correction of this critical error. good luck.

congratulations, leah. finally. please keep us posted on how your medical went (in light of your family's situation). i pray to god that everything finally pulls through for you. ps wifey has just left for the us this morning. me and the kids will follow in 2-weeks time. :)

hi mervat: hope these links to previous threads can help ease your anxiety: https://allnurses.com/forums/f75/finally-got-my-visa-im-loving-119116.html https://allnurses.com/forums/f75/last-we-have-our-visas-130007.html https://allnurses.com/forums/f75/nvc-cp-gc-tracker-112714-41.html#post1569950 hope you can share your experience as well, so it may benefit those who have yet to be interviewed. good luck to you.

my friend, this is indeed good news. this means your documents are all with the embassy in manila now. this means you're being queued for interview. keep watching those interview posts from the embassy website. good luck. :)

hi peanut: after the receipt of your papers by the nvc, your case will be reviewed. after the review, your case will (hopefully, most likely) be approved. ours took a month for this two steps to happen. after the approval, then, your interview schedule. ours took 4 months after case approval. you're in the right thread, should you wish to know or compare case timings. review this thread (from the beginning), you'll stumble upon countless cases with dates. this will give you an idea on the step by step process of cp and how long each step takes.

senju: congratulations. don't worry. time will just pass you by, with all the preps you'd need to do for your interview. before you know it, may 25th'll be knockin on your door. good luck and keep us updated!

as the addage goes... "one man's meat is another man's posion." so, here's my final take on this matter / issue: to all trying to get their visas through cp -- good luck to you. to all trying to get their visas through aos -- good luck to you. may the chosen route you take be the best course for you and your family.

the dead resurrected. case closed. anyways, good luck with your aos. :)

could be because letina is from the UK, where the US embassy there processes far less applications than the embassy in the phils., my friend.

most definitely, my friend. :)

lawrence: thanks for your support and interest. am trying to check out on your previous queries. i'll PM you one of these days once i get the answers. denzel: you have been a critical soul for me around here. we're both in the same boat -- husbands of nurses. :smiley_aa your advise have been a gold-mine to us. hope to meet up with you and your family someday. suzanne: what can i say? you're really heaven-sent to us all. my deepest gratitude for your support. the agency hasn't advised wifey yet on the departure date. we're looking anytime between 2nd week april and 1st week may. i'll make sure to drop you a line once we get there. i'll surely be lurkin' around here (just like what denzel's doing) even if we're there already.

passed nclex: december 2004 actual interview by us employer: december 2004 uscis receipt (pd): january, 2005 uscis approval: may 18, 2005 fee bill generated: june 27, 2005 release of visascreen: july, 2005 receipt of fee bill by st. louis (includes payment for dependents): september 1, 2005 nvc forwards packet 3 to lawyers: september 5, 2005 packet 3 sent back to nvc: september 20, 2005 nvc receives packet 3 from lawyers: september 23, 2005 nvc case completion: october 25, 2005 receipt of packet 4: february, 2006 medical:march 2&3, 2006 consular interview:march 15, 2006 release of passport with visa: march 20, 2006 entry to us: xxxx release of gc: xxxx my friends: as most of you know, the cp journey has just ended for my family. as promised, here's sharing with you our consular interview experience. what i will share with you is the timings of our stay in the embassy. rep, dhel, and the others have provided us with a detailed account of their experiences which is pretty much the same as ours (see: https://allnurses.com/forums/f75/finally-got-my-visa-im-loving-119116.html, https://allnurses.com/forums/f75/last-we-have-our-visas-130007.html). i'll just add to what they've said. so, here goes... [color=sienna]march 15 4:30am - parked in front of chowking (at php50.00 rate). went to the waiting shed (this shed is half a block away from the embassy entrance), the queue has just started moving towards the embassy. as advised, left all electronic gadgets in the car. 5:00am - security allowed the people within the embassy waiting shed. looks like people were already there (the 1st waiting shed) since 4am. based on headcount, we were numbers 31, 32, 33, and 34! word of caution: get ready with your off lotion, people. nothing to do but wait. 6:00am - security started letting people in (by 5s). by this time, you'll notice a separate queue for seafarers and applicants for niv. 6:20am - inside the embassy. after the x-ray, your position in the line won't matter anymore. we were annoyed by a mother with her 2 kids (who were behind us in the queue) started running to get ahead of our line. expect people with no discipline to try to get ahead of you. relax. 6:40am - step 1: inside the immigrant section of the embassy. wait. at least you get to choose your seats. around this time, wifey got our number. don't worry about people trying to get ahead of you. the 1st step is dependent on the time of your interview schedule (ours was 630, the lady with the 2 kids was 730. all her running was all for nothing after all. ). hold on to your numbers. this will be flashed over and over during the whole process. you'd probably notice a pinoy guy who barks out instructions. this is the embassy jester, i suppose. frankly, i don't know his official position in the embassy. this is how i perceive him: a pinoy inside the embassy = a position of pseudo-authority. you be the judge when you get to see him. they call out the interview schedule for lining up to the get the number approximately every 30 minutes. 6:50am - wifey was called to go to window x. the birth certificate of the baby was asked (our baby wasn't applied previously). a quick process. 7:05am - step 2: our number was flashed on the screen for the first time. went to window 10 for the pre-screening. a pinoy will do the pre-screening. expect the pinoy to be thorough with your documents. if your previous ds-230 is missing or contains iffy infos, they'll make you change it. this is the point when i got to pay the visa fee for our baby. exchange rate is $1 - php55. the personnel will also ask for your family pictures. bring group shot pics as well. the lady asked for a group/crowd shot during our wedding, we weren't able to present one, but no hassle. she asked questions about our previous trip to the us. expect a bit of rudeness. but highly torelable. 7:50am - step 3: fingerscanning. your kids won't be subjected to this. quick and painless. 8:08am - step 4: the interview proper. we were astounded by how swift the process was for us. i think dhel is right. they must've prioritized families with minors (and our baby was the youngest at 3-months :)). a brief sit-down was all we got before another step happened. one thing i like about iv interviews. you get to sit down during the interview! far from niv interviews where you just stand in front of the consul, just like in the bank. consul only asked questions to my wifey. basically, she was asked about her working experience in the philippines. very basic questions. which hospital? how long? which area? bed capacity? she was quizzed only in the area of burn care because she use to be the head nurse of the burn unit of her previous employer. what was thrown at me were mere conjugal questions -- have you been previously married? are these your only children? none for my 9-year old. expect no eye contact from the consul. he's busy checking your papers and your pictures while asking the questions. we were told to wait for our number to be called. he provided us no verbal indication that we're approved. i just saw him pick and sign a card (or a sticker) that says "iv approved." 8:15am - step 5: our number was flashed again, this time to get the pink slip in order for you to pay the courier outside the immigrant section. loooks like we're approved after all! note: check the delbros website on how to check the progress of your visa delivery through sms (http://www.delbros.com) [color=sienna]march 16: 12pm passports released by the embassy [color=sienna]march 17: 9pm passports received at distribution center [color=sienna]march 20: passports (w/ visa) received!!! this concludes our 14-month (and 2hr 20mins) cp experience, as we look forward to another chapter in the lives of my family. my heartfelt thanks to suzanne, dale, rep, dhel, denzel, leah, gwapo, adia, and to all my friends here in allnurses for the support, guidance, and prayers. i wish all the others around here a sincere good luck, as i will continue to pray for you. maraming salamat po!!!

my friends: i can empathize with all of you. but demigod is right. hang in there. my family had to wait 14 weeks (from approval of case) in order to complete our 14-month CV process. i know the wait is excruciating. but when it happens, you'll be in cloud nine. believe me. good luck to all of you!

st. luke's medical continued... day two step 1: present your notice- ground flr, guard the 2nd day begins at around 10am for you. no numbers. no nothing. just present your notice, the guard will check your names in the masterlist. even if your kids will not be subjected to any shots, you are still required to bring everybody. assuming that day one ended well, no instructions were given for additional test requirements (if yes, you have to follow them accordingly, of course), then you're off to... step 2: immunization - 2nd flr quite a queue. as expected, this process has it own time and motion. prepare to wait. and i mean waaaiiiiit. don't worry, the kids don't have to be restless at this point because there's a "kiddie area" near the immunization room. ask a personnel to turn on the tv and the dvd player if it isn't. also, prepare yourself to the off-chance that your papers are not grouped together. this means you'll be called inside the immunization room one-by-one. this is a trivial reason for the whole process to take this much time. wifey and i received only one shot, mmr. it should've been 2, alas, their tetorifice vaccine is out of stock. you'll be instructed to get this once you're in the us. if you fail to present your chicken pox scars, then that's another needle for you. kids with no immunization records are subjected to 3 shots. lots of crying kids here. me 9-yr old and baby were spared from this agony. step 3: releasing- grnd flr a period of looonnnngggggg wait! wait for your names to be called. at this point, you may wish to stay in a different area, or a different floor. the releasing area is cramped full of people. don't worry. their pa system is quite efficient. you'll hear your names wherever you are in the building. just don't turn your ipod volumes to full blast. :rotfl: your names will be called in any of the windows twice. first one will just require your to sign on the papers and submit your 2 visa pictures. for the second, and last one, they will ask you and your kids simple questions in order to verify your identity (and your embassy interview date). and finally, you'll be made to sign for the last time. again, prepare for the eventuality that your names might not be called one after the other. your papers are not grouped, methinks. this contributes to the loooooong wait. you're advised that your medical results and all your passports will be forwarded to embassy. that's it! so simple a process for day 2, right? nah! it took us 5 hours to finish these 2 simple tasks! at least, you're done. why, i suggest that you treat yourself and your family to the nice eats available in the nearby hizon's bakery. quite pricey, but truly satisfying. this joint is a personal favorite. good luck my friends! :) fin

day one continued... step 5: vitals, eye test, immunization history, p.e. us counter (3rd flr) - present your documents in this counter, you'll be asked to line up for... vitals - height, weight, bp determination. simple tasks, takes very long to happen (again, because of the volume of people already lining-up). this step is for all members of the family (except for the bp). eye test - again, for all members of the family. bring along your glasses if you wear one. expect a long queue. p.e. - you'll be assigned a number. this is for the doctor who'll check you up. the kids will be with their mother. female docs for female applicants. the task begins with an interview regarding your medical history. do you smoke? (answer yes, and you might be submitted to a 3-day sputum test.) have you tried marijuana? were you hospitalized? for what reason? when was your last period? (you'd be asked a lot regarding this). have any of the kids had bouts with primary complex? after the medical interview, you'd be asked to disrobe. better wear comfy clothes, and those easier to disrobe. visual physical exam. have you any tatoos? any birthmarks? where's your chicken pox scars? (you better be able to point to them! or risk receiving a chicken pox vaccine the next day). after the p.e., pause and take a deep breath. you've hurdled the most tedious part of the day. besides, you're probably already cranky at this point because you woke early, your kids are getting restless already, you've only managed to take a quick and light breakfast, and your tummy's starting to signal the dawn of lunch. after the pause, get ready for another long queue for your... immunization history interview - prepare your kids's baby books. it is highly recommended that you request your pedia to prepare a one-sheet summary of your kids's immunization history as well, signed by her, of course. for females, you'd be asked when's your last period (again and again and again). have you had contact with your partner lately? inspite of the preg/urine test, the docs may not allow you to take the immunization the next day should the answer be a "yes, recently." they won't give you shots unless they're sure your are not pregnant, at whichever stage. the doctor who is doing the immu history is very strict. the process takes a while. arrgh! :angryfire step 6: check-out counter this is the final step for the day. they'll just check the completeness of the medical report form. they'll give you additional instructions if needed (ie additional xray if they need to verify something, that's an additional $6, by the way.) i can't remember anymore, but i think you'd be going home with just your receipt and a notice that says you're for processing of day two. at this point, i think, you're not holding your passport anymore. main thing is, you're done for the day! all in all, the whole process will last around 5-7 hours. the final stages are not done during day one. to think that what's left to do (assuming everything's ok with you and your family) are just the shots and the release of the report. i found out during day two! to be continued...

this will be quite lenghty, but for pinoys who are interested, (tips are highlighted in blue) and with the indulgence of the admins, here goes... day one step 1: getting your number - ground flr, guard 4:00am - we arrived at st. luke's, and guess what. we're #14, 15, 16, 17! looks like those who got lower numbers were there as early as 3am (as shared by denzel). good thing our in-laws live very close to st. luke's. that's why after getting our number and presenting the appointment letter to the guard (photocopy each appointment letter for each applicant), we picked up our kids and returned by around 6am (the time when things start to move). if you're from the provinces, don't fret. there's a lot of hotels/apartelles near the clinic, ranging from 3-stars to 5-stars. you may opt to line-up for your number should you wish to be there by dawn, and pick-up your kids at the hotel and be there by around 5:45-6am. parking along the street is a bit of a problem by daybreak. there's a pay-parking lot beside the clinic. this is your best option. this was mine. should you all decide to stay after getting the number, don't worry, once you get pass by the guard, you're let inside the lobby to sit and wait for things to start. your documents will be returned to you, along with copies of patient data sheet. better fill-up the patient data sheet for each applicant while waiting for 6am. you'll literally have difficulty finding your physical space once more people are allowed in. your kids can bring along their psps or gameboys. it's ok. you can bring your cellphone and text your time away, or read a favorite book while listening to your trusty ipods. you're not allowed to bring any food, though. water is allowed. don't worry. you can go in and out of st. luke's, there's a lot of stores outside. photocopiers? id pictures? everything's available, just a stone's throw away, just across the street. step 2: fill-up patient data sheet & verification - ground flr once your number is called, your data sheet and appointment letters will be presented for verification. you will be asked some questions (ie have you been to the us? have you an existing b1 visa?). you'll be asked to present all your passports and all your visa (passport) pictures. prepare at least 4 visa pictures (the pics to be presented to the embassy) for the day. this step is quite quick. after the verification, you'll be ushered in an adjacent room for digital picture taking. quick and painless! :) step 3: payment - 5th flr logically, it's the principal who takes lead in everything. as stated in the website, it's $95 for adults, $67 for minors below 15years. your call whether to pay in dollars or pesos. we chose to pay in pesos. remember, you'd need every dollar you may have once you depart! step 4: xray, lab, us counter x-ray (3rd flr) - present your old xray (if you have). although they won't allow those that are less than 3 months. but if you have readings in your x-ray that they'd need to know (ie primary), present it whether it's 4month old or 2-wk old. xrays are for the adults. kids will be x-rayed only when they find something from their parents. lab (4th flr) - this step will be quite quick if there's a shorter queue. blood test for both parents, urine test for the mother only. none for kids. us counter (4th flr) - this counter triggers the next steps for your vitals, immunization history interview, and the actual pe. this is where things start getting crazy (by around this time, more people are inside the clinic already). remember, st. luke's also services embassies of canada, australia, and new zealand. so by around this time, you'll observe a volume of people all over. to be continued...

nobody crucify me for this. but i stumbled upon this item in the latest shusterman bulletin. this item came up in item #6 which discusses a "step-by-step guide for rns, hospitals, & recruiters." http://www.shusterman.com/siu.html "the bad news is that the state department predicts that at the present rate of usage, the 50,000 visa numbers reserved for rns and pts may be used up between october and december of this year. all the more important to submit your applications immediately!" this might be old news already, but this is the only item i found which says something about the status of the 50k visas. if you have info contrary to this, please feel free to share it with us. thanks.

passed nclex: december 2004 actual interview by us employer: december 2004 uscis receipt (pd): january, 2005 uscis approval: may 18, 2005 fee bill generated: june 27, 2005 release of visascreen: july, 2005 receipt of fee bill by st. louis (includes payment for dependents): september 1, 2005 nvc forwards packet 3 to lawyers: september 5, 2005 packet 3 sent back to nvc: september 20, 2005 nvc receives packet 3 from lawyers: september 23, 2005 nvc case completion: october 25, 2005 receipt of packet 4: february, 2006 medical: march 2&3, 2006 consular interview: march 15, 2006 release of passport with visa: xxxx entry to us: xxxx was done with our medicals last week. seem to have passed it. one more step. excited and scared! :stone