“The Best Time for New Beginnings Is Now.”
~Unknown.
Good day lovelies, I hope all is well. I would like to continue my story of my international journey.
Let's begin.
Looking back high school was…neutral. As stated from a past post, I was an H4 (a dependent visa). I never realized my limitations of this visa until my senior year. Or rather, the limitations/restrictions did not affect me until then.
Firstly, it was hard for me to find scholarships even though I held a high enough GPA. Furthermore, my family and I were naïve to the real cost of a college tuition until it was too late, so I went to a community college which worked out perfectly.
In addition, it was also during my senior year that I realized how hard it was to get a learner’s permit for driving. The short version of that story included multiple trips to the social security office and to the motor vehicle association over the space of a few months.
It was during my freshman year of college that it was brought to our attention that we had to leave the United States because of multiple errors on our documents. Though there were attempts made to restore the situation, we were running out of time, and the easiest way to repair the damage was to hit the “restart button.”
Thus, in the summer of 2014 we left. Though this was a chance to start new elsewhere for a while and to see old faces, it was hard to say goodbye.
As our lawyers worked to have us return to the States, we would spend the next year waiting. My mom eventually received a job while I spent time with family within the different parishes.
Though we researched schools for me, the universities were a distance away and it would have only been for a year, thus we decided against it. There was also the matter of figuring out what credits would transfer.
Getting a job for myself also made no sense as I had no credentials among other things. Thus, I sat and watched my friends and classmates move on.
Looking back, I now see that there was much that I could have done to make use of the time that I was given. Not to say that I wasted the time, but it could have been more fruitful.
“To trust the wait, Embrace the uncertainty, Enjoy the beauty of becoming. When nothing is certain, Anything is Possible” ~ Unknown.
As the summer of 2015 drew to a close, we were granted the green light to return to America. When we returned, some things quickly fell back into place, however, there was the issue of my age.
I was about to turn 21 which meant that I could no longer be a dependent holding an H4 visa. This caused our lawyers to work overtime on our case, but in the end there were multiple unforeseen glitches which led to our case being held back.
It was around this time that I applied to nursing school. This allowed the lawyer came up with “plan B”: F1 visa (a student visa).
It was also around this time that I was finally able to receive my driver’s license.
During the Spring of the following year, 2016, I was granted both my acceptance letter into a nursing program as well as my letter from USCIS granting me my F1 visa.
Facts:
1. As a former H4 visa holder and a current international student, I would urge others in these positions to have all important documents when going to governmental agencies. Also, remember to show patience and politeness as you deal with people who are unfamiliar with your unique documents including your birth certificate, form 1-94, and other documents.
2. Our lawyer was not our personal lawyer but was hired by my mother’s employers for our case.
3. If I was knowledgeable about my limitations, I would have better prepared myself during high school so that the transition into college and the privilege of my driver’s license could be easier. I would urge others to do the necessary research and to visit the necessary websites from early on, keeping in mind that some cases require a special hand.
4. My situation is unique for I was already in the United States and safely under one visa when I was transferred to the other visa. The journey of being granted an F1 visa will be different depending on the country that you are from, the state and school that you would like to attend, and other variables within your life.
Interested in part one? View it here
That is it for now. Until next time. Peace be.
~Simply Anna Reece.
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