Coming to America

So, I am on the dreamland... this is supposed to be a dreamland... and why is it suddenly turning into a nightmare?

It was my childhood dream to come to Uncle Sam's place. Why? Plenty of opportunities, land of the milk and honey, endless possibilities, and yes the greener pasture! And I strive hard to be here. I have painstakingly finished Bachelor of Science in Physical Therapy for five years (because it was adviced by my aunt that PT's are IN-demand in the US). I survived the local board exam given by the Professional Regulation Commission with four months of monk-like studying. I endured the small salary for a PT gym instructor or a PT turn to call center agent due to lack of PT employment in the Philippines for five years. I conquer the thorn on the throat (tinik sa lalamunan :p) Test of Speaking in English (TSE given to foreign educated people who wants to work to the US professionally) after two attempts. And yes I prepared hard and prayed hard for the National Physical Therapy Examination (US board exam for PT licensure) and not to mention the expenses (great expenses because we're already talking dollars here) that I solicit and beg from my relatives in order to under go all through all these process.

All is set. The big day came. Somehow I managed to get all the needed requirements and qualifications to become a US PT, or so I thought...

I came here last December 04,2008 and of course I did miss the BIG Christmas and New Year traditions and celebration in my country (because it is utterly different here) plus my oversize lovable family whom I spent holiday season with for the last twenty seven years. I said what the heck, it's just a matter of sacrifice and I came here to work so might as well focused my mind to it. I applied for the social security number (which is a must on a computerized system like this) and that's when the nightmare starts...

I applied for my social Dec. 18,2008 and yes I am still currently waiting for it! I applied in Columbia Maryland where my employer adviced us to get. It was print out on my application that I just have to wait for four weeks because the COMPETENT immigration officer who welcomes me had put out my birthdate invertedly on their organized system. So I waited... four weeks turn into months, and months turn into couple of months. At the back of my mind I know something is amiss because those persons whom I came with (nurses and PT alike whom I called my batchmates) were already happily enjoying their work on their assigned deployment much to say their SSN. and I? Left still wondering what happened to my application, was it not pushed through? Was it been deleted on the system? I keep asking for the updates through phone (because Im already in New York living temporarily with my Aunt) and the Social Security Administration keeps on saying give it another week, give it another days, my, my, my, Ive given all the weeks and all the days that I can give.

Then my husband (yes he was suffering this much as I am) said if we're just gonna sit around waiting for things to happen we could be waiting till forever. So we decided to find out how to make the corrections. My employer advice me to go to the nearest international airport and have my birthdate corrected but she insisted that I call on them first to set an appoinment. I google the airports' number and ask for the help but the officer who answers my call said that all corrections must be done on Federal Plaza Manhattan. We went there unfortunately there's a one week before appoinment date thing. So i got the appointment date a week after. When we got there the person on the counter said we cant make this correction better go to John F. Kennedy airport because they MAKE the correction. Urrrgggh! We wasted a week waiting for nothing. At that day they said that I could make it to the JFK because its the last day of the corrections for that week (corrections are done 9am-2pm mons thru thurs only and no appoinment necessary) That was thursday 11am so we hurriedly went to JFK,we reached it at 1pm so I said atleast we made it before closing time BUT to my dismay the lady who welcomes us said that SOMETHING came up and there are NO officers to make the corrections for that day, better come on Monday at 9am. So we left heartbroken. Monday came,but on Sunday snow storm happens (now even mother nature was against me!) We have no choice but to wait for Tuesday.

Tuesday, we have the corrections done and I am now hopeful that I could already get the much awaited number. At Wednesday I called back the SSA again and the same response, still waiting for the Department of Homeland and Security (DHS) verification. Still feels like somethings not quite right. I look at their I-94 corrections and as I scrutinized carefully I noticed that my name was MISPELLED! yes they add an additional letter to my name! So on Thursday (today) we went bak and have my name corrected and guess what? the PROBLEM never stops, I just found out that the I-94 number on the system and my card is different. Apparently the COMPETENT officer who welcomes me had managed to input a WRONG I-94 number, MISPELLED my name and INVERTED my birthdate (making dec 02,1981 to Feb 12,1981) What else could I possibly found out wrong?

The advice? Well WAIT seems like the word I came accustomed to. Wait till Wednesday for the corrections to take effect and call the SSA. If I got the same response (still verifying for the DHS) then I have to go back to JFK and take the number that the COMPETENT officer assigned me with plus I have to call on the SSA again for the new I-94 number and hopefully, HOPEFULLY things would be okey.

I'll let you know how it goes...
Keep your fingers cross fro me

On thursday then!

-lzl