bequibar

I'm trying to get ready to AOS in a few weeks...

The latest experience in Kamya is a year old.
Anybody had a Philly AOS experience more recent than that?

I'd love to hear from you...

ps - do I need to get the medical prior to filing, or between filing and interviewing?

ms_bhon

Hey becs! Welcome to the mid-Atlantic!

Sorry I can't help you with Philly info, but as far as your EAD- shouldn't you be able to march yourself down to the Philly BCIS office with your k-1 stamp to get the temporary 90 day one whilst you wait to marry and apply for AOS? Husband Paul did that here in Balmer so he could start at least looking for work...

And because we married 2 weeks after he arrived, and applied for AOS a little over a month after he arrived, he was only out of status work permit wise for a little over 2 weeks. ( He received his 1 year EAD in the mail about 2 weeks after his 90 day EAd expired) In Baltimore, we have to apply for AOS directly thru Vermont (its a Balmer, thang), so I have no idea what the deal is in Philly.

In any case- as you know- the sooner you marry, the sooner you apply for AOS, the sooner everything else follows...

I had actually applied for our marriage license before Paul even arrived in Baltimore (you can do that here), so we were good to go when he arrived. All we had to do was make it thru a bridal shower, a hen night, a bachelor party, and the in laws meeting for the first time! ;-)

Congrats on geeting this far- when's the big day?

Pallyn

ps - do I need to get the medical prior to filing, or between filing and interviewing? [/QUOTE]
You shouldn't need a full medical since you came on a K-1, but you will need a vaccine supplement by the time of your interview.

bequibar

Hey Miz B!!

Well we're getting married within the next 5 weeks or so, no definite date yet, but the sooner the better.... that's why applying for a temporary EAD doesn't really make any sense, we're getting married any day now.
In the meantime I'm busy with the SSN, looking for a 2 bedroom apartment, checking out schools for my daughter, researching the AOS... you know how it is, lol.



Pallyn -

Thanks! I was unclear about that, thankyou for letting me know

Matthew Udall

Does this mean she came in with you (with her K-2) at the same time that you entered?

bequibar

No Matt, she stayed behind...

She didn't cross with me because none of us were prepared for this... we all had our own tickets to go our own ways on different days (me to philly, her to go back home to her dad), she wasn't packed, she was in the middle of classes, her father expected her to return, etc... it could potentially turn ugly as we both share custody and he could claim kidnapping or something if this rubbed him the wrong way or smelt foul play.

We were hoping to figure out a way for her to somehow finish 6th grade at home and still use her k2... but there was just no way to juggle that.
We tried to get her school to cram her classes and give her early finals, they said no.
We tried to figure out if she could activate her k2 on vacation, get her AP in time to go back home to finish school and return back to us without ruining her AOS... no.

It looked like she'd have to forfeit her year halfway at home, come over, be school-less here for a half year, and then start over 6th grade... she's a great student so this could be a big blow to her, to be held back and repeat a year regardless of the fact that she was doing so well in it and she's always been top of her class.

What we ended up chosing was for her to come over on xmas break and start school here in january. Makes better sense than to bring her over when her visa expires in April because this way it's mid-year, as if broken down in 2 semesters, and not the last few weeks of the year that's almost all gone... but she'd at least finish her second half of 6th, her own grade. The district school said they don't like the fact that she's practically barging in in the middle of things but they have to take her...

It is not a magnet school, which was what we had planned to get her into next year. Magnet schools here in Philly are fantastic but they just won't take kids in the middle of the year. They said they'd take her next year but they'd place her in 6th grade because they had some openings for 6th grade but none for 7th, so that wasn't good.
But this one's a good school, and we belong to its district, so I guess it all worked out in the end...

Pallyn

I am dying of curiousity because I am a product of some of the better-performing Philadelphia pulic schools. What school will she be entering in January, and what magnet will she be going to next year? You are right, the magnet system there is great.

bequibar

We wanted Masterman. I think it's a fantastic school and love their program... but they have no openings for 7th or 8th grade (and no wonder, since all their middle school kids go directly to their high school) so she might never get to go there... not immediately at least.

Our district school, the one she'll start in January, is Greenfield (22 & Chestnut)...

I visited both. Obviously Masterman is drop dead gorgeous on the outside... very impressive building, great auditorium... Greenfield is modest on the outside but has a better library (imho) and also strives to keep few kids per classroom, levels above the required curriculum, extra school activities, good home-school relationship, etc... after visiting it, I am not at all concerned about her missing out on Masterman. Plus it's only a few blocks away

Where did you go?

Pallyn

Comly for elementary, Baldi for MS & Washington for HS. Comly was extraordinary for a public school - mandatory Latin for everyone, Greek and Roman mythology, small (at that time) classes. Baldi was still good, many different course offerings. If I had been allowed to choose, I would have gone to either Girls or Creative and Performing Arts for HS. We lived on the other side of the city and my mom didn't want me travelling so far. Close will be good while she is young, and the distance can be a problem even when you are older. As far as I know, public bussing stops at 7th grade and everyone rides SEPTA to school. If you have to transfer between lines, it can be a long commute for a kid. (I don't miss Philadelphia traffic at all.)
You have two really good options. Remember that the public library system rocks, too, so if she winds up with a spot at Masterman, the library may not be that much of an issue. My closest bus line ran past two and I definitely availed myself of both. Enjoy!

bequibar

OOOOhhhhh I LOVE the Performing Arts HS, I've walked past it when I visit the Italian Market (they sell mexican groceries now! yummm) and I've read so much about it... we'll see.. it's early....