SJ27 185 Report post Posted February 24, 2016 Please do keep the site updated - it's a great option for medical workers and one that I don't think is at all widely known. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
HJF 5 Report post Posted March 22, 2016 (edited) My Wife is Currently busy with the avant program. Started last year around March if memory serves. Priority dates are current and we now only have the medicals and exit interview left as far as I understand. We are in the final stages and multiple times they have confirmed we are getting EB3 green cards. They have covered all the costs for my wife up to this point with us paying for me. There were a few costs we had to cover, mainly postage and then any fees on this side. For example SA Nursing Counsel fees for the CGFNS process. Had a long post on here but just want to make sure of a few things. They do physiotherapists as well but they do not go over on green cards. Our timeframe has us flying around June/July if all goes well with the timing of the exit interview. Edited March 22, 2016 by HJF 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
HJF 5 Report post Posted March 23, 2016 Just some more information. In the latest information we received which was directly from the National Visa Center(CCed to my wife, Avant and the lawyers), they specifically refer to an "immigrant visa" in the E3 preference category. Just to be clear as I have it right now, we will receive an immigrant Visa in our passports which will allow us to enter the US within a certain time. This VISA does have an expiry date.(Usually valid for +-6 months) We will pay our USCIS Immigrant Fee before we leave. According to the information we have right now we will receive our physical green cards within 30-90 days from entering the US. Hoping it all goes exactly as they have described. It has so far. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SJ27 185 Report post Posted March 23, 2016 (edited) HJF, thanks for those updates. This thread could be very useful to some people in future! Incidentally we met a couple recently, both nurses, who moved down from Canada to work in California. Seems the flip side of universal healthcare in Canada is that nurses are badly paid and don't have decent working conditions. They say the US pays much better and just generally treats them better. So hopefully that's a positive sign for you guys as well! Edited March 24, 2016 by SJ27 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
HJF 5 Report post Posted March 23, 2016 HJF, thanks for those updates. This thread could be very useful to some people in future! Incidentally we met a couple recently, both nurses, who moved down from Canada to work in California. Seems the flip side of universal healthcare in Canada is that nurses are badly paid and don't have decent working conditions. They say the US pays better and just generally treats them better. So hopefully that's a positive sign for you guys as well! It's a pleasure. The career path for my wife is a lot better in the USA. Even in the same position as here she will earn a much better salary. That is taking into account the changes in living cost. I'll try to answer questions as best I can and keep this updated with the good and the bad as far as possible. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
HJF 5 Report post Posted March 30, 2016 Just an update. We received a notification from the National Visa Center during the night that our exit interview has been booked for the 5th of May. My wife needs to give a calendar month notice so as things stand right now we will be flying in the beginning of July. Will have to confirm with Avant as things proceed but looks like that is what will happen. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SJ27 185 Report post Posted March 30, 2016 Exciting!!! Best of luck with it all! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
HJF 5 Report post Posted May 5, 2016 Another update. Just came back from our exit interviews. Small problem, didn't know I had to have my expired passport with the visitor's visa there. So just sent a courier with it. Other than that it's all sorted now. The lady said everything is on track and once they get the passports(should be delivered tomorrow morning) we should get back our passports with the permanent resident visas. We should get our actual green cards a little while after we enter the US. Things are moving quicker than we expected and instead of July we will be flying out between the 1st and 3rd of June. Extremely excited and nervous all at the same time! 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SJ27 185 Report post Posted May 5, 2016 Great news! Best of luck with the move. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jpandmi 0 Report post Posted May 6, 2016 Congrats HJF, Very happy for you guys, and I guess, that ends the purpose of this thread, where I asked whether the AVANT reg nurse sponsorship is legit as a path to greencards. I will keep the thread going, if anyone else wants/ plans on following this process (are you/ your spouse a reg nurse?), as we progress, but we are probably (hopefully) just following the same path as HJF and his wife, just 6 months behind them. (According to the schedule we have been given, my wife should be going to the US to write NCLEX in the next 6 weeks or less). Congrats again, and all the best on your move next month! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
HJF 5 Report post Posted May 13, 2016 Just another update! We just collected our passports and visa packets from DHL and we both have our immigrant visas. We are now on the home stretch, will be flying out to be in Orlando at the latest on June 4th. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
adventurer1 48 Report post Posted May 13, 2016 Congrats, good luck with the final arrangements Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
treverly 30 Report post Posted May 15, 2016 Fabulous and congratulations! Just by the way there is a great crowd of South Africans in that area. Reach out to them for help settling in and learning the ropes. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Eileen 8 Report post Posted May 19, 2016 Congrats guys! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites