How to apply for Employment Authorization Document (EAD) or Form I-765

How to apply for Employment Authorization Document (EAD) or  Form I-765

This blog is based on my experience of applying for EAD for my spouse. Please be noted that all the content/steps mentioned below are as on 01^st October 2017. Fees/procedure may change in future.

I came to USA from Bangalore/India on L1 visa and my spouse is holding a L2 dependent visa. For H4 applicants it is similar with slight variation in documentation.

If you are in L2 visa, you can apply for SSN number, So before filling for EAD, better to get the SSN number. But this is optional

Form I-765

First you need to fill form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization. You can download from following link:

Download Form I-765

Open the pdf and you can type in the information. Filling is almost straight forward, just fill the appropriate code in question 16. 

I94 form

The Arrival and Departure Record is the I-94, in electronic format, issued by a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Officer to foreign visitors entering the USA

You will also need I94 form for both L1 and L2 visa holders. You can download from below link. Enter your passport number, name, date of birth etc.

Download I94 form

Form G-1145, E-Notification of Application/Petition Acceptance (Optional)

Fill this form if you want to get e notification when the immigration office receives your application. Please click on the link to view the form:

Download Form G-1145

Documents

Completed I765 form

Completed Form G-1145 (optional)

EAD Application Fee check/money order for $410 as on 1^st Oct 2017

Marriage Certificate copy in English

SSN number or ITIN number (Individual Taxpayer Identification Number)

Copy of L1 holder/L2 holder front/back/biographic and visa pages

2 color 2X2 inch photo.

I 94 forms for L1 and L2 holders

I-129S, Nonimmigrant Petition Based on Blanket L Petition for L visa holders

Form I-797, Approval Notice

Pay slip of L1 holder(optional)

Fees

I took money order from United States Post Office(USPS) for $410. You can walk in to any post office and get the money order. They give a empty money order with amount printed on it. You need to write the payee address, your address and propose of money order in memo section. You can pay the amount using debit card and cannot use credit card for payment in post office.

You can also pay the fees with check. My spouse doesn’t have bank account and I don’t have clarity if I can issue check for my spouse fees. Some immigration consultants say it is not a issue. To be safer side, I just went to post office and took money order.

Photo

You need to attach two copy of passport size photo. You can walk in to CVS pharmacy or Walgreens to take a photo. It cost you approx $15 for two copies.

Filling address

The filing address depends on the eligibility category you entered in Question 16 in form I765. Address depends on the state where you live in, category like L2, dependent, H4 holder etc 

https://www.uscis.gov/i-765-addresses

You can post the application form and the documents via USPS post office or FedEx. I used fedex normal courier which costs me $10 and Within 3-4 days courier got delivered.

You will receive the SMS and a postal letter within a week with the reference no.

You can check the status of application with the reference number at the following link:

Check EAD status

Following blogs can also help:

https://4joyofsharing.blogspot.com/2013/09/mission-one-accomplished-my-l2-ead.html

https://redbus2us.com/ead-for-h4-filing-experience-check-list-covering-letter-how-to-guide/

Nursing recruitment process outside india

Nursing recruitment via ODEPC or NORKA roots

Dated: 20 APRIL 2015;

From April 30,2015 Overseas Development and Employment Promotion Council (Odepc) and Non Resident Keralites' Affairs (Norka) have been in charge of recruiting nurses from Kerala to 18 ECR countries.

The central government has issued an order banning overseas recruitment of nurses by private agencies. 

The government order, which will come into effect on April 30,2015 has stated that only an authorized government agency can conduct nursing recruitments. 

Overseas Indian affairs (MOIA) ministry amended immigration rules that permitted recruiting agencies to charge Rs 20,000 as recruitment fee

According to the GO issued on Wednesday, nursing recruitment to a foreign country from India can be done only through a government agency from respective states. 

NORKA Roots and the Overseas Development and Employment Promotion Council (ODEPC) will be entrusted with the job in Kerala. Currently, recruitments to Saudi Arabia are done through the ODEPC. 

Countries to which Odepc and Norka will recruit nursing professionals:

UAE, KSA, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, Malaysia, Libya, Jordan, Yemen, Sudan, Afghanistan, Indonesia, Syria, Lebanon, Thailand and Iraq.

The decision by the central government is expected to put an end to large-scale corruption and cheating by private agencies who recruit nurses from India to various foreign countries, including all the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, after taking huge sums as bribes and commission. 

Register at ODPEC

Register at NORKA ROOTS

Please find below the ODPEC registration process. It may change in future.

You can see more information 

@ http://www.odepc.org/

http://www.jobsnorka.gov.in/

ODPEC registration process

ODPEC registration process

Pl

How to renew/reissue the Passport

I struggled a lot to know the procedure on how to renew the passport on nearing the expiry. Please find the steps what I found for renewal/re-issuance of passport.

First time ever in my life, I am completely satisfied with a service provided by government. I just loved the process and procedure that made my passport renewal a smooth process. Great work done by Central Government Ministry of External Affairs. Thanks to TCS.

My passport just have 3 months to go for expiry. Many countries insist that your passport should have minimum 6 months validity. 

I did most of procedure online for renewal and visited the Passport Seva Kendra for document submission and fees payment. I didn't  contact any agent/agency for assistance and i did all myself.

1) Forms

First, you need to register in the passport's official site. http://passportindia.gov.in

There are two types of forms.You can choose one the forms. Both capture same information, but the way of doing is different. 

• e-Form Submission(preferred)
• Online Form Submission

e-Form is a PDF form where you can fill data. You need to download from the following passport official site

DownLoad e forms

This mode of form does not require internet connection once it is downloaded. You can fill it up any time and  once you are done with filling the form completely, you need to save the xml and then upload to the site using your login.

Online Form Submission mode is filling the details in the website itself and you need uninterrupted net connection.

Choose any of the above modes according to your convenience. If you are not much familiar with internet/computer I recommend to use second mode "Online Form Submission"

Complete details are there in the official website, hence I am not repeating the same here again.

After form submission  you need to book a time/appointment in Passport Seva Kendra. This also can be done online. Login to site, click on "View Saved/Submitted Applications" select the radio button and then click on "Schedule Appointment".

Schedule Appointment

You may get error if you try to book from some internet cafe/office since they use same IP address. In that case, try from a different computer. Try between 5-6 pm in case you get error. 


2) Documents

1.  Print out of appointment, make sure you take good print out, so that the bar code is clear.
2.  Old passport in original.
3. No photos required, photo will be taken in Passport Seva Kendra itself.
4. Copy of first and last two pages of passport.

Optional, applicable if you require any updates in passport.

1. If old passport is ECR required, take 10th/SSLSC copy and original to make ECNR status.
2. If married take a copy of Marriage Certificate and original for verification at Passport Seva Kendra

You can use Document Advisor option once you login to site. For me, to change the status to married, the website asked me to take only attested copy of Marriage Certificate. However, passport officer asked me the original of Marriage Certificate. This made me run to home at high speed on bike and come back. So take all documents ORIGINAL.

3) Fees
 I paid Rs-3500 for Tatkal Passport renewal. You can use the Fees Calculator tool in the website for exact fees calculation. Link is given below.

Fees Calculator

You can pay the fees at the Passport Sava Kendra

4) Process at Passport Seva Kendra

Make sure that you reach on time, show the security the appointment print out and he will allow you to enter the Passport Seva kendra.

Proceed to reception and they will ask weather you have all documents and give you a token number printed on a paper.

There are three set of counters namely A, B and C. There will be many counters like A1, A2, B4, C4 etc. 

First you will be guided to any of A counter.All fees, photo shoot, fees receipt done at A counters.

Once you are done with A counter, you need to proceed to any of B counter.Here, they verify all originals and checks all data you entered.

Finally, for final verification you need to move to C counter. There they will put CANCEL seal on the existing passport. 

Now you are at the exit counter, you will be given the receipt and acknowledgement and you are done.

Make sure that in the receipt the status printed as GRANTED. You will receive the passport in 4-6 working days.

5) General Instructions

1. Make sure that you be on time
2. You can register and complete all online formalities in one day and if you are lucky you can Schedule Appointment next day. You can complete all formalities on that day itself. Hopefully once you are done at Passport Seva Kendra.
3. Take all original documents with you.
4. Website is maintained by Tata Consultancy Services(TCS). They also handle the reception and A counters. They are really helpful and guide you.
5. The Passport Seva Kendra where I went is at Thrichur, Kerala. It doesn't look like a gov office, it looks like a IT company or hi-tech hospital. Very clean, very efficient, helpful officers, very systematic, Great thanks to them!!!!!!!

Nokia Lumia 520 User Review

Finally, I got my new Nokia Lumia 520 Windows  Phone

1) Why Nokia and Windows 8?

I am a fan of Nokia even though my first phone was  Samsung X100. I just love the quality offered by Nokia. My second phone was Nokia 6233 and still I didn't find any phone matching the music quality offered by it!!!! It is still running the 6th year of existence. Just changed the battery once.

Windows 8 is very new with new UI ,look and feel. I just want to experience the new METRO or tile style of displaying the icons. A complete new style!!!

In 10 to15K range its a good choice and I just decided to go with Nokia 520.

2) Price

I paid rs 10500 for the phone and 200 for the screen guard  Total I paid 10700 in the month of April 2013. I bought from UniverCell in Kerala for 3 months EMI. 


3) What I liked

• 4" Display and Contrast is too goood!!! 
• Overall phone is pretty fast. No delay 
• For 10k you get Windows 8, Dual-core 1 GHz , RAM: 512 MB(I felt it is bit less), internal memory: 8 GB(awesome), 
• Tile style is good, easy to locate and tap
• Camera quality is very good outside, inside is average.
• Remember phone SIM card type is Micro SIM, hence you need to cut your SIM explicitly to suit this phone. 
• Sleek, fit into hand and pocket perfectly.
• Music quality is average. Headphone good.

4) What I Disliked

• No file manager. You cannot see/browse the files in the phone or SD card. A very big disappointment from Windows.
• Battery is not as good as what I expected. If you play around the phone during travel for 3-4 hours, battery will drain up fast. Mostly I used Nokia Maps(GPS) and other apps
• Tough to get familiar with functions like moving images to SD card, Locating the file moved to phone via blue tooth(still I didn't find the way), Share via Bluetooth etc 
• Slight and moderate heating at the back on continuous usage
• Takes time to get used to the new menu and finding the appropriate options!!!

5) Useful Windows 8 Tips

• To close the apps/window- tap the back button twice
• To see the task Manager - Tap and hold back button
• To close the background tasks - Settings-> Application tab and tap on background tasks. It will save battery and data charges
• To save photos to SD card - Settings->System tab-> phone storage
• To change the icon size in tile screen, press and hold the icon.

6) Other Website reference

•  Nokia website - Spec
•  Nokia Beta Labs
•  Windows 8 Phone Apps India
•  Windows Apps list

7) Windows Apps which I use

• HDFC Bank - For mobile banking.
• IndianRail - For train timings, train location, Fare, PNR status etc
• WhatsApp - Smart Phone messenger
• facebook - social networking

• gMaps - Ultimate Windows Phone client for Google Maps

  
  

Kerala Nurses and Midwives Council Registration Process

Here is the procedure to register in Kerala Nurses and Midwives Council

1) Online Registration.(Update on 18 July 2014)

It seems that KNMC started online registration from June 2014 onwards.

You can try @ https://www.knmc.org/

Instructions in malayalam can be found at:

https://www.knmc.org/GeneralInstructions.pdfa

Below instructions are for normal walk in registration in old fashion before June 2014

2)Reaching Kerala Nurses and Midwives Council

Address:

Kerala Nurses and Midwives Council,
Red Cross Road, Vanchiyoor
Thiruvananthapuram - 695 035
Kerala.

Once I called the below numbers, but no one picked. you can try your luck.

 0471 2774100 -2774113 (13 line)
Fax:0471-2307337
E-mail:registrarknmc@gmail.com

Get down at Trivandram Central (code-TVC)  railway station(thampanoor) and catch an auto, its 2-3 km. They will charge 25-30 rupees.   Land Mark is near General Hospital. Half a kilometer from there.

Dental and Medical councils are also in the same building. We did registration for outside Kerala nurses. I think for those who studied in Kerala, procedure is same. Outside Kerala nurses require registration certificate from respective nursing council

3) Documents Required

Take 2 attested copies of following

1. Degree/provisional  certificate
2. SSLC
3. Course Completion
4. Mark lists
5. Registration certificate from respective nursing council (for outside Kerala nurses). If you studied in Karnataka, registration certificate from KNC Karnataka.
6. Photos

4) Fees 

  

You need to take DD or chalan for 1000 rupees. You can take the chalan at nursing counsel itself as they have provided a small branch of SBT.  Total is Rs 1010 (1000  + Rs 10 for chalan commission)

 Be prepared to wait in a long queue to take chalan

5) General Notes

1. The office is located in top floor of 3 storied building. 
2. First get the application form and chalan form from the counter 3rd floor.
3. FIll the chalan form and got to the ground floor SBT branch and pay the fees amount.
4. It will take 2-3 hrs for the whole process
5. Make sure that you take all copies(2)  of documents duly attested by the KERALA gazetted officer.
6. After filling the form, submit the forms with all documents and chalan to the counter.
7. Collect the acknowledgment after submitting the form.
8. Process is over and they will sent the registration certificate thru mail. 
9. Saturday is holiday for SBT branch and normal working hours is from 10.30 am too 1.00 pm
10. I tried to do online registration thru their website, but no information on how to fill. Hence, I felt that it is absolutely waste!!!!. In case someone already did online registration, please let me know. Put the comments below.
11. Mostly, registration process will get over by 12-1 pm and if interested, you can visit nearby Zoo and Museum. Its 2 km from nursing council . Monday is a holiday for Zoo.
    If you are interested you can have a walk via Palayam Road. You can see ChandraSekar Stadium and Palayam Church and Mosque.

6) Other websites

•   Kerala Nurses and Midwives Council - Website of KNMC which is an  autonomous body under the Government of Kerala, Health and Family Welfare Department
•   Location of KNMC on google map  

• Nurses’ council derecognises outside degrees

7) Application forms download

       If you want to download the forms and instructions , please click on the following link:

      Download Application Forms

8) When you will get Registration Certificate?

   You may get the registration certificate in one month. But, for us it took around two months. After we submitted the application, it seems the certificate is generated in 10 days as I see the date in the certificate. But I don't know why it took two months. They sent us in speed post to the address we mentioned in the application form

The validity of the nursing certificate is 5 years.

Please add comments if you find any corrections or other useful information

My blogging site, please have a look !!!!

http://rajishps.blogspot.com/