My Immigration Status

I'm staying here in the US indefinitely.

My application for change of immigration status just got approved (October 4, 2006). This means that I am now effectively on F1 (international student) status in the US. I can stay in the US for as long as I am enrolled as an international student in any USCIS-approved university. If the application was denied, I would have been forced to go back to the Philippines since my previous immigration status (H4) expired when I turned 21.

When I submitted my application, I've had doubts on whether it would be approved. I guessed that the decision would be made sometime between October and November. Hence, I was preparing myself of the possibilities of becoming a balikbayan before the end of the year or having a prolonged and extended stint as a student, this time in a foreign university.

Since I got the latter result, I might as well make the most of it. I am very happy with how my classes are going so far in UCLA Extension. The professors are of top-quality and I think my program, Systems Analysis, is very good. The university's Powell Library also has a vast collection of books that I can take advantage of. The best part, though, is the overall experience of studying in UCLA.