khunconan

What program do you want to apply to (e.g., clinical, social, etc.)? Do you want to be a researcher or practitioner? How much research experience do you have? Do you have posters or publications under your belt? Most of the Ph.D. programs in the U.S. are very research-oriented so you need to have a very strong research background. Applying to Ph.D. programs can be excruciating. You need to have realistic goal and plan. Only a driving force is not enough to get you into a Ph.D. program in this country.

The answer depends on how competitive the programs are. If you will be applying to very competitive ones, your GRE may not pass the (unofficial) cut-off. Looking at the average scores posted on a program's website may help. Regarding your question, GRE is important in the very first stage where adcom need to "screen out" applicants. Once you pass that stage, GRE will be much less important. So, again, it really depends on the programs you want to apply. Some programs, especially competitive ones, will throw your app right away just because of you GRE scores. Some programs will still look at other aspects of your app (publications, presentations, research experience, etc) and if they are strong enough to outweigh your relatively low GRE, you definitely have a decent chance for those programs. Actually you GRE is not that low. It is even considered high for some mid-ranged programs. I think you just need to apply wisely. That is, apply to both "dream" programs and "safe" ones. Good luck!

If you have known it already, that's great. When you said " I'm applying to several EdS programs which are 3 years long but you don't get your green card until staying in the States for 5 years" I'm just afraid you misunderstand about how to get a green card. So need to correct it just in case. I am not in the school psych field so honestly I am also not sure about your case. You need to check whether just getting a license requires citizenship/residency. In terms of getting a job, it depends on what you want to do. For example, I don't think you will be able to find government-related jobs. Again, I am not in the field so take my comment with a grain of salt!

Fortunately, you don't need a green card to study in the U.S. International students stay in the U.S. with a student visa called F-1 visa. Once you get accepted, a school will send you an I-20 and you will use it to apply for F-1. Also, you will not get a green card by just studying in the U.S., regardless of how long you stay there. In other words, even studying 10 or 100 years in the U.S. will never automatically make you a legally permanent resident.