leaving in a month!!

[prettylilraindrop 3]

hey everyone. I now have all my documents and visa and I leave in just under a month!! I was firstly wondering what the big envelope that the CBP officers have to open is? I'm of course not going to open it, just curious haha.

 

Does anyone have any suggestions on what I need to tie up before leaving? I know I need to get a new phone contract in the US. What happens with the bank accounts, I'm with Nationwide, do you think there is a way I can change it to a US account?

 

Also what happens with my doctor notes, for example if I go to the doctors in the US will they have my previous notes, same with dentist and opticians? I currently wear and have glasses, so maybe it's just best to get a copy of my prescription?

 

Will I be able to get health insurance straight away or wait until I get my SS number?

 

Sorry for all the questions, it's just hit me that all these things will need to be sorted and to be honest I'm not sure about half of it!

[Wuozopo 4,285]

50 minutes ago, prettylilraindrop said:

hey everyone. I now have all my documents and visa and I leave in just under a month!! I was firstly wondering what the big envelope that the CBP officers have to open is? I'm of course not going to open it, just curious haha.

It’s all your K1 files from petition through interview including your 4 page medical report. The airport guys forward them to a national storage location. When you apply for AOS, your files are requested out of storage to be paired up with your AOS file.

 

50 minutes ago, prettylilraindrop said:

Does anyone have any suggestions on what I need to tie up before leaving? I know I need to get a new phone contract in the US. What happens with the bank accounts, I'm with Nationwide, do you think there is a way I can change it to a US account?

There’s a thread in this forum addressing things to tie up. https://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/732286-things-to-do-guide-location/

 

I left my UK bank account open and got added to my wife’s US bank account upon arrival.  I use Transferwise to transfer money to US account if needed.  People do all sorts of things, but that’s what I chose. No idea about Nationwide. Ask them.

 

50 minutes ago, prettylilraindrop said:

Also what happens with my doctor notes, for example if I go to the doctors in the US will they have my previous notes, same with dentist and opticians? I currently wear and have glasses, so maybe it's just best to get a copy of my prescription?

No, they will not have your doctor notes. And furthermore, every different doctor you see will not have notes from the other US doctors. We don’t have nationalize health here. Every new doctor will have their own various forms to fill out about your previous medical history. Take anything with you that might help you fill out the forms, like dates of previous surgeries or lists of medications you may be taking.

 

The glasses prescription would be useful in case you break your glasses and just want them replaced without going for a full eye exam. 
 

50 minutes ago, prettylilraindrop said:

Will I be able to get health insurance straight away or wait until I get my SS number?

@yuna628 is the best on insurance questions. She’s tagged and will reply. 
You can apply for your SSN straightaway. There’s a recent thread in this forum with comments about how. 

Edited March 8, 2020 by Wuozopo

[yuna628 9,547]

54 minutes ago, prettylilraindrop said:

hey everyone. I now have all my documents and visa and I leave in just under a month!! I was firstly wondering what the big envelope that the CBP officers have to open is? I'm of course not going to open it, just curious haha.

 

Does anyone have any suggestions on what I need to tie up before leaving? I know I need to get a new phone contract in the US. What happens with the bank accounts, I'm with Nationwide, do you think there is a way I can change it to a US account?

 

Also what happens with my doctor notes, for example if I go to the doctors in the US will they have my previous notes, same with dentist and opticians? I currently wear and have glasses, so maybe it's just best to get a copy of my prescription?

 

Will I be able to get health insurance straight away or wait until I get my SS number?

 

Sorry for all the questions, it's just hit me that all these things will need to be sorted and to be honest I'm not sure about half of it!

An immigrant can obtain insurance in several ways:

 

1) be added to their USC's spouse insurance.

2) buy insurance outside of open enrollment if they qualify for special enrollment (either privately or by using the exchange)

3) buy a temporary insurance until open enrollment is available (keep in mind these usually do not offer pre-existing coverage)

4) Obtain insurance from their workplace.

 

An SSN is not required to obtain health insurance but it will make your life easier, so try and get it as soon as possible. I'm not sure what visa you're arriving on.

Edited March 8, 2020 by yuna628

[Zoeeeeeee 797]

16 hours ago, prettylilraindrop said:

hey everyone. I now have all my documents and visa and I leave in just under a month!! I was firstly wondering what the big envelope that the CBP officers have to open is? I'm of course not going to open it, just curious haha.

 

Does anyone have any suggestions on what I need to tie up before leaving? I know I need to get a new phone contract in the US. What happens with the bank accounts, I'm with Nationwide, do you think there is a way I can change it to a US account?

 

Also what happens with my doctor notes, for example if I go to the doctors in the US will they have my previous notes, same with dentist and opticians? I currently wear and have glasses, so maybe it's just best to get a copy of my prescription?

 

Will I be able to get health insurance straight away or wait until I get my SS number?

 

Sorry for all the questions, it's just hit me that all these things will need to be sorted and to be honest I'm not sure about half of it!

Part of emigration is that you start afresh for pretty much everything. 

 

You may be able to bank with the same company, but you certainly won't be able to convert a UK account to a US one. And as mentioned above, US doctors, dentists, opticians, schools etc - none of them will have any record of you or any access to your previous records. There really is no link from one country to another.

 

I'd recommend thinking about what info would be helpful for your new doctors etc to know and collating that info - medicines you take, conditions you have or have had, tests that you're due to have and when (things like smear tests etc).

 

I wouldn't worry so much for your dentistry records, as any work you've had done should be identifiable by an examination/xray and the same for any work you need doing.

 

I'd suggest getting new immigrant insurance before you go, to cover you for emergencies for the first month, whilst you're sorting our your long term insurance.

 

 

[TriloByte 1,818]

On 3/8/2020 at 11:36 AM, prettylilraindrop said:

hey everyone. I now have all my documents and visa and I leave in just under a month!! I was firstly wondering what the big envelope that the CBP officers have to open is? I'm of course not going to open it, just curious haha.

 

Does anyone have any suggestions on what I need to tie up before leaving? I know I need to get a new phone contract in the US. What happens with the bank accounts, I'm with Nationwide, do you think there is a way I can change it to a US account?

 

Also what happens with my doctor notes, for example if I go to the doctors in the US will they have my previous notes, same with dentist and opticians? I currently wear and have glasses, so maybe it's just best to get a copy of my prescription?

 

Will I be able to get health insurance straight away or wait until I get my SS number?

 

Sorry for all the questions, it's just hit me that all these things will need to be sorted and to be honest I'm not sure about half of it!

 

As far as I know, bank accounts can't be changed in the UK to American ones. What I did was close my two Lloyds bank accounts, I rang the bank to explain I was emigrating and they closed them. But you can leave them open if you want.

 

You'll need to go in person to a bank in America and show them all your paperwork. They take you into a little room and go over everything for about 40 mins. If everything's in order then they'll open you a new account. They won't do it without your American social security number.

 

No doctor, dentist or optician in America will have your UK records. They won't trace them, they don't care about tracing them, I don't think they even can do it. They'll take you at face value. You'll have to start over from the beginning. But I suppose you could print out some info and take it with you to show new practitioners.

 

Health insurance will take a while. I can't remember exactly but it was a pain and took quite a while. Try not to fall over and break your leg or whatever for the first few months. 

 

Basically you are starting over where nobody knows you, and as if you have no past. Nobody cares about your past aside from your spouse or some people that will chat out of novelty because you have a British accent, and even then there will be no real help for all these kind of practicalities - you will have to sort every step yourself. 

 

Edited July 3, 2020 by TriloByte

[Ermehgerdd 172]

3 hours ago, TriloByte said:

 

 

Woof. Nearly thought I missed something seeing a K1 stating they got approved and were leaving in less than a month. I had so many questions until I saw the date.  This post was nearly 4 months ago, dude.