annieob

When we were registering my H's car, I was told that I couldn't apply for my DL until I had my GC, even though I had my SSN etc. However you should be able to drive on your UK license for up to a year or until you get our GC (this is what I did). Then when I received my GC I was told I had to get a Leaners Permit and had to have that for 60 days before I could do my practical.

I did my theory test when I applied for my Learners Permit.

I just did my practical two weeks ago, compared to the UK test it was a piece of cake!

I would call your local DMV though and check with them though.

FYI I did mine on the southside of Indianapolis.

here's a question- has anyone lived in the US for a few months and returned on a K1 visa? would that make transitioning less painful? my SO lived here for 3 months when we met. he seemed fairly comfortable and eager to learn. i'm hoping this will make the move a little easier on both of us.

I lived in the US for 13 months, returned home to finish uni and then moved back on a K1. While I'm sure it made some things easier for me (I knew some people here already, it wasn't so much of a culture shock), I still found it difficult. It is hard for me to feel totally dependant on someone, and I still felt lonely and homesick. I have been here 10months and still feel that way sometimes.

Luckily I have a great husband who is understanding and patient and has really helped the transition.

Hannah+Vito – Victor(USC) and Hannah(UKC – Kent, UK) – moving to Los Angeles, CA around Christmas 2008 can you please update us, i prob wont be in the USA, till about feb next year now. thanks

Hi Hannah,

Where in Kent are you from? I'm from Ashford, but I moved to Indiana in June this year. Good Luck with your journey

Ok - this is something I have been tossing about in a couple of other threads as I am beginning to get nervous about my first Christmas away from my family.

To cut a long story short (you can read some of the details in the July 2007 K-1 thread) my Christmas back in England sounds very much like Thanksgiving is here with games, family, big meal but also presents in the afternoon and a buffet in the evening. Obviously in the UK we don't celebrate Thanksgiving.

So if you celebrate Christmas, what do you do? Do you still have turkey? Do you visit friends? Family? Go out? I'm trying to get my head around what people do if Thanksgiving is the big turkey-eating/family orientated session!!

My husband's family christmas is very different from my family...

My family: midnight mass then home for champagne and smoked salmon, late morning breakfast of a fry-up and then open presents, go for a walk, watch some tv etc and then have dinner and drinks in the evening. Dinner is turkey, roast potatoes, veggies, stuffing, gravy. Then christmas pudding.

My husband's family: wake up and have regular breakfast, wait for all family to get there, open presents, have christmas dinner at lunchtime. Lunch consists of beef and potato stew, mashed potatoes, rolls, beef and noodles.....I can't remember what else but it is very very different from what I'm used to and if it weren't for snow and christmas tree's it wouldn't feel like christmas to me at all.

hello everyone! I just want to say thank you for answering all of my past questions here and I must say that this website really helps us a lot!

I have another question again My visa will be here anytime next week... after Halloween. (I hope). All i need to do is attend the CFO seminar and book a flight. Should i just book a one-way flight? and at the POE what kind of questions do they ask? Do they ask how long I intend to stay? Can I say 90 days? coz thats the allotted time i can stay using a fiance visa or say permanently since I will be married to my fiance?

Thanks!

I got a return because it was cheaper, so just buy whatever ticket is cheaper.

All I got asked at POE was when we were getting married. They didn't ask me any other questions. As you have your packet they will know it is a K1 visa so they won't ask how long you will be staying.

<start vent>

Ok so I guess this is 99% a vent and 1% a very quiet non-assuming warning

A little background ...

I've spend a lot of my life travelling on my own - 3 months in the states (summer camp J1) 5 years in a row, 8 months in India, and then finally with the guy, a 18 month stint in Japan.

I've left friends so many times and my family barely remember me being around for important holidays. I've missed babies, 40th's, weddings, blah blah blah all the good stuff.

I spent 4 years with my guy, I guess a good 2 and a half were long distance, with a good year at the end, like most of you, waiting for the visa.

Ok. So if any one is still reading ...

It's hard. It's the hardest thing I've ever done. I love being here with my husband. I don't hate america, but to be honest, Green Bay would never have been my first choice. I miss my family and friends, but I could deal with that if I had the possibility of making new friends but it seems impossible. No job. I am volunteering but everyone else who volunteers are in such a different part of their life (retired) that it makes it so hard to find someone to make you excited. His family and friends are amazing, really fun, open, caring but when it gets down to it, they are his friends. I can't wait for the day that I say to him - "I'm going out for dinner with someone you have never met!". I feel trapped, lonely, and so isolated.

I do know that this is a phase. And that when I get my EAD and a job and a life, things will slowly right themselves. But at the moment, I'm alone, with a cuddley dog, rock band and ... well thats it. Counting the days until I can join the rat race.

<end vent>

It's like I could have written it myself (apart from location). I get on great with my husbands family and friends, but just need some of my own. I know this will change once I start work etc, and have been looking for hobbies etc. So I know exactly how you feel.

And the poor dog isn't going to know whats happening when I get a job she's getting so much alone time with me

Bread and cheese are definitely different....a cheese sandwich to me tastes like sweet bread and plastic cheese! There apparently is a shop in Indianapolis (downtown) that sells real english cheese but I have yet to find it.

I'm having a "missing my mum's home cooking" week though so I'm biased about all food here right now. It doesn't help that I have a fussy eater husband but doing a lot of mine own cooking helps, and I'm slowly introducing him into more things.

THe thing I was stressing out about the other day was cream.....I wanted clotted cream as I was going to make hubby scones, but can't find anything even similar!

nope, I don't think there is anything similar in US stores. But you can get it at World Market if there's one near you, as well as most on-line Brit shops.

When clotted cream is not commercially available, a reasonable copy may be made by combining two parts whole milk with one part whipping (heavy) cream, heating at the very lowest possible heat for a couple of hours until a skin forms, leaving it undisturbed overnight, and then harvesting the skin and its underclots. The remaining milk may be consumed or used in any number of recipes.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clotted_cream

Thank you, I may have to try that

When it asked you this, does it mean

a. You gave them your visa sealed packet and they asked you a few questions, or

b. You were pulled to one side and interrogated etc

I am filling out the i-485 and came through on a K1 visa. THey took my packet and asked when we were getting married, then gave me my i-94 and that was it...so was I inspected or no?

Sorry if this is a really stupid question or has been asked a million times before

Thanks

yeah , you were inspected .you can say yes

Thank you, thats what I thought, I just needed reassurance

When it asked you this, does it mean

a. You gave them your visa sealed packet and they asked you a few questions, or

b. You were pulled to one side and interrogated etc

I am filling out the i-485 and came through on a K1 visa. THey took my packet and asked when we were getting married, then gave me my i-94 and that was it...so was I inspected or no?

Sorry if this is a really stupid question or has been asked a million times before

Thanks

I live in central IN and they have Weetabix at our local Meijer in the 'World Foods' aisle (also where I found my marmite, mmmmm).

I'm loving the Made in Britain site.

THe thing I was stressing out about the other day was cream.....I wanted clotted cream as I was going to make hubby scones, but can't find anything even similar!

Hi we both us this name on here could you add us?

Victor (USC) and Hannah (UKC)- western area of Los AngeleS, CA.~ Hope to be with him by christmas.

thanks Hannah

hey Annie (annieob) I'm from ket too, where abouts are you from B)

Sorry I only just saw your reply...I haven't been on in a while due to moving here and getting married and settled in

I'm from Ashford in Kent...lovely part of the county Where in Kent are you from?

I flew NorthWestern, Gatwick through Detroit and I was allowed 23kg per bag.....i had to pay excess on one bag.

But I also agree with the suggestion that you call the airline and check because all are different.

Safe trip!

I'm from Kent, spent 3 years at uni in Sheffield, been back in Kent for two years until Sunday when I will be making the move to IN.

So how is it they we all came to meet our fiance(e)s/Spouses from the US/UK? I'm thinking a lot of people met online, but I bet just as many hadn't. I met must husband at a party when I was a student in Manchester.

I moved to Indiana for a years work placement/internship as part of my degree. After two weeks I decided I needed a US cell phone, went to the mall, went in every phone place there, and finally decided to get one from the last place. I was in the store ages and talking to the three guys in there, J was apparently chatting me up but I didn't realise After I got my phone he told me that if I needed someone to hang out with or show me around (cheesy but it worked) to give him a call.

A few days later we went on our first date, and were inseperable for the remainder of the year pretty much.

Got engaged after 11 months, 2 months later I had to come back to the UK to do my final year of my degree, and two years after finishing my degree I am finally getting to move back to IN on Sunday

A week on Sunday I will be in Indiana, just outside Indianapolis.

So I'm Annie (annieob) and will be in Indiana from June. I am from Kent in the UK.

Please add me to the list

How much time do you think is appropriate to allow your spouse to "settle affairs" in their home country before coming?

2 weeks

1 month

2 months

??????????

I had to work a month's notice and then am taking a final week to finish sorting things out, when you work full time it can be hard to get everything done just on weekends and evenings. So I will be going over 5 weeks after my interview date.

I think it depends on the person and how much they have to settle.

The pressure is getting to me folks ...

I had a dream last night that I forgot something to take to the interview. I got into the Embassy Ok but couldn't get through into the next area where the interviews were taking place because I didn't have said document. I was thinking "all I need to do is get in there and I'm sorted". It was like one of those dreams where you are running but can't get anywhere and feel helpless.

I didn't think I was THAT stressed out about it ...

R

I had the exact same dreams, that I'd get there and they'd tell me I'd forgotten something, and would get a big fat denied. I must have checked a thousand times the week before that I had everything, and in the end it turned out that I took way more stuff than I needed.

You will be fine. I'm a terrible worrier and really wind myself up about everything, and my interview was fine. I was only in the embassy about an hour, everyone was really friendly...

Good Luck, and easier said than done but try not to worry

I'm going through Detroit Wayne County Metro...do you just have to ask for it as you go through immigration?

That would be a huge help, I didn't even know they existed!

Thank you, that looks great. I'm just looking for something to keep me busy and out of the house while I wait for my work permit

Does anyone know if you are allowed to do volunteer/unpaid work, before you get your work permit?

Thanks

I'm new so not on anyone's list....but had my interview May 2nd 2008 and was approved. I move on June 8th. Its been a long time coming.

Good Luck to all those with interviews coming up, and congrats to those who have already been approved

Just curious for all those who are from the UK why you are choosing to move to the USA instead of your fiance' moving to join you in the USA.

Mark (Xaos) have talked about him moving here vrs us moving there. The main reason for us is me having kids and it would be hard to uproot them. However, because he makes more at his job than I do at mine, we have also talked about the possibility of us moving there if our co-sponsor falls through.

Why are you guys choosing USA over UK?

And if we would have to switch to trying to move to the UK, is there a good website we can look at and is there an income guideline like there is for the USA?

Thanks!

We chose the US for a few reasons:

1. I had already lived there for a year, and therefore knew what to expect, and well as having made my own friends there, versus him just having visited the UK for a few weeks, a couple of times.

2. House prices being a whole lot cheaper.

3. At the time he was more established in his career, and I had just finished university so wasn't going to have to leave my career.

4. Some family issues on his part...he's a very home-y type and while he would be willing to move for me, it would be a lot harder for him, he's never lived anywhere but the town he was born in, whereas I have.

Those were the main reasons for us, but we aren't against ever switching and living in the UK.

Can anyone give me advice for good companies for Health Insurance?

I will need some for between when I arrive and when I get married and get my SS, as I can't go on my future husbands medical insurance until we are married. Obviously I don't want to be without medical cover for that period however short it may be.

Thanks in advance

Thank you...I knew it was a silly question but just wanted to double check