Melancholic Mage

@laylalex I finally put on some make-up! 

Did it for Thanksgiving. It looked okay I think... had some nice smoky eyeshadow in the corners of my eyes that bled to silver, with a few hiccups here and there. (Some mineral powder that went, well, everywhere. I'm learning.)

But... I ended up looking like a panda at the end. Not sure if it was too much mascara dusting from my lashes, or the eyeliner smudging? But I ended up having black sleep in the corners of my eyes and it just... blotched. Very attractive. And no, I didn't rub at my eyes at all. 

Only grace was I had glasses on to hide the worst of it, but pretty much hid the rest of the night once I noticed. Also had sister-in-law try some weird nail dip varnish on me and it's all terribly chipped after a few days. Because I'm a heavy-handed working woman who doesn't go give a flying duck about my nails at the best of times: I have a job to do, I do it. And now I can't get this blasted stuff off. 

Don't think I'm cut out for this stuff. Suggestions going forward? 

@banang Here is what I was given to me directly from Visa Medicals and is also what they follow in terms of CDC requirements:

https://www.cdc.gov/immigrant-refugee-health/media/pdfs/Vaccine-Requirements-According-to-Applicant-Age-panel-physicians-p.pdf

If your Covid jab was over 6 months ago, yes, you will need another one. You can pay Boots for one who will give you a vaccination slip with the date, time, and dose with batch ID listed. They will accept this. 

If you have not finished your two dose 'course' of jabs for Covid immunity, you will have to do this to fulfil requirements. If you have had zero Covid jabs, you will have to get two or the jab that is a designed single shot to be classed as protected. Otherwise, it's boosters from here on out. 

Children's ages are listed here. I don't have much knowledge on children and their requirements as I have yet to have any, but they will follow this sheet. Hope this helps. 

I'm still waiting on my green card and entered around 5 months before my 2 year anniversary. If I get a USCIS slip up 10 year green card, I'll update here. 

I personally think this is an error however. Your lawyer shouldn't be so flippant about your worries. It's hard to say what USCIS will do - they may just let the error slide or they may pin it on you if left unreported. I would try and contact them for clarification. 

What happened to others users may not fall in the same way for you. 

2 hours ago, terence85 said:

Hi all, I'm 38 year old male from the UK who's just been scheduled a visa interview date for the IR-1 visa, and looking to arrange the medical examination before I attend the interview, which will take place Jan 2025.
When checking the vaccine requirements with my local doctor, he seemed unsure what I'll need exactly as he said the list is too generic. This has left me at square one and quite confused.

When cross referencing this link with my vaccine records, it appears I'll need the following:

- Covid

- Influenza

- Hepatitis B

- Tdap/Td (last time I had the DT/Polio booster was Apr 2000)

My question is, does anyone have recent experience with the medical examination, including which vaccines are absolutely required regardless of how young/fit you are? i.e. how case-by-case basis is the decision on each required vaccine? For instance, Hepatitis B in the UK is only recommended when travelling to a high risk country, have liver disease, HIV, or a job that puts you at risk. Is this not the case for the US?

 

Hoping someone can give me some insight so I can be as prepared as possible.

 

Thanks!

I compiled my entire experience of the visa medical in London here, along with vaccination requirements. The influenza jab is seasonal, so since it's around flu season you may need this as opposed to my own experience. 

I had to pay for Covid vaccinations at Boots, and paid for my Hepatitis vaccinations on the day to be administered. I hope this thread helps:

3 hours ago, banang said:

Hi All, if I don't have vaccine records, do they do blood test to check the antibodies and suggest which vaccine is required? Thanks

Hi Benang, I don't believe so. They want to see a full GP summary/patient care record so they can assess which vaccines you've had and which ones you haven't. They worked their way down that list with my own medical. The few I was missing were administered to me then and there for a fee. 

They do not give Covid boosters/vaccinations and will send you away to another clinic or a Boots store close by to get one. The only blood test I know of is one taken by the doctor there and it's mainly to check for any serious conditions - not antibodies.

If you have no vaccination records at all, I doubt you will get past the receptionist as it's a listed requirement. 

My heart goes out to all other ladies diagnosed with PCOS. I've never been slim and was diagnosed six years ago to have PCOS. Since meeting my now husband I'm doing a lot better in terms of my diet. My condition has improved drastically but the hirsutism is sadly irreversible (and very annoying not to mention harmful to self-esteem). 

I just cut out carbs where I can. I didn't try any kind of fad diet or doctor's advice. (UK doctors are useless to be frank.) I don't eat rice (cauliflower rice is my substitute now), chips/fries, or crisps/potato chips. I drastically slew my chocolate intake which was the biggest kicker for me. 

On occasion I'll have some mash, or a few choc-coated blueberries, and I can't help but have some bread here and there. (Texas Toast is a favourite discovery of mine!) But the difference I feel is noteworthy since I altered my diet. And (sorry T-Bone) but my time of the month isn't nearly as heavy as it used to be, which is common with PCOS. 

Also look into myo-inositol supplements. They have some online/on Amazon specifically for PCOS sufferers. 

10 hours ago, icyparsnip said:

 

Opinions please

 

This year I visited the US 5 June-6 July and 16 Sept-14 October. I am sending off K1 petition next week and I want to visit on an ESTA 31 December - end of February/early March. 

 

Possible red flag? Would this trip cause issues at CBP? Is it too long?

I had a similar experience and visited the US for months at a time to see my spouse. I was questioned by CBP officers why I had stayed so long in the past.

The biggest one, the max three months ESTA allowance for Thanksgiving and Christmas, was mainly on account of myself and my husband receiving a no-fault eviction notice and losing our flat in the UK after 4.5 years there. We did nothing wrong: landlady wanted to sell so we got kicked out. Simple as that. Lovely UK government does nothing to protect honest tenants.

With no room at my parents for both of us and too little time to find somewhere new given minimum notice, and with us awaiting a visa interview appointment to boot with no possible way of knowing when it would be, we had to split ways. Stressful isn't the word. 

Of course, this was too long-winded to explain. I got the second degree until I told the CBP that I had an interview scheduled with the embassy for a visa - at this point it had processed through. They didn't let up until I showed them the confirmation letter/email. Nearly made me miss my connecting flight. 

Be as honest as possible: bring payslips, car payment statements, anything that shows ties to your home country. Just incase. Expect scrutiny, and for them to ask the purpose of your stay and why you're visiting so frequently. 

Honesty is the best policy. 

I paid £5 to my old UK provider for an 'add-on' of 50 international minutes. Calling my bank twice and running through security checks with the fraud team ate through 30 of them. 

I had to make two transfers due to daily transfer limits. All together, with a flat £3 fee each time, it cost me £6 to move over all my funds. Add the extra £5 in minutes with my phone plan, it cost me £11 in total. 

Transferred my money through Atlantic. It got to my husband's bank account in the three working days advised, with a base £3 fee that was automatically taken off the transfer since no payment required, and also locked in the exchange rate. (Since GBP has crashed from 1.29 down to 1.26, I was lucky I initiated conversion when I did following US election results and UK budget announcement.)

Had to go through extra verification for a higher transfer limit, and also pay for international minutes as my own bank withheld my payments thinking possible fraud which was a slight headache, but otherwise smooth. All money accounted for, exactly as specified, and on the day quoted. 

Way cheaper than Wise. Hundreds of pounds cheaper. Cannot recommend enough. 

I had someone personally argue that illegals are actually needed to take the jobs that U.S. Citizens won't. That the economy would collapse if deportation should happen. As if this justifies all the possible drug mules, unvetted criminals, child traffickers, and cartel members pouring into the United States. 

There is no reasoning with these people. An open border is bad news for anyone lucky enough to be born here, or who have the privilege of being here legally. It's all scaremongering for those who lack skills in critical and objective thinking. Scream in the echo chamber loud enough and by golly it must be true. 

I can't offer much in the way of advice as I'm less experienced compared to others on this forum, but I just want to offer my condolences.

I'm so sorry to hear your husband passed shortly after you went through the grueling immigration process to get in the USA to begin with. It sounds like you've went through a hellish time, but I'm sure your husband would be happy to hear you're settling in his home country and making a good life for yourself here. You sound like such a strong person and I hope things continue to look up for you.

Just a curious question for others related to the topic: I thought when you took US Citizenship you had to make a pledge of allegiance and denounce any loyalty to any other country other than the USA. Is this just a formality and the US isn't bothered should you wish to keep dual-citizenship? Also, any children born in the USA between a US Citizen and legal immigrant, would they be allowed to take dual-citizenship or not? 

Don't believe what you read or hear via the media. The unbiased and on-point observations made here make things quite clear what is actually happening on 'ground level'. 

Nothing yet. Trying to deal with proof of address issue which has taken priority in me setting up residency here. I had a thread about it but it had to be closed due to harassment from other members regarding my circumstances. 

I may not bother posting further updates. 

10 hours ago, appleblossom said:

The letter that your SSN comes with should suffice for that. 

Didn't work for me, was point-blank refused. Having the most difficulty with proof of address to the point I'm stuck. Some requirements appear to be State/bank dependant. Good luck. 

1 minute ago, AfrobabeUK said:

So I guess we'll be making our way to our local SSA office next week. 

 

With regards to proof of address, when I asked my husband to put me on some of the utility bills, he stated that the utility companies would want my SSN and only one person could be on the bill. 

It appears opening a bank account and getting a driving license is going to be a bit difficult. 

Hang in there. I'm going through the exact same problems. I made a thread about it recently if you care to look through it, but you're not alone. If you ever need to talk, just DM me.

Just to let you know my SSN came just short of two weeks after I arrived.

If you don't get your SSN after 4 weeks, I would go to your local Social Security Administration office and ask directly for your SSN. Apparently it's 50/50 whether you'll get yours or not through ticking the DS-260 box to request one. Check other threads on the forum.

Also note that at least here where I am, the SSN is NOT a proof of address. The card itself doesn't have your address on it, so when photocopied or documented as evidence, it doesn't apply. This has been what I've been told so far after I brought my card still attached to its USCIS letterhead to the bank. Nope. Not accepted.

Not sure if this is relevant, but when I went to my embassy interview in September, the officer let slip that their systems were in the middle of a transition to newer ones.

I wonder if the additional biometrics that appear to be popping up are related. It could be a system error so a retake is in order, or simply a new requirement to take additional bios for their new interface.

Lv 60 Black Mage here, at least way back when I played. Don't get me started on the Duty Finder.

Treat any interactions with USCIS as a potential employer and you a candidate. Think of this as a job interview. I met my spouse online too, not through an MMO but through gaming-related chat in general, but I know governmental bodies will have zero interest in in-game interactions. Real life takes priority, in all things, so make sure you showcase that in your evidence going forward.

It's important to not only make a good first impression, but to maintain it throughout the immigration process. Good luck. 

@Ontarkie Those carvings are wonderful! That cat tail looks very tricky along with the ghost faces. 

Last pumpkin from me for Halloween. Gotta keep busy while figuring out Green Card and USA ties! Think I'll have a go at carving next year. 

22 hours ago, Moda25 said:

My husband disclosed to me that at his POE, the immigration officer at the airport did not take his fingerprints. Is that not a requirement? Cos I remember mine was taken when I entered 12 years ago. I’m asking because we have been waiting for over 6 weeks for his green card to be produced but to no avail. I have heard about people who received theirs within 4 weeks of arrival. A lady I spoke to entered recently and when he contacted USCIS to change her address, and she asked to go and get her biometrics done before her green card was produced and mailed to her. Could his fingerprints not taken be the reason for the delay? Should we contact the USCIS or wait for the 90 days to pass first? 

I entered early October on CR-1 and iirc I didn't have my fingerprints taken at POE. I was instead escorted into a back office behind the CBP booths and away from the crowds where I went through a more quiet administration process - just a nice man asking me questions behind a computer to confirm things. 

Beginning of fourth week here and no green card. The CBP officer told me it could take up to three months so I'm not concerned yet. I did get my SSN within two weeks however. 

I feel this is all standard given your information and my own experiences at current. 

4 hours ago, OldUser said:

Still takes 1.5-2 years. Fast in USCIS terms, but much slower compared to many people's expectations.

I can vouch for this. Filed I-130 shortly after marriage and it took 1 year and 6 months for me to enter the USA as a LPR. This was without any RFE's and pretty much a smooth process with no catches, so I was possibly one of the faster visa applicants.

And yes, it shocked me since I wasn't prepared at all by how long it would take.

Also, side note, while the 'working immediately' on a CR-1/IR-1 visa is true, it's far from realistic. For example, you need to open a bank account for wages, get a driving license and insurance on a vehicle, then a vehicle itself to actually travel to said job. And this is before you've even applied for any openings, not to mention the hurdle of possible grade transcripts to ones US employers can understand. 

Just be aware that no immigration route is easy by any means. Legal ones, anyway. 

I have a CR-1/IR-1 visa and this is the case as @appleblossom outlined. My visa inside my passport acts as a temporary endorsement for work until my actual green card arrives in the mail - this can reportedly take up to three months. 

Also, you may have other issues before you can work right away. Such as opening a bank account for wages, and getting a driving license and a vehicle to actually commute to said job. But one step at a time! 

From my understanding, if you've had any vaccinations at all then you're going to have a hard time pulling a religious grounds waiver. You have to have documented proof of refusing ANY AND ALL vaccines on ethical or religious grounds. And couple that with documented texts that support your religion being against vaccinations. 

I was strongly against Covid vaccines for personal reasons, and I can very much cite ethical ones as well, but they didn't budge one bit on it.