Kirsten UK

From what I have read, for a child under 14 you only have to pay for biometrics, but they are not required to have an appointment...what a rip-off!!

Thanks Y&J!!

I sent mine off yesterday

1: Since receiving my EAD it took 3 months, but two of those months were a never ending interview and screening process!

2: I think #2 was how did I find the job.....online

3: Full time

4: Postgraduate

5: My first job was for the police answering 911 calls....

6: How long did you have your first job for?

I lasted 4 weeks of training before I quit....I hated it and I had finally got an interview for a job I was qualified and experienced in.

yes you need to put her , if she had also conditional green card she need to be put in so that her condition can be lifted , if you dont then you will have trouble with her status hope this help .............

one thing else do check that if she need a biometric or not if yes then you hav to add the fee of biometric of your child along $590+ bio hope this help

Thanks! I think regardless of age I have to pay for her biometrics...she will be under 14 at the time they receive the packet but from what I read on earlier topics related to K2 they still charge for children under 14 even though she will not be required to go for another biometric appointment!! Either way, she turns 14 in November so its safer for me to pay as I don't know when they are likely to schedule the appointment.

Doesn't your daughter have her green card by now? If she has her green card and has adjusted status from her K2 you'd list her PR status

Good luck

yes, we both have our 2 year greencards/marriage based, so she's listed as PR now? May I ask, what does that stand for?

Permanent resident! Sorry, I just figured that out....thanks for answering my question, i appreciate it!

Hi, i'm filing a joint petition to remove conditions on myself and my daughter. In part 5, where it asks for address and current immigration status for children, do I list her as K2? Sorry if it seems like a stupid question, but this section wasn't completed in the example forms......thanks for any advice!

Thanks for the responses. Has anyone else been in a situation like this with success?

Hi, sorry if this is in the wrong forum.

I have a question. My daughter and I are about to file for Removal of Conditions next month. In September we are planning to go back to the UK for a week or two. My daughter's UK passport is due to expire in April 2012 - while we are back in the UK can I get a new passport (I would make an appointment to get the passport at the passport office same day)for her without encountering any problems travelling back to the States afterwards with a different passport? Also, if I don't renew the passport would it be a problem with the fact that the UK passport will barely be valid for 6 months we we arrive back in the states? Thanks!

Kirsten

Oh right. We were thinking close to the same lines, but not exactly!

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Well, sorry for the delay in getting back on here. The matter was resolved quote quickly when the rather arrogant HR rep came to see me and showed me the e verification document. Despite stating several times that SHE had not made a mistake, she had omitted my middle name from the online data entry and thus my I9 was rejected as it did not match my full name on my ss card. Had the HR rep been any good at her job she would have known that a full name is required by law for all SSN's. Still, she did not believe me and I had to call the SS office and they confirmed the error. Once I told her this she resubmitted the I9 and it was approved! Thanks to all of the replies, it wS such a stressful time! I've now been at work for 8 weeks and love my job.

Hi, well after 9 months of being here I have finally got a job in my profession doing what I love. I have just had my first two days of corporate orientation and am due to start in my new department tomorrow. Today I got a call from my HR Compliance Department to say the I-9 form I filled out last week for DoHS work authorization has been rejected as the information I put on it does not match the information they have on file! I'm absolutely stunned, all I put on there was my alien number, SS number, DOB etc, I can't think how I could have got that wrong? I also asked if it was maybe a keying error and the HR rep told me quite rudely that she had not made a mistake! This is my second job since getting my greencard.

I called DoHS and they don't have access to the info as its filed under the employer and I would have to make an info-pass appointment to query anything.

What i'd like to know is has anyone else had a problem with the I-9 form? I know getting a SS card was very hard, it was referred back to DoHS twice! I have to wait two more days before I can meet the HR rep to look over my form and to get the letter from DoHS to explain what I need to do next and i'm so worried now that my job is in peril, I have 8 business days to sort this mess out before my offer of employment is revoked and I really don't need this hanging over my head before my first day on the job tomorrow

I looked into it and decided not to as you have to pay taxes/duty if your belongings arrive before you do. I used an international shipping company and they took care of everything, it was far simpler, but there still was alot of paperwork involved. If money is not an issue go for it.

I got my EAD in September and started looking for work then in my profession. By the end of October it was obvious that there were no jobs locally in my field so I started applying for alot of jobs including at the local supermarkets and banks and various stores. I never heard anything about these applications I think probably due to my qualifications. I applied for a job with a local police department in November and after 3 long months of their rigorous application process I started my first job yesterday, 7 months exactly after arriving in the states and 4 1/2 months after getting my EAD.

Well, i'm starting work on Monday for the Police Department/Emergency services. Its not what i'm qualified to do but its a good job and I need one - i've been here 7 months!

Twinings over here is vastly over priced and sold in ridiculously small quantities. Bi-Lo sells Tetley, english style or strong and is cheap, you can get the boxes of 80. It is nowhere near as strong as a proper english black tea and needs stewing for a good 5 mins to get the taste/colour. So two bags would probably bet better. Also, Bi-Lo sells PG Tips, and its the genuine PG tips. My local only sells the 40 size boxes and they cost $5.09 each, I only buy them on offer when its a BOGOF. World Market sells a huge bag of English teabags and its a proper English brand too, can't think for the life of me what its called right now, but it was $9.99 for the sackful - it was a big red bag, similar to the huge bags you'd get in Sainsburys if you ever went there?? Damn, I wish I could remember what brand? I'm getting those next time i'm at Worldmarket though. But to answer your question, I too have been looking for a cheap 'own brand' and have not found any that compare, they just aren't as strong, and I need a strong cuppa in the morning!!

There was only one bit of advice I was given on how to cope before I left by a very good friend of mine who herself had moved to England from South Africa. She said give it 2 years to adjust. Plain and simple, it will take time for it to feel like home when you can pop to the shops and know which brands are best, cheapest or to figure out the coupon systems and to know your way around. I'm clinging on to that advice and am prepared to give it time, it is so vastly different in NC to my former life in and around London that there simply is no point making comparisons, it would only serve to make me homesick.

I have been here 7 months and will finally start work this coming Monday. I did not expect to find a job right away but I did think it would be a bit quicker than this and I never expected to end up in a different field of work after spending most of my adult studying and working in a specific profession. This has been a source of upset for me but I am not going to give up, I WILL find a position that suits me, but I realise now it will simply take alot longer than I had hoped.

Driving. Well, I had never driven before I moved here as you don't need to when you work in London. So in October I got my permit and a week ago I got my license. I am still a very nervous driver and driving here on those huge multi-lanes and inter-sections terrifies me. When I have a bit more experience under my belt i'm sure i'll be able to enjoy the shopping out here a bit more and regain some of my independence. I feel like others that it is key to settling in here as the country is so vast and spread out that you have to drive in order to do even the most basic of tasks.

Friends. Well, I have my husbands friends and their wives, but they are not my friends, lovely though they are. Hopefully when I start work I will meet new people and have the opportunity to make friends of my own, but this again will take time to build relationships up to the level of my 'old' friends back home, and yes, it is still home. I have been quite isolated these past 7 months due to where I live and my inability to drive, but I do feel I have coped well with it and have kept busy by cooking, studying from home, and looking for work constantly online. Its amazing what you can find to do at home when its all you have. Facebook has been a godsend too.

Children. My daughter, who is 12, has settled in well. I can't think what could have happened if she hadn't, I don't honestly think I allowed myself to even consider it. She has made friends at school, is adjusting to the school system and has the most wonderful relationship with her new grandparents here. She is so close to my parents that that has been the hardest thing for her, not seeing them, especially at Christmas, it was bitter-sweet. But we call each other at least once a week for a very long chat and will in time be able to go home to England once a year. My Mum is planning to come and visit in the summer and we can't wait. I miss my father terribly but he is not well enough for the flights, so that bothers me immensely, so I feel an urge to go home constantly just to see him.

It didn't take me long to adjust to the climate - about as long as it takes to get off the plane and walk outside - I love it! I'm a sunbird and am never too hot, I can't wait for those 90 degree days to come back around!! The scenery, space, house, cost of living and way of life are all so wonderful, I love it for what it is and the beauty of NC never fails to amaze me. Its so different to my little part of Blighty, and I look forward to the day that it all seems 'normal' or just familiar.

So, after all my waffling, my only advice is this - give it time, don't expect things to work out overnight. I'm sure my friend is right, 2 years seems reasonable to me.

As for shopping, I still believe you can't beat ASOS.com for fashion, $6 international shipping and it arrives within a week. Maybe thats whats kept me going hehe!!

What are they like? I haven't tried them yet.

Well, most are 'Franks', which are fine if you want a hotdog, but not so nice if you fancy toads or just in gravy. The closest I came are 'breakfast' sausages, thin little sinnewy things that go a strange greyish brown colour, yuk! I'd love a nice pack of Wall's right now, my poor daughter misses them more than me. If there was a butchers round here I might be able to do better at finding something similar, but i'm out in the sticks in NC with no butchers in sight.

I'm over the ####### bread, what i'm still struggling to come to terms with are the dreadful sausages, why can't you buy proper bangers over here??!!!!

I can totally understand the time its taking to find work, I have been here 7 months and will start my first job on Monday - in a totally different field to what I am qualified and experienced in and for a tiny fraction of what I am capable of earning. I'm so sorry you find yourself in this predicament now, it must be very stressful for you and your husband and the last thing you need after recently getting married. It seems to me that everything workwise here takes far far longer than in the UK, it has been 3 months since I initially sent in my application for my job until I start work - there may not be a quick solution to your problem. I sincerely hope things work out for you soon, he must keep trying to find work, but like me he may need to look outside his field in order to get some income. Good luck

Hi, I used Seven Corners for the first 6 months for my daughter and myself. We are now on my husbands work policy. I wouldn't recommend them as when I needed to see a GP, all the practices here in NC were very suspicious of the company as they had never heard of them before and it would have required them to do alot of paperwork every time we went to see the Dr. Fortunately we managed without a GP but it was reassuring to have it in case of an emergency (which it is much better for). For pre-existing conditions or if there is any chance you may fall pregnant within the first year of the policy then it would be prudent to be added to your husbands work insurance instead. Good luck finding the right policy!

We use Nationwide as my sister-in-law works there. I don't know if I could have got it cheaper elsewhere as my brother insists on helping his sister out by using her. I'd still go ahead and use an internet search engine for insurance quotes.

Not sure, just thinking of any possibilities, have you got a NHS medical card? They are usually given out at birth but you could probably get a copy? It has your NHS number on it and is proof of entitlement to NHS care. I would contact your GP in the UK and ask for one. Good luck!

We do have two vehicles - one 1995 chevy truck and a new Honda. I was added as a driver to the old truck, that was the cheapest option. It basically doubled the insurance, so effectively I pay as much as my husband did before he added me, which if you look at it like that doesn't seem too bad. Its still alot of money but I read on here a long time ago that NC class all immigrant drivers the same regardless of how long they have been driving abroad, and I had never driven anything before October! Compared to what I would have paid in the UK, $800 a year for me isn't bad at all!

What a coincidence, my husband added me to his insurance policy on Friday so that I can take my driving test on Tuesday. I had never driven anywhere before I moved here and basically by adding me to his beaten up old truck (rather than our nice new vehicle) the insurance simply doubled....so he was paying something like $400 every quarter or six months (can't remember how often) and now its just a tiny bit over $800 per period. Hope this helps. His sister is in the insurance business so took care of it for us. That was the cheapest we could do it. Oh, and we put me down as for leisure use only as I don't have a job yet (that would cost more if you say you'll be driving to work).

The NHS is still very bad at charging non-UK residents for care at the point of delivery, however, this is starting to change and if she is in the unfortunate position of needing hospital care whilst in the UK, be warned that they may well put their hand out for payment via insurance or some other means. As long as your wife can obtain an NHS number she should be ok. I myself have insisted at times that people who are not eligible for NHS care that is free at the point of delivery pay (as a former NHS employee). She would need to register with a GP upon arrival in the UK, many GP's are so overwhelmed by foreigners that they know how to play the system to get people the required NHS number so as to get them out their door ASAP. It is a sad state of affairs that people such as yourself are so willing to cheat the system and even brag about 'hoodwinking' on here. Just because you paid your NI for years does not make it ok for your wife to obtain free healthcare. The NHS is dreadfully underfunded and is a wonderful resource that needs to be protected to ensure its future so that it may keep UK residents/citizens healthy.

The easiest and most honest thing to do is simply take out travel insurance before you go, that way if she gets sick shes covered, no problem, and it won't cost very much at all if you do some research.