mmb

Thank's for the replies, I was willing to bet it would be a scam but thought maybe things here might not be what I was used to. I'm glad it looks like my instinct was the right one.

Although I've spent a fair bit of time here in America there are so many normal day to day things I know nothing about.

Can anyone tell me if it's normal in America for Employment Agencies to charge fees to job seekers. At home I would expect any costs to be covered by charging the employer but I just ran accross an agency that wants $495 upfront and guarantees work.

It smells like a scam but I don't know if this is normal practice here. My husband is no help as he has next to no experience with agencies.

Great news and the forms aren't that bad.

Hope everything goes through smoothly.

Maggie

I waited a bit over two weeks to file for mine but was not yet in the system. A week after I applied I got a letter to sayI have been issued a social security number and the card will be posted out in two weeks. All I have to do now is wait two weeks.

And for all those wasted years they were just giving out bread for communion.

Next time I hear a priest say "Body of Christ' this chocalholic will say a loud Amen

That's great to know, I'll check out my local Target, I always liked Boots stuff as I'm often allergic to make up and they do a good hypo-allergic range. Thanks for telling everyone.

I also got a request for more infrmation, sent it back abd had my police check week later, I assume they had a hit on the name and were checking to make sure they had the right person.

He should get the court records for his cautions as he does have to declare them on the form and will be asked for records. I wasn't able to produce records due to court records from the time I was charged having been destroyed but took official letters explaining this. I was asked about thiis brifly during my interview.

Pompey, reminded me of my hmmmm youth, coming out of Jo's at 2am rat arsed lol after doing the table top dancing lmao. Sadly all that behind me and Jo's is now closed I believe, ah well the good ole days.

Once in there was enough. Too many drunken ratings and three of my colleagues on a desperate search for officers.

I was home, sober, and tucked up in bed by 10:30.

Fish & Chips

Decent chips is what I miss, I can get decent battered fish at least, but its the chips that are the killer.

Indian Food

Quite simply, I've learned to make this myself! Its not that hard once you get into it. I did have a fantastic curry in Philadelphia the other night. If anyone is in the area, I highly recommend "Karma" in Old Town Philadelphia (Walnut St IIRC), its a bit expensive - but worth it.

Decent Chinese

Meh. Go to any chinatown in America and you can get this. Chinese food in the UK is way overpriced compared to here as well, and I'm not convinced its any better. Depends where you live really.

Full english breakfast (eggs,bacon,fried bread,mushrooms,beans,sausages ect)

I can almost exactly duplicate this apart from the sausages (my local shop sells Heinz Beans). Although I found some sausages now that actually do the job quite well. They're called "Bob Evans Original Links", are proper sausage size, and nice and herby.

Big fat chocolate easter eggs

Real Bread and anchor butter

Wegman's Farmhouse Bread and Kerrygold butter (both within arms reach of each other at my local Wegmans.

So I guess my vote, if I had to pick one, would be Fish and Chips. There simply isn't an experience like it outside of the UK, IMHO.

I'm in the Philly area and never seen a Wegmans, I'm going to find one ASAP, I need some real bread and butter.

I've only been here two weeks and am getting nostalgic for food shopping in Pompey. I never thought that would happen to me as I spent so much time there missing what I could get at home in Scotland.

I will leave advice about your wife's immigration status to others, it's irrelevant to the real issue, the safety of you and your child.

This woman has assaulted you, scarred as well as scared you, frightened your mother and threatened your child. You child must be protected from her. Get sworn statements from everyone who has witnessed this behaviour, talk to a professional about her oputbursts as this will be more evidence you can use to protect your child.

You have said her outbursts are unpredictable, she can't be trusted with your child. You need to make sure you have all the evidence you need to make sure you have custody and that she has no unsupervised access. Get you evidence together, get a restraining order and get her out of your baby's home ASAP.

You have to put your child first before anyone or anything in your life.

He needs a wife!

It could be worse. He could've turned into a serial rapist.

A Wife? Are you crazy?

This guy likes sex with dead things!

**'s sake, I'm an American...I wouldn't start a thread to specifically bag on Americans. It was meant in lighthearted fun, nothing more nothing less. No pizzing contests of 'which country is better/has less ignorant people' and frankly, anyone who knows me here should know I'm VERY proud of my country and wouldn't start an anti-American people thread.

In FACT....both those questions I opened this thread with were both asked by NON AMERICANS. And like flutter says...even if they were asked by Americans...they're funny questions. Why can't we just have a fcuking laugh?

I am so ####### i n g sick of every thread turning into b u l l s h i t. I realize I am very cranky tonight and I am quite overworked, but this is just annoying the ####### outta me. This thread wasn't meant to offend anyone or have anyone get their panties in a wad. And once again, IT WAS NOT MEANT TO BAG ON AMERICANS. I happen to be one of them. That would be stupid, wouldn't it?

Personally Lisa I think it's a great idea for a thread, I've not had many dumb questions asked of me but I am reading what others post.

Those people who have a problem just lack your great sense of humour.

Maybe if they feel the need to balance the books they can go open their own thread about the dumb questions foreign fianc(e)es/ spouses ask about America. I have asked enough of those myself. I would probably enjoy a thread like that just as much and have some of my own ignorance to contribute.

I had a minor convoction from my past as well, I got letters from the local courts explaining there were no records as the crime was so minor ( buying a round of drinks for friends who were not all 18). I also included a letter from the Procurator Fiscal stating the same.

At the interview I provided the written evidence as well as my letters asking for information and was asked about the details which I filled in easily. I assured the consular officer I no longer drink (almost true). She was very happy to hear that. I had used the visa waiver in the past many times, I wasn't asked about that at all.

If you can get written information about your caution from the local police then take it with you. I found staff in the court in the area where I was charged were very helpful when I told them what I needed and why. I think they get a bit mushy at the idea of helping a couple in love to get married

Slavery and trafficking happens all over the world including America.

Thankfully there are still abolitionists working hard in america today.

Not For Sale

I did interfere with someone caught in one of these scams, I did it by contacting New Scotland Yard as the guy in America was about to transfer money to a fake bank in London. New Scotland Yard detectives contacted the guy, told him that if he sent the money he would be breaking Federal Law as he was providing funds for organised crime. (according to the detective I spoke with this is correct)

The outcome was a nice guy, a friend of a friend of mine saw saved from losing over $25 000 but he has refused to speak to his friend ever since, and thinks I'm an evil interfering b*tch.

I would still do the same again.

You can only do what you believe to be best at the time, if you think differently later then resolve to act differently if you find yourself in the same situation.

I opened 2 accounts with citzens bank here before I had my SSN.... when I wanted money transfered from my UK account I just write myself a UK check and pay it into my US account... it clears in 3 days and has a very small charge... Citizens Bank is part of the Bank of Scotland Group...

Kez

Citizens Bank is not part of the Bank of Scotland group but part of The Royal Bank of Scotland group, two very different banks.

While I have had nothing but good service from the Royal Bank, Bank of Scotland are a pain to deal with.

Tim,

One complication of the hypothetical scenario you describe is the number of times you have visited your fiancee in the past. An immigration lawyer I met here suggested to us that if we married on the spur of the moment it would be difficult to prove I didn't have immigration intent as I had four visits to my fiance over the two previous years.

He siad it would probable be reasonably simple to adjust status if we had married on the first or second visit, but after that it would get more and more difficult.

Maggie

Congratulations, great to see another one make it so easily.

So much stress beforehand for a simple process in London.

I hope I can make myself clear.

We've recently applied for the K-1 and everything should be fine in that department.

I was wondering if, after I get the visa, and if I wanted to do two trips to the US to move more stuff cheaply (those damned international movers are insanely expensive), I could enter the U.S. twice: the first time on the VWP, then go back to my country to fetch more junk, then enter the U.S. on my K-1.

I know the K-1 needs to be used within 6 months of issuance (right?), and that would not be a problem. Would what I'm describing be a problem?

If you are only moving a small amount of goods maybe excess baggage costs will be more reasonable.

I don't know what's available from your country but I found a company that picked up 7 bags from me the day before I left the UK and delivered them to my fiance by Fedex while I was waiting to board my plane at Heathrow.

I am in America on a K1 visa and have a British passport that is going to expire soon. Does anyone know where I need to go to get a renewed passport?

Thanks--David

Everything you need is at this link

The UK forum here is very good for finding information specific to Britain.

Maggie

I was wondering if it might be possible for you to add a simple button choice for our fiancé's who choose to create accounts on here? As the USC filer I did our time line, but my fiancé created her account and we didn't do anything with hers, because mirroring my time line would throw off the data, so leaving her time line alone seemed like the only real choice/

Is there a way to create this option? Or a simple way for my fiancé's time line to link to mine?

So far it hasn't happened to my knowledge, but many people get stinky about members who have no updated timeliness, and surely someones innocent fiancé has had a post responded to with

I had this reply often when we were waiting to be able to file.

I find it rude and ill mannered.

My fiance's signature refers people to the timeline on my page, that got around the problem for him.

My most common thing is to tell Richard"Ah'll no be a meenit"

He's even starting to say that too but he often just has a glazed look if I get too Scots for him.

What's the difference between libertarian and republican nowadays anyway? Not too much as far as I can tell...

The Bushbots are the farthest thing imaginable from a Libertarian.

Check this out -- http://www.lp.org/issues/printer_platform_all.shtml

Both way too conservative for me....

I want to legalize now illegal drugs. Is that too conservative for you?

Not saying there aren't things that I agree with as far as the Libertarian party goes, and yes, there is a difference between the libertarians and the Bushbots, but from my perspective, libertarians fall to the right.

It's possible I've gotten the wrong idea. Most of what I know about libertarianism I've heard from talk radio heads that claim to be libertarians...

I don't know about the Libertarian Party here is the USA but I'm Libertarian and Socialist. The true libertarian ideal of government haveing no input into or control over the private life of citizens is compatible with any economic view.

The Bushbots are fiscally conservative but are closer to Facist than Libertarian.

For an idea of my views - legalise illegal drugs now, tax the heck out of them and use the tax revenue towards universal healthcare costs.

Maggie (Scotland) and Richard(USC) - Montgomery County, PA - hopefully by early spring 2007

Hello

Can you change this entry when you next update as I have finally arrived

Maggie

I discovered the other night how to process so fast my feet barely touched the ground.

A friend back in Britain gave me a last minute gift for my fiance, a walking stick with a fancy brass handle. (Richard walks with a cane)

Well I had no room in my luggage for it and figured the only way to bring it was to add it to my carry on stuff.

At Heathrow, the staff at checkin insisted on pre-boarding me and even carried my oversised cabin bag for me. I didn't like to say that I didn't need the walking stick as I thought that maybe they wouldn't let me on the plane so I just did as they told me.

I got off at Philadelphia, politely refused the offer of a wheelchair to get me to immigration abd happily dragged by own bag on it's wheels.

As I neared the immigration lines a large gruff voiced man was loudly telling people "get in line, any line but 54"

He looked at me and walked over to me, smiled and directed me to line 54 the handicapped line with nobody waiting.

I wanted to tell him I wasn't handicapped but he was being so sweet to me and I worried if I told him I wasn't disabled he might then be suspicious of people who are really disabled. I've had a disability in the past and know how much it helps just to get a little preference now and again and also know how difficult it can be when you need that extra help but don't look like you have anything wrong .

I was in Secondary processing 2 minutes later and at the luggage belt before my stuff even made the carousel.

Now I feel so guilty, all that just because I wanted to bring an extra item in the cabin.