inhopeofglory

Does anyone have a photo of the return envelope some people receive to mail back evidence for an RFE? That would be really helpful. Thanks.

Hi,

I got an RFE for my ROC, and am about to mail in the requested evidence. I didn't receive an envelope with the RFE, so I'm using my own.

What details are on the return envelope? For example, should I include my A# number and receipt number on the outside? Do I include my return address?

Also, the address that the RFE tells me to mail to doesn't include a PO Box, but I've always had to address to a PO Box for all my other forms. Am I missing something, or is this normal?

Your help is much appreciated.

Thanks very much.

Hi,

I'm in the US on a temporary Green Card (about to go through removal of conditions) and my UK driving license photo is about to expire. My parents received the form to renew the photo, but I'm not a UK resident anymore so I'm not going to be renewing until/unless I go back to the UK. My question is, can I just let the photo expire? Or do I have to let the DVLA know that I'm not in the UK anymore? I don't want to affect my ability to renew my license if/when I go back to the UK. I filed the tax form (P85) ages ago to say I'm no longer residing in the UK.

Thanks for your help.

Hi,

I have a question for any Brit who's married an American and has taken a short trip back to the UK while waiting for AOS. I have my EAD and - more importantly - my AP, and we've bought our tickets.

My question is, what did you do about travel/medical insurance? If I'm right, the NHS will provide for any emergency treatment free of charge for visitors to the UK (i.e. both my spouse and myself), so that means that travel insurance would only be needed for things like possible doctor's visits. Is that correct?

Unfortunately it appears that, unlike British travel insurance, US short-term medical insurance doesn't provide cover for unexpected cancellations, loss of baggage, etc. Did you get trip insurance as well as medical insurance?

Any recommendations would be appreciated, as most US companies won't cover me as I'm not a US citizen, and UK companies won't cover me because I'm no longer resident in the UK!

Regards, inhopeofglory

City/ Town: Missouri City, TX (Houston)

Date of Service: sometime around the end of May 2010

CS Name: Dr. Maria Tan

CS Tel. no: (281) 499-9606

Address: 4501 Cartwright Road, Suite 604, Missouri City, TX 77459

Cost: $25 (Just for transcription - all vacc. up to date)

Vaccine Transcription only available: yes

Turnaround time: 10 minutes

Definitely recommended. Even the receptionist on the phone understood my request.

A tip for anyone who's looking for a civil surgeon: if they don't understand your request (to merely get your vaccinations transcribed to the I-693) on the phone, then it's unlikely they'll understand in person, and they'll almost certainly try to get you to do the physical and/or vaccinations again.

Well, after a disastrous attempt to get my I-693 signed with the first surgeon I suggested (Dr. Wojciech S Witkowski), I eventually went to:

Dr. Maria Tan

4501 Cartwright Road, Suite 604, Missouri City, TX 77459

(281) 499-9606

Much, much, much better! Even the receptionist on the phone knew what I needed, and understood my request. And she only charged $25! Definitely recommended.

A tip for anyone who's looking for a civil surgeon: if they don't understand your request (to merely get your vaccinations transcribed to the I-693) on the phone, then it's unlikely they'll understand in person, and they'll almost certainly try to get you to do the physical and/or vaccinations again.

Thanks, but that first person you suggested is the same as the first I noted, who charges $85 for the full medical (ONLY - you can't get the record transcribed without going through the medical). It's likely that the same will be true whichever office you use.

Hi,

As above, really. I'm trying to find a civil surgeon in or near Rosenberg or Stafford. USCIS gave me the following:

Dr. Wojciech S Witkowski, Stafford Occupational Health Center and Urgent Care

3832 Greenbriar Drive, Stafford, TX 77477

(281) 980-1901

Has anyone used this one before? On the phone the doctor was very uncertain that I wouldn't need vaccinations/a physical, which doesn't give me great confidence that he won't try to give me tests and such, despite my copy of the DS-3025 worksheet from London. He did say it'd only cost $30 if it's only paperwork I need, though.

Anyone got any experience with these, too?

Dr. Nazmudin Keshwani, Med-Cure

4114 Avenue H, Rosenberg, TX 77471

(281) 342-7375

This one charges $85 for a full physical and blood tests, together with the paperwork.

Dr. Khalid M Chaudhary

1217 First Street, Rosenberg, TX 77471

(281) 342-8761

These guys charge $60 for just the paperwork, obviously more if you need more done.

Thanks!

Whatever you do, DON'T open your package! It will void it completely, and you'll need to send it back to the Embassy to get it re-sealed.

Thanks for your replies. It appears from what you're saying that my expectations are too high. I guess I'm too used to British travel insurance and the comprehensive overseas medical cover it provides without charging the Earth.

Yeah, the Post Office has a clause in its policy that they'll cover up to 17 days for the purpose of emigration only.

Has anyone here used http://www.usnetcare.com/ for immigrant insurance? For $122/mo (their highest policy if you're 24-30) and a $25/event co-pay, you get 90/10 co-insurance up to $250,000/year ($1 million lifetime).

Hi,

I've been trying to get my head around the US medical system... it's not easy. I've been looking for some temporary health insurance between POE (actually 17 days after POE - I got my travel insurance with the Post Office, which covers emigration for 17 days) and getting a job (and thus going on a work policy). After a lot of searching, I looked at Atlas America, which is quoted as suitable by virtually every "immigrant insurance" website/broker I've found on the web.

I decided to go to the source (the guys who are responsible for the actual insurance) to buy the policy, rather than use a broker, and boy am I glad I did! The first thing the agent said to me is "Are you going to be residing permanently in the US?" Yes, I am... "I'm sorry, this policy isn't suitable for your situation." WHAT?

Turns out it's visitor-only insurance, and legally if you're not intending to return to your home country it doesn't cover you as you're not classed as a visitor. They're "speaking to their brokers" about the multiple websites that quote Atlas America as being suitable for immigrants. (!!!)

I feel like hitting my head against a brick wall. *sigh*

It's a real shame, because the policy excesses (deductible) and overall premiums are SO much better than the domestic policies... So be warned - go to the source and double-triple-check that their policy is suitable. Ask them several times to be sure and take the agent's name so you have some possibility of fallback if they try to refuse your claim.

Anyone had any luck getting a decent temporary health insurance in Texas for less than $175/mo (that's what it'll cost to go on my OH's work policy)?

Hi,

I'm going to be moving to the US on a K-1 on the 18th (just a few days!), and so will have almost a month in the USA before the April 15th tax filing deadline. Will I have to file a tax return? I don't understand the system at all. I assume I'm classed as a "non-resident alien" until I get my Green Card, but what that means when it comes to taxes, I don't know.

I am also going to be keeping my UK accounts open with a significant amount (over $10,000 all in all) in them for the time being. Am I only considered a "US Person" when I get my Green Card, or will my marriage to a US citizen make me a "US Person"?

Someone please help! It's all very confusing...

I'm going to be moving to the US in a few days, so I'll only have been in the US for a few months when that reporting deadline comes up - also, I won't technically be a "resident" until I get my Green Card, so do I have to report my UK accounts this coming June? The website isn't all that clear.

Hi,

I'm going to be moving to the US in just a few short weeks - can't believe this bit of the journey (K-1) is almost over! :-)

I'd like to make a checklist of sorts for all the "official stuff" I need to do before I go. Any ideas? Currently I have:

File P85 with the Inland Revenue

Notify my bank that I'll be using my debit and credit cards abroad

Notify Student Loans Company that I'm moving abroad

Close additional accounts (savings, ISA)

Thanks for the help.

Regards, inhopeofglory

Hi,

I'm going to be sending my fiancée some money via XE.com, but we're a little confused by XE's requirements for my fiancée's bank details.

While in the UK we have sort codes and physical addresses for the individual bank branches with which we have our accounts, it appears that in the US this is not so. The routing number for my fiancée's account is that of the primary bank headquarters, in a completely different state, and there are numerous physical addresses for the bank, depending on which bit of official paperwork one looks at. I thus have no idea what to put for the "bank address" when setting up a recipient's account in XE.

Another issue is that I have appear to have two different account numbers and two different routing numbers for my fiancée's bank account - one from the official paperwork, the other from her cheques. Which one do I use for wire transfer via XE.com?

Thanks!

You're not giving your money as a gift so that gift thing doesn't apply.

Technically, though, wouldn't it be classed as a gift if I transferred the money to my fiancée's account before moving over to the US and a) getting added to her account or B) opening an account in my name?

Hi,

I am soon to be moving to the US on my shiny new K-1 visa. :-) I'm definitely going to be keeping my bank account open here - I have a student loan to pay off, plus I've heard it's a real benefit to already have a UK bank account in the event that my soon-to-be-wife and I ever consider moving back here. I'm interested in the implications for our tax return every year, though.

Does anyone know whether it makes any difference how much is held within a foreign bank account? i.e. if I have less than, say, the equivalent of $5000 in the account back here, will we still have to declare/pay tax on it? I want to make the process as hassle-free as possible, while still retaining the advantages of a UK bank account - e.g. being able to use my debit card in the US while I wait for my SS number, and so on.

Also, is there any reason why I couldn't keep my bank account here open indefinitely? We'll be visiting the UK every couple of years or so, and my student loan's going to take something like 10 years to pay off. I'd rather keep the payments in sterling if possible.

Another thing is transferring the bulk of my funds over to the US. Is there any advantage to transferring them now, or can I wait until I am added to my fiancée's bank account once we're married? I have heard that US citizens can receive up to $10,000 per year as a gift without being taxed/having to declare it. If we wait until I'm added to the account will this limit still apply, considering it's just my money being moved to another of "my" accounts?

Thanks for the help.

Regards, inhopeofglory

Nich-Nick, did your husband let his bank and credit card companies know that he was moving away?

Gould's Pharmacy (where people suggest leaving your bags, just down the road from the Embassy) is one of the cheaper places to get photos. If I'd known, I'd have got mine there (before the interview! I was in London for my medical a few days earlier). I got an extra set (always like to be careful) in a poky little place on Oxford Street.

I checked the website the moment I got my text, and it had been updated correctly.

Sorry to hear it's taking so long.

We had a successful interview on the 1st Dec but completely out of the blue they asked for a copy of my son-in-laws passport data page. Despite it being submitted when my daughter sent the I-864a AOS some months earlier.

I know for the K-1 they do say that any of the official documents can be requested again, even if they were previously submitted with the I-129F, so perhaps that was the case for your visa too.

It is pretty sickening as really we have no indication if the fax arrived or was even processed.

Did you get a fax confirmation from your fax machine? Maybe it depends on the machine settings on one or both ends, but whenever we send a fax at work we always get a fax confirmation sheet printed, showing part of what was sent.

Personally, I would consider re-sending the fax if you don't hear anything soon, with a cover sheet to explain why (include your case number and so on so it can be linked to your paperwork!). It might have been "lost in electronic transit" so they may still be waiting for it. They are unlikely to chase it up themselves, at least not soon anyway...

Yay! I got my text too! The website's saying the same - that they'll deliver it tomorrow

Wow, so sorry you had a hard time with the paperwork person, Amanda! But you had the same guy as me for the interview, at Window 16 (unless he'd taken a break by the time you went). Very nice guy.

For anyone who's interested, my interview review is on the main review page for the London Embassy here on VJ.

I didn't pay for my MMR, which I had in August.