Forum	Title	Content	Member	Sex	Country	Date/Time
Removing Conditions on Residency General Discussion	When is form considered filed?	IMHO, just mail what you have right now, wait no more. They will send you an RFE but at least your docs will be considered accepted before the deadline. By the time an RFE arrives you will have everything else ready. This isn't necessarily true. I took a similar (but not as urgent) chance and filed slightly down on evidence in order to be sure that I had enough time to get my NOA1 and renew my DL before it expired on the same day as the GC. I figured we probably had enough documentation and that if they wanted more they would probably just RFE us, right? Wrong We were interviewed last week, after more than 9 months and two service requests' worth of waiting (VSC filer ). The adjudicator told us that the reason we were being interviewed was insufficient supporting evidence. Quite frankly, we sent more than I see on the lists of a lot of people in this section but that's beside the point, I suppose...	JeremyR	Male	England	2011-12-07 17:33:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General Discussion	Still Waiting, Have question need help!	You probably won't be told if your case is transferred to a local office for interview until you get the notice to appear in the mail. Mine was transferred and I wasn't told via CRIS or letter. I even spoke to the mis-info line after the interview notice had been generated but before I received it and I still wasn't told.	JeremyR	Male	England	2012-01-18 01:43:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General Discussion	Must she carry her green card daily?	Glad I saw this thread ... Its convinced me to remove the green card from my wife's wallet and keep it somewhere safe. My God, the fear mongering by a few is just ridiculous. I'll just leave this here. (A recently documented case on VJ where somebody got held by CBP in New Mexico for not having their green card on their person and who is now facing the awkwardness of having to check 'yes' to the "have you ever been arrested, detained......." question on their I-751)	JeremyR	Male	England	2011-09-19 17:22:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General Discussion	Must she carry her green card daily?	Why not just carry a photocopy of the Green Card whilst in the USA(if going hiking ect then a Ziploc bag is handy for keeping it and any money dry), If travelling abroad then carry the original card Next time a cop pulls you over and asks for your drivers license, offer up a photocopy of it and see how well that goes. Leaving aside the argument of how likely it is, if you're asked to show your green card the officer is not likely to be satisfied with anything but the real deal.	JeremyR	Male	England	2011-09-06 00:12:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General Discussion	Must she carry her green card daily?	It takes quite a bit to get arrested, drunken driving for instance, perhaps soliciting a prostitute. A red light violation is not an arrest, nor is a speeding ticket, and they cannot ask for your paperwork. I think that folks should brush up on their rights, especially in states like that where you are under constant threat. Indeed it does take a fair bit to get arrested but not as much as in some other countries, so less than some GC holders might expect. You could be really quite argumentative with most British police officers but so long as you didn't go to assault them, they probably wouldn't arrest you for that on it's own. Say one rude word to a lot of American officers though, and it's cuffs and back seat of the cruiser time. If you are a legal resident they will find that out when they book you whether or not you are carrying the physical copy of the greencard. Indeed again but the idea is to avoid a trip to county jail in the first place. Most would agree that's probably not a pleasant experience!	JeremyR	Male	England	2011-07-11 16:27:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General Discussion	Must she carry her green card daily?	That little paper envelope is supposed to stop hacker access? Really? I always thought it was meant to protect the fancy tiny drawings of presidents and state flags on the back	JeremyR	Male	England	2011-06-08 21:42:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General Discussion	Must she carry her green card daily?	Georgia is the only one, not "one of them" and it's only a matter of weeks until a federal judge will put an injunction on this, as it interferes with federal law and the supremacy clause. If it goes into affect in a few weeks (and I agree with you, that's a big 'if'!), HB 87 as it stands does not give officers the ability to demand a GC from any foreigner they pull over for having a tail light out just because they feel like it. To be able to ask about a suspect's immigration status, the officer has to be investigating a criminal offence. Traffic stops aren't normally made regarding criminal matters. Secondly, you don't have to show a GC or other immigration document to satisfy HB 87's requirements. A GA driver's license or ID, or one from any state that requires proof of lawful presence to get a license (that's all of them, right?) is sufficient to demonstrate lawful presence for purposes of that particular law. It's an entirely separate issue from the requirement to carry your green card. Further reading: HB 87 (see Section 8).	JeremyR	Male	England	2011-06-07 14:55:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General Discussion	Must she carry her green card daily?	I think, honestly, it depends on the kind of place where you live and in all likelihood the nationality of the LPR (sad but probably true). I mentioned 287(g) above. In Georgia, immigration is a hot button topic of the moment. Three counties near me are part of the program, as are the State Patrol. If they should arrest you, you'll be challenged about your immigration status when you're booked in at the county nick. A green card deals with that little matter instantly and without hassle. Not having your GC would make it a messy and probably very unpleasant experience while they clear it up. Now I for one don't plan on being arrested for anything but it seems to be something that can happen at the drop of a hat for very minor things so it would be foolish to assume it'll never happen to you. The stats for one of the 287(g) counties in Metro Atlanta paints a clear picture. The vast majority of those detained for immigration matters were from Latin America and the vast, vast majority were arrested for minor traffic violations, not having their DL or "other misdemeanor" offences. Having your GC on your person, if you're in those groups and/or in an area where 'catching the illegals' is a big deal, would be more than advised!	JeremyR	Male	England	2011-06-01 19:51:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General Discussion	Must she carry her green card daily?	I'm surrounded by three 287(g) counties. I carry mine.	JeremyR	Male	England	2011-06-01 13:35:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General Discussion	I-751 February 2011 Filers	I recently (11/22) sent PMs to 10 unapproval January filer members and I got 1 reply which the case was denied! And 1 member is still waiting for interview date!! So, maybe we should wait for little bit more and maybe I (or you?) can send PMs to unapproval member here too? Ah... I tried a spot of forum stalking sleuthing but couldn't work that out... eastmeetwest mentioned an interview in another thread back in October. I wonder if that was g[ar]ysweetpea's interview or their own? There's no timeline to help work it out... And I just noticed your card received date's month and date are reversed! So correcting So it was - a little Britishism slipped through why ever does America use MM/DD/YYYY anyway? So illogical	JeremyR	Male	England	2011-12-11 00:24:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General Discussion	I-751 February 2011 Filers	Dare I say it, are we done here? Of the four remaining VSC filers, three haven't logged in for ages and the other it seems is no longer active on VJ (or has changed their name, perhaps?)	JeremyR	Male	England	2011-12-10 21:11:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General Discussion	I-751 February 2011 Filers	Card received 293 days (nearly 10 months) from NOA1 to card in hand but finally, done with USCIS... until next year at least Congratulations LDora What was the approval date on your letter for the list? California Service Center (28 applicants, 26 Approved, 93%) VJName.............Date of I-751..NOA1 Date..Biometrics...Approved....Received....Comments ROSELINDA............01/31/11.....02/02/11....03/11/11....03/28/11....04/01/11... SEKYSK...............01/31/11.....02/02/11....02/25/11....04/15/11....04/16/11... GLOANDCOLE...........01/31/11.....02/02/11....03/01/11....03/30/11....04/04/11... NGINEAR2.............02/01/11.....02/04/11....03/08/11....04/18/11....04/22/11... YAKULT...............02/01/11.....02/02/11....02/28/11....04/13/11....04/14/11... SANJUAN..............02/01/11.....02/04/11....03/08/11....04/05/11....04/09/11... MARIEB15.............02/03/11.....02/07/11....03/17/11....04/25/11....04/30/11... CECILE AND BRYAN.....02/04/11.....02/07/11....03/18/11....05/03/11....05/10/11... MARIKIYA_DHR.........02/05/11.....02/07/11....03/02/11....04/27/11....05/02/11... BHK_REN..............02/12/11.....02/14/11....03/07/11....--/--/11....--/--/11... ADRIANA WATSON.......02/14/11.....02/15/11....03/18/11....05/05/11....06/01/11... SKLUVSH..............02/14/11.....02/16/11....03/16/11....04/22/11....04/26/11... ROCKSTARDUDE48.......02/14/11.....02/22/11....03/31/11....05/19/11....--/--/11... DONNAB...............02/15/11.....02/17/11....03/30/11....04/22/11....04/28/11... JACOB AND DANIELA....02/16/11.....02/22/11....--/--/11....--/--/11....--/--/11... POLAR1979............02/16/11.....02/17/11....03/25/11....04/29/11....05/05/11... COURTANDGREY.........02/18/11.....02/22/11....03/21/11....04/26/11....05/02/11... ENVY_ME..............02/18/11.....02/22/11....--/--/11....04/15/11....04/22/11... (No bio needed, did bio less than 6 months ago) SAVETHISPATIENT......02/18/11.....--/--/11....03/21/11....04/28/11....05/04/11... (No NOA1, but online lookup suggests 02/23) AD'N'MEL.............02/18/11.....03/07/11....04/26/11....06/09/11....06/16/11... BUTTONZ..............02/21/11.....02/23/11....03/21/11....04/20/11....04/25/11... MEHMET.TURKEY........02/22/11.....02/23/11....04/22/11....07/11/11....07/22/11... (Interview: 04-19-2011) GUADA AND CONRAD.....02/22/11.....02/28/11....04/01/11....05/05/11....05/06/11... TIEUNGAO35...........02/22/11.....02/24/11....04/01/11....05/11/11....05/16/11... (Early bio: 3/11, RFE 4/30, RFE responded 5/01) ELI THE BARROWBOY....02/23/11.....02/25/11....04/26/11....06/20/11....--/--/11... MYMEE................02/23/11.....02/24/11....03/24/11....04/20/11....04/25/11... CANDYACE.............02/25/11.....02/28/11....03/24/11....04/25/11....04/29/11... (Early bio: 3-23-11) RIDION...............02/28/11.....03/01/11....04/04/11....05/17/11....05/18/11... Vermont Service Center (45 applicants, 41 Approved, 91%) VJName.............Date of I-751..NOA1 Date..Biometrics...Approved....Received....Comments DEPRINCE.............01/31/11.....02/07/11....03/30/11....07/14/11....07/21/11... SAMAHM...............01/31/11.....02/07/11....04/14/11....08/10/11....08/15/11... TRELAWNY PARISH......02/02/11.....02/03/11....03/16/11....07/28/11....--/--/11... EXASPERATED..........??/??/11.....02/04/11....03/11/11....11/22/11....12/05/11... HONEY_ME.............02/03/11.....02/07/11....03/11/11....07/25/11....08/03/11... ALASKAN..............02/04/11.....02/07/11....04/06/11....09/20/11....10/07/11... BRIT ABROAD..........02/05/11.....02/14/11....03/21/11....08/04/11....08/10/11... RAYPINOT.............02/05/11.....02/08/11....03/24/11....08/17/11....--/--/11... BARRY AND JACKIE.....02/05/11.....02/??/11....03/25/11....07/28/11....--/--/11... WHATIF...............02/07/11.....02/09/11....04/15/11....08/04/11....08/10/11... KHLIM2...............02/07/11.....02/18/11....03/18/11....08/01/11....--/--/11... JAY DEE..............02/07/11.....02/10/11....03/07/11....08/30/11....09/06/11... LLBEANS..............02/08/11.....02/12/11....03/18/11....08/30/11....09/02/11... (Card received on the same day as approval letter) LIVE211..............02/08/11.....02/16/11....03/18/11....08/02/11....--/--/11... LGU@JP...............02/10/11.....02/22/11....03/11/11....07/28/11....--/--/11... KPC..................02/11/11.....02/14/11....03/23/11....08/08/11....08/13/11... (Early bio: 3-3-11) MARRIEDTOBRIT........02/11/11.....02/15/11....03/24/11....07/12/11....07/14/11... SHERU................02/12/11.....02/15/11....03/24/11....--/--/11....--/--/11... MSZ..................02/--/11.....02/18/11....03/31/11....08/12/11....08/19/11... (Early bio: 3-9-11) - Elizabeth, NJ COLOSO...............02/14/11.....02/17/11....03/25/11....09/23/11....10/22/11... (Early bio: 3-24-11) LUCAS1022............02/14/11.....02/18/11....03/15/11....07/27/11....08/01/11... RONY.................02/14/11.....02/22/11....04/25/11....08/10/11....10/17/11... BTALLEY..............02/14/11.....02/18/11....03/24/11....09/05/11....09/16/11... JEREMYR..............02/15/11.....02/22/11....04/04/11....11/29/11....10/12/11... (Interview: 11-29-11 - Atlanta) DAKU.................02/15/11.....02/18/11....04/25/11....08/13/11....08/19/11... LUCCA................02/15/11.....02/18/11....03/25/11....10/12/11....--/--/11... (Early bio: 3-17-11) ANGEL4EVER...........02/16/11.....02/18/11....04/26/11....--/--/11....--/--/11... KIMCORENE............02/16/11.....02/23/11....04/04/11....08/16/11....08/22/11... LDORA................02/16/11.....02/28/11....04/25/11....12/??/11....--/--/11... (RFE received 8/15, responded 10/20) ME-HA................02/16/11.....02/18/11....03/25/11....09/13/11....10/24/11... (Approval letter received 10/13) (former SLIM2240) AJ911................02/17/11.....02/22/11....04/06/11....10/17/11....10/22/11... BABYBLUESUSIE........02/18/11.....02/24/11....04/09/11....10/11/11....--/--/11... (Late bio 8/15) SHER82...............02/19/11.....02/23/11....04/04/11....05/18/11....05/26/11... (ARMY) PTER.................02/20/11.....02/??/11....04/11/11....08/04/11....--/--/11... (RFE received 3/15) IMPERFCTBIRD.........02/21/11.....02/22/11....--/--/11....--/--/11....--/--/11... PALACIOS.............02/22/11.....??/??/11....04/26/11....08/08/11....--/--/11... RICHARD ROBINSON.....02/23/11.....02/24/11....04/15/11....08/23/11....--/--/11... PACIFICLEYE..........02/23/11.....02/28/11....04/18/11....08/25/11....09/10/11... JENGR................02/23/11.....02/28/11....04/18/11....09/08/11....09/15/11... (RFE received 8/22, responded 8/23) SARAH&ROB............02/23/11.....02/25/11....04/08/11....08/22/11....09/09/11... MAYANKSANGHAVI.......02/23/11.....02/25/11....04/11/11....09/13/11....09/20/11... (Early Bio : 3-25-2011)(RFE received 8/06, responded 8/23) DREWFUS..............02/23/11.....02/26/11....04/01/11....08/03/11....08/06/11... GRAYSWEETPEA.........02/25/11.....03/02/11....04/11/11....--/--/11....--/--/11... NICKLE...............02/26/11.....03/01/11....04/18/11....09/12/11....09/16/11... ELI5ROSE.............02/28/11.....03/01/11....04/19/11....08/26/11....08/29/11... (Early Bio : 3-29-2011) - Alexandria, VA IMPORTANT! * Make sure that your VJ Text Editor setting is set to Rich Text Editor. * Go to the MOST RECENTLY POSTED VERSION of this list (go to the last post and scroll UP) and "Reply" to it, deleting the "quote" tags in your reply. * Please DO NOT change the font, font size, add colors, stuff like that. * Please PREVIEW before posting to make sure it is properly formatted. * Please check that you have not deleted anyone's NAME & DATA. Date of I-751 = The Date you sent your application NOA Date = The Receipt Date on your original NOA letter Biometrics = The Date of your biometrics appointment Approved = The Date your case was approved Received = The Date you received your Green Card * Please Capitalize your VJ Name when adding it to the list. * When you're on this list, please come back to update your information accordingly Edited by JeremyR, 10 December 2011 - 04:31 PM.	JeremyR	Male	England	2011-12-10 16:30:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General Discussion	I-751 February 2011 Filers	Card production ordered	JeremyR	Male	England	2011-12-07 17:07:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General Discussion	I-751 February 2011 Filers	If anyone still cares about this thread, I got my card today, so feel free to update me. I still care about this thread because I'm waiting surprisingly patiently for my card Congratulations (only waiting patiently because I have a passport stamp ) Edited by JeremyR, 05 December 2011 - 10:53 PM.	JeremyR	Male	England	2011-12-05 22:52:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General Discussion	I-751 February 2011 Filers	Yays Waffle House Yeah, I know, I feel so dirty every time I eat there but it's so good... I got off the plane second time I visited here before we married heavily delayed and very hungry. My wife asked if I wanted to grab a bite to eat. There was only one answer I do not intend rushing into Citizenship,let things settle and hopefully the economy will improve and also see how the End of the world pans out next December I haven't decided yet... And thanks Exasperated, I know there is a benefit to getting it out of the way but this interview process has been a whole load of stress (that is lifting gradually as the wine bottle's content level drops ) and I know the N-400 interview is a whole different kettle of fish. I'm just not sure either of us need to go through that again just yet. AFAIK, there's yet another bona fide marriage check for 3-year citizenship... Maybe we'll feel a bit different after a few weeks have passed, I dunno.	JeremyR	Male	England	2011-11-29 20:50:00
USCIS Service Centers	No Infopass appointments available?	QUOTE (Kathryn41 @ Jan 13 2009, 09:15 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> An infopass is an infopass. "Lesser' concerns still get addressed by an immigration officer at the desk. When I went for my Infopass in the Atlanta office last May, I made my appointment for a specific time, was there half an hour earlier and basically 'got in line'. There were a number of desks open and it was basically service in order of arrival at the next available desk. They didn't check to see if my concern was a lesser one or a bigger one (no NOA receipt so needed I-551 stamp in passport). My advice is that you take an infopass appointment that is available and attend. There were no non-IO staff working inside the Atlanta USCIS Infopass desk area - they wre all Immigration staff. Thanks for the word on there not being non-IO staff answering simple queries. Last time I went there (admittedly nearly three years ago) the incoming people were split two ways, basic info went one way, other appointments went another to see IOs. I'd hazard a guess that there's no point going down there right now because since I posted that above, NBC have slapped an RFE on me. As soon as it's resumed, I'll make whatever appointment I can and head down there. Thanks	JeremyR	Male	England	2009-01-13 21:38:00
USCIS Service Centers	No Infopass appointments available?	Big bump! I'm having exactly this problem. I've been hitting the InfoPass website at all hours, day and night for more than a week now for an EAD inquiry appointment (see timeline!!) and every single time it says there are no appointments available. This is getting seriously frustrating. It seems to be an issue with the Atlanta office rather than InfoPass generally (California or Pennsylvania zip = EAD appointments available, Georgia zip = no way!). Likewise, other less 'complex' appointment types are available in Atlanta but I understand those are handled by non-IO staff and just turning up with any appointment type you can obtain will get you turned away. So one of two things must be true. Either Atlanta office isn't giving out EAD inquiry appointments (and if so, why the hell not!?) or the appointments they have got are being snapped up in seconds as soon as they go online. Does anyone know what time the system updates and a new day's appointments become available or if something's going very wrong at the Atlanta office?	JeremyR	Male	England	2009-01-08 12:20:00
United Kingdom	London Medical - Knightsbridge Doctors	This is a very retrospective report but I figured one more review couldn't hurt I had my medical at the Bentnick St office in Feb '08. Turned up in plenty of time thinking that it didn't hurt to be a bit early. Like my subsequent interview, I turned up in a shirt and smart trousers to find that it wasn't really necessary. My mother commented before I left that it would probably be the most expensive doctor's appointment I'd ever keep and she was probably right. They took my 180 quid before the exam, which I thought was a bit off but didn't knew better than to question them. I also handed over my passport and photos, completed medical form, etc. I had checked with them on the phone beforehand and they told me a British size photo was just fine so don't worry about wasting an expensive US one. Phone and ask to be sure, it was a while ago. I don't know why they bother asking you to fill in the questionnaire beforehand, they give you another one with exactly the same questions on it when you arrive. Maybe they're looking for discrepancies, and inconsistencies, who knows . There was lots of waiting but I guess as visa applicants, we're good at that. I had the sense to bring a book with me . There were a couple of other people there but they weren't exactly busy. After about 20 minutes, I was called to have my x-ray which was easy enough although that plate sure was cold! Then it was back to waiting some more. There was a lady in the second waiting room and we 'chatted visa' for a bit. She was going to Chicago if I remember rightly. The doctor was a South African lady who was fairly nice and friendly. She wanted to know about the depression I mentioned on the form. I told her that a lot of it stemmed from my difficult childhood but that I was past that and that my current symptoms were down to the fact that I was living 4026.4 miles from my fiancée (come on, we all measure it on Google Earth, don't we? ). She seemed satisfied that I wasn't dangerous or anything and tipex'd out the 'yes' on the form and ticked 'no' on my behalf. She said she would write to my GP to get his confirmation of what I'd told her but I checked and they never did contact him... Vaccinations I had prepared for and had done at my regular GP who couldn't decide whether it was a travel vaccination or not and in the end decided to charge me a token five quid for each of the two MMR shots. They couldn't seem to understand why I wanted an MMR to go to the USA - I used the printout of the vaccination chart on the London Embassy website to show them I really did need it. I got a DTP for free also from my regular doctor because I was overdue a tetanus jab anyway. The medical part of the exam was over in a few minutes, eyesight, height, weight (I was a little concerned that I'm quite underweight but she wasn't bothered), listen to heart, drop your pants, turn-your-head-and-cough and that was it. She took blood from my arm while I was still lying on the bed because I forewarned her that I was liable to faint ( ) if she did it with me sitting. And that was that, 10 minutes at most and I was out. I'd scheduled the medical in plenty of time (a month or more) from my interview so. I was told that the doctors would only contact me again if there was cause for concern with the x-ray or blood test and that pending those results, I was passed. I suppose the thing I most worried about was that I have Asperger's. I ummed and ahhed for a very long time whether or not I should declare it in the delightfully titled 'mental defect' section. In the end, I decided not to, deciding that they were only looking for conditions that make a person dangerous or a drain on the state (of which I am neither ) so I left it off. I'd recommend that others in my shoes do the same, it's not the kind of thing they're looking for but if you want to be sure, talk it over with the doctor but if you choose that route, make sure you take a signed letter from your regular GP stating that you're not dangerous or a liable drain on society. I had my interview in late March, flew to the USA in May and married my in July	JeremyR	Male	England	2008-12-31 14:45:00
United Kingdom	Yay I booked my ticket!!!	QUOTE (Hannah+Vito @ Jan 30 2009, 07:08 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> well the outbound flight is 18th feb but the return part is not untillsept 23rd i think so thats way over the 90 day limit for visa waiver, but i will try and remember white peice of i-94 That'll be fine then, assuming the security bod had their coffee that morning, it should be obvious you need a visa I-94 Only other advice I can give is don't worry! Even though you wake up each morning now thinking "Bloody hell, I've only got N days left before I leave - how on earth am I going to get everything done?!", somehow, eventually, it all does come together and a sense of zen-like calm descends My last few days in Britain are but a blur to me now. I have no idea how I did it, but somehow, you do manage to organise yourself out of the country Oh yeah, and for heaven's sake bring tea bags!!	JeremyR	Male	England	2009-01-30 21:40:00
United Kingdom	Yay I booked my ticket!!!	One thing if you're turning up at the airport with a round-trip ticket is make sure you end up with the right type of I-94 - you want a white one to go with that lovely shiny visa not green I-94W visa-waiver one. Given that the I-94s are normally given out in the check-in area by contract security who are paid to not think you might just want to make sure you've got the right type before you leave check-in in case they see your return date and automatically assume you're a VWP traveller.	JeremyR	Male	England	2009-01-30 15:43:00
United Kingdom	medica enquiry??	If you choose the tube, then (from Euston) it's two stops south on the Northern line to Tottenham Court Road, then change and go two more stops west on the Central line to Bond Street	JeremyR	Male	England	2009-02-02 14:52:00
United Kingdom	New style ACPO police certificates	QUOTE (Nich-Nick @ Feb 2 2009, 06:15 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> And you are correct. The old ones are no longer accepted by the embassy. That's pretty much what I figured, given the choice of a document without a photo and a document with one, the embassy are always going to chose the one with the photo. I'd guess the format of this new type of certificate was probably drawn up in cahoots with the embassies in question. QUOTE And the old way you would have to get one from every local police station where you lived since age 16. Is that right? No, you only had to submit one form to your local constabulary. They forwarded it on your behalf to New Scotland Yard, who produce all the old style 'blue bars' certificates and post them back out to the original requester. QUOTE (Lansbury) So the tax payers save money and ACPO makes money. The old system shouldn't have been costing the taxpayer a penny - the Data Protection Act has always allowed organisations to recover the cost of data retrieval and associated costs from the requester (the standard ten pound fee) rather than their own funds or the taxpayer. I suppose what I was pondering about was whether or not the 'extra' fee above the £10 that the DPA allows for record disclosure was buying anything in particular, beyond a slightly accelerated process (it used to take a month). If the embassies aren't taking old style subject access requests any more then I guess it's a moot point but if they were still accepting them and there was no material difference between the two then the organised K-1 applicant could have saved themselves a few quid...	JeremyR	Male	England	2009-02-02 20:19:00
United Kingdom	New style ACPO police certificates	This is nothing more than satisfying my curiosity since I'm way past K-1 stage now (thank goodness). I was reading here about ACPOs pilot programme for police certificates for visa purposes and I was wondering what the benefit is? Does it actually give more information than the old style 'subject access requests'? Apart from the photo that is? Or are they being introduced because the embassies weren't happy with the documents we were taking in the past? Does it mean that the US embassy in London isn't taking the old type any more? What's the justification for a three-fold price hike, or have they just realised that they can make a fair amount of money very quickly by charging would-be expats £35 instead of the £10 that I paid not so long ago?	JeremyR	Male	England	2009-02-02 15:05:00
United Kingdom	England	QUOTE (Welshcookie @ Feb 2 2009, 09:19 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> You found Cider here???? I'm going to start campaigning my local Walmart Yes! You have Kroger in Florida, don't you? It's available in most of my local Kroger stores and in my local Walmart at $7.50 to $8 or so for 6 12oz/355ml glass bottles. You can also get Newcastle Brown Ale and Boddingtons (both in Walmart) and Stella, Grolsch, etc (Kroger) for about the same price in the same type of bottles. Check the bottled 6-pack beer section of your supermarket, it's normally hiding there somewhere	JeremyR	Male	England	2009-02-02 21:55:00
United Kingdom	England	QUOTE (lsma @ Jan 31 2009, 04:57 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> The ketchup doesn't taste the same - I swear it's a different recipe. I'm making my own bread so that's something I don't need to bring - apart from crumpets - they're too hard to make. You're absolutely right, Heinz ketchup is different here. It has 'onion powder' in it here in the US but in Britain, there's no trace of onion anything in it. That's the taste difference. I'm allergic to the wheat flour that's in the British version of 'onion powder' - it took me a very long time to work out that American 'onion powder' is not the same stuff and doesn't have the wheat, so I can still eat the Heinz stuff over here but you're right - it's not the same. Also, totally agree on the Lemsip! 'Theraflu' is just not the same stuff!! As for the OP and whether I would move back to England - yes, in my heart of hearts, I'd love to. I love living here in GA for a multitude of reasons, not least the lower cost of living, the weather and the fact that young people actually call me 'Sir' (I'm 25!) and don't hang out on street corners drinking White Lightning. That all said, healthcare should be a right not a privilege, the foods available in supermarkets are broadly just not as good as I'm used to and ultimately, this country just isn't Home. But the stepkids are too young to transplant to the UK at this point, so we're probably looking ten years+ before a move back to Blighty is a real possibility. Hopefully the economy will be fixed by then too, huh? Whether my wife will be able to consider Britain as 'home' is I guess, something we won't know until when/if we get there. Note to self: Never post on VJ after knocking back several Strongbow (Kroger and my local Walmart, btw!) you tend to ramble when inebriated	JeremyR	Male	England	2009-02-02 20:50:00
United Kingdom	uk phone cards	You say his parents won't let him modify the phone service, which is fine but do either or (preferably) both of you have high-speed internet available? If the answer is yes, then definitely use Skype. If only one of you has the broadband internet, that person installs Skype and buys some 'SkypeOut' credit (with Paypal - it doesn't go on the phone bill) and they can then phone the other person overseas for about 1.2p/2.1c per minute (beware - calls to UK mobiles are more). Skype is a free-to-install program for your computer that you use with headphones and a mic - it doesn't require changing your home phone service in any way. Ideally though, if both of you have high-speed internet access, you can both install Skype and speak for free as much as you want. You can also add a webcam at each end and have video calling (also free). You'll find a lot of Skype evangelists here because it's oh-so-good for people separated by immigration matters - I personally went to my K-1 interview with reams of Skype call log printouts www.skype.com	JeremyR	Male	England	2009-02-04 12:06:00
United Kingdom	gp, jabs and proof	QUOTE (Talyss @ Feb 12 2009, 04:33 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> if your GP is going to charge you for a vaccination that may well be the same or more than Knightsbridge Drs I'd wait till the medical and get the one that the US really want. Your GP might not 'know' how much to charge though, so it might be worth while finding out. I learned that my local surgery had no concept of how to handle 'ordinary' vaccinations (i.e. those normally given to people in Britain as well, MMR, etc) for travel purposes. I had to show them embassy website printouts before they'd even consider giving me jabs because their 'all knowing' database said that vaccinations were never needed for the USA (it assumes you're coming back!). They debated amongst themselves what to charge me for quite a while. In the end, I got my Td and both MMR shots done for the astronomical sum of... ten quid . So definitely find out how much your NHS GP will charge, it might be virtually nothing . As for precisely which Td vs Tdap, etc, is needed, I honestly have no idea but I haven't been RFE'd yet after having just the Td (I'm 4 months into AOS processing).	JeremyR	Male	England	2009-02-13 21:51:00
United Kingdom	gp, jabs and proof	I was given the Td and 'passed' at Knightsbridge with no problem. The DS-3025 says "Specify (circle) vaccine: Td or Tdap". The Dr just circled Td and that was that. Also, the print out from my local surgery's computer system was sufficient as proof I'd had it.	JeremyR	Male	England	2009-02-12 16:23:00
United Kingdom	gp, jabs and proof	Was he given a plain tetanus jab or was it a Td/Tdap? If it was the latter, and his GP has it on record that he had it (and is willing to print that record), then he shouldn't need another. Tetanus jabs are good for several years, I believe.	JeremyR	Male	England	2009-02-12 15:32:00
United Kingdom	How do I get here?	Just a head's up If you're travelling by train to an event at the Millennium Stadium, go to your local station and book a reservation (or do it online). Don't walk up on the day and expect to get a ticket. Trains to Cardiff on match/event days tend to be absolutely rammed and more often than not, the train company will designate the trains before and afterwards as 'reservations mandatory' - meaning no pre-booking = no travel. I've travelled on a such a 'reservations mandatory' train to Cardiff without a reservation before now but I had to stand in the door area the whole way there and back with about 20 other sweaty Brighton fans . Further, I saw a few people get turned away at the Paddington ticket barrier for not having an advance booking. After the event, the station will probably be running a queue system outside, it looks chaotic but they're very good at what they do and will get you on a train home surprisingly quickly Edited by JeremyR, 18 February 2009 - 10:00 PM.	JeremyR	Male	England	2009-02-18 22:00:00
United Kingdom	UK Electric	I'm pretty sure you'd end up with a 'Super Dyson', wouldn't you? I'm no electrician but surely increased frequency = increased motor speed = increased suction = portable black hole This page seems to cover a wide range of cross-voltage, cross-frequency appliance questions. The general consensus for motor-based 240V/50Hz appliances in the USA seems to range between 'It'll handle the frequency change automatically' to 'It'll probably work but not as efficiently' and 'it might burn out sooner'. I'd forget about asking the manufacturer's helplines, they won't be drawn on such things. I couldn't even get a straight answer from Nintendo about whether a UK Gamecube would work in the USA with a standard US Gamecube power adaptor (it does, FWIW).	JeremyR	Male	England	2009-03-03 14:36:00
United Kingdom	Does my 11 year old need to have the Medical too?	QUOTE (elmcitymaven @ Mar 2 2009, 09:06 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Men need to flash their bits too -- my husband assures me he had to do so (with some great indignation). As did I I was also asked to "turn my head and cough" (literally!) just like in the old war films	JeremyR	Male	England	2009-03-03 14:47:00
United Kingdom	I hate Snappy Snaps	I got mine done at Passport Photo Service (Google Map link) on Oxford St, a stone's throw from the embassy. Their details are in one of the packets the embassy sends out. You'll know you're in the right place because you'll think you're in the wrong place it's up a really wonky flight of stairs and it's just a bloke in a studio with a camera. It took all of 2 minutes and I paid 6 quid for two US-style photos. I used standard British photos for the medical, Knightsbridge Drs told me on the phone that they would be fine (and they were ).	JeremyR	Male	England	2009-03-03 15:12:00
United Kingdom	British passport vacation question	QUOTE (DakotaK1 @ Mar 2 2009, 03:14 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Any idea anybody? <guess> Because the I-485 (ie the form from which USCIS generate your permanent resident registration) asks for a single country of citizenship/nationality and they'd have trouble matching you with their computer records if you presented yourself at the border as being a citizen of a different country? </guess> Personally, if only to avoid any risk and make things less complicated, I'd travel on the passport that matched the country of birth shown on the greencard, renewing it if necessary.	JeremyR	Male	England	2009-03-03 14:58:00
United Kingdom	the interview :crying:	QUOTE (miss g @ Mar 3 2009, 02:48 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> what did u get an RFE for?? An RFE at interview stage is no big deal (unless you're on a tight deadline with an already booked ticket, of course) I got one for a missing Affidavit of Support. It's a long story but the crux of it is that due to pressure from the congressman's office over here, London scheduled my interview before I'd sent back the final 'yes, I'm ready' form so I had to go with what I had to hand. They gave me precisely two days notice of my appointment and my (now) wife couldn't get a proof of employment letter to go with the affidatit in time. I was hoping that we'd be alright since the rules say that an affidavit is not required at K-1 interview if other proof can be established. I had hastily faxed paystubs, etc but the consular officer was adamant that he wanted an affidavit so he RFE'd me for one. He made it clear before I left though, that assuming the affidavit was adequate, he'd be approving me so I left with both a blue sheet and a big smile and went to make a happy international call from Bond St tube (expensive!!!). I mailed the affidavit a couple of days later (via SMS) and had my visa inside a week. I agree though, that the interview is an anti-climax. I was expecting so much stress and pressure but it was a piece of cake and once I got to the CO, over in less than 5 minutes. It's no more difficult than going to the bank - you queue (lots), approach a glass-plated window, do some business, queue a bit more, go back, speak to the CO, answer a handful of questions and that's it. No stress required Edited by JeremyR, 03 March 2009 - 02:03 PM.	JeremyR	Male	England	2009-03-03 14:02:00
United Kingdom	Renewing British Passport	QUOTE (Marty J @ Mar 13 2009, 09:45 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Do you need to get your photos signed if you're renewing a passport? I didn't think so unless your appearance has changed 'substantially' Certainly a renewal back home doesn't require the photos to be signed. Maybe it's an 'overseas' thing? :?	JeremyR	Male	England	2009-03-14 12:23:00
United Kingdom	Doing the final flight and POE advice	QUOTE (Nich-Nick @ Mar 20 2009, 05:09 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Ah--it's apparently called getting SSSSed and is covered by Wikipedia and you ca google airlines SSSS http://en.wikipedia....ening_Selection Thanks There must be some way of easily identifying SSSS passengers from the codes on the boarding pass because mine had nothing written on it. I guess I was unlucky and drew the random 'lucky extra screening' seat because I didn't fit any of the other categories - it was a round trip (albeit 89 days ), paid 1 month in advance with a debit card. I did have a previous 'no-show' with the same airline (US Airways) but that was erm... 6 months prior. Perhaps that was it?? Anyway, curiosity satisfied, ta	JeremyR	Male	England	2009-03-20 21:15:00
United Kingdom	Doing the final flight and POE advice	QUOTE (paulinespens @ Mar 18 2009, 03:17 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I hope she never put SSS on your boarding pass. Slightly off topic but does anyone know what marking or code or whatever gets printed on your boarding pass to single you out for extra inspection? I don't even know if there is such a thing but on one of my trips over here in early '07, every single time my boarding pass was scanned or looked at, I was pulled aside for screening. At the main security checkpoint at MAN, I got a full wanding and pat-down (even though I didn't set off the metal detector), at the boarding gate I was pulled aside and had my hand-luggage searched and another pat-down. At PHL I was put into secondary processing by CBP, was asked questions by the customs people when most others were being let straight through. I got the now familiar wanding & pat-down combo at the TSA checkpoint and my bag was 'swabbed' for chemical residues. Finally, after a mind-numbing 6 hour wait for my connection, I was asked the pre-screening questions (did you pack your own bags, etc) all over again at the gate for my flight to ATL. Was I just incredibly unlucky or was my card marked? It certainly felt like it!!!	JeremyR	Male	England	2009-03-20 13:55:00
United Kingdom	My Interview - Not So Bad After All!	QUOTE (Stinky Monkey @ Mar 14 2009, 09:01 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> It will be fine I have till the 11th May to sort it out so no panics at the moment just a royal pain the ####### hahahah That's crazy - there should be checks in place to make sure that doesn't happen - scan visa before they stick it in your passport, make sure it matches, have a supervisor look it over, etc... You'll probably have to pay the SMS cowboys again though they're gonna want paying to transport your passport there and back and the embassy aren't going to want to cough up	JeremyR	Male	England	2009-03-14 11:23:00
United Kingdom	My Interview - Not So Bad After All!	I think from your excellent description you were interviewed by the same CO as I was - nice guy, short hair, quite young? I never thought of the embassy as being built of egg boxes but I won't be able to see it any other way now They're moving to a new building though. Hopefully they'll flatten the current building, it really is horrid	JeremyR	Male	England	2009-03-12 21:57:00