Forum	Title	Content	Member	Sex	Country	Date/Time
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	Front & BACK??? copy of birth certificate??	Mine's blank on the back but I sent them a copy of that anyways Are you sure it was your birth certificate? What if you accidentally sent them a photocopy of the back of your shopping list? It's an easy mistake to make because one blank piece of paper looks just like another one. But if you did and they discovered it was a copy of the wrong blank piece of paper they will think you have lied and then they will investigate you to see what other lies you have told. The outcome might be no visa and a lifetime ban. Is it really worth the risk?	scotinmass	Male	Scotland	2012-01-13 18:58:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	Front & BACK??? copy of birth certificate??	The point is that they want to see it for themselves. As I mentioned, in some countries, they add notes to the back side (regarding previous marriages, divorces, etc.) and USCIS isn't going to take your word for it that the back is blank. How do they know you photocopied the back page if you just send a blank piece of paper? It could be a photocopy of any blank piece of paper!	scotinmass	Male	Scotland	2012-01-13 16:39:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	Front & BACK??? copy of birth certificate??	Same for the passport, they want all pages even if blank. Just do as they ask. The pages are not blank they have numbers on them. They probably want to see all the pages in sequence to see what countries you have visited.	scotinmass	Male	Scotland	2012-01-12 18:02:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	Front & BACK??? copy of birth certificate??	Others have already stated it, but how do they know it is blank unless you copy it. It is the same with your passport. My passport even has a few stickers on the covers that have benn put on by airport security over the years. When they ask for copy of passport they get ALL pages, even the blank ones and covers. Much easier to send it all then deal with delays because they want more latter. Would it not make more sense to photocopy the front then write on it that the back is blank. That way they will know it is blank without having to kill another tree! I can't believe there are people out there who are actually photocopying a blank piece of paper! Edited by scotinmass, 12 January 2012 - 05:57 PM.	scotinmass	Male	Scotland	2012-01-12 17:56:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	I find myself in AP, as a UK born, White male.	It only goes to show that our American cousins aren't racist and don't just investigate those nasty foreign colored chaps!	scotinmass	Male	Scotland	2012-10-23 17:37:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	Another question re:marrying a US citizen	Thanks everyone for your assistance! The plan as of right now is for me to head over to Korea in 2012, with my girlfriend joining me there 3-6 months later. At some point, we probably will come back to the US, get married in a small civil ceremony, and then return to Korea. At the US POE, we will make our intentions clearly known, and I will bring copies of my lease agreement, employment contract, tickets for a return flight to show that I will indeed be returning to Korea. After some additional reading, it then looks like a DCF through the consulate in Seoul might be the way to go ! Sounds like a good plan. Good luck with the job.	scotinmass	Male	Scotland	2011-12-30 12:19:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	Another question re:marrying a US citizen	Thanks, scotinmas. On the point of having to convince the offer that I do not intend to stay in the US, what type of proof is generally necessary? Would it be enough to show him/her my return ticket, or a job contract from my workplace? A return ticket is essential on the VWP. I don't know if Canada is included in the VWP though as it's only recently that you guys even needed a passport to come in. You probably have a different arrangement and if you are driving in obviously you won't have any kind of ticket. Proof of a job and a permanent address back home should be enough. When I was visiting my wife before I got my visa I brought a stack of evidence of ties back home. I had details of my bank account, my job, my mortgage, letters from family, I also brought a copy of my vacation request form from my work stating which dates I would be off and when I was going back. I was grilled a few times but was never asked for any of the proof. I would think that they might be more suspicious of someone who is entering the country to marry a USC without a visa though so the more evidence you have the better. Possibly you being from Canada will make it easier than for someone from a "high risk" country. Above all NEVER EVER lie. If they catch you in one lie (and they are very good at it) they won't believe anything you say.	scotinmass	Male	Scotland	2011-12-30 11:42:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	Another question re:marrying a US citizen	If you have been married less than 2 years you can apply for a CR-1 if more than 2 years then it's an IR-1. The process for filing for either one is exactly the same. You send the same forms and evidence etc you just get whatever visa is relevant to you at the end. The CR-1 is a conditional 2 year greencard after which you have to apply again to have the conditions removed and get the 10 year greencard. The IR-1 gives you the 10 year greencard straight away with no conditions. IR-1 is obviously the best and cheapest option. As you will be spending 2 years in South Korea anyway it would be a good idea to marry before you left then after 2 years of marriage file for the IR-1. You can get married anywhere including in the US but if you do get married in the US you have to convince the officer at your point of entry that you intend to leave the country after you are married. On the visa waiver program you have no right to appeal if they turn you away. It might be safer to get married in Canada or South Korea or wherever. The fiance(e) visa is not really an option for your situation unless you wish to delay getting married until after your 2 years in South Korea and then start the K-1 process then. Whatever you decide. Good luck!	scotinmass	Male	Scotland	2011-12-30 07:56:00
India	Which countries can Indian citizens travel visa-free or obtain a visa on arrival?	Once she has her CR1 means she has her GC it changes. Lot of countries treat the GC holder same as USC and hence no or visa upon arrival option is available even for Indian citizen. For example a country A might require Visa for Indian citizen, but same country A might not require visa for Indian citizen with GC. I think this is only true if visiting Canada and Mexico. A visa would still be required to visit other countries that an Indian citizen needs a tourist visa for even if they have a green card.	scotinmass	Male	Scotland	2012-01-15 20:06:00
Australia and New Zealand	Bringing cats from NZ	Hi guys; I was wondering how much you paid to bring your cats to USA from NZ; (or even AU) When we came from America to NZ in 2008 we brought Emma our 2 year old tabby and it cost us like $2000US because of a 30 day quarantine in NZ and all the other ####### retentive things NZ makes you do before bringing cats to the country. We are coming back to the US in a years time and now have 2 cats (including Emma) I was wondering how much we would be looking at for each cat?? Thanks guys :-D appreciate it. It would be a lot cheaper to take them for a drive on a busy road and let them out the car and drive away!	scotinmass	Male	Scotland	2012-01-14 16:40:00
United Kingdom	London Medical - Knightsbridge Doctors	I think they are only really interested in the chest x-ray, the blood test and your vaccination record. The rest of it is just going through the motions to make you feel like you got something for your money! Asking about smoking is the kind of thing they would ask if it was a real medical so they ask that. It's like when I got a medical for my job here. They were only interested in the drug test result. The doctor asked me to put my arms out in front of me, squat down and stand back up. I did that and he said that told him everything he needed to know and that I passed! He'd already got my pee sample so the rest didn't matter.	scotinmass	Male	Scotland	2012-01-15 08:31:00
United Kingdom	London Medical - Knightsbridge Doctors	QUOTE (yorkshirerose22 @ Nov 21 2009, 11:41 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (FrostyMist @ Nov 21 2009, 03:16 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (yorkshirerose22 @ Nov 21 2009, 01:44 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> and they dont tell u about anything to do with your medical at the end. like if everythings fine or not so that kinda makes me wonder on that. I think that they don't really say much about the outcome of the medical because they can't say how well you've done until the bloods and xray are back. yeah i guess so, jus horried waiting and not knowing. they said they would send me a copy of my blood test results. Is that a copy of the results of the extra blood test you had to get? Cos I don't remember them telling me I'd get a copy of mine.	scotinmass	Male	Scotland	2009-11-23 18:24:00
United Kingdom	London Medical - Knightsbridge Doctors	QUOTE (FrostyMist @ Nov 23 2009, 04:39 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE The examination they give you is pretty cursory, all in all, nothing to fret about. I'm starting to think that maybe some of all this is just done so they have an excuse to make you feel like they've earned the hefty fee. Well, I mostly have everything that I need ready, though there are a few small chores to take care of tomorrow and Wednesday. My fiance is being wonderful about dealing with my stress levels at the moment-I spent earlier yelling and swearing and crying with stress (I think I'm just tired due to sleepless nights worrying about the medical, and everything else), so at least I have a place to vent. And felt a hell of a lot better for blowing off some steam. Since we're driving to the medical, I made it in the afternoon. Not too late, because I think I'd have worked myself into a total state if I were waiting around all day waiting for the appointment, but not so early that I won't be able to get a decent night's sleep. You really don't have anything to worry about. I know it's hard not to stress (we've all done it!) but it'll be fine. You'll be on here on Friday telling everyone else not to worry cos it was a piece of cake!	scotinmass	Male	Scotland	2009-11-23 18:21:00
United Kingdom	London Medical - Knightsbridge Doctors	QUOTE (yorkshirerose22 @ Nov 21 2009, 08:44 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (FrostyMist @ Nov 21 2009, 01:21 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Thank you for sharing your experiences, yorkshirerose22. My medical is next week, and I'm trying to stay calm and not worry too much. Sounds like your medical was a bit of a stress, so I hope everything goes smoothly from now on. Good luck with your medical, everything thing will be fine, i found it was not as bad i as thought, it was a very quick medical. The only thing im now worried about is her making a big deal of my drunk and disordly caution and what the embassy will say seen as she was a doctor and was making a big deal, and they dont tell u about anything to do with your medical at the end. like if everythings fine or not so that kinda makes me wonder on that. Sounds like you got the same doctor as me. She really doesn't seem interested in doing a medical. She just likes to pick up on one thing and ask stupid questions and be annoying about it. She needs to get a job she likes! I noticed that the women that were there had to wear a robe and I was wondering why. I was told to strip to the waist to get the chest x-ray then I put my clothes back on. I was wondering if the women got some kind of extra check when I saw them in robes. The medical is stressful but it is more a case of stressing yourself about nothing. Really all they are checking for is Aids/Hiv, TB or any drug use. The rest of it doesn't matter much to them. They don't have a free health service so you aren't gonna cost them money if you are ill. They just don't want anyone spreading nasty diseases around. So the blood test and x-ray are really the only things that matter and they just go through the motions with the other stuff. £190 for that is a rip off but we have no choice. They don't have any competition. I was told at the end that my blood test results would come back in 2 days and they would contact me if there was a problem but if not they'd forward it to the embassy so in this case no news is good news.	scotinmass	Male	Scotland	2009-11-21 10:00:00
United Kingdom	London Medical - Knightsbridge Doctors	QUOTE (MattHeartCass @ Nov 18 2009, 01:26 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I'm a bit frustrated over my medical situation. I admitted that I self harmed in 2004 on my questionnaire, and have a letter that my doctor has to sign, or, one of the doctors at the practice I go to. I went to see one of them today and he said that he felt he wasn't qualified to sign the letter the Knightsbridge doctor has given me. By the time I had my appointment Knightsbridge was already closed for the day, so now I'll have to call back from work in the morning to make sure I understood exactly what I have to do. If I can't get my doctor to sign about the two underlined sentences that basically say that chances are I won't self-harm again or that I likely won't need psychiatric help later on in life... I'll have to have a complete assessment, and I have no idea how / where I'd get one done. It's turning into a bit of a nightmare. All of this so that Knightsbridge can send my completed medical info to the Embassy. Sometimes it doesn't pay to be too honest. They go by the information you give them and the test results that they take. They don't check anything. They don't ask your doctor's name. If you don't tell them they won't know.	scotinmass	Male	Scotland	2009-11-18 17:17:00
United Kingdom	London Medical - Knightsbridge Doctors	Overall, I thought they were very helpful (though the lady sounded a little bored during the conversation at first.) When I was in the waiting room I heard the receptionist answer the phone a lot and give the same information over and over again. She must do this 20 times a day every day of her life so I guess she would be a bit bored.	scotinmass	Male	Scotland	2009-11-18 11:11:00
United Kingdom	London Medical - Knightsbridge Doctors	QUOTE (treehugger @ Nov 18 2009, 09:21 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (scotinmass @ Nov 18 2009, 10:57 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Oh and I forgot to say. Don't waste time and money getting American sized photos cos they cut them down to British size. Mine was American sized and she asked me to initial the front of it and it was much narrower than when I gave them it. Thanks for the review, very helpful! And I'm glad you enjoyed your walk - I'm a Londoner born and bred and I love it when others get a glimpse of what it's really like And as a Scot it is painfull to say anything nice about England! But yeah I loved London and I'd love to go back and see more without the stress this time!	scotinmass	Male	Scotland	2009-11-18 11:05:00
United Kingdom	London Medical - Knightsbridge Doctors	QUOTE (FrostyMist @ Nov 18 2009, 07:51 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I'm feeling nervous about the medical, especially since I have a medical condition. I'm concerned I'm going to be "interrogated". And I am extremely difficult to get blood from. This tends to frustrate and irritate the doctors after they've tried five times with no success!! Those were great reviews though. Very informative. Thank you to those who took the time to write such detailed accounts. QUOTE I then headed in the general direction of Bentinck street. I walked up Park Lane and took a slight detour to the US embassy. There are a lot of police around. There is a park right in front of it and I stopped there and took a few pics. A policeman started walking towards me and I thought he was gonna ask why I was taking pics of the embassy but he walked past me! I think my medical is scheduled at Bentinck too. Is the US embassy fairly close to there then? I was thinking it might be a good idea to check where the Embassy is for when I have my interview. It is about a mile from Bentinck street. It is a few streets back from Park Lane in Grosvener Square. I went cos it was on my way from Victoria. You'll know you've found it when you see the police everywhere! QUOTE (RUSSandRACHEL @ Nov 18 2009, 08:00 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Frosty Mist, when is your medical scheduled for and what information did you have to give them over the phone? Also does anyone have the correct phone number to call and make the appointment? I'm going to try and make my appointment again today. It is 020 7486 7822. They give you the choice of what time and date you want.	scotinmass	Male	Scotland	2009-11-18 08:12:00
United Kingdom	London Medical - Knightsbridge Doctors	QUOTE (Lioncub4 @ Nov 18 2009, 07:34 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (scotinmass @ Nov 18 2009, 05:39 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I had my medical at Bentinck mansions yesterday. It feels like it is just a way for the doctors to make easy money. They do very little for it. I flew from Edinburgh to Gatwick and got the Gatwick express to Victoria station. It was all very easy and ran like clockwork. I arrived at 8am and my medical was in the afternoon and I've not been to London since I was a child so I went exploring. I like walking but didn't think it would be easy in central London. I was wrong. It is so easy to get around. Crossing roads isn't difficult and the busiest places have pedestrian subways to walk under the roads. From Victoria I walked to Green Park and sat and read for a while then walked through it to Buckingham Palace and took a few photos. I then headed in the general direction of Bentinck street. I walked up Park Lane and took a slight detour to the US embassy. There are a lot of police around. There is a park right in front of it and I stopped there and took a few pics. A policeman started walking towards me and I thought he was gonna ask why I was taking pics of the embassy but he walked past me! I went from there underneath Park Lane to Hyde park and found what seemed to be the only public toilets in London! There was a big wheel that looked just like the London Eye which confused me cos I didn't think the London Eye was in Hyde Park. I took a few pics of it but when I got home and looked it up, it wasn't the London Eye at all! I spent some time in the park then walked up to speaker's corner and crossed over to Marble Arch and then to Oxford street. I kept going 2 streets back from Oxford street up Cumberland Place and turned right on Seymour Street. This turned into portman square and then Wigmore street. After a short time I turned left onto Wellbeck St then left again onto Bentinck St. It is easy to find but Knightsbridge Doctor's isn't! It is a very short street but I walked up and down it twice and couldn't see it. I was thinking I had the wrong place but then I spotted a small brass plaque outside the end building which said Knightsbridge Doctor's flat 4. I still had 2 hours to go so I went to get a sandwich and sat in a park in Cavendish Square which is 2 mins away. I was getting a bit cold so I headed across the road to John Lewis's and got a heat and used their toilets. I walked back to the doctors and walked round the block half a dozen times to kill more time and then went in. I pressed the buzzer and they let me in and it's the first door on the right. I gave them my passport, photo, questionaire and vaccine records and sat in the crowded waiting room. 10 mins after my scheduled time they gave me a form to fill in which was just yes or no boxes to tick about medical conditions and an aids test permission sheet to sign. I was taken in to the nurse who told me I needed 2 vaccines. I have a rare illness which could come back if triggered by vaccines so I told her I would speak to the doctor about it first. I was then taken for the chest x-ray. It was done by an unfriendly woman who hardly said a word. Then back to the waiting room. Eventually I was taken in to see a female foreign doctor whom I had difficulty understanding. She was very rude and arrogant. I told her my concerns about the vaccines. She asked for a very brief history and then to my amazement and annoyance she wrote it off and said i was mis-diagnosed. I was treated by one of the world's top centres of this type of illness and little miss smarty pants thinks she knows better. Basically I was told get the vaccines or spend lots of money trying to prove I don't need them and have my case held up forever. So I agreed to get them. I was already stressed and was now pissed off and I have high blood pressure and am on meds for it so I knew it would be high and was worried which would make it higher! She asked me to read the eye chart then asked a few questions about past smoking mental health etc then told me to roll up my sleeve and lie on the bed. I thought I'd misheard her cos I'd read you have to get undressed but no she didn't even ask me to take my jumper off. She listened to my breathing and tapped my stomach a bit and tried to look down my pants. I had jeans and a belt on so she wouldn't have seen anything but she never asked me to even loosen my belt. It was like she couldn't be bothered. Then she took my bp. She shouted "WOOWHEE!" (very proffesional!) and I knew it wasn't good news. It was 185/105! Oh #######! She asked if I was anxious. She said my heart was racing. I said yes this is a stressful experience for me. She told me to keep taking my tablets and cut out salt and caffeine but that was it. She didn't fail me. She took blood and made a big deal of telling me to hold cotton wool on it very hard cos my bp was so high I wouldn't stop bleeding! I was taken to another small waiting room then back to the nurse to get vaccines. The nurse gave me both of them in the same arm which is wrong. They are supposed to be given in different places. (My wife is a nurse and was annoyed at this!) Then back to the waiting room while they got my bill ready. £250 for pretty much nothing. I felt like I'd been robbed. The receptionist and the nurse are nice. Everyone else is not so nice. I left and walked down to Oxford St and walked along it to Marble Arch. Bad mistake. It is crowded and everyone bumps into you and blows smoke all over you. I went back across to the peace of Hyde Park and back to Victoria Station and back to Gatwick. I had a Cheeseburger and a pint in Wetherspoons and then flew home. If it wasn't for the damn medical it would have been the perfect day out! Wow - this is almost to the word the exact experience I had during my medical. Sounds like you had the same doctor I had. She was also concerned over my high blood pressure and "racing" heartbeat - 170/90 and 92 beats. She asked if I was anxious and if I had any caffeine. When I told her I had 3 espressos before coming in, she almost hit the roof! I told her I just had it checked a few weeks ago and it was 130/80 then. Anyway, I had the exact same "exam" where I didn't have to remove any clothing - not even my shoes. She had a quick (very quick) peek down my trousers! God knows what she managed to see because it was so quick. She took blood and again, same as you, said it wouldn't stop bleeding and made a big fuss over me keeping a tight thumb over the gauze. She let the high blood pressure go and said it was probably down to anxiety and the 3 espressos!! So, paid the £225 and I was off to pub for cheeseburger and guinness. All in all, a bit of a let down - but I do have the vaccine records for AOS! Anyone worrying about the medical - don't be. It's all relatively painless, the people there are on the whole nice - especially the receptionist and nurse. Doctor and x-ray woman were both professional and to the point. I was gonna have a Guinness with my cheeseburger but I couldn't be bothered waiting for them to pour it!	scotinmass	Male	Scotland	2009-11-18 07:47:00
United Kingdom	London Medical - Knightsbridge Doctors	Oh and I forgot to say. Don't waste time and money getting American sized photos cos they cut them down to British size. Mine was American sized and she asked me to initial the front of it and it was much narrower than when I gave them it.	scotinmass	Male	Scotland	2009-11-18 05:57:00
United Kingdom	London Medical - Knightsbridge Doctors	I had my medical at Bentinck mansions yesterday. It feels like it is just a way for the doctors to make easy money. They do very little for it. I flew from Edinburgh to Gatwick and got the Gatwick express to Victoria station. It was all very easy and ran like clockwork. I arrived at 8am and my medical was in the afternoon and I've not been to London since I was a child so I went exploring. I like walking but didn't think it would be easy in central London. I was wrong. It is so easy to get around. Crossing roads isn't difficult and the busiest places have pedestrian subways to walk under the roads. From Victoria I walked to Green Park and sat and read for a while then walked through it to Buckingham Palace and took a few photos. I then headed in the general direction of Bentinck street. I walked up Park Lane and took a slight detour to the US embassy. There are a lot of police around. There is a park right in front of it and I stopped there and took a few pics. A policeman started walking towards me and I thought he was gonna ask why I was taking pics of the embassy but he walked past me! I went from there underneath Park Lane to Hyde park and found what seemed to be the only public toilets in London! There was a big wheel that looked just like the London Eye which confused me cos I didn't think the London Eye was in Hyde Park. I took a few pics of it but when I got home and looked it up, it wasn't the London Eye at all! I spent some time in the park then walked up to speaker's corner and crossed over to Marble Arch and then to Oxford street. I kept going 2 streets back from Oxford street up Cumberland Place and turned right on Seymour Street. This turned into portman square and then Wigmore street. After a short time I turned left onto Wellbeck St then left again onto Bentinck St. It is easy to find but Knightsbridge Doctor's isn't! It is a very short street but I walked up and down it twice and couldn't see it. I was thinking I had the wrong place but then I spotted a small brass plaque outside the end building which said Knightsbridge Doctor's flat 4. I still had 2 hours to go so I went to get a sandwich and sat in a park in Cavendish Square which is 2 mins away. I was getting a bit cold so I headed across the road to John Lewis's and got a heat and used their toilets. I walked back to the doctors and walked round the block half a dozen times to kill more time and then went in. I pressed the buzzer and they let me in and it's the first door on the right. I gave them my passport, photo, questionaire and vaccine records and sat in the crowded waiting room. 10 mins after my scheduled time they gave me a form to fill in which was just yes or no boxes to tick about medical conditions and an aids test permission sheet to sign. I was taken in to the nurse who told me I needed 2 vaccines. I have a rare illness which could come back if triggered by vaccines so I told her I would speak to the doctor about it first. I was then taken for the chest x-ray. It was done by an unfriendly woman who hardly said a word. Then back to the waiting room. Eventually I was taken in to see a female foreign doctor whom I had difficulty understanding. She was very rude and arrogant. I told her my concerns about the vaccines. She asked for a very brief history and then to my amazement and annoyance she wrote it off and said i was mis-diagnosed. I was treated by one of the world's top centres of this type of illness and little miss smarty pants thinks she knows better. Basically I was told get the vaccines or spend lots of money trying to prove I don't need them and have my case held up forever. So I agreed to get them. I was already stressed and was now pissed off and I have high blood pressure and am on meds for it so I knew it would be high and was worried which would make it higher! She asked me to read the eye chart then asked a few questions about past smoking mental health etc then told me to roll up my sleeve and lie on the bed. I thought I'd misheard her cos I'd read you have to get undressed but no she didn't even ask me to take my jumper off. She listened to my breathing and tapped my stomach a bit and tried to look down my pants. I had jeans and a belt on so she wouldn't have seen anything but she never asked me to even loosen my belt. It was like she couldn't be bothered. Then she took my bp. She shouted "WOOWHEE!" (very proffesional!) and I knew it wasn't good news. It was 185/105! Oh #######! She asked if I was anxious. She said my heart was racing. I said yes this is a stressful experience for me. She told me to keep taking my tablets and cut out salt and caffeine but that was it. She didn't fail me. She took blood and made a big deal of telling me to hold cotton wool on it very hard cos my bp was so high I wouldn't stop bleeding! I was taken to another small waiting room then back to the nurse to get vaccines. The nurse gave me both of them in the same arm which is wrong. They are supposed to be given in different places. (My wife is a nurse and was annoyed at this!) Then back to the waiting room while they got my bill ready. £250 for pretty much nothing. I felt like I'd been robbed. The receptionist and the nurse are nice. Everyone else is not so nice. I left and walked down to Oxford St and walked along it to Marble Arch. Bad mistake. It is crowded and everyone bumps into you and blows smoke all over you. I went back across to the peace of Hyde Park and back to Victoria Station and back to Gatwick. I had a Cheeseburger and a pint in Wetherspoons and then flew home. If it wasn't for the damn medical it would have been the perfect day out!	scotinmass	Male	Scotland	2009-11-18 05:39:00
United Kingdom	London Medical - Knightsbridge Doctors	Is it possible to book the medical in London for a specific date and time or do you just have to take what is available? It would be good if I could get a time in the afternoon on one of my days off so I wouldn't lose any wages and wouldn't have to stay overnight in London. Thanks in advance.	scotinmass	Male	Scotland	2009-10-20 17:14:00
United Kingdom	Eyesight	QUOTE (yorkshirerose22 @ Nov 22 2009, 01:06 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (scotinmass @ Nov 22 2009, 11:55 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (yorkshirerose22 @ Nov 21 2009, 05:08 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> i jus had my medical and i have a lazy eye and i wear glasses all the time. al the doctor told me to do was ready the letters , so i read as much as i could. nothing much was said. While I was sitting at her desk answering questions she told me to read the eye chart. It was half way across the room and was up on the wall at an angle from where I was sitting. She didn't say to cover one eye or to read a certain line. She just said read it. I have good eyesight and read it all down to the last line which I couldn't quite make out. She was writing when I was reading the letters and I doubt she was listening. I could have been saying anything. Having good eyesight isn't a requirement of getting a visa. Don't worry about it. They just go through the motions to try and convince you they are earning the £190! All the US government cares about is the blood test and the chest x-ray. The rest is a waste of time. yes that what she had me do, she was more interested in my caustion i got in 2004 for being drunk and disordly n she made me have 3 extra blood test to make sure i didnt have a drinking problem cost me extra £40. she wasnt very professional . lol she aint no different to my own doctor. they shouldnt make u go ther n pay all that money for nothing Yeah our own free NHS doctors could do just as bad a job as the expensive private ones!	scotinmass	Male	Scotland	2009-11-22 12:52:00
United Kingdom	Eyesight	QUOTE (yorkshirerose22 @ Nov 21 2009, 05:08 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> i jus had my medical and i have a lazy eye and i wear glasses all the time. al the doctor told me to do was ready the letters , so i read as much as i could. nothing much was said. While I was sitting at her desk answering questions she told me to read the eye chart. It was half way across the room and was up on the wall at an angle from where I was sitting. She didn't say to cover one eye or to read a certain line. She just said read it. I have good eyesight and read it all down to the last line which I couldn't quite make out. She was writing when I was reading the letters and I doubt she was listening. I could have been saying anything. Having good eyesight isn't a requirement of getting a visa. Don't worry about it. They just go through the motions to try and convince you they are earning the £190! All the US government cares about is the blood test and the chest x-ray. The rest is a waste of time.	scotinmass	Male	Scotland	2009-11-22 06:55:00
United Kingdom	British Airways Strike!	QUOTE (Damian P @ Dec 15 2009, 01:46 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (Jewel-8 @ Dec 15 2009, 02:20 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> SCR** greedy unionized b*(@&%@*." - And there, my friend, you have it - nail on head. Unions: the scourge of the modern workplace. Oh, Maggie, how I wish you were still in power. I wouldn't go as far as that!	scotinmass	Male	Scotland	2009-12-15 14:03:00
United Kingdom	British Airways Strike!	I had flown a few times from Edinburgh to Heathrow on BA and thought they were excellent and when I finally booked with them earlier this year all the way to Boston I was looking forward to it. But what a disappointment. The plane was old and vibrated on take off so much that I thought it would shake apart. There was absolutely no entertainment at all. No tv. Nothing. The staff on the flight there were ok and it wasn't too much of an ordeal. The return flight was staffed by the crew from hell! They were awful and didn't serve drinks with the meal and when i complained I got the sarcastic treatment! I vowed then never to fly transatlantic with them again. But when i was booking my flights for christmas they were by far the chaepest and had times that suited me so I went for it. Obviously they were cheap cos everyone else was avoiding them cos of the potential strike. Silly me! I have my interview in London on the 25th Jan and my wife is flying over and we are meeting at heathrow. The only way we could both arrive and leave from the same terminal at the same time was for both of us to fly with BA so I booked them for that too. After that I am done with them. I hope they go under. I hope that Branson takes them over and signs the cabin crew back on at half their wages. BA tried to shut down Virgin Atlantic when they started 25 years ago. Wouldn't it be nice if Virgin had the last laugh! I have flown Virgin too and those guys do a better job for half the money! Do I sound bitter? I hope so cos I am!	scotinmass	Male	Scotland	2009-12-15 12:21:00
United Kingdom	British Airways Strike!	QUOTE (Lioncub4 @ Dec 14 2009, 04:15 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (scotinmass @ Dec 14 2009, 02:16 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Has anyone else just had their christmas and new year plans ruined by the greedy *!@%! at British Strikeways? I was due to fly with them on christmas eve. I can't get any information cos the phonelines tell you they are very busy and to try again later and cut you off! Nice! Thanks! I'm so sorry for you - hope you can still make it for Christmas! Fingers crossed for you. If approved on Thursday - I was hoping to book my tickets with BA for 29th Dec. BA are not taking bookings at the moment so, I guess that's me stuffed And all the other airlines will be taking the overflow!!! They sure love to spread the festive cheer don't they? Yeah and they claim they took the decision to screw up a million families christmases with a heavy heart! Uh huh! I can't do a thing right now cos if I cancel and go to another airline I lose all my money. I have to wait for BA to cancel and by that time it will be harder to get anything else and will cost a fortune. And I'm not entitled to any compensation cos strike action is outwith their control!	scotinmass	Male	Scotland	2009-12-14 15:43:00
United Kingdom	British Airways Strike!	Has anyone else just had their christmas and new year plans ruined by the greedy *!@%! at British Strikeways? I was due to fly with them on christmas eve. I can't get any information cos the phonelines tell you they are very busy and to try again later and cut you off! Nice! Thanks!	scotinmass	Male	Scotland	2009-12-14 14:16:00
United Kingdom	British/Scottish recipes	QUOTE (david'sgirl @ Dec 16 2009, 10:23 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (rebeccajo @ Dec 16 2009, 12:05 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Is Heinz 57 the same as HP? Nope. Sorry. Regarding bread - we're as 'broke' as anybody, but we don't buy our bread off the shelf of the bread aisle. We pay a little extra for breads from the deli section of our local grocery. My husband is always experimenting and we really have no trouble finding things he likes. You might try french loaves, italian loves or other 'crusty' things. Potatoes - after I had decent Irish potatoes, I was looking for a better American alternative. Try golden potatoes - they are flour-y like many varieties in the UK and Ireland. I'm not sure I'm the best person to give advice about these things because my husband is really not particular. He knew when he came here he was going to have to adapt and he's made the necessary concessions regarding food. He's never been a big complainer over US bread. Or chocolate. Or many of the other things I read that British long for. NOW, that's not to say that he doesn't miss things. He gets REALLY happy when we are in an area where we can pick up British products. He stuffed himself with bacon and sausage when we visited home last spring. And like I said, we brought HP sauce home in the luggage. After four years, we've ended up with a blend of products or items in our house that are 'similar'. We never have a full meal that is strictly irish or british. Wes 'laid down the gauntlet' when he decided to move here - he stated he couldn't live without HP or Branston, and so we make sure we have those. Everything else - he's flexible on. I say let your husband do some cooking and watch what he does. Watch how he seasons things. And when you cook, ask him what he likes and doesn't like about the meal and BE HONESTLY PREPARED to hear him and be willing to modify what you can. There are some things you can do easily to remind him of the foods he loves and other things you can't. They live here now and even though we love 'em, we can't baby 'em too much. I've been getting the yukon gold potatoes and they come out same (or seems so to me anyway) to what he makes at home. I was not a big fan of the bread in Scotland. I thought the wholemeal stuff was about as tasty as cardboard.lol I've been getting oatmeal bread and I've got a bread machine so I'll experiment a bit. You lqst line made me laugh. I don't want tp baby him but I suppose I do feel I should spoil him a bit. I mean he is making a pretty big sacrifice coming here so if I can do anything to make it easier I will. I keep finding imported items but the prices are silly. You don't like our real bread cos your taste buds have been destroyed by that stodgy sweet stuff that you call bread and we'd call cake!	scotinmass	Male	Scotland	2009-12-17 16:36:00
United Kingdom	Question for those from Scotland :)	I got a police report from Lothian and Borders police. It cost £10. I then discovered they only accept the ACPO one. I sent both the reports. Giving them more than they need can't hurt.	scotinmass	Male	Scotland	2011-10-27 19:05:00
United Kingdom	Can he still visit? Visa pending	If you are a UK citizen you are elligible to travel to the US on the VWP regardless of whether you are applying for a visa or not. There is nothing to say that you can't enter the US on the VWP while waiting for a visa. There is a chance you may be refused entry if the officer thinks there is a risk you plan to overstay but that is the same for everyone. If you have a return ticket and can show ties to the UK and are totally honest you shouldn't have a problem. I visited on a number of occasions while waiting for my visa. I brought evidence of ties every time but was never asked for it and had no problems.	scotinmass	Male	Scotland	2011-11-22 21:34:00
United Kingdom	Amazon & UK Treats	I'm sorry but I disagree. I've tried and tried to find thing similar or better but I've had no luck. A friend just bought me some lollies/candy from home. I forgot how awesome they were till I ate that first one. YUM! i'm super excited to make the profiteroles from the mix she brought One strange thing I have noticed about the US food is that they add sugar to everything (bread tastes like cake) but chocolate which is supposed to have bags of sugar in it is kind of bitter and not even close to being sweet enough. I do miss good British sugar free bread but I sometimes make my own or I just have a bagel sandwich with ham egg and cheese instead. Yum! I'm certainly not starving.	scotinmass	Male	Scotland	2011-12-05 16:56:00
United Kingdom	Amazon & UK Treats	There is so much good food in the US that there is always something I can substitue for anything I miss. Don't waste money on imports. Just find something better.	scotinmass	Male	Scotland	2011-12-04 18:33:00
United Kingdom	Paying tax on savings	I transferred a lot of money via XE.com. When I arrived here the exchange rate was terrible so I left it in a bank account in the UK until it improved. I transferred $9,900 at a time until it was all over here. That way I didn't have to declare it and didn't have to fill out any forms. Even if I had moved it all at once and declared it I wouldn't have had to pay tax on it. You only have to prove the money came from a legitimate source and as it was earned outside the US and was already taxed Uncle Sam keeps his hands off! I wish he's keep his hands off the money I'm earning here!	scotinmass	Male	Scotland	2011-12-24 11:14:00
United Kingdom	Happy New Year / Hogmanay!	Happy New Year. It's the only day I can start drinking beer at 10am without looking (too much) like I'm a drunk! Here's to a great 2012!	scotinmass	Male	Scotland	2012-01-01 12:06:00
United Kingdom	What do you say when Americans tell you they are Scottish?	The people who manage to correctly guess my accent as Scottish (they usually think it's Irish!) always tell me they are Scottish too. They tell me there great x 14 grandmother was called Mc this or Mac that. It's not just Scots though. I am constantly being told by people I work with that they are Italian or Irish and one day they plan on visiting europe to see where they came from. I find it highly amusing. My wife Diane tells me that because Americans are a mongrel race it is very important to them to have some sense of identity and knowing where they came from. I don't quite understand that. If you are born in the US and your parents were and their parents were then you are American. I was born in Scotland as were my parents and their parents and their parents. I don't care where anyone came from before that. That's more than enough to make me Scottish.	scotinmass	Male	Scotland	2011-12-05 17:42:00
United Kingdom	'The Move'	I sold my house and 2 cars and gave away everything else so I didn't have anything to ship over. I arrived with 3 suitcases and that was it. I did have a lot of money in my UK bank account which was still at my old address which was slightly risky. When I moved here nearly 2 years ago the pound was very low against the dollar so I took the chance of leaving the money there until it improved. When it did rise to a level I was happy with I moved it over using XE.com. It is very easy to do. I did it online and they don't charge a fee. I was not charged a fee from either my UK or US bank either. The exchange rate they give is much better than the post office or paypal. I also just closed my paypal account cos someone tried to steal $150 from it via my US bank account and paypal only returned the money when my bank got involved so I wouldn't trust them with large sums of money. I have not got round to officially leaving the UK yet! I never filled out any forms for the Inland Revenue or returned my NHS card or anything else. I'll probably get round to it eventually but there's no rush. Life here for me has been good. I got a job within a month of moving here. The company closed down after 3 months but I got another one literally the next day and have been working there ever since. I passed my driving test (unbelievably easy in Massachusetts!) and bought a car. I have been enjoying the food here a bit too much and have put on 30lbs. I love Scotland with a passion and always said I could never live anywhere else but now that I do I don't really miss it at all. There are a few things that I can't get here like real bacon and a mince pie supper but there are so many other things that make up for it. Life in New England is very similar to the UK so it probably much easier than if I had moved to Texas or North Dakota. We have just sent in the I-751 form to get the 10 year visa. They give a 1 year extension while it is being processed. I will probably apply for citizenship after that. I might neglect to return my UK passport tho! I've read on here a lot of people from the UK who regret moving and wish they could go back home but I think it's the best move I've ever made and have no plans to ever move back. Mrs GH I see your point of entry is Boston. I came in there and it took about 5 mins. I gave them 2 finger prints and 2 signatures and that was pretty much it. I got my green card in the mail less than 3 weeks later. Will you be living in Boston? We are just north of there. David.	scotinmass	Male	Scotland	2011-12-01 20:04:00
United Kingdom	Living in UK or USA - second thoughts	I've not regretted moving to the US. Life has been good and pretty easy so far. I love Scotland and miss the scenery and a few trivial things (like chip shops and real pubs) but there are so many things here that I can find as a substitute for anything I can't get here. We live just north of Boston and the way of life there and the people are pretty similar to the UK. I visited here about 10 times before I moved but never for more than a week and once just for a weekend. Diane had to work a lot of the days I visited so I went exploring on my own. I did a lot of walking and used every form of public transport. I'm not an adventurous person and don't like doing stuff on my own but I found it all so easy and similar to how things work at home that I never had a problem. I just felt comfortable and new I wouldn't have a problem living here. If I want to see scenery similar to the Highlands of Scotland I have a 90 min drive to the White Mountains in New Hampshire. It is almost as good and there are far better roads than in the Highlands. This country is vast and has an abundance of beautiful places. With the proceeds of selling my house in Scotland we bought a weekend retreat in Maine. I am a big Stephen King fan and I discovered after we bought this place that he grew up and went to school a couple of miles away from here which is really cool! The job market in the US is slow but I managed to get a job within a month. The company went out of business after 3 months but I managed to get another job literally the next day and have been working there for the last 18 months. I planned to visit Scotland at least 4 times a year but in reality we only manage it once or twice a year. I don't really have the urge to go back more often. The people in the New England area are generally very nice and friendly. I have been welcomed in both places I've worked. If things hadn't worked out so well for me then perhaps I would have missed Scotland a bit more but I don't think I would ever have regretted it. Oh and on the topic of the weather. I never realised how depressing grey skies and rain were until I stopped living under them. Here it is VERY cold in the winter. We get a lot of snow usually but even still the sky is blue 90% of the time. The odd time it is grey and wet here I feel so gloomy I don't know how I could ever have lived like that!	scotinmass	Male	Scotland	2012-01-01 14:38:00
United Kingdom	British living in US, questions about children	You should find info here http://www.ukba.home...zen/bornabroad/	scotinmass	Male	Scotland	2012-01-16 20:56:00
United Kingdom	Question regarding US visa photos	I took a photo myself and uploaded it to a photo service online (I can't remember which one but there are dozens) It allows you to crop it and helps you size it to the requirements for the US then you can either print it off yourself for free or pay them to do it. I got 4 for £3.99.	scotinmass	Male	Scotland	2012-01-22 09:11:00