biggish data

Time in JFK

QUOTE (RaTBoX @ Aug 21 2007, 11:38 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

QUOTE (Lansbury @ Aug 21 2007, 07:36 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Nothing like taking a risk, booking the flight before you know you have the visa

Yes, I know!

But the way I looked at it, I will either be travelling over on a K1 visa, or will go across on VWP explaining why the K1 was denied, and then deciding what to do next with the OH.

The price was too good for me not to take!

I'd found that Expedia boosts it's prices the more you search for a flight, which is something I had suspected but never really looked into.

The more I searched for LHR/LGW to JFK, the higher the prices got for the same flights. They started at £324 (LGW>LFK>Jackson MS) and then after about an hour of hammering Expedia with date and route combinations, the prices went up to £360, and then £380, and peaked at £460.

I left it for 24 hours, did a single search, and the flight was £361. 12 hours later I did another search, again for the same flight, and then got back to the original price of £324. I didn't think it would get any lower, so I snapped it up.

For those who weren't aware of this, it's something to keep in mind. I assume it's an automatic thing that the website thinks there is a higher demand for the flight if it's being queried many times, and increases the price.

It is a mixture of two things. Certainly you are right about Expedia they put a cookie on your computer and they know you are looking for a flight and as you say if you keep looking at the same one the price fluctuates. It has been quite well documented. For those sort of sites it is useful to block cookies. As you also say after a while the cookie expires and the price returns to what you first saw.

Just about all the airlines these days use very sophisticated load management computers. In the economy cabin of a transatlantic flight there can be 10 or more price bands. The airlines computer constantly monitors demand for a flight and can and does adjust the price upwards if demand is above expectations or can drop it if sales are slow. I worked at Heathrow for a number of years and learned a great deal about how the reservation systems work.

One reason I like Airline Network they don't do what Expedia, Travelocity and Orbitz do, the price stays constant until those tickets are sold. Another tip, these days some airlines put the best deals on their own web site. If you find a good deal on Expedia or the like check that airlines web site and see what the fare is to book direct.

Lansbury

Male

England

2007-08-22 12:02:00

Time in JFK

QUOTE (RaTBoX @ Aug 21 2007, 04:08 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thanks for the help guys, a real load off my mind.

I've now just got the interview to get through!

Was very confused by the packet 4, as it told me I didn't need I134, but needed I846 instead. A quick call put my mind at ease.

Train tickets to embassy booked, flight on 14th November booked, all I need now is to pass the interview!

Nothing like taking a risk, booking the flight before you know you have the visa

Lansbury

Male

England

2007-08-21 13:36:00

Time in JFK

That seems a reasonable amount of time to allow. Gives a bit a leeway for the flight from the UK arriving late and immigration being busy.

Lansbury

Male

England

2007-08-19 12:49:00

visa delivery

QUOTE (samwatts @ Aug 23 2007, 06:15 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thanks!!

Im hoping to fly out on the 20th but i will not book any tickets till i been for interview.
Too scared it might jinx me lol

sam xxx

It might be better to wait until the visa has actually been delivered. A small minority have experienced a delay of over a week or more before the visa arrived from the Embassy and there hasn't been a reason for the delay, it just took longer than normal.

Lansbury

Male

England

2007-08-23 11:37:00

UK Mini Cash ISA & US Tax

When completing US tax return you have to declare your worldwide income.

There is a reciprocal tax agreement between UK and US so in general if you pay tax in one country you don't pay tax on that money in the other. You have to show the UK tax paid on your US tax return. Providing you have shown on your US tax return the income earned by your ISA since your arrival in the US no problems with tax moving it over.

I did see a post either on this board or British Expats which said the US doesn't recognise the tax incentives the UK gives on ISAs and so taxes them heavily here. No idea if this is correct but if you have a lot of money involved it could be worth getting some advice from a tax accountant to cover your back.

Lansbury

Male

England

2007-08-23 12:00:00

Visa approved

QUOTE (essjay @ Aug 23 2007, 10:21 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

or flooding....... no one has mentioned that MBE risk!

Yep flooding another bout of heavy rains could wash it away. Think it is fairly safe from earthquake but you never know.............

Lansbury

Male

England

2007-08-23 13:13:00

Visa approved

QUOTE (Mothy @ Aug 23 2007, 08:10 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thanks everyone for the congrats! My visa came at 12pm today. Just two days after my interview.

I thought the stress would be over by now but having the brown envelope is just as stressful. The officer at the embassy warned me that if I lose it then that's it. I'll have to start all over again. I can't help but worry that my house will be burgled or I'll have a fire or something equally unlikely.

Anyway, I'm still made up that I've got my visa, got a good job and I'm off in four weeks. Yippee!!!

Or opening it, don't forget that.

Now only four weeks to worry about losing it, destroying it, even if a burglar doesn't take it they might open it to see if it is worth stealing. Could be a long 4 weeks

Lansbury

Male

England

2007-08-23 12:06:00

Visa approved

Pleased to hear you have been approved

Lansbury

Male

England

2007-08-21 13:39:00

QUOTE (essjay @ Aug 25 2007, 10:25 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

A genuine question here - has anyone made up dates when contacting the Embassy? I know everyone has different circumstances and London IS very good at working around your dates, but there are suggestions that people fabricate dates and admit to it, and I don't remember seeing that?!?

As I said, just posing a genuine question.....

Well you are going to have to define "make up dates", if you mean you can't put a date unless you have the tickets booked for that date I guess a lot of us would be so defined.

or do you mean we have plans we are hoping to be able to make, but they aren't hard and fast plans and that isn't making up dates.

Which side of the fence is your survey sitting

Lansbury

Male

England

2007-08-25 14:25:00

QUOTE (robinklake @ Aug 24 2007, 03:42 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I think you are misunderstanding each other - Ruby is a K-1 applicant and referring specifically to the intended wedding date, which evidence suggests the embassy DOES accomodate when scheduling interviews. There were a few about a few months back who stirring up a hornet's nest about it.

I do see his point.

Though I think if you are "cricket" about your case you won't be able to help yourself getting a little upset at some of the stuff you read.

Hey there is nothing like having a discussion where both people are right, that is always a good outcome among friends.

Lansbury

Male

England

2007-08-24 18:22:00

QUOTE (Rubycon @ Aug 24 2007, 03:27 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

QUOTE (Lansbury @ Aug 24 2007, 11:10 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

As you have now decided we have advised people to make up dates where has that been said. All we have said is put a date.

No, that isn't what I said. I said I didn't think it was something we should be condoning to the clear detrement of other VJers. To be clear - I'm not talking about giving the embassy an intended travel date. Of course this is fine as they do ask for this. I'm talking about making up a wedding date to try and push your case through when all the advice says "do not fix a wedding date". Look on pages 16/17 (and beyond) of this thread for evidence of people doing just that!

There is no where I could see in this thread where people have advocated making up dates or said they have done so. Certainly on the pages you mention people have put down intended travel dates and intended wedding dates so what, that is what they have tentatively planned so why shouldn't they put down dates. The Embassy advice is not to make plans you cannot easily change not to make any plans at all.

I don't believe anyone on here is condoning lying to the Embassy and it is disingenuous of you to suggest that we are. We are trying to make sure people are not inconvenienced by having to wait for interviews because they didn't give the Embassy sufficient information. If you think otherwise you are entitled to do so, I shall continue advising people to make sure they put a travel date on that form.

All advice given on here is available to all VJs to take or ignore as they wish. The only people who might be disadvantaged are those that don't use this board.

As an aside the person who told me to make sure I put a date on my form is a very close friend and was a professional colleague as well as being a senior Consular Officer at the United States Embassy in London.

Lansbury

Male

England

2007-08-24 18:05:00

QUOTE (Rubycon @ Aug 24 2007, 03:01 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[And I'm afraid that is just "not cricket"

Now you are going to have to forget all about that concept. Americans have no idea at all what it means or have an equivalent.

Lansbury

Male

England

2007-08-24 17:20:00

The specific question is

When Do You Intend To Arrive In The U.S.?
(Provide specific date if known)

I returned my packet 3 end of September. My wife really wanted to be home in time for Thanksgiving, and we had told the people buying our house if all went to plan we would be gone before end of November and hopefully sooner. I was leaving work 8th November.

We had no hard and fast travel plans, but in answer to that question I said we intended to travel on 12th November. It was the earliest date we intended to travel, if all things worked out. How is that lying I stated my intent and being mindful of the Embassy advice refrained from making hard and fast travel arrangements until the visa was delivered. We were help up a week by our buyer and that problem didn't arise until after I had the visa and said pick your completion date after 8th November. They picked the 20th.

As you have now decided we have advised people to make up dates where has that been said. All we have said is put a date.

Many people have tentative plans they are trying to following, to give some indication of your intent when specifically asked for it is not lying it is common sense. To be blunt if you didn't comprehend the question don't come blaming us because you think you were disadvantaged by not answering it. If indeed someone isn't in the least bit concerned about when they travel I agree leave it blank but that I would suggest would be a very small minority of people on VJ indeed. The other 99.9% need to advise the Embassy when they intend to travel to stick to tentative hopes and plans.

Lansbury

Male

England

2007-08-24 17:10:00

QUOTE (Rubycon @ Aug 24 2007, 01:52 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

No offense to the I-129F vets here (well, not much anyway) but I think its bullsh*t that people make up dates to push their interviews through. All that happens is that honest people who wait in line and don't LIE on their paperwork get pushed further down the que. I mean, ####### people??

I have my visa in hand now so most of the stress is over, but I waited a good three or four weeks longer than many people with similar timelines to get my interview scheduled. Thats because I wrote the TRUTH on my correspondence to the embassy (thats what you sign to say you have given) - that I hadn't scheduled a wedding date (remember being told not to schedule a date??). And you know what? I could've done with those extra few weeks so that I wouldn't have had to sit on my now unemployed ### for an extra month.

I hope the embassy turns round and asks one of you people for some evidence to back up your date claim - it might pursuade some people to be a little more honest.

I think you need to climb off your high horse. If memory serves me correctly the question doesn't ask you if you have hard and fast travel plans, in fact the Embassy advises very strongly against making plans until you have the visa to hand, it asks when you plan to travel. To answer that question with an approximate date you hope to travel bearing in mind the advice the Embassy has given is quite sensible and is doing what they ask.

Most of us had dates by which we hoped to be on our way pray tell what is wrong with giving the Embassy that information, especially as they ask for it. If the Embassy only expected people to reply to that question when they had concrete plans in place having told people not to do just that I doubt they would even include that question in the first place.

By the way please point to one post in which anyone has said you should lie to the Embassy when answering that question.

Lansbury

Male

England

2007-08-24 16:28:00

QUOTE (saywhat @ Aug 24 2007, 10:49 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

ah thanks for that - good tip - we don't want to go before november 5 as that is our 2 year anniversary and i want an unconditional card - but we don't want to go after november 6 as i won't have been in country 5 years when i am 65 and want medicare.. a very narrow window of 2 days...

I stand to be shot down in flames for this comment but I'm sure I seen people say this.

It has been known for a conditional green card to be issued when the CR-1 has been issued before the 2 year anniversary even though the person has arrived in the US after the 2 years. This seems to happen becasue they look at the visa type CR-1 and not the IR-1 you get if you were married more than 2 years when the visa was issued.

Lansbury

Male

England

2007-08-24 13:09:00

QUOTE (saywhat @ Aug 24 2007, 09:06 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

QUOTE (TracyTN @ Aug 24 2007, 04:58 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Or possibly the packet 3 forms were sent in first, and then the checklist.

Actually, thinking back to my K1 days when I was young and optimistic and convinced everything would be alright, (2005), I do remember putting forward some ridiculous plea and 'jumping the queue' -something like Carolyn's cats were missing me and wouldn't eat.

I remember feeling bad for the rest when I got an early interview date

ok I will get inventive and tell them my biological clock is ticking or something - that should fox em.
Second thoughts they might conclude I was a danger to the public despite the medical results..

Don't think there is a need to put a reason, certainly I think it is important to put a date. We just put a date about 6 weeks after we returned packet 3 and got the interview a week before the travel date we put. We had no set plans to travel that day, it was just a target date in reality we went a week later.

I think if you don't put a date your interview is arranged around the available dates left when they have tried to accommodate others.

Lansbury

Male

England

2007-08-24 12:19:00

QUOTE (saywhat @ Aug 24 2007, 06:13 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

how come samwatts and cardiffian have interviews 1 day different and their p3's are a month and a half apart ! and blspicer was 3 months ! makes it difficult to estimate interview dates....

It could have something to do with what they put for their travel date, or even left that question blank, when they returned packet 3.

The Embassy does take notice of that and try and schedule around it if possible.

Lansbury

Male

England

2007-08-24 10:50:00

Good Luck Dawny&Tommy tomorrow

Best of luck keep the VJ success rate going

Lansbury

Male

England

2007-08-15 12:29:00

Future Income?

When we did our visa my wife (USC) was working in the UK and would have no job in the US. We used as the supporting income what her Oregon Public Employees Pension would be if she chose to take it when we got to the US. Included as proof was a pension statement from Oregon PERS giving the figures. The Embassy accepted that didn't ask if we had arranged for the pension payment, we hadn't and had no intention to do so until this August when it reached its maximum payment. They didn't ask any questions at all about our finances just issued the visa.

Lansbury

Male

England

2007-08-26 14:45:00

Medical examinations

The jabs don't effect the blood test, everyone has to have that to make sure your don't have aids for one and I can't remember what else.

Lansbury

Male

England

2007-08-26 20:44:00

QUOTE (saywhat @ Aug 28 2007, 01:47 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yes but it would have to be a nice wood - Georgia white oak. When I was in Boston looking round the 'USS Constitution' battleship, they explained that it was made from Georgia white oak and it is springy and the British cannon balls bounced off. At the end of the tour, the guide said - 'Do you all know why we were able to beat the British ? '

I shouted 'because their cannonballs bounced off ?' and he said ' NO ! it was because we loved freedom and we were fighting for it ' and the crowd applauded

and there's me thinking it was because the French pulled their butts out of their fire and saved them when we had them almost beat.

Lansbury

Male

England

2007-08-28 10:17:00

QUOTE (saywhat @ Aug 27 2007, 03:16 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

$7k for nashers ! jeez, I think I would spend that on a nice motorbike

Teeth or a HOG without a shadow of a doubt a nice used HOG

Lansbury

Male

England

2007-08-27 17:54:00

QUOTE (saywhat @ Aug 27 2007, 12:23 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

At least as a Brit, if you needed a new ticker or something and your insurance company finds a way of ducking out, and wont pay a quarter mill, you can always come back to the UK and get fixed up. I have seen posts about the immorality of that, ( a lot of moralising goes on) and they say I should volunteer to stay in the U.S and lose my home and pension and savings in those circumstances. However, my past dealings with the NHS are miniscule and I have been paying into the system since 1964 so I am due a few sticking plasters I reckon....

I think we are of a very close age and I'm with you on that one. I've paid my NI since I was 17 for 42 years and whatever I might need from the UK health system I have more than contributed for.

Lansbury

Male

England

2007-08-27 15:30:00

QUOTE (saywhat @ Aug 26 2007, 09:00 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yes that is one thing I am concerned about in the U.S. - most people say the standard is very good but there is always that nagging doubt that because it is a business with a profit motive, there will always be a tendency to over treat the problem...
My wife says it doesnt work like that and the doctors in the U.S. are motivated by service to the patient (like the UK) rather than money - I will have to find out through experience

I found quite a reasonable chap, he certainly didn't come across as being out for the money. In fact he said given my medical history we wasn't going to get rich on me.

Lansbury

Male

England

2007-08-27 13:43:00

London embassy

QUOTE (missing milwaukee @ Aug 28 2007, 04:13 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hiya. I'm the USC and my husband has his interview date for the 7th of September in London. When we sent back packet 3, we filled in the section that asked if someone would be joining him at the interview & put my name down. Is it okay to assume that, because we're married and my name was submitted on packet 3, that I'll be let into the interview? Just when I think this process is in the bag, another obstacle pops up! Good luck to everyone who hasn't already been approved or received their visa. Sincerely, Natalie

There have been some reports of the USC being turned away but since that happened others have said they were allowed in.

Don't think now anyone can give a firm answer just say what happened to them. All you can do is go and see if they let you in. If not there are several nice refreshment places nearby.

Lansbury

Male

England

2007-08-28 10:25:00

London embassy

That is the least helpful being inconsistent on apply that policy. They should do one thing or the other.

Lansbury

Male

England

2007-08-20 16:14:00

packet / pack 3 return

It's a post office thing, all the mail for the Embassy goes into a PO Box and is sorted again at the Embassy. If the PO say it went into the PO Box it is reasonable to accept it has been delivered.

Lansbury

Male

England

2007-08-07 17:33:00

I Did It!

Great news many congratulations.

Lansbury

Male

England

2007-08-27 17:48:00

Good luck to uzume!

Good luck

Lansbury

Male

England

2007-08-31 11:16:00

Getting CR-1 visa at the embassy

The visa will not be issued the same day, you leave your passport and it is returned to your by courier with the visa stuck in it.

This normal is with 2 - 3 days of the interview but on odd occasions has taken a good bit longer.

The interview seems to be scheduled about 4 - 8 weeks after the Embassy receives notification from the applicant, by returning the document checklist, that they have all the documents and other evidence required for the interview. Again some have had a shorter wait and other longer it isn't an exact science

Lansbury

Male

England

2007-09-01 20:27:00

Using Dublin Airport for US Pre-Clearance

QUOTE (John & Annie @ Aug 31 2007, 10:27 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

QUOTE (Lansbury @ Aug 31 2007, 09:14 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I'm surprised they haven't started do the US immigration clearance at Heathrow. US immigration officers are there, they first came about a year before I retired and the excuse was that they could resolve problems with passengers who were hits on the No Fly List. But it was also an excuse to check out the practicalities of having a full US immigration service there.

Maybe they will do that in the new terminal, where would they put it now, there is no room.

They would have to do it at every terminal that would have US flights. When they move the Star Alliance airlines to T1 that would be just about all the terminals.

Immigration could be done at the gate room, it would just need a few dedicated gates for US flights, in the same way as there is a dedicated gate for El-Al flights. It would mean a bit of extra time boarding to save more on arrival.

Lansbury

Male

England

2007-08-31 13:59:00

Using Dublin Airport for US Pre-Clearance

Lansbury

Male

England

2007-08-31 11:14:00

Using Dublin Airport for US Pre-Clearance

US immigration in Ireland is just the same as any other POE in the US. Once you are cleared by them you have been admitted and do not go through immigration again in the US

Lansbury

Male

England

2007-08-29 12:43:00

Sometimes the little things make you think

QUOTE (britty @ Aug 26 2007, 08:05 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

My house in the UK was your standard 3 bed semi with a small garden and a tiny kitchen. When we bought our current home here in VA, it took me ages to get used to the 3000 or so sq feet. It definitely has trebled my cleaning time, but its great having family from London here as there is so much room and extra bathrooms for them all. I don't know about everyone here but I had one bathroom in the UK as do most of my family. Im planning on buying a 12 foot christmas tree this year - if I had bought that in London it would have been through the roof somewhere. My cats love it though (I took them with me from the UK) - they run up and down the stairs and slide along the floors.

Oh the extra bathrooms that is really nice especially when guests stay. When I left work in England they gave me a caricature showing some of the highlights (there weren't many) of my career. When the boss presented it to me he said you can hang it in the bathroom, I said which one I have three

Lansbury

Male

England

2007-08-27 11:36:00

Sometimes the little things make you think

Our US house isn't big it is 1600 sq ft and about mid size for our neighbourhood. It just made me realise how much smaller houses in London are, ours was 700 sq ft.

Lansbury

Male

England

2007-08-26 15:04:00

Sometimes the little things make you think

We have owned our house in the US for 2 years and lived in it for 10 months. Before the onset of winter I thought I'd re stain the deck and so for the first time measured it to see how many square feet it is.

It then dawned on me my deck is a third of the size of our old UK house add in the garden shed and the two are bigger than half the UK house.

It's Sunday and there isn't much else to do in case you wonder why I think about these things

Lansbury

Male

England

2007-08-26 14:31:00

Good luck tomorrow, blspicer and marstorr!

QUOTE (marstorr @ Sep 4 2007, 10:22 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thanks for all the good luck wishes! We were also quite happy bunnies today with the interview process...very painless, when you discount all the waiting around.

Congrats,

Lansbury

Male

England

2007-09-04 18:23:00