ForumTitleContentMemberSexCountryDate/Time
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresIs my age a disadvantage?
It doesnt matter at all. We are 19 and 27 and nobody bats an eyelid.
Holly2234FemaleUnited Kingdom2012-06-13 16:17:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresOverstay as minor, able to file k-1?
The only thing that springs to mind is this http://e3visa.info/2...-the-dream-act/ but i dont know much about it or if you could qualify since you left the country. You are no longer there illegally since you are on VWP and it is important not to overstay on that if you plan to file a K-1 and marry your boyfriend.

Another possibility would be to marry in the US now and do AOS but again, i dont know the legal side of it. Also, since you have been granted entry the VWP, that kind of indicates that there isnt record of you having been there. But it would more than likely come up about where you have been all of those years.

Im sorry i cant help! Just a few things that came to mind. You will probably need an attorney for whatever you do so it might be worth having a look around for one more experienced with over stayers. Good luck.
Holly2234FemaleUnited Kingdom2012-08-24 16:33:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresOverstay as minor, able to file k-1?
I cant help but it might be worth mentioning how old you were when you left the US and how long you were away for so that other members can help you better.
Holly2234FemaleUnited Kingdom2012-08-24 16:22:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresScanned affidavit of support? ok? then ill print it,
I have copies printed out on my printer which i then mailed back to the US to be signed. Yes its a bit run around, but my inlaws cant install their printer and waiting on the mail was easier than the headache of getting it working from across the ocean!
Holly2234FemaleUnited Kingdom2012-09-22 16:33:00
United KingdomFinger prints with police certificate?
Ive only been with my GP for about 5 months so they've not known me long enough. I do know somebody who is a dentist though so im hoping to get her to do it when i can get hold of her. :thumbs:
Holly2234FemaleUnited Kingdom2012-06-09 03:41:00
United KingdomFinger prints with police certificate?
Sounds like it is! I hope you get it sorted soon :)

The most trouble im having is getting a professional to sign the damn thing :bonk:
Holly2234FemaleUnited Kingdom2012-06-08 13:11:00
United KingdomFinger prints with police certificate?
Thanks mazra. Wow for a CRB? I had one done last year and all i had to do was fill out the forms and send a photocopy of my passport.
Holly2234FemaleUnited Kingdom2012-05-31 11:08:00
United KingdomFinger prints with police certificate?
Wow thats madness! Im far enough away from London for it to be a huge expense to get there at the best of times, nevermind the complete inconvenience. The train is about £70 for a return for just one person. Also, i dont think my daughter would be very pleased about ANY difference in her routine :bonk: Im lucky if i can get her to be quiet long enough for a trip to morrisons these days :lol:
Holly2234FemaleUnited Kingdom2012-05-29 17:10:00
United KingdomFinger prints with police certificate?
Thanks everyone :) Yes i only need the UK one so i shouldn't need them taken.
Holly2234FemaleUnited Kingdom2012-05-29 07:53:00
United KingdomFinger prints with police certificate?
Does anybody know if finger prints need to be taken along with the police certificate? I read it somewhere but i cant seem to find it again. If they are needed, when do they have to be done?
Holly2234FemaleUnited Kingdom2012-05-29 03:43:00
United KingdomACRO
I got my NOA1 just over 3 weeks ago and ive just got my ACRO forms sorted over the weekend and i will mail it off tomorrow. Its good for a year as someone else said, so it could save some time later on.
Holly2234FemaleUnited Kingdom2012-06-11 15:10:00
United KingdomDS-230
Thanks :)
Holly2234FemaleUnited Kingdom2012-06-12 03:59:00
United KingdomDS-230
Im just looking at the DS-230 forms and im a it confused at what to put on question 31a. Persons named in 14 and 29 (spouse and children)that will accompany you to the US now. Well my husband and daughter will both accompany me, but they are both USC's so do i need to write them down?

It also says at the beginning of the form fill out one for every person who will immigrate with me.

Well they will both be coming but not exactly immigrating since they are citizens. So do i need to fill out just this form for me but write their names in question 31a?

Thanks all. Hope that makes sense!
Holly2234FemaleUnited Kingdom2012-06-11 15:06:00
United KingdomUK vs England
Nooo! Coronation Street all the way :lol:
Holly2234FemaleUnited Kingdom2012-06-16 10:53:00
United KingdomUK vs England

Ain't that the truth, and my husband was one of them until I set him straight!!

Once my husband was complimented on his accent and then asked if he was from Quebec! :blink: Because Brits sounds so French-Canadian!! We roared laughing! :lol:


Im sad to say, i didnt know until i saw a family from NYS on Wife Swap probably about 8 years ago :lol: Of all the ways to learn.. But im glad nobody had to tell me!

Ive only been mistaken for an Australian once. The only other accent problem i had was trying to order a tuna sub. Everybody around seemed to understand apart from the man taking the order :bonk: He had it shouted at him from several directions in the end :lol:
Holly2234FemaleUnited Kingdom2012-06-15 15:29:00
United KingdomUK vs England

Hmmm, I picked the English flag because, although hubby is proud to be British, he was born in England...not Wales, not Scotland, not Northern Ireland. All very distinct, individual countries with their own reasons to be proud.

Speaking as someone who was a VERY ignorant American, I have to say I totally never understood that there was much of a difference. OK...don't make fun of me...but I didn't even KNOW that Wales was its own country till I met GlynPosted Image.

As for accents, I am the American, and people here ask myself and my USC daughter (who has only been here for 3 months) if we're from 1) Scotland 2) Ireland and 3) Australia Posted Image
Although yesterday, a boy in my daughter's science class asked her how she does her "cool American accent" and how she does it so well. She looked at him funny and said, "um because I'm American??"Posted Image Posted Image


Thats crazy! How does an American sound like any of those?! My husband always gets weird comments like "You have an accent. Is it American" And they go on to ask where in the US he is from. He says New York. They always assume city. Apart from the man who works in the post office who's sister lives in Buffalo :lol: I have yet to meet anybody in the UK who actually knows that there is an entire state above NYC!!!
Holly2234FemaleUnited Kingdom2012-06-12 10:28:00
United KingdomUK vs England

And this is why many Scots avoid using the Union Jack.

Anyway, I put UK on all my USCIS forms. But when I had biometrics in Vermont they asked for 'country of citizenship' and the lady told me that UK or GB wasn't an option. She said it was the country you predominately lived in, so I got to say I was a Scottish citizen.

Your passport says 'United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland'.



I teach in a high school and I explain the distinction of UK, GB, Scotland, England, Wales and NI to my US students. They are usually very interested.

I wonder how many people back home actually know this......


I meant that because im English. I cant comment for people from Scotland or Wales or NI or anything. But even if i was, id still probably put the UK because im not really bothered about that kind of stuff. To each their own really! I dont think theres a rule on it that people are following.
Holly2234FemaleUnited Kingdom2012-06-09 11:09:00
United KingdomUK vs England
Im English and have only lived in England. But to be honest, i dont care! UK, England, same difference if its England youre talking about as far as im concerned :)

So i picked the UK flag because there is never usually an England option so i just went straight to UK.

Edited by Holly2234, 09 June 2012 - 04:44 AM.

Holly2234FemaleUnited Kingdom2012-06-09 04:43:00
United KingdomBirth Certificate
http://www.weddings....nfo/legscot.htm That says Birth Certificate OR Passport, which she definitely will have. So she should be ok. No photocopies though but it cant hurt to take one, just in case.

I got married in England though so no experience of Scotland, but we just used passports and proof of address (bills etc).
Holly2234FemaleUnited Kingdom2012-06-16 13:04:00
United KingdomHow many days did it take you to get your visa returned after your interview approved?
Thats great news! :dance:
Holly2234FemaleUnited Kingdom2012-06-14 13:27:00
United KingdomHow many days did it take you to get your visa returned after your interview approved?
I hope it went well today!
Holly2234FemaleUnited Kingdom2012-06-14 10:16:00
United KingdomUK Vaccination Requirements
It is strange.. I had two MMR as a kid. That was about 1993 when i had those. But it seems they dont do it that way any more here.
Holly2234FemaleUnited Kingdom2012-06-21 15:56:00
United KingdomUK Vaccination Requirements
Ahh the cost of those is a nightmare! I had to renew mine just before christmas and get my daughters too. The only thing i can say for them though, is that they do come back pretty quick. Mine was back in 7 days. Somebody else i knew had theirs back in 10. So dont worry too much, it could be just a really short set back :)
Holly2234FemaleUnited Kingdom2012-06-21 14:51:00
United KingdomUK Vaccination Requirements
About the MMR jab, im not so sure for adults, but my daughter recently had it and she just had one. She doesnt need any more vaccinations for another 3 and a half years, so unless they do things differently for children or things have changed, i think its just one.

Just grab the passport forms from the post office and tell him "Sign here"! :lol:
Holly2234FemaleUnited Kingdom2012-06-21 14:45:00
United KingdomHi! Got my medical tomorrow and just want to check I have everything!

Just done it! It's been a long day, started work at 6am and pretty tired now :)

How do you list your timeline on your posts/replys?


I just typed mine in when i edited my signature. I think everybody else does too :)
Holly2234FemaleUnited Kingdom2012-06-21 15:41:00
United KingdomUK Long birth certificate
The short ones you only get when the birth is registered. They are the ones you get for free. The long ones always have to be paid for. So it will be a long one you will get. The short ones are pretty much useless anyway since almost everything requires the long one.
Holly2234FemaleUnited Kingdom2012-06-23 11:49:00
United KingdomWhat Won't You Miss About The UK?

I thought I would be paying as much for my healthcare in the US as I effectively paid under the NHS system. WRONG. When I first got to the US, I was self-employed and had to get a private plan for the ex and me. Even by opting into a freelancers' pool, I couldn't get lower than $650/month for both of us because we have pre-existing conditions. My acne was considered a pre-existing condition! Our rates went up to about $1000/month without much warning eventually. When I lost a major contract due to the economic downturn, I couldn't afford insurance any longer. I've been without insurance since late 2010. I've avoided having things checked out that in the UK I would have dealt with quickly. My current employer offers no benefits, so I'm still in the same boat.

When I had a miscarriage last year whilst unemployed, I was very, very lucky to be eligible for emergency Medicaid. As it was, the treatment I received as a Medicaid patient was frankly humiliating at a time when I most needed support and understanding. I was booted out of the ER at 4am still under sedation with no way to get home until 7am since I'd been brought to the hospital at 8pm by a friend. The doctors made me repeat my story again and again. I practically begged for a D&C so I could be done with the process, but I was told that since I'd already passed the egg sac I should just go home and bleed. Yes, that's right. And this was at one of the country's best hospitals. To be fair, they ensured that I did not have an ectopic pregnancy, but that's ALL they did (eight vaginal probes later). The nurses were very kind, and one tried to allow me to stay until 6am, but I was basically told to get out. No one asked if I had a way to get home, or how I was feeling emotionally.

Perhaps something similar would have happened in the UK to me, I don't know. But it was terribly humiliating nevertheless.


Im really sorry that happened to you. Its horrendous to have to go through to start with never mind when the care is like that. To send a patient home in the middle of the night is disgusting whatever the situation.
I had a very similar experience for the same thing in the UK in 2010. There was uproar because i wouldnt tell them if the pregnancy was planned. I wasnt in the mood to be a statistic but they couldnt continue without a tick in one of the boxes!
It just seems hospitals sometimes lack the human touch all over the world.
Holly2234FemaleUnited Kingdom2012-06-26 15:47:00
United KingdomWhat Won't You Miss About The UK?

My husband's recent stay in an American hospital was far from stellar.

EMT squad? Excellent! Fast, responsive, caring.

ER room, Doc and staff? Excellent. Very good care but....after all it was a critical situation. Anything less than a fast, stat response would have been malpractice.

Hospital stay? Deplorable. They missed giving him his asthma meds; they left him with blood in his mouth for hours; they asked him if he wanted to do his own bed bath when he could harldy sit up; they weren't reading doctors notes regarding showers, meals, etc. I could go on.

I haven't gotten the hospital bill yet. When I do, there is going to be a discussion about owing them anything further.


Thats shocking :o I hope he is doing better now despite the disgusting care during his stay.
Holly2234FemaleUnited Kingdom2012-06-25 13:35:00
United KingdomWhat Won't You Miss About The UK?
I wish we could have the best of both worlds too! The NHS started in the right way, and continued like that for many years. But lately, since cuts have been made (in all of the wrong places as usual), it has been impossible for certain people to get treatment.

Wow that terrible about your husband and friends mother! Unfortunately a lot of the time, i dont think its the fault of the doctors or nurses etc, its that the government wont fund the staff or equipment they need.

My husband needed a tooth taken out. Extremely simple and very routine. It wouldnt numb under local anaesthetic and it was cracked in such a way it had to be cut out, not pulled. So it needed to be done under general anaesthetic. They cancelled the surgery 2 days before it was supposed to happen (after we already waited 8 months) and there was an exposed nerve so constant pain. We then had to wait a further 5 months all the while me calling them every week for an appointment. They had referred us to a private hospital because they didnt have the resources to take out a tooth! The amount it cost must have been absolutely insane.

All that time he couldnt work or drive because of taking stong pain medications which caused a stomach ulcer, which he still has. 17 months later and the after effect of a TOOTH is still going on. The surgery took 52 seconds in the end. And the NHS paid privately for that. That spells out major problem to me.

Seeing that written down is completely laughable really, but i sure wished we were in America at the time.
Holly2234FemaleUnited Kingdom2012-06-25 12:11:00
United KingdomWhat Won't You Miss About The UK?
Im on the fence on the NHS thing. Yes there isnt the financial worry, but after the misery and stress they put us through for a whole year, id have paid any amount anybody asked for just to get treatment then. The health problems caused by the wait are still happening now 4 months after the initial problem was fixed.

In the US people probably think twice before they see a doctor and some probably dont go at all.

I will probably miss the NHS once i dont have it, but i wont forget the bad things about it.
Holly2234FemaleUnited Kingdom2012-06-25 05:19:00
United KingdomWhat Won't You Miss About The UK?
Ahh i wish there was one of those stores near where im going to be! I eat it on cheese, in sandwiches, on chicken. Anything apart from salad :lol:

Ive heard Hannafords sells it though and thats *only* 40 miles away. Ill be taking a trip there!
Holly2234FemaleUnited Kingdom2012-06-21 15:32:00
United KingdomWhat Won't You Miss About The UK?
Haha i love the stuff. If its not salad cream, its got to be ketchup. On everything! :lol:

My husband however, does not agree!
Holly2234FemaleUnited Kingdom2012-06-21 14:53:00
United KingdomWhat Won't You Miss About The UK?
The terrible customer service!
Waiting 3 weeks to see a doctor.
The 20% VAT.
Not having a car.
The rain (but i am trading it in for snow, so that one might change!).

I love old threads like this! Shame on the salad cream haters though :lol:
Holly2234FemaleUnited Kingdom2012-06-21 04:39:00
United KingdomCan I marry in the UK while on a student visa?
Thats great news! Good luck for your marriage :)
Holly2234FemaleUnited Kingdom2012-06-28 15:30:00
United KingdomCan I marry in the UK while on a student visa?

When we inquired about it they said that he did not have 'resident' status since he was on a student visa that then became a post grad visa. He was never given 'leave to stay'. His post grad visa was only 2 years long. If we'd married there and he was given leave to stay through me then we could have filed DCF. I don't have any experience with DCF. but I know that you need to be allowed to reside there in order to file. My husband didn't qualify because his time was capped at 2 years (post grad).

When I applied (2010) you also had to get Home Office approval to marry (they scrapped that) which would have added time to our journey so we just went with a K1.

The rules change so often too...so my experience, although fairly recent, may be quite outdated now...more so than I am aware.


Yeah things change so quickly in the immigration world. Home Office approval was needed when i married my husband (one year ago on sunday!) but it has obviously changed within that time. He entered as a visitor on the advice of a lawyer, who we saw while he was visiting 6 months before he moved here. Probably not the most legal advice (he has been shut down now too!) but i knew nothing on immigration back then so we paid him a lot of money and believed him. It all worked out though. He was given 3 years 'Leave to remain' which means he can live and work here.
Holly2234FemaleUnited Kingdom2012-06-27 14:40:00
United KingdomCan I marry in the UK while on a student visa?
Its crazy! When i read the page i linked to above, i read you cant do DCF if you enter as a visitor. My husband did that but adjusted status to limited leave to remain (which means he can DCF). So i ended up doing crazy amounts of research earlier to find that it will be ok. Because i submitted proof that he can legally live and work in the UK and has been able to for over 6 months. So the visitor thing isnt going to be an issue (fingers crossed!). They certainly dont make it straight forward. Ive read that page at least 30 times before, yet only saw that part today by chance.
Holly2234FemaleUnited Kingdom2012-06-26 15:32:00
United KingdomCan I marry in the UK while on a student visa?
Yes Helen Louise is correct about DCF. Ive done a bit more research for you and since you entered on a student visa, you have to file with the Chicago Lock Box. http://london.usemba...i130filing.html
Holly2234FemaleUnited Kingdom2012-06-26 09:20:00
United KingdomCan I marry in the UK while on a student visa?
http://www.shef.ac.u...tre/printme/322 There is some information on that link. It is a link provided by a university in Sheffield. Yes you can marry. Since you do not plan to stay in the UK, most of it doesnt apply to you. You just need to make an appointment with your local registry office to give notice of marriage (at least 15 days before your planned marriage). Just take your passport with visa, proof of address and i cant remember what else, they will tell you when you make the appointment.

You may also be able to file DCF since you have lived in the UK for over 6 months. It is slightly quicker. If you want any more information on DCF i have made a thread here http://www.visajourn...06#entry5476306
Holly2234FemaleUnited Kingdom2012-06-26 05:29:00
United KingdomUnder 18 American Traveling to UK
Sounds like you have everything covered :)

Good luck and have fun.
Holly2234FemaleUnited Kingdom2012-07-03 09:02:00
United KingdomUnder 18 American Traveling to UK
I doubt it. If you were 15 or under, it would be very different. But at 17 it really doesnt change things. I made several slights between the UK and US when i was 17 and nobody ever mentioned a thing. Its always best to take the letter just in case. Its best to cover your back than be denied entry. Make sure you have your friends address and phone number in Nottingham too when you enter. Will somebody be picking you up from the airport? You are very unlikely to have problems if somebody comes to get you and they can contact who you will be staying with.
Holly2234FemaleUnited Kingdom2012-07-02 13:11:00