Wow i was having a bad day until i read your story, How wonderful. Thank you for sharing, Wish you, myself and everyone the best. Cheers. x

shakidude:
Hello all,

Continuation of my experience.

Part 2:

After I was denied the visa renewal in Abuja, I contemplated going to Canada but found out that it takes about 4 month for visa processing and I'm far gone in my pregnancy. Hubby planned to send me to UK (I have a valid UK visa and family there.) since my pregnancy is high risk but me I was skeptical. If we are going to spend that much for birthing, it's better in the US where I get to have d health care that I want and also citizenship for my baby. I decided to try again this time in Lagos (exactly 2 weeks) as earlier adviced then by nefertitiram, misssexiest and others here but I went alone cos hubby was not interested.

Here goes the transcript:

VO: good morn ma'am
Me: good morn
VO: where are you going in the US and why?
Me: Texas and to have my baby
VO: what do you do?
Me: I'm a physical therapist(physiotherapist)
VO: what are your roles?
Me well composed, told him a lot about all I do
VO: nodding and smiling. Okay, let's say I have left shoulder dislocation, how are you going to manage it?
Me: in my mind, I was like, is this a promotion interview or visa interview? Still calm and smiling I told him about how i will first assess him and how I will rehabilitate him till he will regain  functional use of his limb.
VO: impressed. Now glanced to d screen and read for a while. Turned to me and said. I see that you were recently refused in abuja
Me: that's correct
VO: do you know why?
Me: No I don't she no kuku tell me. Na green paper she give me.
VO: I also see that you have applied for all your visas in Abuja. Why have you decided to come to Lagos this time?
Me: like I said earlier. I was refused in Abuja and couldnt understand why and I wanted to reapply as soon as possible and I was under the impression that I will get a faster date in Lagos.
VO: how much are you paying for the birth?
Me: this time, I didn't bother to ask whether na doctor's fee or total. My budget is 20k. About 8500 for the doctor and other expenses
VO: can i see ur Dr's correspondence
Me: handed it over and he read through it
VO: how much did you pay the last time
Me: Though the hospital fee was  4200, I rented an apartment and paid 1500, I flew to Arizona with my husband, I bought groceries and others so if I calculate everything, I will say about 8 to 9k
VO: why are you not going to this same hospital this time around?
Me: this time I'm going alone. I can't afford to stay alone in Arizona without my husband since I have no family or friend there. I'm going to Texas to stay with a friend.
VO: how did you find out about this hospital
Me: smiled and answered. I did research online.
VO: He began typing for so long ooooo and I'm like wow! I hope he's not going to deny me again. Na so I begin fire prayer
VO: looked at me and said excuse me ma'am. He went inside with my passport oooo. I knew i had done my best and he was impressed with me. So maybe he went inside for further discussions. I continued praying and asked God to take control.
VO: came out much later with a bright smile. Congratulations ma'am, your visa has been approved. At that point, I went to Cloud 7 abi na 9 self.
Me: thank you, thank you.

I prayed before I went and friends and family prayed with me. I give the glory  to God for directing me to the right person and staying with me throughout the process.

Conclusion: If you are really convinced in your heart that you have not done anything wrong, never lied during your application or interview but was still refused, apply again, go with confidence and state your case. Most importantly, avoid Abuja embassy now if you are pregnant and going for visa renewal, they already have a mindset for refusal and it would be very hard to convince them.

Good luck to others.

.

thank you

ODBae:


The consulate's exchange rate of 340naira to 1dollar should suffice. As that is the exchange rate used to calculate the Visa fee. Not the CBN rate. I should think so. Correct me if I am wrong.

yes o
thanks so much

Janet101:
@Mrs sugar,congratulations u met Mrs grace on duty am happy for u

POE expereince


arrived at raleigh
asked what i came for said delivery. said he didnt know i was pregnant
asked how i paid for my first delivery i said cash
asked how much i had and i told him
said since its more than 10k i need to go somewhere to fill a form which i did
asked if my husband was coming to join me i said yes. he asked what date i told him and he wrote it down.
finish, said i can go

one question though, has anyone recently applied for passport here without ssn? with my daughter the ssn took almost 4 weeks and delayed me. tried again to book appointment ahead of time but they kept telling me that i cant apply without SSN that its not accepted anymore, and that i cant even use the declaration.according to them it was stopped last month. i am in raleigh. i have to leave the country 2 weeks after m baby anyway and wont mind driving to which ever city allows passport without ssn

chinwe11:
POE expereince


arrived at raleigh
asked what i came for said delivery. said he didnt know i was pregnant
asked how i paid for my first delivery i said cash
asked how much i had and i told him
said since its more than 10k i need to go somewhere to fill a form which i did
asked if my husband was coming to join me i said yes. he asked what date i told him and he wrote it down.
finish, said i can go

Pls can you share your experience in North Carolina,people here have not had pleasant experiences with billing there,so it will be nice if you can share your experience

Babatwi:


Pls can you share your experience in North Carolina,people here have not had pleasant experiences with billing there,so it will be nice if you can share your experience

I had my first baby here. Second is yet to come. Billing is funny here. There r 2 main hospitals in Raleigh...wakemed and rex. Wakemed gave estimate of 14k for vaginal delivery so I didn't bother. Rex gives an estimate of 4 to 12k for vaginal. And about 8 to 26k for ceasarian. They will never agree to a package or particular price. Doctors fee here is 3k if you are paying upfront. Previously was 2200.

With my first delivery I ended up paying about 4800 for the vaginal delivery alone after self pay discount ......I thought I was done. Then I received bill.for epidural of 5k. Eventually they said since I was paying upfront I could pay about 3k or so can't remeber full details now. Then they sent some small small bills for some so called tests they had done in delivery. I would say if u want to come here then budget about 11 to 14k for the delivery and then pray that it's vaginal. In my detailed bill i saw i was charged for induction, misoprostol etc so i guess if your labor is straight forward then you might get a lower bill. If u have other options I would say go elsewhere. I really didn't have a choice as per family levels hence I am here.

this is the quote i was given:


CESAREAN SECTION with possible complications
$12,493 to 26,941


CESAREAN SECTION without complications
$12,247 to 20,361


VAGINAL DELIVERY with possible complications
$5,653-$14,967


VAGINAL DELIVERY without possible complications
$5,185-$11,085

In regards to your questions about prenatal care, it is extremely important that you begin prenatal care as soon as possible after you find out you are pregnant. The physicians who deliver at Rex are not part of the hospital but do deliver here. They all have their own private practices and their charges are not billed by the hospital. Their cost runs between $4500-$6000 to provide prenatal care, delivery and the 6-week post-partum visit. My understanding is the fee is the same regardless of when you begin your prenatal care with them. You would need to contact them directly to get a better understanding of their costs.

Hello,

I have been following this trend for a long time and I learnt a lot.
I just got into the US yesterday through Atlanta. This was my experience:

I was wheeled to the Custom officer (after I had filled in the form, scanned my passport and my sons and captured on the self service machine).

Officer asked where I was coming from, I said UK. He asked the following:

Where do you live -Nigeria
What did u go to do in the UK- vacation
How long are you in the US for-3 months
Why that long?-Because I'm here for vacation and child birth
Is that your son?-Yes
Was he born here?-Yes
Did you pay his bills-Yes
And you have proof of that?-Yes, here with me in my bag. He didn't ask to see it.
Are you married?- Yes
Where is your hubby_Nig
Is he coming later-Yes he will
Are there no good doctors in Nigeria?- Yes their are but I have had bad experiences in the past and...before I could finish , he said so long as you can pay your bills we don't have any problem with anyone having their baby here.
How far gone are you? 30weeks
How many months is that?-7months
How much do you have on you-$**** (less than $10,000)
Ok and stamped me in for 6months.
It didn't take up to 5min.

Due to the ongoing situation as per new administration, a lot of people have reported negative stories. It scared me but I would like to advise that you get well prepared. The info on this trend helps a lot.
I had my visa in 2015 and I just sent a mail to the embassy informing them that I was traveling to give birth, I received an automated response which I printed out, just incase.
Keep your phones out of reach, to avoid any drama.

chinwe11:


I had my first baby here. Second is yet to come. Billing is funny here. There r 2 main hospitals in Raleigh...wakemed and rex. Wakemed gave estimate of 14k for vaginal delivery so I didn't bother. Rex gives an estimate of 4 to 12k for vaginal. And about 8 to 26k for ceasarian. They will never agree to a package or particular price. Doctors fee here is 3k if you are paying upfront. Previously was 2200.

With my first delivery I ended up paying about 4800 for the vaginal delivery alone after self pay discount ......I thought I was done. Then I received bill.for epidural of 5k. Eventually they said since I was paying upfront I could pay about 3k or so can't remeber full details now. Then they sent some small small bills for some so called tests they had done in delivery. I would say if u want to come here then budget about 11 to 14k for the delivery and then pray that it's vaginal. In my detailed bill i saw i was charged for induction, misoprostol etc so i guess if your labor is straight forward then you might get a lower bill. If u have other options I would say go elsewhere. I really didn't have a choice as per family levels hence I am here.

I will advise you stay up on documentation as soon as you give birth because there are some changes to passport application. Most especially with the US passport because states that only has accepting facilities take longer. So either drive to a passport agency close by or make sure you sign a statement declaration to accompany your application in the absence of SSN.

What about a situation where the airline of choice doesn't go to the city you mentioned you're going to at visa interview.

Oloye12345:

I will STRONGLY advise you use the POE of the city you told the VO you are visiting. Except where the city doesn't have airport, then use the one very close...

Most people have encountered issues recently using a different POE compared to what they stated on their application. If you are straightforward, all POEs are easy.

ladylco:


It is most ideal to use the official CBN rate since you will be sourcing for your dollar in Nigeria and that us the rate used officially here.

Hi ladylco,

I'd love to have a chat with you.

Thanks

chinwe11:


I had my first baby here. Second is yet to come. Billing is funny here. There r 2 main hospitals in Raleigh...wakemed and rex. Wakemed gave estimate of 14k for vaginal delivery so I didn't bother. Rex gives an estimate of 4 to 12k for vaginal. And about 8 to 26k for ceasarian. They will never agree to a package or particular price. Doctors fee here is 3k if you are paying upfront. Previously was 2200.

With my first delivery I ended up paying about 4800 for the vaginal delivery alone after self pay discount ......I thought I was done. Then I received bill.for epidural of 5k. Eventually they said since I was paying upfront I could pay about 3k or so can't remeber full details now. Then they sent some small small bills for some so called tests they had done in delivery. I would say if u want to come here then budget about 11 to 14k for the delivery and then pray that it's vaginal. In my detailed bill i saw i was charged for induction, misoprostol etc so i guess if your labor is straight forward then you might get a lower bill. If u have other options I would say go elsewhere. I really didn't have a choice as per family levels hence I am here.

Thanks for your prompt response and for throwing more light on birthing in North Carolina.I had always known that North Carolina wake get K leg as per billing.
Wishing you all the best.

Hello, I have been a silent follower and also a newbie here..pls my quetion is this..those that are usually turned back at POE who pays for the flight back to Nigeriajust curious to know...will share my own experience when i cross the first bridge(visa interview)I am hoping and praying it goes well for me and hubby...I didn't apply for my 2 kids...will apply later..
another question is can one use B2 visa to travel for vacation afterwards (i.e after successful delivery in US)?

I have been an ardent reader of this thread and must say it has been very very useful, Am not a registered member so using a friend's sign on. In the spirit of giving back, I flew with Emirate to Houston this week at 34 plus.

I was confused on the new policy of 32 weeks before my travel date, so I went to thier office for clarification. There I was advised to fill the MEDIF form on thier site and send it to medalos@emirates.com. I also attached the one page fit to fly "who it may concern" form from thier site. The two documents must be signed and stamped by your doctor/ hospital.

This should be done about a week before your travel date. Called them later when i did not get a feedback and was told it's been included in my booking that I am pregnant and fit to fly.

On the day of travel, was asked for my fit to fly both in Lagos and Dubai. They also asked if I needed any help (wheelchair or attention) cause my profile says I do. Though in the form I submitted, I had said no. I was also given preferential treatment.

I hope this helps to clear the air on the new Emirate policy.

POE Experience

CBP: Why are you here?
Me: Childbirth and Vacation
CBP: What do you do?
Me: Told him my job and role?
CBP: How do you intend to pay?
Me:  I have paid in advance and brought out my bill and receipts
CBP: I have never experienced that before and seemed very surprised.
CBP: Looked through and calculated the total amount, was comfortable and said this is assuming it's normal Delivery
Me: yes.
CBP: Is this your first time in US?
Me: No, was here last year
CBP: How long did you stay?
CBP: 8 days for family vacation
Goes through my passport to confirm.
CBP: How long do you plan to stay now?
Me: 8 weeks
CBP: Reads through my application on the system
CBP: You will stay in an hotel?
Me: Yes, I don't have any family there.
CBP: Is there no health care in Nigeria?
Me: There is but US has better health care.
Stamps me in.


Collected my bags, no inspection and went straight to my connecting flight terminal location using the free tram service at the airport.

US Embassy Nigeria live Facebook Q&A session going on at the moment..

https://www.facebook.com/usembassynigeria/?hc_ref=NEWSFEED

Good morning fellow NL. Please has anyone used d ETC in the recent times cos its been a while i heard pple use it on the thread.

Hope i wont be delayed unnecessarily with the certificate.
Thank you

Oloye12345:
US Embassy Nigeria live Facebook Q&A session going on at the moment..

https://www.facebook.com/usembassynigeria/?hc_ref=NEWSFEED

Thanks for this info. I just tuned in, quite informative.

-

tribeD:
I have been an ardent reader of this thread and must say it has been very very useful, Am not a registered member so using a friend's sign on. In the spirit of giving back, I flew with Emirate to Houston this week at 34 plus.

I was confused on the new policy of 32 weeks before my travel date, so I went to thier office for clarification. There I was advised to fill the MEDIF form on thier site and send it to medalos@emirates.com. I also attached the one page fit to fly "who it may concern" form from thier site. The two documents must be signed and stamped by your doctor/ hospital.

Thanks so much for sharing your experiences especially the emirate part

Hello house , please i need urgent answer oo. Can a baby use ETC because the nigeria embassy just told me its not for infant.

Abeg oo. I need the info to know my level asap. Thank you.

FYI Dollar has crashed to N380...

fatima04:
Hello house , please i need urgent answer oo. Can a baby use ETC because the nigeria embassy just told me its not for infant.

Abeg oo. I need the info to know my level asap. Thank you.

My son used ETC in 2014 because I was running out of time. The embassy issued it to me. They don't encourage it though. But I see no reason why they shouldn't give you. You use it once and the cost is same as getting a 2years visa.

congratulations to mom and dad on the stable crash of dollars ooo as at this afternoon it has gone low as 380.May this continue to happen ooo. our journey will be smooth ooooo God bless husband and we the mom

Bankers in the house, now that a dollar in the black market is 380, when will banks start selling at something lower than 375? Cos it doesn't make sense to get pta when the price is almost equal to black market rate after adding their charges and VAT.

Ddoy2003:
congratulations to mom and dad on the stable crash of dollars ooo as at this afternoon it has gone low as 380.May this continue to happen ooo. our journey will be smooth ooooo God bless husband and we the mom

Abegi, where una dey see dollar for N380. I just checked abokifx and Buy is N380 and Sell is N400 and this is from the perspective of the trader so we wey wan buy would buy from them at N400. Just putting context

Babyface6:



My son used ETC in 2014 because I was running out of time. The embassy issued it to me. They don't encourage it though. But I see no reason why they shouldn't give you. You use it once and the cost is same as getting a 2years visa.

Thank you for the response

pls how long those it take to get SSN IN CHICAGO and pls how long will it take to have all the documentation done.pls moms I need this so as to be able to get my return date accurate.

baeboss:


I'm due in May. Pls can we connect. Thank u

When are you coming into town or have you ported to Oakbend?