₦airaland Forum

Hello fellow Nairalanders,

I'm looking for a self-catering apartment in New York City for my family of 5 (3 kids) for 3 weeks between August and September. We're on a budget, so I'd appreciate any recommendations or links to affordable options in any of the boroughs (Brooklyn, Queens, or Bronx).

Thanks in advance for your help!

My Experience with Birthing in the US and Renewing My Visa
Dear Nairalanders, I am sharing my experience with birthing in the US and renewing my visa to provide valuable insights to others who may be going through a similar process.

Background
I have been reading and getting advice from Nairaland since 2017 for various topics. In March 2018, my family and I renewed our B1/B2 visa and visited the US towards the end of the year. A year later, we traveled again but this time my wife was already pregnant then. I spent days and weeks reading Nairaland about birthing in the US and I did get a lot of ideas about state, doctor, and hospital. After the review of our options, we settled for Houston.

Our Experience with Birthing in the US
In 2019, my wife was pregnant when we traveled to the US. We had done extensive research on the best hospitals and doctors in Houston, and we had a clear plan in place for our stay. When we arrived at the airport, we declared our intention to the immigration officer and were referred to a secondary interview.

During the interview, I was asked a series of questions about our financial capacity to pay for medical expenses and our intention to return to Nigeria. I was also asked about the details of our stay, including our accommodation, food, and childcare arrangements. . I was asked how much my wife and I carried and what I how much I had in my debit card. The officer did not bother to confirm the balance in the debit card but I did not lie about it. He checked my handbag several times. I later learned he was checking for any detail or item that could be contrary to our intention and so on. In the handbag, I had laid out plan of our stay in the US, feeding, lodging, childbirth, daycare for my little son, outings, shopping, and so on. He was quite impressed when he saw the document. Also, he saw the letter from the doctor. My first son and I stayed for two weeks and left my wife and little son in the US for 4 months for delivery and readiness for return to Nigeria. So, I went after 4 months to pick up my wife and two sons.

We could not apply for a renewal until August 2023. I did not apply for the IW because I do not have the luxury of staying in Nigeria for more the 5 weeks at a time; I work overseas. Our appointment date came last month, 16 months after we submitted the application. Reading through Nairaland, I was a bit nervous about the denials of visas for those who gave birth in the US. When we went for our interview, nothing was asked about giving birth in the US, but we witnessed how those before us were openly drilled about birthing in the US and denied. Our visas were approved within 2 minutes of me being interviewed

Lessons Learned
Our experience has taught us several valuable lessons:

- Honesty is the best policy: It is essential to be truthful about your intention to give birth in the US.
- Disclosure is key: If you are already pregnant at the time of your visa interview, disclose this information and provide proof of your financial capacity to pay for medical expenses.
- Planning is essential: Have a clear plan in place for your stay in the US, including your accommodation, food, and childcare arrangements.
- Luck matters: While we were prepared and honest, we also acknowledge that luck played a role in our successful visa renewal.
- I believe the record of our POE disclosure of intention and secondary interview sufficed for the birthing questions that would come up at the renewal interview.

I hope our experience provides valuable insights to others who may be navigating the complex process of birthing in the US and renewing their visa.

NB: Forgive the lengthy post.