Hello people, can anyone recommend a good conveyancer that can handle property buying in London? I prefer Referalls instead of using those recommended by the agents.

Thank you

Rapitex:
All happened within 10 working days. I used a broker

Congrats again, please which broker did you use and can you recommend them?

I actually got a different update from the second broker posted. Their brokers name is Needham Mortgage centre.

An option they mentioned to get around the 25% deposit if you’re less than 2years in the UK is if combined household income is above £100k. Although the options of lenders will be fewer but there are a handful of them willing to provide a mortgage of more than 85% LTV. So if this is your case then it’s worth having a look.

Thought to add this.

Finally! Thank you for creating this o @semmyk! Loads of resources already!

Hello All,

For those who have gone the route of purchasing their first property after moving to the UK, please I have some questions:

- Did you have to wait for atleast 2 years before purchasing?
- How did you go about finding a mortgage broker that was not asking for 25% deposit (this seems to be the norm for those of us without up to 2years residency in the UK)
- Now that Help to buy is over - what other options are available for first time buyers aside LISA that has a cap of £450k on property value?

Recommendations for brokers who have experience with immigrants witout ILR will be appreciated. We really need a guide o for newbies here please

Hello everyone

Are there people who did biometrics March 24 and still waiting for their passports? My children and I did ours and we’ve only received mine and my last born’s passports on the 12th April. We’re still waiting on my other child’s own.

Any dependent family application in similar situation?

Hello everyone, please did anyone do their biometrics in lagos on the 24th March and has heard back?

olamie:
Thank you once again.
Do I need to go through an agent to hasten the process or monitor it if need be? I'm in California and I believe NY is the closest to me.

I can’t say tbh because I didn’t use an agent or mail my documents but it also depends on how long the timeline for both would take I guess and the urgency of your travel. Someone posted earlier that she was waiting for hers to be mailed to her, not sure her location.

You need Emergency Travel Certificate or a Nigerian visa for him to fly into Nigeria without a nigerian passport. I'll recommend you get the ETC, as Visa on arrival unfortunately has been stopped for nigerians. If you are in a city with a Nigerian embassy then you can go there with the required documents as that is the case in ATL. Not sure the city you're in, but if its New York here's the requirement. You are expected to send the documents via mail - https://www.nigeriahouse.com/documents/TravelCert.pdf (for New York).

olamie:
I obtaıned a US passport for my son. Can he travel wıthout a vısa? Or obtaın vısa on arrıval. Wıll I be allowed to travel from the US wıth hım?We are goıng wıth Turkısh Aırlıne

Gosina:



Hello Goldie10, please how did you go about your baby’s us passport? I am in atlanta too and I called the passport office in peachtree Avenue they said the closest opening they have is In Hawaii or Losangeles.

Did you use expedited services? How long did it take? Which passport office did you go to?

Please help . I intend to leave here by 1st December, next week Wednesday.

Hi Gosina,

You need to first book a ticket for the baby for the day you intend to fly. Then call the passport office on 1-877-487-2778 . They will ask if you have an emergency travel and ask for the ticket reference and date. Your appointment date can only be issued within 3 days of your intended travel except you need to apply for a visa after securing the passport. In this case, they can give an appointment date within a week of intended travel.

However if they already mentioned there isnt any date available before 1st december in ATL then you need to move your ticket forward and try and call to book another appointment. In addition, you dont need the passport to travel back to Nigeria. You can use ETC (Emergency Travel Certificate ) and you apply for baby's passport in US embassy in Nigeria upon your return..

Hope this helps.

patricia23:


I took the documents there just before 12 noon and I picked it up the next day.
Remember to notarize the consent letter, or u can do it at the building next to the embassy for $10

Thank you so much. God bless

patricia23:

Yes I applied and it took 24hours. I applied at the Nigerian embassy Atlanta.

Hello Patricia23, I’m also in Atlanta and trying to apply for the ETC. Did you physically take the documents from their website for submission to the embassy or you mailed it? Would appreciate your guidance.

Hello everyone,

Please anyone with Dr Joseph Tate (Emory Hospital)'s email please message me privately. I have only been able to see his office number online

Thank you.

Okay thanks. Understood.

Irunma:
Then don't take my word for it, cos my case seems different from yours.
But from why I hear, your husband's work should have to cover his insurance too. He's meant to ask the cotnact person in the company he'll be Working in.

Thanks in our case its a family unification as we're all going together although my husband's job will be providing accommodation. As for health insurance is it regulat travel insurance? whats the cost? He doesnt have a fisical code number yet as he will just be arriving with us.

Irunma:
It's just me going. My husband is already there. Proof of accomdation requires renting a house and putting it in your name. And your husband needs a bank account with money to prove that your husband can habour you for a good amount of time. Also you'll health insurance , but if your husband has a fisical code number then that shouldn't be a problem.

Hi Irunma,

I'll like to hear about your process. Were you going to join your husband or you were all moving together at the same time?

How did you go about getting evidence of accommodation?

Irunma:
I am also here to answer questions to anyone who needs info on family reunion visa to Italy.

I’ll be sharing my process here up till when I get the visa and a stay. Cos I never really saw a thread of Italian family reunion here.



*Fingers crossed*

Hello All,

Has anyone been able to secure an appointment for legalization at the consulate recently? Sent series of emails but yet to receive a response.

How much for a mobile Island table with granite top? @brainconceptz

anonymousmum:


Receipt will be mailed to you instantly, you need to request for the zero balance which will come 2 days later

Thank you plenty, I have settled payment now but was told that they don't issue zero balance letters anymore. I'll keep chasing them.

feddy27:


they are very disorganized. don't get worked up... they sent me that 8K + bill even after paying was so scared when I saw it, then spoke to Yolanda and she clarified it with me

I've tried calling the number but it's says it's currently unassigned. Can I email her? Did you make your payments recently or was for previous years?

anonymousmum:


Just call them with your card ready to pay. I received the same bill in the mail but still paid 1k5 and received my zero balance

Also, their main office is in Dallas so transactions are best done in the phone.

Thanks anonymousmum- I will call them again today and hopefully I'm transferred to another person and I'm able to pay with my card. Did they post your zero balance letter to you or you had to go pick it up from their office?

SleekFullah:
Hi Goldie, you can call their office and pay using your card. I also had my baby at whmc, where in houston are you? Were you not given a sheet where you have the phone numbers of the epidural/labs people?

Thanks Sleekfullah, I did and that was the number I called and spoke to a lady saying the bill was $8k plus and that if I'm paying now with my card I'll not be eligible for a discount. I will just call them again and speak to another person. Did they also quote same for you as well? I'm in Energy corridor area in Houston.

Hello All,

Happy to announce that my baby arrived 19th September, 2017 via normal delivery after an induction. Had him at Whmc with Dr Jeanie (very good doctor, i must say).

We have received birth certificate and SSN card, while we await US passport appointment for next week.

I have also received zero balance letter from West Houston medical (hospital) and my doctor, and also settled paediatrician bill.

Now the bone of contention is Epidural bill - i have chased the Houston Anaesthesiologist for the my bill and to my surprise i was told that a bill of $8k plus was sent to my address - which I am still awaiting.

Although the lady mentioned that I wil be eligible for a discount since I am self paying but that my account is yet to be eligible for a discount until i miss the second billing notification. Meaning she was indirectly saying that i should wait till end of the month (which is when the 2nd billing reminder will be sent) for me to be eligible for a discount. I also stated that I had my cash and was ready to pay the $1500 initially quoted.

I however stated that I plan to leave the country in another 2 weeks and need to offset all my bills before that and also explained that the hospital and my doctor had given an estimate of $1500 previously for my epidural bill.

Anyone had this type of issue before? Please how did you contest your epidural bill provided?

P.S- i have informed by doctor who has asked that i bring the bill when attending my next appointment scheduled for thursday. I also intend on going to their office myself in person before the end of the week.

Your feedback will be appreciated.

Hi Riri26, congrats on your POE. Please I sent you a PM. Thanks

Riri26:
Thank u all for ur input. So my poe experience goes thus:
I arrived Houston (IAH)with dh and our 2year old at about 1.30pm US time with lufthansa on the 9th of June, flight experience was great thank God. Meanwhile I flew at 33weeks and got the clearance to fly from port health for N2,000.

Before travelling I had sorted out everything from correspondence with hospital(west Houston medical center) and Dr (Jeanie Huynh) already paid part of doctors fee and 100% of hospital fee, mail I sent to Abuja embassy with no specific response but an automated response. I was ready for all forms of questions given all the knowledge I gained from this platform.

Conversation with cpb official
We: good afternoon
Cbp: good afternoon why are u here?
Dh: for vacation and to hv our baby
Cpb: how much do u hv?
Dh:10k
Cpb: pls place ur fingers here to be scanned
And he stamps b2 on our passports for 6 months and sends us off to Agriculture cos we had food.

At agriculture all out bags were scanned and checked one by one. Only my dad's alligator pepper was seized cos it wasn't dry.
The cpb official there actally counted our money to be sure. And after d agricultural check we were off.

I just thank God for his mercy and grace because it was so easy. Total time spent with cpb official was about 3 to 4mins. Wish evryone coming a safe trip, success at the poe and for the pregnant mamas a safe delivery.

Hello Ashynabs and Mamababe I see you're both july/august houston bound mamas - lets connect.

Ashynabs:
Any july/ august houston bound mom? Am flying via atlanta poe is dat kk guys?

Thank you. I will try that.

Laboogie:


Hello ,

The only option you have to pay for your BA ticket is to get someone abroad to pay on your behalf.

The margin on the naira equivalent if you have to pay using GT is more than 3000usd.

Any one with help on the below? any September mamas in the house using whmc?

Goldie10:
Hello House,

Please anyone know how to book a flight on BA without having to use a dollar card or credit card on their website? Trying to secure a ticket to Houston that's looking affordable and would like to pay ASAP.

Your help will be appreciated.

P.S - I called yesterday and was told I could use the GTB online banking platform but there's no book on hold option for the ticket to enable me hold it and pay using GTB. Preference is to pay naira equivalent as there's a difference between airline naira rate and rate I have purchased the dollars on my USD card.

Thanks all

Hello House,

Please anyone know how to book a flight on BA without having to use a dollar card or credit card on their website? Trying to secure a ticket to Houston that's looking affordable and would like to pay ASAP.

Your help will be appreciated.

P.S - I called yesterday and was told I could use the GTB online banking platform but there's no book on hold option for the ticket to enable me hold it and pay using GTB. Preference is to pay naira equivalent as there's a difference between airline naira rate and rate I have purchased the dollars on my USD card.

Thanks all

Thanks so much for the feedback.

Fyorgyn:


1. Wake up in the middle of the night and check... Dates seem to open up at that time. My sister, for instance, completed her application early Oct and was to have her interview on the 10th of November... On the 24th of October she just checked at about 1-2am and a 26th October was available.

2. If you're eligible you can apply for an expedited interview.


All the best