DonDraper:


You asked for it so here it is. I hope after eating all that rice and chicken you still have energy to read my long post. On a lighter note, it may help speed up your digestion


Greetings everyone, firstly I would like to appreciate all the contributors on this forum. Your inputs have been invaluable to me resulting to a seamless missionary journey. It is heartwarming to read posts about members getting visas after the period of visa denials. To those who got theirs I say congratulations and to those who didn’t, work on the feedbacks received and reapply. I look forward to good tidings in 2018. Amen.


This post is to give back to the community I have learnt so much from. It would also be my pleasure to share some tips I got from members offline. Truly, CBPs and VOs read this thread so I would use the opportunity to lend my voice to the discussions on discounts and packages for international self-paying patients. Kindly bear with me if this post is too long, although, I’ve divided it into 3 parts (Pre-trip, Pre-LO Arrival, and The Return Home) to help with that.


PRE-TRIP
Online reviews proved useful in choosing a hospital and an associated OB-GYN among the usual suspects around Houston: WHMC, Oakbend, HNWMC, Methodist Sugarland, Memorial, and Doctores Para Ti etc. Moreover, the right decisions are made when you invest time in reviewing pros and cons of options available to you. I highly recommend this habit. So, look out for my review on the hospital and OB-GYN in subsequent posts. Furthermore, I ensured that I read all the recent POE experiences posted on this thread especially those related to Houston IAH – our POE. In addition, I sent the unnecessary Change of Intent mail and got the usual response. With these knowledge, I armed myself with the advised burden of proof listed below:


1. About $9k cash
2. Return ticket
3. Bank account statements: Naira and Dollar accounts
4. Dollar Debit card
5. Employment letter
6. Correspondence with Houston North-West Medical Centre’s (HNWMC) Financial Counsellor.
7. Correspondence with Dr Xydas’ Office Manager
8. Appointment letter from Dr Xydas’ OM stating total bill
9. Details of HNWMC package for self-pay patients (called Miracle Moments)
10. Marriage certificate
11. Airbnb receipt stating house address in Houston
12. Change of Intent correspondence


I was at 34 weeks when I left Naija with DH aboard an Air France (AF) flight. In-flight service was just ok; the flight crew could have done better by truly giving special treatment to pregnant women as stated on their website. Notwithstanding, the layover was short and we benefited from the Flying Blue Programme so overall the trip was great. While booking my flight I didn’t request for a wheelchair because I am Wonder Woman. LOL. But seriously, I didn’t feel I needed it besides walking is good for you and the baby. Consequently, yours truly strolled the distance from boarding gate to CBP. At Houston IAH, the length of the queues was fair, hence within minutes of joining the queue, it was our turn with CBP. See transcript below (bear in mind encounter was less than 3 minutes):


CBP: Hello
DH: Hi
CBP: Can I have your passports, please?
DH: (Hands over our passports)
CBP: What are you here for? (as he tries to locate DH’s visa page)
DH: We are here for vacation and to give birth to our baby.
CBP: Oh cool! Congratulations! How much do you have with you?
DH: About $9k
CBP: Any food stuffs?... Oh I see you declared some.
DH: Yes, Nigerian food stuffs.
CBP: Please place your fingers on the machine (takes our biometrics and stamps us in for 6 months and directs us to luggage area) Enjoy your stay and all the best.
Me: (Chuckling and wishing him well as DH picks up our passports)


With pleasure, I checked to confirm the stamp so what happen to Okon won’t repeat itself. LOL. I remember someone posted here that CBP forgot to stamp her PP after their encounter therefore I had to double check. Anyway, after picking up our bags, an officer stopped us on our way out and directed us to Agric. At Agric, chicken noodles, chicken flavour Knorr (bird flu issue), tubers of yam (pests transfer issue), and one pepper soup spice (can’t remember the local name) were seized. Fortunately, others scaled through - ground egusi, beans, other pepper soup spices, Knorr, ground pepper, poundo, semo, garri, and ground crayfish. At the airport back home, we got a thumbs up from Nigerian Customs and Immigrations during the baggage search because we used Ziplocs to package food items neatly….. *badt gal*


PRE-TRIP TIPS
1. Register on a travel fare aggregator website for price alerts on your travel dates to your destination of choice. When the price is at or below your budget, hurry up and book. Confirm the airline baggage policy of the cabin and for infants to enable proper planning. What is applicable to Delta Air Lines may not be to Qatar Airways. We fell into that trap. Watch out for Part 3 (The Return Home) of my story.
2. Proximity to the hospital and OB-GYN’s office (for the regular ante-natal and post-natal visits) is very important. It will save you a lot on transportation, time and stress. I’d advise that you stay in an apartment close to these places. If you plan to stay with relatives/friends who reside far, ensure you do your Cost Vs Benefit analysis before making the decision.
3. You may already know this, nevertheless, I’ll drop it here. Travel light so you can have space and weight allowance should you decide to shop. Additionally, you can travel with an XL foldable duffel bag (without rollers) that weigh almost nothing instead of carrying those weighty luggage despite being empty. Bear in mind that most airlines kick against matted woven bags aka Ghana must go.
4. Last but not the least, is the burden of proof. Ensure you have it ready and neatly arranged for your POE. Having it gives you the confidence to face any form of interrogation if the need arises.



MEANINGS OF ABBREVIATIONS FOR PART 6 NEWBIES
FTM – First Time Moms
PP - Passport
LO – Little One
VO – Visa Officer
OB-GYN – Obstetrician-Gynecologist
IAH – Houston George Bush Int’l Airport
CBP – Customs and Border Protection Officer
DS/DD/DH/DW – Dear Son/Daughter/Husband/Wife
MIL/SIL/BIL/FIL – Mother/Sister/Brother/Father In-law
WHMC – West Houston Medical Center

Please what email address did you send the change of intent mail to?

Hello house,

Please I need the email address to send my change of intent email to? Please help!

Thanks

Hello,

Please what email address does one send the change of intent email to?