₦airaland Forum

Thanks to Sam for being so helpful, thorough and prompt.
Found his details here and he was able to help me get my publication out in 24 hours.
Good job.

Bossman:
This guy is on a rampage! And he has the support of a lot of Americans. If he wins a second term, it will get worse.

The thing is, he is likely to win

U.S. President Donald Trump said he plans to sign an executive order ending birthright citizenship for babies of non-immigrants and unauthorized immigrants born on U.S. soil, according to excerpts of an interview released Tuesday.

“We’re the only country in the world where a person comes in and has a baby, and the baby is essentially a citizen of the United States,” Trump told “Axios on HBO” Monday. “It’s ridiculous. And it has to end.”

The comments mark another escalation in Trump’s hard-line stance on immigration ahead of the Nov. 6 midterm elections that will determine control of Congress. His administration announced yesterday that it would send about 5,200 troops to the southern border with Mexico by the end of the week to head off a caravan of migrants.

Axios said its full interview with Trump would air Sunday.

Source:
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-10-30/trump-to-sign-order-ending-birthright-citizenship-axios

I don't know when this will happen but it is worth noting.



Source:
Bloomberg [url]https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-10-30/trump-to-sign-order-ending-birthright-citizenship-axios?utm_content=business&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&cmpid%3D=socialflow-twitter-politics&utm_campaign=socialflow-organic&cmpid=socialflow-twitter-business[/url]

You are correct

Ruthina000:
That brings me to this question....
Please, what is a doctor's correspondence?
Is it the conversation you had with your doctor through mailing?
Please, if I'm wrong, what is it exactly? Want to be sure.

Good day all. I just bumped into this thread again and I’m happy to know it is still quite active. I’m a retired baby-maker myself who benefitted a lot from here.

Good luck to everyone and cheers.

This post is underrated

Congrats Mamaron.
There is a confidence that comes from knowing you have done the right thing and yours is one hell of a memorable story.

God's speed

mamaron:
Collected my passport from DHL 3 working days after interview....was nervous about this, as @Fyorgyn's took longer.....previous visa cancelled without prejudice and new one issued.

Travelled at 32 weeks plus with, Virgin Atlantic via London. Transit, just 3 hours....POE: New York City, JFK.


Birth and passport story to follow, DV. Patiently waiting for LO to arrive and missing home already......its freezing!!!!.....

Thankful is my middle name!

Except it is unlikely that the VO is asking if the baby is alive in her tummy. You may agree that is even a sick question to ask someone who told you she is pregnant.

I think the VO wanted to know if the pregnancy is high risk.

It would be nice to ask the VO to clarify the question so now we can only speculate

anonymousmum:
Viable in lay man terms means that the baby is alive in your belly.

Saying that the baby is not viable means that the baby is otherwise...you get me?

This may be the reason for your denial.

From the questions you are asking, you need to do a lot more research on general visa application processes, not just for birthing visa.

obaalasepe:
Happy New year in advance to everyone.
Please I need your advice. I applied alone this year in August for B2 visa but was refused. I stated that I was 6weeks pregnant and will be staying for 4month.I was ask if my prenancy was viable and I said No. I am trying to remember some of the questions
Right now I am no longer pregnant but will like to apply next year.My questions are

I had responded before seeing that Mamaron had done same giving maybe an even better answer

Cc Zeenayah

My recommendation is to renew your passport before traveling. See below reasons

- According to http://www.ustraveldocs.com/ng/ng-gen-faq.asp#qlistgen1, "You must possess a passport valid for travel to the United States with a validity date at least six months beyond your intended period of stay in the United States"
My interpretation is: if your intended period of stay is Jan-Apr 2018, you should have a passport valid till at least Oct 2018.

- CBP would typically stamp you in for 6 months from your date on entry (except in extraordinary situations). This could even be interpreted to mean you should have a valid passport till at least Dec 2018

- Some countries have agreements with the United States whereby their passports are recognized as valid for return to the country concerned for a period of six months beyond the expiration date specified in the passport. Nigeria is one of these countries. This means, it is possible to remain in US maximum of 6 months after the expiration of your passport. Be that as it may, the CBP officer may use their discretion to limit your stay, that is why I recommend you renew your passport.

Zeenayah:
Please I have two questions and would appreciate if the house can help me out.
1) My passport is expiring in May next year, visa is expiring in April. I am traveling in January and back by April. Do I need a new passport? Does the 6 mths validity of passport apply during travel or just at point of application for a visa? Am going via Qatar and going to stay in the airport during the layover anyway.

A visa and immigration status are two things that people generally confuse. As long as your visa is valid, you may land on US soil. The CBP official determines how long you are allowed to remain in US regardless on the validity of your visa, this is what is referred to as immigration status.

2) My mum has a valid visa till end of February. Can she travel with it a week before expiry and stay for 6 weeks after the visa expires. I understand that it's the duration of your stay which the CBP stamps you have to adhere to and not the date of expiry of the visa.

Since you have a valid visa, if asked, madam should just state your current income. In any case, she needs to be in possession of evidence of this

Cretaceous:
Thanks Li. On the issue of consistency between my application and the interview, it's actually my wife that is applying. I have a valid visa. However, the monthly salary I stated in my ds-160 form when I applied is far less than what I earn now. My wife will definitely not be mentioning what i have on my ds-160 form as my monthly income if asked. How do you think we can navigate this?

https://www.nairaland.com/jenyjay/posts#63523574

Jenyjay, We are waiting for the remaining part of this story.

Omodadi2

Sorry about your experience. From my understanding, the VO believed you spent $2,300 for all medical services. Of cos this is not so. Sadly her decision to deny you was based on that wrong assumption but unfortunately also, I don't think you did enough to correct her bias.

Take this quote from your post https://www.nairaland.com/3436650/give-birth-usa-cost-procedures/413#63486333 as example,
VO: Can u explain why you paid 2300usd for your medical services?
2300 ws the hospitals price for selfpay patient who are not eligible for insurrance and have to pay 1month ahead EDD.
According to you, the cost to you was $7000. I think you should has insisted.

Again,
VO: So you want to use 2300 to pay for health care when you earn 900,000 naira monthly? ( I was confused here cos we were only talking about what I have paid bt had to answer her)
Well, no amount of money is too much for good health if one can afford it and moreso we would also be giving that child the dual citizenship opportunity.
A better was to handle this objection would be to highlight your total budget for this new trip and offer to to show it

Next step
Please reapply immediately at a different post if you can. No need to change anything, just let the new VO know

(i) what the previous bill was with evidence that you paid in full
(ii) estimate bill for the new journey
Have cost breakdown for both cases.

I am rooting for you. All the best

Cretaceous

The income question is a non-issue It's simply your annual income divided by 12, you don't have to earn the same amount every year.

Since you said the lump sum is paid at the start of the year, all you need is have evidence of this payment. Just make sure of the consistency between your application and your interview.

I dey hail you oh! Elder stateswoman like no other.

Let me convert the items requested to the same amount in petrol, far more valuable you know.

How the family?

nefertitiram:
Merry Xmas JW. But y u nor wait till 01/01/2018 eh kwa?

I have sent u one Xmas chicken. E de road de trek de come.

But wait... After JW it seems I'm one of the oldest members of this thread. From pre- tsunami to season 1 to season 6. Back to back.

Lemme spread my mat here. Before commenting, everyone must pay homage to me.
One Schnapps
One snuff
One he goat
100k in cash. If not JW will delete ya post.

When our original Emergency request was rejected, that field became active again so we could make another request without paying another fee. Except the procedure has been reviewed within the last 3 weeks, I'd say give it some time then try again.

ALADE4J2:
Thanks Li, I am unable to make another emergency request since the field for that is no longer there in my profile after the initial emergency request I made. How did you go about it?

Thanks

Really? That was not my experience sha.

nefertitiram:
It actually does. If you have a rejected emergency request ,you have to pay another visa fees to request again

Congrats on the arrival of your LO. Come back and update us when you resolve payment for anaesthesia. All the best

Uniquezuri:
Ok so I am back . I shared my POE experience ( below). I had my LO in Houston via a successful VBAC in November and we are getting set to return home.

Hospital was the Texas Children's Hospital Women's Pavillion at the medical centre.

Anesthesia bill just came in as i type for $5950... I can only but LOL!! Will call and trash it with them. Has anyone encountered such bill and had it sorted with them? Pls pm oooo.

Any questions on the vbac please ask here.

Do share cost breakdown for your VBAC. It would be against policy to share doctor's details here so I have sent you a PM. Hope you don't mind.

Remember it is your responsibility to prove that you can afford the high cost of medical services in the US. Unfortunately, to the average critical eyes, what you did was prove the exact opposite.

You could have focused more on the fact that you have saved USD25k for this purpose (which is a lot of money by the way), while also showing that you have sufficient ties to your home country so it doesn't look like you have only saved this money to abscond to the US. Your information about a 60m which belongs to your dad and not you is what I believe is the real issue here.

I also couldn't help but notice that in one sentence, you said 25k dollars, then in the next one, you said 60m without including the currency, leaving room for assumption that the 60m is also in dollars. This point could be irrelevant, but who knows?

izaga3:
Good day house. So this happened today.

VO: why are u going to Georgia ?
Me: To have our baby
VO: where do you work?
Me: I run a hotel owned by my family.
VO: whats your budget?
Me: A little above 14k dollarsVO: Do you have evidence of those funds?
Me: Yes, I have 25k dollars in my dom account ( hands him the statement). I also have access to over 60mil in a joint accnt with my dad.
VO: where do u work?
DW: I am a supervisor at the hotel.
VO: Where did the money come from?
Me: From my family business.
Types into his computer and says I'm. Sorry but you do not qualify for a visa at this time.

Please guys where did we get it wrong??

I agree it's unnecessary to schedule another interview when you already have a valid visa. However Mamaron made the best decision under that circumstance; I would have done the same thing cos even if she didn't get turned back at POE, she could be harassed by CBP.

Getting pregnant two months after your visa is approved is definitely a red flag, especially when the visa has not been used for the original purpose. Anybody could argue that she circumvented the system by getting pregnant right after her visa was issued, best to avoid those unnecessary situations.

jaysmom:
Congrats on your reissuance.

I personally don't think it is necessary to go for a visa interview when one has a valid visa and and has used it for the purpose it was intended
I guess there is a reason why US visas always has multiple entries.
If one is required to go back for an interview before every planned visit, then my assumption is they will stamp more of single entry visas.
I have used my B1/B2 visa for visit, childbirth, conferences, etc.i have never been queried abnormally at the POEs cos I always have supporting documents for my visit.
I might be wrong though.

Not at all. Emergency requests don't cost you money. I advise you make a new request, improve on the justification, then include additional supporting documents. All the best.

ALADE4J2:
Please Li, did you have to pay another visa fee in order to make the second emergency request? DW and my emergency request was denied today.

You're welcome Mamaron. Congrats too.

mamaron:
My interview transcript

...original appointment was mid Jan 2018 but I applied for emergency appointment (thanks @Ll for answering my emergency appointment question) and was given a new earlier date...

VO: you didn't need to come for another interview you could have sent an email to the correspondence team and it would have been noted on in your file

I'm now wondering if the letter of intent really is valid...so confusing....I think both CBPs and VOs really just use their discretion...perhaps there's no policy manual of what to do in each circumstance...i

I agree with you here. To think that the VO went on record here to infer that the change-of-intent email is basically just spam.

No one gets one itemized bill. Remember you have to pay each service provider separately: Doctor, Oakbend, Brown and Associates, NICS, Anaesthetics, etc. Each of these guys would give you separate itemized billing of their charges.

Hope this clarifies

Omodadi2:
So you got an itemized bill for the 8k? I see you used Oakbend, and i did too, this is why I am trying to get info from you. Sorry for my wahala.

Who knows? Maybe we're having triplets. But whatever the number/gender, as soon as we find out, you'll be the first to know

mamaron:
Great. Thanks so much...all the best at POE and with baby when he or she or they (twins) arrive!

Honesty is bae, its beauty cannot be overemphasized. Thanks

SuperDad:
I really enjoyed reading this...and I'm sure I'm not the only one who did!
Beautifully written, but even more so because of the beauty of honesty.

Congrats

If the conspiracy theorists on this thread are half-correct, then your comment is even more encouraging. Thanks TWoods

TWoods:
It's nice to run into folks who write so well they make reading a pleasure. Congratulations sir!

Thank you!

feddy27:
Congratulations and all the best in your onward journey

Thanks...........

chibertha:
Congratulations...........

15k was the total expenses for the trip. Medical expenses alone was 8k.

The itemized billing should sum up to a "zero value" if you settled your bill in full, that's why it's referred to as a "zero balance". It would typically include discounts granted by the hospital (if you got any). In addition, you can request the doctor/hospital write a letter of non-indebtedness on your behalf. If you didn't access any medical aid, the letter should say so. If you received any quotations before accessing the services, please include those as well.

Omodadi2:
Long but interesting, congratulations.
Please i need ti get a clarification of your bills, did u say that your total bill for childbirth is 15k or uve unclided your flight fee and other expenses?
Also, i would like to know how an itemized bill should look like, the one i have from Oakbend has all ds selfpay discount english, want to knownif its not a problem

Thank you Mamaron.

First time, we submitted only Doctor's correspondence. I think they said, they had limited slots for emergency appointments, they said they didn't think we had a genuine case for emergency. However, we submitted again with all the other requested docs and got an approval less than 6 hours later.

mamaron:
Wow congratulations Ll!! And so well written that it didn't seem long at all.

Please may I ask a question if you don't mind. When applying for the emergency appointment did you submit the 3 docs required: Nigerian doctor's letter, US doctor's letter and proof of funds in both instances. Why do you think they denied it first before approving? Thanks.

Caveat: This is the longest Nairaland post you will ever read in your life.

We had our interview in Lagos. Appointment time, 6:30am. Even though we qualified for dropbox, we decided to opt for an interview instead. This was due in part to our wanting to avoid a follow-up interview which many here seem to justifiably dread. Scheduling a face-to-face was an inconvenience but a minor one compared to what could be as there was still a chance we would be required to book appointment for a follow-up interview; an appointment which, according to Fyorgyn is not likely will be expedited. Worse still, if only one of us was issued a visa with the other getting the 221g. DW and I wanted to be together so we agreed to waive our rights to apply under the dropbox programme. It is worth noting that we had to initiate two emergency interview requests before it was finally granted; the first was thrown out with a message that, ours was not a real emergency.

On a day there was so much fuel scarcity, it amazed me to see a sea of people arrive early at the consulate. By 7:15am the VOs had taken their seats. We were directed to Window 2 right behind a young woman who was having a go at her 4th attempt for an F1 visa. I know this because she seemed to be familiar with the security ops outside; I heard parts of their conversations.

Me: Good morning
VO: Good morning. How are you?
Me: Very well, thank you. How are you?
VO: Very well. She smiled back. Can I have your passports?
Me: Sure. There you go, as I slid our passports through the opening at the foot of the window.
VO: What’s the reason for your planned visit?
Me: I am attending a company program in New York, while my wife here will be in Texas to have our baby. I will be joining her from New York a week after I arrive.
VO: Okay. What’s your budget for this trip?
Me: 20k. We have our budget estimates here if you would like to see.
VO: Sure. Can I see that?
I slipped the budget sheet, correspondence with doctor, as well as anticipated bill all neatly labelled towards to the VO. She wasted no time whatsoever in scanning through contents of the documents.
VO: What do you do?
Me: I am a Service Manager at blah blah blah
VO: For how long have you worked in this role
Me: 6 years
VO: What do you do for --? She repeats the name of my employer.
I give a 20s elevator pitch of my functions.
VO: Have you attended a similar training in the past?
Me: Many, including in San Francisco.
VO: How long did you stay during you last visit?
Me: 3 weeks. 1 week in SF, 2 with my family in Houston.
She continued clicking on her computer for a few more seconds.
VO: How about you, what do you do? This time, she was addressing the fine lady who stood with me.
DW: I’m a School Teacher at blah blah blah
VO: What do you teach?
DW: This, this, plus that.
VO: Are you using the same facility as before?
DW: Yes
VO: What’s your doctor’s name?
DW: Dr Fagbohun
VO: Is this your second child?
DW: Yes
VO: For how long were you there for your first?
DW: 7 weeks
VO: And where did you stay during this period?
DW: Intown Suites
VO: Do you have anyone in the US?
DW: No
VO: Did you get anything for payments you made from the hospital the last time
Me: We did. I knew she was referring to the itemized billing with other stuff so proceeded to handover the thick stack of breakdown of all the expenses incurred (15k in total), letters of non-indebtedness from hospital, another from doctor, bills from all the service providers, every single receipt for payments made, itemized billing.

The pile of paper was thicker than a Brazilian Butt Lift yet the VO meticulously read through each page. To be honest, I was glad she did as the letters included specific wordings like, “bill was settled in full”, “the state of Texas or any other government agency has not picked up any part of the bill”. The bills we received also included phrases like, “International family”, "discounts granted for self-pay, non-insured patients only", "discounts only applicable if payment is made by date X".

When she got to the section with the itemized billing, I reckon she could understand the reason for the discounts applied.
VO: What are your incomes?
We mentioned our monthly pay.
VO: Is your child travelling with you?
Me: They will be travelling together while I join them later.
VO: That’s fine
She resumed typing for another one minute or so

Funny how before you approach a window, you seem to hear what everyone else in the room is saying but can almost only hear your blood coursing through your veins as soon as it’s your turn with the VO.

VO: I am going to approve your visas. This paper here details how you can pick-up after you have received a message from us. She passed the white paper through the window after circling the DHL office we would be picking up our passports. She also returned our documents. Make sure you have this with you when travelling as you will be asked again at the point of entry. Congrats.
Us: Thank you.

I was impressed by the quality of work put in by the VO. I believe she had a memorable time with us too because when I said, “Have a beautiful day”, she flashed her beautiful white thirty-two, then replied, “You too”.

All the best to everyone still anticipating, congrats to everyone celebrating. Apologies if I wore you out with my lengthy post.



P.S. The lady who went before us, the one who was at her 4th attempt for an F1, she got her visa. I am happy she did. I learnt a new level of persistence from her story. We all should.

Hello...is anybody home?

OP,

Take it in stride na, after all, there are people here who support you.

By yourself you opened a thread, requested people's opinions, now you're vexing at people who disagree? Hope you realize you're weakening your argument with your inability to handle criticism?

I have a great idea, send it and let's see if that "block" option still works.

pocohantas:
I hope you won't block me too when I send PM. If you try, my thread will worse pass OP own

Merci

pocohantas:
Respect ...

Your points about "missed opportunities" are very valid.

Good that you mentioned you also know someone who works in this organization which means you have remote to reasonable information on the opening. Who's to say the lady in question equally does not know about the job? Who's to say she hasn't already applied sef? What if she gets the job? (It's possible! It has happened before my eyes) OP would probably recoil in shame at this scenario. Who's to say she even needs the job?

I agree with you, both sides need to be discussed, and I'm providing the context for that.

supersystemsng:
I concur 100%.... but if this issue has to be discussed from both sides of the situation..I agree with all your points 100%...I have a friend who lost millions this way..people just don't understand there was so-called special moments and it's to catalyze/increase the speed of people's lives..but since it's discounted most times people are left with too many missed opportunities..i feel this is a clear case of missed opportunity anyway.. I have someone working at the same Ecowas...i speak with her regularly..i am certain about this position that their employees are treated well