₦airaland Forum

upgradedmom:
Long and insightful post. Year 2012 must have been a very interesting year for you. From your sister-in-law giving birth that year to you getting your 5year visa(btw I didn't know US embassy issues 5year visa) and then your sil returns from her birthing trip and escort you on yours and then the awful experience at POE till you finally put to bed in Oct 2012. Wow, is all I can say. Wish you a happy 'popping' for baby no 2.

Hi all,
I am here to share my story with you. I have given birth in the USA before and that time I had not seen nairaland. It was my biggest ignorance and I suffered due to that. This time I searched online and this forum has helped me immensely. I have kept myself awake all nights reading all the info and this helped me get to the USA now.

I did not know that baby born in USA is American national. My brother had his son in 2012 in USA and their visa and Poe was very smooth. When I saw that I planned to have my first baby also in the USA. While my sister in law was in USA I applied with my brother and got 5 year multiple visa. I was 2 months pregnant that time. It was my first baby.
Everything went really well with my sister in law and I expected my entry will be smooth and It is a piece of cake.
I decided to travel with my sister in law and her American baby as she knew the USA well, after she had come back just 5 months ago after birth of her son.
I entered the USA through Chicago o hare and as I didn't know that I have to say the truth I said that I came for visit and my Poe experience was just two minutes and I was out.
Meanwhile my sister in law as we were on same flight was on another counter and the officer was asking her questions. I saw that it took her 15 min at the desk and later she was taken to secondary inspection. I waited n waited and after 1 hour the lady at the baggage asked me why I was waiting. As I was in USA the first time I did not know much what was happening. I just knew I will not tell anyone I am coming to give birth. She went to the room and secretly told me to pick my bags n leave as my sister in law would be sent back.
I left the area and moved to domestic where I had a flight to houston. Meanwhile the officers were really harsh to my sister in law. This was very shocking as we had no idea of this treatment. She showed all her bills are paid and officer told her that if she is pregnant then they would not let her go. Then she started checking bags, and saw a paper that stated my name and pregnancy test. I had kept those in her bag as I thought my bags may be checked. I never knew that parents of American citizens have to go through all this scrutiny.
For about 3 hrs I roamed around the airport worried about my sister in law, I did not know anything about USA and had never travelled this far alone. At last they searched me through my name and found me at the airport.
The lady officer was very hard with her words but I was superconfident. She told me that I have made this a meal ticket and why I was hiding. I told her I was not hiding and pregnancy was not a crime neither was I asked at the interview about it. She told me that why I don't ask my own country what is a crime and go there. I told her blatantly not to do racial discrimination against me and involve my nationality in it. That's when she completely completely lost it and told me do u want me to send u back right now? That was it. I became really quiet after that. She took me to the secondary inspection room and told her mates I'm telling her about discrimination. I had already been stamped for 6 months at that time. She was angry at the officer who stamped me and another officer told her I'm just 28 weeks so they can give me time.
While I was not there she was telling my sister in law that they would put her in lock up and kept scaring her, kept typing n all. Then she just wrote on my i94 form that my stay is limited to 6 days from the 6 months stated. She stamped my sister in law with the stamp for 6 days too. Mine was written by hand though. She told us to leave in 6 days or she will put us in jail.
I was devastated. My dreams were shattered. I went to houston and my brother told me to get a lawyer. My lawyer filed an extension for me and I cost a lot to file extension for me n sister in law but I waited for my approval. My lawyer told me it will take 3 months and I gave birth withing those three months at memorial hermann southwest. My best experience and with the best doctor and staff. I cannot imagine going anywhere else. I have birth in oct 2012 to my daughter and left USA, was given approval as I left USA before the decision was made. But Chicago airport was a nightmare for my sis in law how she was treated with a 4 month old baby and another child. It was also a very very bad experience for me. Probably coz I had not done my homework, we had not realized it is harder after having an American citizen to actually visit USA.
Now I am again pregnant. This time I did my homework and read everything on this forum.
I had not slept well as soon as I knew I was pregnant coz I was expecting same treatment with American baby and awful history.
I decided to fly early so I am not obvious. I wrote a letter to embassy but I was not given a response, only told that this is not their concern it is upto the cbp officer to judge. So that didn't help. Btw I'm not in Nigeria.
I kept 10000 cash on me. I prayed to God to help me. I kept doctors appointment. My first baby's bills- all of them. My hotel booking. My return ticket. A few articles recent cases of gynecological errors in my country. BAnk statements and flew at 23 weeks.
I read on forum about NYC so I kept it as my Poe.
I met the officer and he was Chinese origin. Asked me what I was here for. I said medic treatment. He asked me what treatment? I said childbirth. Asked me why I wanted to have birth in us? I told him my country was not so developed and there were many cases of bad practice. He looked at me with wierd look. I was stuttering as I was expecting so much more. He said ok and was checking his computer. I told him myself that I have doctors appointment and he asked which doctor and I told him. He asked why and I said I am satisfied from my first baby delivery. He said ok finger prints and stamped me for 6 m. He asked if I had more that 10k I said yes and asked to bring my baby on camera and within five minutes we were done. He did not check a SINGLE Document. Not my previous bills too. Glory to be my LORD. It was just prayers and research. And thanks to nairaland all of you. I went out and the baggage guy saw my form and asked me what I was here for and I said medical treatment he said ok. I wasn't showing so it didn't raise eyebrows and I declared cash. Went to domestic and then flight to houston. Newyork city rocks!!
I am now in houston and transport is expensive. I am not using yellow cab, instead I am using a company uber which is all over the world. Just download the app and ur taxi will arrive in minutes and much much cheaper than yellow cab. Can use this in almost all cities in the USA. Just for u all who are going to use transport in USA. I had my first ride free upto 30 dollars and I enjoyed it. You can use the promotional code sesshj to get your first ride free. Thankyou nairalanders!!! I love u all. I am now waiting to pop.