I have been a super silent follower on this thread for close to 2 years and I have been saying I will create an account so I will feedback my experience. I have finally done so, although it’s several months later than anticipated but as they say, better late than never. * long post alert, readers beware* I am a Nigerian, living in the UK, I moved here about 4 years ago, I am married to a British citizen and I am still on a visa here as I need to have lived here for 5 years to qualify for ILR aka Resident Permit followed by British passport.
About 2 years before I relocated, I applied for my first American tourist visa from Nigeria, I had a good travel history, several visits to the UK, the Caribbean, our good old Ghana, Kenya, the likes of Dubai and even Canada. The American visa was denied on the no tie issue, I was sorely disappointed and I decided to face other countries and not spoil my visa history with America, so I never reapplied.
Fast forward to my relocation to the UK, after a few months of living here, hubby and I decided to go for a holiday in America, I was quite reluctant to apply for another visa. I eventually applied and it was granted without any questions, we travelled twice on the visa then I fell pregnant. We had been contemplating moving to America and/or having our kids study in America at University level so we eventually decided to have our child in America. I started researching and found this thread and read it from the first part, I got all the information I needed without even asking any questions. I found a doctor in Atlanta, Dr Tate, I called up his practice and had a long conversation with them, he uses only Emory Hospital so I called Emory and registered with them. My visa was still valid and I had used it twice, I didn’t send change of intent letter although I read about it here but the counsel then was if you have used the visa for the purpose it was meant for then you can go for child birth (I know that has changed now).
I travelled November 2017 at 35 + 6. I had my fit to fly but BA didn’t request for it or even seem to notice I was pregnant. I got no preferential treatment as like I said, it seemed no one noticed my bump. When I got to Atlanta POE, I had my doctor and hospital correspondence ready but the CBP officer seemed too tired to ask any questions, he asked how long I was staying, I said 3 months, he was asking purpose of visit same time as he was stamping me in. I said vacation and childbirth, he just said have a good stay. I said thank you and walked away.
Dr Tate was good, his fee was $1500. Emory was $3900 for vaginal delivery (VD) and $425 for Epidural or $5900 for CS and $625 for Epidural. I paid the CS fees but I had a VD with Epidural so I got a refund of $2200 about a month after. The Paediatricians, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta CHOA were thoroughly annoying as they charged a ridiculous amount, I can’t quite remember how much for absolutely no service, I practically declined all tests and jabs including hearing test as it’s all free in the UK. I called them up, got a discount, about 40%, and paid it. After I left I got another bill which was even more annoying, I called and did not mince words in expressing my displeasure at the appalling service but that made no difference, I got apologies but that was it, they offered the same 40% discount and I paid it off. I visited a Paediatrician privately that I found on the internet after we left the hospital and paid $100 each time for 2 visits to check the baby. I got all my zero balance letters, obviously 2 from CHOA as they had issued me one before they sent the 2nd bill and issued a second after I paid it.
Baby's SSN came in the post. I collected the birth certificate a few days after birth and got only the American passport as I was returning to the UK and Americans do not need a visa to travel to UK. I returned to the UK in February 2018 and sorted out the baby’s British papers once I got back.
My visa expired that February and as I kept reading this thread, I could see all the issues people were having to renew their visas after child birth so when we decided to go back to America at the end of last year, I started dreading the interview again coupled with the fact that I used US addresses for all correspondence including baby’s birth certificate which people were being queried for. However, I armed myself with all the receipts, itemised bills and zero balance letters. At the interview, there was no question regarding the child birth. No question about why I spent 3 months in America, nothing about the receipts. To be honest, it was like I didn’t even have a baby in America, only question was the purpose of my current visit, do I have family in America, a confirmation that my husband is British and I was told to pick up my passport that visa was granted. I was tempted to say, wait wait wait, I had a baby in America, don’t you want to see the documents showing I paid all my bills. In the end, I just said thank you and left, wondering if I was doing the right thing and what sort of issues I was creating for myself at POE. That worried me for quite a while.
About 2 or 3 months later, November 2018, we travelled to America, POE was Michigan this time, we all had different passports, Hubby British, baby American and Nigerian for myself. Hubby presented the passports to the CBP officer and I had the almighty ‘burden of proof’ in my hand to display, should the need arise. The officer asked how long and what we were in America for, hubby said 2 weeks for vacation. He stamped us in and said enjoy your stay. Nothing regarding why our baby had an American passport or if we paid our bills or anything else. I was very surprised. We thanked him and walked away. We spent 2 weeks and we are back home.
I have wondered why their treatment is different. Why I haven’t been thoroughly scrutinised or ‘torch-lighted’ appropriately at the interviews and at POE and I seem to have concluded that it is location. It is really not fair that they are not consistent in their treatment of people. I am Nigerian but just because I live outside Nigeria, I am treated differently. I would never have known what Nigerians go through to have babies in America if I didn’t stumble on this thread. I greatly benefited from the wealth of information on this thread, all the parts and all the people who take their time to answer questions. You are all doing a great job. Well done and Happy 2019!!! |
Travel › Re: Give Birth In USA: Cost And Procedures Part 6 by springmystique: 10:54am On Jan 23, 2019
