Help! Panicking Big Time!

[Ina2017 40]

4 minutes ago, Dee elle said:

Agreed!!!! And they haven't quite worked out night and day yet... just 4 hrs!! so adjustment to the new "daytime" is not as hard as a few months later...

 

Husband is right technically... but the reality of Perth to east coast USA is definitely not!

Husband is clueless and terrified of newborn babies. Heaven help us. 

[Ina2017 40]

Just now, Dee elle said:

That is definitely the usual way that they start out! Some progress further than others!! You are not alone! At least he could carry the bags, sort out the overhead bins, run errands and allow you to take care  of the baby!!

There we go, daddy's job description (or part of) done. No more just chilling out and enjoying inflight entertainment and peanuts now for the Mr 😂😂😂

[Thesmiths2016 117]

7 hours ago, Inabars said:

Ok, baby passport will be added to the 'to do list' along with the CBRA report. 

 

Home is Perth in beautiful Western Australia 💕💕💕💕

not sure if its the same there, but here in NZ when you get the US CRBA you get the US Passport and social security number at the same time.  We did that, then got bubs NZ passport at the same time ... both arrived within a week of each other, so our little one has dual citizenship and dual passports. The world is hers to explore just like it will be for your little one :-)

[Thesmiths2016 117]

6 hours ago, Dee elle said:

Yep agree.a definitely poignant ad that tears at the heart strings! .. Parents (88 y/o) still in Melbourne.. we lived in the US for 10 years in the 80's and both children born here.. hence their dual citizenship.... even though they were 6 and 8 when we returned to Australia, they have both moved to the US as adults, found life partners, married, made babies (and needed people like you bcking !! .. latest one is 5 weeks old!) so we faced the lousy decision of being there or here.. We moved Sept 2 2016.

Home? Home is where I sleep at night.. my heart has home in way too many places. Children and grandkids here are ecstatic, parents in Melbourne definitely understand but are finding it very hard. I fly back for a weeks visit next Saturday.

Off topic, but I just lived in Melbourne for 6 years (now back in NZ). Small world!

[Thesmiths2016 117]

6 hours ago, Inabars said:

Quick question while i have you @bcking how soon after birth can a baby travel? This would be a very long haul flight (over 30 hours) from Australia to USA...

What airline takes 30 hours?!  We flew from Melbourne to Michigan multiple times and its a 14hr flight, plus a 5hr flight.  Depending on who you fly you can get most parts of the USA from Australia within 20-22 hours. 

[bcking 3,157]

3 hours ago, Thesmiths2016 said:

What airline takes 30 hours?!  We flew from Melbourne to Michigan multiple times and its a 14hr flight, plus a 5hr flight.  Depending on who you fly you can get most parts of the USA from Australia within 20-22 hours. 

Just did a quick Google search of Perth - Washington DC (don't know their final destination).

 

Quickest trip was 25 hours but most were 30-32 hours (2-3 stops). And that is flying into a bigger airport. If they are going somewhere smaller they may need another domestic flight depending on the destination.

[Ina2017 40]

Hi all

Its normally about 27 hours with transit via the middle east. I ended up on Etihad with a 9 hour layover hence the 30 hour flight. If we're lucky with sale fares, then cathay pacific via Hong Kong gets us to Perth in 25 hours 😀. Singapore Airlines (via Singapore and Frankfurt) is also around about the same. If we were heading to the US west coast, it would definitely be a shorter trip via Sydney\Melbourne. 

[bcking 3,157]

1 hour ago, Inabars said:

Hi all

Its normally about 27 hours with transit via the middle east. I ended up on Etihad with a 9 hour layover hence the 30 hour flight. If we're lucky with sale fares, then cathay pacific via Hong Kong gets us to Perth in 25 hours 😀. Singapore Airlines (via Singapore and Frankfurt) is also around about the same. If we were heading to the US west coast, it would definitely be a shorter trip via Sydney\Melbourne. 

Qatar Airways fly through? They are comfortable, have a new airport in Doha and are generally a little less expensive than Etihad/Cathay/Singapore.

 

Perth -> Doha -> London -> Final destination perhaps. Worth checking but I'm sure you have more experience with this journey than I do.

[maolga 1]

Congratulations on the pregnancy! 

 

On on my experience, we had our baby on may 2015. The whole birth abroad certificate + getting her passport probably took 3 months or so. So add that time to the already long I-130 wait (12 months +/-). 

 

It it will be hard (my baby and I are waiting for the CR visa while her daddy is in the US) but we hope it will be worth it! 

[yip5696 1]

On 4/13/2017 at 10:41 PM, Inabars said:

Thank you once again for all your invaluable advice. You all have been amazing! 

 

At this point, I'm trying to maintain my sanity by concentrating on each day as it comes. I'm due in December and we were I thinking that I could travel to the US in July for a month or so but I'm worried about dealing with the BCP officers especially after my last interaction with them, I bet this time I'll go into premature labour! I was taken aside and questioned for 3 hours before being permitted entry so I bet the system would have some sort of flag on me now. (p.s./fyi: I have never overstayed my ESTA). 

 

Is there any indication if I-130s are taking longer under the new administration?  I'm preparing myself for 12-14 month wait, though I have noticed some very, very lucky couples have gone through the entire process and had visas in hand within 6-8 months. 

 

 

Sydney consulate advised us that we should get a tourist visa B1/B2 rather than ESTA when entering the US once we had filed our I-130. I have entered twice on B1/B2. The first time, I briefly explained why I got the B1/B2. The second time, BCP officer did not ask for it. The advantage of B1/B2 is you can stay up to 6 months as a tourist.

 

Yip

 

 

[Ina2017 40]

13 hours ago, yip5696 said:

 

 

Sydney consulate advised us that we should get a tourist visa B1/B2 rather than ESTA when entering the US once we had filed our I-130. I have entered twice on B1/B2. The first time, I briefly explained why I got the B1/B2. The second time, BCP officer did not ask for it. The advantage of B1/B2 is you can stay up to 6 months as a tourist.

 

Yip

 

 

@yip5696    hi there, thank you so much for sharing this information. I was under the impression that you couldn't apply for any other visa categories once you have an I-130 in progress. I'll definitely look into the requirements for b1/b2 as i dont know anything about it. Thanks once again! 

Ina😊