Three weeks in as a US resident!

[Rubycon 0]

Hello all - just wanted to share a couple of thoughts on my first three weeks in the US! These observations probably belong in a couple of different forums, but I thought I'd post here first among those who recognise me (for good or bad reasons!).

POE (Chicago O'Hare) was a piece of cake. It took about 10 minutes tops. The immigration officer opened my "do not open" file and leafed through the contents. He seemed most concerned with finding my medical results. He asked me one or two really easy questions (just stuff like how long had I known my SO, etc), then stamped the visa and said something like "you've got 90 days to get married - if you don't, leave the country". I took that to be USCIS humour...wow those guys sure are a bunch of jokers!

Amusingly enough, my Best Man had a worse POE experience than I did! He's a dual national, British and Iranian, and the immigration people took him away for further questioning! He's really cool about that sort of stuff though, as he understands that - for better or worse - he kinda fits the profile (young, single, educated male with Iranian background)!

The big day was really nice - family and close friends in a nice hotel in downtown Chicago, followed by romantic dinner for 2 at the Signature Room! - and now I have a lovely, cute wife! Things have settled down now all the guests have left, Disco is back to work, and I'm getting used to life in the 'burbs...slowly...

I applied for my social security number exactly two weeks after POE, and it arrived today - under a week from the application! Pretty good turnaround! Hooray!

I went to the USCIS office in Chicago about a week ago to ask for my K1 temporary work authorisation. I was planning to get some work as a substitue teacher - Disco works in a high school and their HR department were interested in me (Illinois is currently experiencing a lack of substitute teacher crisis). However, the person I spoke to in the USCIS office said that they will not stamp visas for work authorization any more, and the only way to get work authorization is through the AOS EAD application. Well, at least I tried. As Disco said to me, the only people they hurt are the legal immigrants...

...some advice, learned the hard way

So now I'm getting my stuff ready for AOS. Today I went to a local doctor to get my I-693A prepared. When I called, the lady in the office seemed a little confused about my not needing the full medical. As per VJ advice, I insisted that I only needed the vaccination supplement completed and signed from my records.

So, I get down to the doctor's and they look through my papers. They say I need to get immunity tests done at the local hospital, and then I need two further visits to them before they will issue the I-693A (at $270 and $70 respectively). Alarm bells start ringing. I said to them that I had already had my vaccination history reviewed and approved in London, and a visa issued on the back of that, so all that was required was my details copying onto a new form and signing by the doctor. They said they couldn't do it as the vaccination records I gave them highlighted some discrepancies. They then said that I owed them $180 for today - alarm bells continued ringing; I hadn't left the waiting room and they were under 5 minutes looking through my vaccination documents! I said "oookkkaayy.. let me go get my debit card.."

As it happened, their card machine was playing up and I didn't have my cheque book on me, so I said I'd call back later (a 4 mile walk in 89 degrees, folks!). I called Disco when I got back home, who was incredulous that I'd been charged that amount and not even seen the doctor. She called the practise and asked them to bill us - they refused and threatened to contact USCIS and have me "flagged" if we didn't pay - note that at no stage did we threaten not to pay!! (I'm pretty sure the "flagging" was BS, though)

So, basically, my warning is this - make sure you call several different doctor's practises and get them to detail their rates before going there! We found a much better price elsewhere and certainly will not be dealing with these bandits again - absolute daylight 'kin robbery if you ask me - lets face it, if I wanted to be relieved of my money I'd go walk around Chicago with "please mug me, I'm British" written on my forehead. I would name and shame the practise, but I'm pretty sure that is liablous - but you make up your own minds whether or not they were offering "value for money".

Wow, this is a long post - but I just wanted to share this with you all and stop someone else falling into this trap. I'll keep you all updated..

[Jasman0717 9]

I liked your post and the civil surgeon thing really got me wound up. Those bastards think they have the right to rob you and then turn around and threaten you. I would report that office to the USCIS, they sound like crooks. We paid $70 to get the tetanus shot and the supplemental done for Claudeth so it is always wise to call around

[ChasUK 0]

Blimey. They didn't even have the decency to wear masks and say "stand and deliver".

[Mags 112]

Those prices are absolutely atrocious, but the moral of this tale is phone first and get prices, I guess. If they refuse to do the supplement on its own, or are charging stupid prices, then find someone else!

Glad everything else is going well for you though!

[Leney 0]

Doh I wish you'd have checked the AoS forums before taking care of your medical stuff. I paid $10 a piece and sent our London medical forms to a CS in Texas for him to transcribe them to the vaccination supplement. A local CS in State College, PA wanted to charge $280 for it and I nearly shat a brick.

Edited September 19, 2007 by Leney

[Rubycon 0]

You live and learn, I guess - we're all green about this stuff at some point - just wanted to repeat the warning, though. Anyhow, I'm trying to not feel too bad about it, as everything else has been very easy for us so far.

BTW I did check forums here (and still am!) for advice on AOS. I chose the CS in question simply as it was the only one within walking distance of where I live.

[John & Annie 0]

You should of said, oh you call USCIS and I will call the American Medical Association and report you for unethical behavior.

That is kind of like a restaurant charging you full price for looking at the description of a menu item.

Edited September 19, 2007 by John & Annie

[Mags 112]

You should of said, oh you call USCIS and I will call the American Medical Association and report you for unethical behavior.

That is kind of like a restaurant charging you full price for looking at the description of a menu item.

In fact, I would still consider doing this. Rubycon didn't actually leave the waiting area yet they seem to want to charge a consultation fee, that is grounds for some sort of complaint, surely?

[John & Annie 0]

You should of said, oh you call USCIS and I will call the American Medical Association and report you for unethical behavior.

That is kind of like a restaurant charging you full price for looking at the description of a menu item.

In fact, I would still consider doing this. Rubycon didn't actually leave the waiting area yet they seem to want to charge a consultation fee, that is grounds for some sort of complaint, surely?

I would think so