SparklyUnicorn Posted November 10, 2016 Share Posted November 10, 2016 It's been a while since I checked, but last time I checked, it meant that I'd have to live in the EU for one out of every ten years. ETA: even if that's not currently the case anymore, they can change that stuff at any time - easier to just not have to deal with that. Is that the rule in the Netherlands? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lanny Posted November 10, 2016 Share Posted November 10, 2016 (edited) There's also the biometrics fee. The total is under $1000, iirc about $860. Biometrics. Oh yes. My wife used her new Colombian Passport, and her new U.S. Visa, for the first time, in Orlando, in April 2016. She ALWAYS has trouble with Fingerprints. We went into the line for U.S. Citizens (DD and I are citizens) expecting to go through quickly. Wrong... To my astonishment and horror, the man did not allow my wife to go through with us to the Customs area. He took her somewhere so they could "Clear" the system. We waited for her, in the Baggage Claim, for what I believe was at least one hour. When it was her turn, they "cleared" the system (I assume they took her Fingerprints again) and then they let her go to the Baggage Claim. I was *NOT* happy and I wondered where my wife was and what they were doing to her... The Immigration person in Orlando asked her how long she was going to be in the USA. She replied, "I'm going back to my country in one week". They gave her 6 months... NOTE: When my wife was waiting for her turn to be "Cleared", there was a family there, who was emigrating to the USA. The Immigration person asked them for the address and phone number, where they would be living in the Orlando area. They didn't have that. Fortunately, they were able to make a phone call and get that information (which we are astonished they did not have with them). If they had not gotten that information, they would have been on a plane to their origin country that same day. Deported... Edited November 10, 2016 by Lanny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted November 10, 2016 Share Posted November 10, 2016 My wife used her new Colombian Passport, and her new U.S. Visa, for the first time, in Orlando, in April 2016. She ALWAYS has trouble with Fingerprints. We went into the line for U.S. Citizens (DD and I are citizens) expecting to go through quickly. Wrong... To my astonishment and horror, the man did not allow my wife to go through with us to the Customs area. We had the same issue at the US Customs preclearance area at Toronto airport. As long as someone in the family is not a US citizen, the whole family group goes to the foreigners line. So the US citizen only line had no one going through on a busy afternoon even though that station/line has a biometric machine too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loesje22000 Posted November 10, 2016 Share Posted November 10, 2016 Is that the rule in the Netherlands? To get exception of the main rule 'thou shall not have dual citizenship' yes. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted November 10, 2016 Share Posted November 10, 2016 To get exception of the main rule 'thou shall not have dual citizenship' yes. Well that's a bummer! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted November 10, 2016 Share Posted November 10, 2016 We had the same issue at the US Customs preclearance area at Toronto airport. As long as someone in the family is not a US citizen, the whole family group goes to the foreigners line. So the US citizen only line had no one going through on a busy afternoon even though that station/line has a biometric machine too. We always go to the US line and never had a problem. And when we go to Germany we go to the EU line without a problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loesje22000 Posted November 10, 2016 Share Posted November 10, 2016 Well that's a bummer! It is. There are more possibilities to get exception from the main rule, but having dual citizenship is deeply discouraged by the Dutch government. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted November 10, 2016 Share Posted November 10, 2016 It is. There are more possibilities to get exception from the main rule, but having dual citizenship is deeply discouraged by the Dutch government. Yeah it's not so easy in Germany, but as far as I know it's a matter of filling out a bunch of forms and paying money. The basic requirement is you have to demonstrate you still have some ties to Germany that are meaningful. My husband's entire family is there so that probably would be enough (there are a few other things). But it boils down to money. There is no point in doing it IMO if he is here legally and can stay here legally. He'd like to vote, but that's a lot of aggravation and money just to be allowed to vote. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted November 10, 2016 Share Posted November 10, 2016 They always make that part seem horrible in movies so we had no idea what to expect. They didn't ask us anything at all. They could have though. Maybe if DH was from the wrong country or our relationship seemed unlikely or odd. We did it the wrong way and the interview was also easy. I entered the US on a visa waiver (that hadn't been the plan - long story) and then got married. This is against the rules. Nevertheless, the interview was painless. The official said that they weren't worried because I already had 'a perfectly good' passport. I could hear a much less pleasant interview going on in the next cubicle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted November 10, 2016 Share Posted November 10, 2016 We always go to the US line and never had a problem. And when we go to Germany we go to the EU line without a problem. All of us have British passports and I am the only one without a US passport. Prior to 9/11 we would all go through the US line. After 9/11, I was twice sent to the back of the non-US line, so I stopped trying to use the US channel. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maize Posted November 10, 2016 Share Posted November 10, 2016 We did it the wrong way and the interview was also easy. I entered the US on a visa waiver (that hadn't been the plan - long story) and then got married. This is against the rules. Nevertheless, the interview was painless. The official said that they weren't worried because I already had 'a perfectly good' passport. I could hear a much less pleasant interview going on in the next cubicle. I understand the reasoning--not a lot of UK citizens trying to find a back door into US residency or citizenship. It's a type of profiling though that makes me sad--not for you, of course, but for all the people being scrutinized much more harshly because they come from the wrong country. I guess I don't find miserliness any more appealing in a country than in an individual. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luuknam Posted November 10, 2016 Author Share Posted November 10, 2016 (edited) What the blarp. What if one already paid the biometric fee for the greencard? Then you get to do it again, of course. I got it done for the temporary green card, and then for the permanent one not long thereafter, and for the Hazmat part of the CDL, and if I want to be a US citizen I'd get to do it again. Oh, and for bonus points, you get to pay the full fee, even if your location doesn't actually support the retinal scan and only does fingerprints. Just because (not that I'm just dying to give the government a scan of my retinas, but it was ridiculous I had to pay for something I didn't even get). Edited November 10, 2016 by luuknam 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted November 10, 2016 Share Posted November 10, 2016 Then you get to do it again, of course. I got it done for the temporary green card, and then for the permanent one not long thereafter, and for the Hazmat part of the CDL, and if I want to be a US citizen I'd get to do it again. Oh, and for bonus points, you get to pay the full fee, even if your location doesn't actually support the retinal scan and only does fingerprints. Just because (not that I'm just dying to give the government a scan of my retinas, but it was ridiculous I had to pay for something I didn't even get). Oh yeah DH didn't have any retinal scans. It's a racket. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted November 10, 2016 Share Posted November 10, 2016 All of us have British passports and I am the only one without a US passport. Prior to 9/11 we would all go through the US line. After 9/11, I was twice sent to the back of the non-US line, so I stopped trying to use the US channel. They allow legal residents through the US line. I never heard of them having to go to another line. I push the limits going through the EU line, but they never said anything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted November 10, 2016 Share Posted November 10, 2016 It's a type of profiling though that makes me sad--not for you, of course, but for all the people being scrutinized much more harshly because they come from the wrong country.. B2 visa application for grandparents to visit and stay for 6 months at a time depend on bank account balances as a factor. So same country of origin, different bank balances do get different treatments. Even though the embassy did not need my education qualifications for a H4 visa, they did ask during the interview. There was a rude officer when we went to the US embassy for our H1/H4 visa. My oldest was 7 months old then and the embassy wasn't sure if they want him to show up with us, so we brought him along in a baby carrier. She threw a tantrum about babies in the interview waiting area. The lady embassy security told her off and opened up a room for us to wait, Sometimes embassy staff are not as objective as they are supposed to be. Most we met were professional and friendly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz CA Posted November 10, 2016 Share Posted November 10, 2016 B2 visa application for grandparents to visit and stay for 6 months at a time depend on bank account balances as a factor. So same country of origin, different bank balances do get different treatments. Even though the embassy did not need my education qualifications for a H4 visa, they did ask during the interview. There was a rude officer when we went to the US embassy for our H1/H4 visa. My oldest was 7 months old then and the embassy wasn't sure if they want him to show up with us, so we brought him along in a baby carrier. She threw a tantrum about babies in the interview waiting area. The lady embassy security told her off and opened up a room for us to wait, Sometimes embassy staff are not as objective as they are supposed to be. Most we met were professional and friendly. Oh God. Embassy staff...I'd rather not go there. I picture them sitting on the embassy balcony (surely every embassy has one) sipping drinks with umbrellas in them...and feeling inconvenienced if someone actually needs them to do something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maize Posted November 11, 2016 Share Posted November 11, 2016 Oh God. Embassy staff...I'd rather not go there. I picture them sitting on the embassy balcony (surely every embassy has one) sipping drinks with umbrellas in them...and feeling inconvenienced if someone actually needs them to do something. Embassy staff, and especially consular office staff, usually have a very busy workload and in many cases very long hours. And people come in with the oddest complaints. I did a summer internship at a US consulate. People coming in for visas to the US kept the staff busy but were nearly always polite and reasonable. American tourists with the mistaken belief that it was the consulate's job to get them out of every conceivable stupidity induced scrape, on the other hand... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz CA Posted November 11, 2016 Share Posted November 11, 2016 Embassy staff, and especially consular office staff, usually have a very busy workload and in many cases very long hours. And people come in with the oddest complaints. I did a summer internship at a US consulate. People coming in for visas to the US kept the staff busy but were nearly always polite and reasonable. American tourists with the mistaken belief that it was the consulate's job to get them out of every conceivable stupidity induced scrape, on the other hand... Perhaps this is why they are so rude and condescending when they deal with a true embassy issue. By the way, maybe the American embassies are different - I was thinking of a European embassy here in the U.S... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maize Posted November 11, 2016 Share Posted November 11, 2016 Perhaps this is why they are so rude and condescending when they deal with a true embassy issue. By the way, maybe the American embassies are different - I was thinking of a European embassy here in the U.S... Many European countries do not have the type of costumer service culture that Americans tend to expect. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lorien Posted November 11, 2016 Share Posted November 11, 2016 Although quickly searching they say $680. I don't know where I got $1000 from. There's also the biometrics fee. The total is under $1000, iirc about $860. The $680 includes the biometric fee. It's (I think) around $595 without biometrics. I just paid it a month ago. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted November 11, 2016 Share Posted November 11, 2016 Perhaps this is why they are so rude and condescending when they deal with a true embassy issue. By the way, maybe the American embassies are different - I was thinking of a European embassy here in the U.S... The US embassy we went to is joking called the fortress. They have different areas for US citizens and others. They have different counter time too; it was morning mainly for US citizens and afternoon for visa applications. They do see urgent US citizens' cases in the afternoons. 4th photo from top in this link https://blogs.state.gov/stories/2013/06/14/celebrating-flag-day-around-world 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HomeMum Posted November 11, 2016 Share Posted November 11, 2016 Fingers crossed for fear mongering. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted November 11, 2016 Share Posted November 11, 2016 (edited) They allow legal residents through the US line. I never heard of them having to go to another line. I push the limits going through the EU line, but they never said anything. Ah, that makes a difference. My Green Card has lapsed. Before 9/11, they just let me through the US line because I was with my family, even though I was on a visa waiver. Edited November 11, 2016 by Laura Corin 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwik Posted November 11, 2016 Share Posted November 11, 2016 I follow "Current Events" rather closely. Online and on TV. I watch the Evening News from the USA every day. I have *NEVER* seen any mention about people who are legal "Permanent Residents" in the USA. The issues *ALWAYS* are about people who are Illegal Aliens in the USA. Legal permanent residents aren't as easy a target. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amira Posted November 11, 2016 Share Posted November 11, 2016 Then let's be different. I think we can reasonably be much more generous with our laws than we are. I'm long out of likes, so thank you for saying this (and your previous comment). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amira Posted November 11, 2016 Share Posted November 11, 2016 I understand the reasoning--not a lot of UK citizens trying to find a back door into US residency or citizenship. It's a type of profiling though that makes me sad--not for you, of course, but for all the people being scrutinized much more harshly because they come from the wrong country. I guess I don't find miserliness any more appealing in a country than in an individual. And this one too. I really need more likes. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amira Posted November 11, 2016 Share Posted November 11, 2016 Embassy staff, and especially consular office staff, usually have a very busy workload and in many cases very long hours. And people come in with the oddest complaints. I did a summer internship at a US consulate. People coming in for visas to the US kept the staff busy but were nearly always polite and reasonable. American tourists with the mistaken belief that it was the consulate's job to get them out of every conceivable stupidity induced scrape, on the other hand... And I'll stop now, but I had to like this one too. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mbelle Posted November 11, 2016 Share Posted November 11, 2016 I'm curious about the cost of permanent residence status in different countries. I'm applying to AUS and it will be about $5500US..it's $6000AUS. We were super lucky when we got married 20 years ago and had a friend at the US embassy. We sailed right through all the steps in 2 weeks time. I did not appreciate it enough at the time. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TravelingChris Posted November 11, 2016 Share Posted November 11, 2016 I was an immigration officer at one of the nation's busiest airports years ago. I caught a number of visa waiver people coming in to do things they weren't allowed to do- get married, get a job, go to school, etc. THe visas are very specific. If you get a student visa, for example, it states which school you are going to. You can't just transfer. I would make conversations with people and they would betray their true intentions. Then there was the time I got the murderer (US citizen) in my line. He was wanted and we detained him. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lanny Posted November 11, 2016 Share Posted November 11, 2016 Legal permanent residents aren't as easy a target. I have *never* seen a story on the TV Channel I watch, or the web site I read, about *anyone* wanting to remove Permanent Legal residents of the USA. The references I have heard or read all have to do with Illegal Aliens who are in the USA. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lanny Posted November 11, 2016 Share Posted November 11, 2016 The US embassy we went to is joking called the fortress. They have different areas for US citizens and others. They have different counter time too; it was morning mainly for US citizens and afternoon for visa applications. They do see urgent US citizens' cases in the afternoons. 4th photo from top in this link https://blogs.state.gov/stories/2013/06/14/celebrating-flag-day-around-world Our Embassy, in Bogota, Colombia, is, I believe, the 2nd largest U.S. Embassy in the world. They have separate sections for U.S. Citizens (actually the ACS which is a very small office). The Visa section is not actually inside the main building. The Visa applicants can be there with their Cell Phones and other things that are prohibited for visitors to bring inside the main building. The ACS here has certain days and hours when they do certain things and one needs an appointment with them to be admitted onto the Embassy grounds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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