Hi all,

My husband is a permanent resident now and we're investigating bringing my 16 year old stepdaughter to the US. Will she need her mother's permission to come if she and my husband have joint legal custody? Is it different in different countries or does the US gov't. have its own cut-off age for this?

Thanks for any help. Couldn't find anything on it on the uscis or London embassy web sites.

I thought it was 18 that custody expired.

But that would be the determinant.

16 would be an awkward age to move due to schooling.

Actually in the UK you graduate high school at 16 (unless you choose to stay on to do A levels, I think they're called?). She just graduated and is having some real difficulties at home and we wanted to know our options for bringing her over.

Residence orders (i.e. custody) also ends at 16, so we were assuming that would mean she doesn't need parental permission. I can't find anything definitive on this.

Thanks for the reply.

You do not graduate in the UK, well from University.

There are various exams at 16, O Level being the most common.

A Levels at 18, then Uni.

My Grandd
aughter graduated Pre School in the US, they had the Mortar Boards!

I had a quick look and agree that she should be good to go, you would apply for her, she may well be 17 by the time she has her interview.

I sort of got involved in the same situation as my step son did graduate from the American School in UK and stayed a year with me to do so.

But he did have a game plan, going to be difficult for her to get started withut qualifications.

Ok so I would guess she has her O levels then? I told her I think she'd have to go to high school here even though in the UK her plan was to start college in the fall, go for two years, then head to university.

You're right, no mortar boards lol. They have them every few years over here, you're absolutely right. A bit silly really.

Thanks again for your help.

You need to know which O Levels and what grades.

Next step is usually 2 years to A Level, and then Uni, but Uni is usually 3 years.

Seemed to me that US High School was similar to what you would expect at 16 in UK, but you then do 4 years at Uni in US.

If she has to go to High School first she will likely be bored to tears.

A difficult age to switch.

Try posting on www.britishexpats.com, USA Forum, I would expect quite a few on there who know more than I do fom recent personal experiance.

Just wanted to say: the exams you take at age 16 in the UK are GCSEs these days (since, hmm, 1988, I think?), not O Levels. Same thing, though, effectively.

Yup. Feather is correct. O levels haven't been studied for an absolute age in the UK.

4-16 ~ School, leave at 16 with GCSE's.
16-18 ~ A Levels
18-22 (approximately) ~ University degree

Showing my age.

GCE's, O Levels, and CSEs were combined in GCSE.

Wouldn't that be when she reaches the age of majority in her home country, and is considered to be an adult a capable of makin her own decisions?? She wouldn't need prmission of her mother.

Thank you for all the responses. Yes, she's done her GCSE's, you're right, thanks for the clarification. She then as Mags said intends to go to college from 16 to 18 beginning this autumn. We do want her to stay in the UK for college but at the moment things have hit crisis level in her home so I just want to be aware of any options the girl has.



See, that is what I've been assuming, that at 16 if she's considered an 'adult' in the UK, i.e. can be thrown out of her house as has happened temporarily, that she wouldn't need her mother's permission. I can't find anything definitive on the London embassy web site or uscis. From what I've read up on the Children's Act, except for extreme circumstances, all residency orders/contact orders, etc., expire at 16 so again, I don't see how she'd need parental permission. But I could be missing something big here.

Thanks again for any input.

yup, yer right, residence (custody order's) expire's when the child turns 16 in UK. My ex hubby and i had joint custody of our 2 kids which expired the day they turned 16. They're now 20 and 19 respectively and dont require either parent's permission after the residence order's expire's. I dont think i'm wrong about this unless the government changed the Children's Act...in the past year since i left but its a possiblilty.

They are classed as "adults" and if they happen to get into trouble with the law for example ......they are "treated as adults" and punished just like any other adult would be.

Maybe consult with a UK attorney if you can just to be sure, hope this helps

Maria

I think you're right, that's what we'd have to do if it came down to it. Thank Maria.