Working in U.S. for Affidavit

[ambiantz 0]

Hello! My name is Aaron and my wife is Rodica.

First off, I just want to say I am a new member and entirely new to this, so please forgive me if this question has been answered in the past.

I'm a U.S. Citizen living abroad in Dublin, Ireland for the past 9 months. I got married here to an EU citizen. Seeing as we are currently having trouble sustaining ourselves here, I would like to bring her back to the U.S.with me, where I would be able to return to my previous job and have better resources for us. However...

As regards to the Visa process, I understand that in the future I must provide a source of income in the U.S for the I-864. Upon doing my research, it appears to me that I would have to already be working there before she can come. This would mean we would be separated for a time.

Is this the only option, or is there a possibility of her being able to reside in the U.S. with me while the visa is processing?

P.S.: As an added detail, the job in the U.S. I speak of is a school. So I would need to start work at the beginning of a semester. If not this August, then in January 2015. Exceptions may be made, but this is basically when they can hire.

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

You can use a co-sponsor, someone who is working in the US and will sign the affidavit and provide the required documents, or you can qualify on assets alone; you'd need around $60K in assets to qualify.

[2ndMessiah 184]

How is life in the 51st state?

Harpa's words of wisdom are good to follow.

And to avoid separation from your wife, you could always do DCF (direct consular filing) at the Dublin embassy, Generally this only takes 3 to 4 months. Which means you and your spouse could fly back to the US together.

Doing this would probably mean not starting work until January 2015.

Is your wife an Irish citizen? You said EU, any reason?

Edited July 21, 2014 by 2ndMessiah

[ambiantz 0]

How is life in the 51st state?

Harpa's words of wisdom are good to follow.

And to avoid separation from your wife, you could always do DCF (direct consular filing) at the Dublin embassy, Generally this only takes 3 to 4 months. Which means you and your spouse could fly back to the US together.

Doing this would probably mean not starting work until January 2015.

Is your wife an Irish citizen? You said EU, any reason?

The country is beautiful once you get out of the city I may be unemployed here, but I take advantage of my time since It's my first time living abroad. Wife is Romanian, so both of us are basically just Irish residents.

Unfortunately the closest USCIS office is in London. When I called them they told me, on two separate occasions from two different people, I would have to file with the US facility. It appears the ability to file in Ireland closed in 2011

Harpa, thank you for the response. I assume I can have a relative of mine vouch for the affidavit since they have a steady income history.

[Ryan H 3,790]

And to avoid separation from your wife, you could always do DCF (direct consular filing) at the Dublin embassy, Generally this only takes 3 to 4 months.

There is no USCIS field office in Ireland so DCF will not be an option.

DCF is only possible in countries that have a USCIS field office, the list of international field offices is linked below. If a country is not on that list, then DCF is not an option.

http://www.uscis.gov/about-us/find-uscis-office/international-immigration-offices

[2ndMessiah 184]

Yup it appears my info is out of date. I left the North Part of the Emerald Isle in 2010.

It does seem you will have file by mailing to the Chicago Office.

Here is a link from the US Embassy Dublin page.

http://dublin.usembassy.gov/changes_i-130_petitions_overseas.html

Sorry, I did not read the whole thing, but there appears to some sort of exception for filing abroad.

Don't know exactly what it is for but worth looking into.

[2ndMessiah 184]

The country is beautiful once you get out of the city I may be unemployed here, but I take advantage of my time since It's my first time living abroad. Wife is Romanian, so both of us are basically just Irish residents.

Unfortunately the closest USCIS office is in London. When I called them they told me, on two separate occasions from two different people, I would have to file with the US facility. It appears the ability to file in Ireland closed in 2011

Harpa, thank you for the response. I assume I can have a relative of mine vouch for the affidavit since they have a steady income history.

Dublin is not so bad. Parts of it are really very nice, but you would not want to live there. It is so full of foreigners.

[ambiantz 0]

It is so full of foreigners.

Haha, I see what you did there

Thank you all very much for the responses. I'll go ahead and begin with the process. We'll see how it works out from there.