Over before we've begun :(

[LauraDP 10]

Hi, everyone

Well it looks like our dream of relocating to the US might be over just weeks before we were going to submit our I-130s to the London Embassy.

In short, my husband did not register for Selective Service which presents a problem for working for Federal and most State departments. I won't repeat myself here as I already made another post about the specifics of the issue:

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/384275-selective-service/

If you read that thread then you will see that it was a sincere and honest oversight on his part. However, if he cannot work in a professional job similar to the one he does now (ie working for Federal Government) then there is no way for us to make the relocation work financially. He has applied for the Status Information letter on the basis of his very compelling reasons for having not registered but we are concerned that most employers would not even consider inviting him to interview because of the necessity of applying for a waiver in order to be able to employ him.

What's annoying is that he worked for the US DoD at the Pentagon as an intern back in 1995 and it was never picked up that he had not registered then when he would have been in the time frame in terms of his age to be able to rectify the error and register.

Chris is still gung-ho about ploughing ever onwards with the visa applications but he is a glass half-full person. I am a glass half-empty person and much, much more risk averse. We don't haev the spare funds to just throw down the plug hole with this visa process for myself and the four children if Chris is not likely to get the salary we need him to have on the other side of the Atlantic.

So it seems like our dream is over before we even truly got going with it in terms of submitting the immigration paperwork.

It has only hit me now how much I wanted to relocate to the US now that it looks so unlikely.

I am feeling very despondent, miserable and gloomy. Feel free to write something to cheer me up if you can.

Best wishes

Laura

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

Laura, I wouldn't give up just yet. I am not sure the information is correct in that thread about passing him up before interviews. Your husband barely lived in the US; so little, in fact, that he cannot pass on USC to his kids. I know the law, but I think your compelling reason is, well, compelling. I don't think the US government, if otherwise over the moon about a new employee, would pass that up for confusion from someone who wasn't in the country during that time. I'd see what the status is and also see if you can talk to contacts in the US (any people he knows from his own work) about hiring protocol. Of course the SSS will want to talk about themselves, you know?

[LauraDP 10]

Laura, I wouldn't give up just yet. I am not sure the information is correct in that thread about passing him up before interviews. Your husband barely lived in the US; so little, in fact, that he cannot pass on USC to his kids. I know the law, but I think your compelling reason is, well, compelling. I don't think the US government, if otherwise over the moon about a new employee, would pass that up for confusion from someone who wasn't in the country during that time. I'd see what the status is and also see if you can talk to contacts in the US (any people he knows from his own work) about hiring protocol. Of course the SSS will want to talk about themselves, you know?

Thanks, Harpa. Your response is the most encouraging thing I have read all day. I really appreciate it.

Chris has some contacts in the US who worked in personnel in Federal Agencies so he is accessing their contacts to find out how this whole SS thing might interfere with his employability. He is also going to phone the SS registry when he gets home from work this evening to speak to them about how interconnected SS and security clearance is and how best to present the Status Information letter to a prospective employer ie part of the resume or in a covering letter. I think personally that he should be eligible for the waiver because he has, as you note, pretty compelling evidence that his failure to register was neither knowing or wilful and, of course, the law does not allow him to be barred from Federal Employment if that was the case. However, I just worry that he would be overlooked or dismissed from a pile of applicants because he is "complicated".

The only upside from all of this mess is that it has confirmed to me how committed I am to making this relocation work. Before I was always going for it for the sake of Chris and our kids but this turn of events has made me realise that I too am invested in making this move work. Of course, this won't remotely be an upside if we do have to quite the immigration process.

At the very best, this is really going to set back our submitting of the I-130s (as we cannot afford financially to plunge on with that until we have some clearer answers to this SS mess) and push our time scales into a mess.

Thanks for your calming words. They mean a lot to me during this period of panic.

Cheers

Laura

[MrsSuarez 2]

Laura.. all i have to say is that God's plans are better than ours.. even if we dont understand them at the moment.. they will make sense in the future! God bless!

[LIFE'SJOURNEY 970]

Laura, I wouldn't give up just yet. I am not sure the information is correct in that thread about passing him up before interviews. Your husband barely lived in the US; so little, in fact, that he cannot pass on USC to his kids. I know the law, but I think your compelling reason is, well, compelling. I don't think the US government, if otherwise over the moon about a new employee, would pass that up for confusion from someone who wasn't in the country during that time. I'd see what the status is and also see if you can talk to contacts in the US (any people he knows from his own work) about hiring protocol. Of course the SSS will want to talk about themselves, you know?

Do you work for the federal governmnt? I work for the federal government and live in washington DC, so please add if you have had experience.

Edited August 21, 2012 by LIFE'SJOURNEY

[LIFE'SJOURNEY 970]

Laura,applicants are sent thru a point check system, but I would still apply. BTW, I am not trying to discourage him, but I also am trying to give you basic facts. You can always try caliing OPM(Office of Personnel Management) and ask how candidates are selected.

Edited August 21, 2012 by LIFE'SJOURNEY

[JohnR! 5,495]

Hi, everyone

Well it looks like our dream of relocating to the US might be over just weeks before we were going to submit our I-130s to the London Embassy.

In short, my husband did not register for Selective Service which presents a problem for working for Federal and most State departments. I won't repeat myself here as I already made another post about the specifics of the issue:

http://www.visajourn...ective-service/

If you read that thread then you will see that it was a sincere and honest oversight on his part. However, if he cannot work in a professional job similar to the one he does now (ie working for Federal Government) then there is no way for us to make the relocation work financially. He has applied for the Status Information letter on the basis of his very compelling reasons for having not registered but we are concerned that most employers would not even consider inviting him to interview because of the necessity of applying for a waiver in order to be able to employ him.

What's annoying is that he worked for the US DoD at the Pentagon as an intern back in 1995 and it was never picked up that he had not registered then when he would have been in the time frame in terms of his age to be able to rectify the error and register.

Chris is still gung-ho about ploughing ever onwards with the visa applications but he is a glass half-full person. I am a glass half-empty person and much, much more risk averse. We don't haev the spare funds to just throw down the plug hole with this visa process for myself and the four children if Chris is not likely to get the salary we need him to have on the other side of the Atlantic.

So it seems like our dream is over before we even truly got going with it in terms of submitting the immigration paperwork.

It has only hit me now how much I wanted to relocate to the US now that it looks so unlikely.

I am feeling very despondent, miserable and gloomy. Feel free to write something to cheer me up if you can.

Best wishes

Laura

Laura, I wouldn't give up just yet. I am not sure the information is correct in that thread about passing him up before interviews. Your husband barely lived in the US; so little, in fact, that he cannot pass on USC to his kids. I know the law, but I think your compelling reason is, well, compelling. I don't think the US government, if otherwise over the moon about a new employee, would pass that up for confusion from someone who wasn't in the country during that time. I'd see what the status is and also see if you can talk to contacts in the US (any people he knows from his own work) about hiring protocol. Of course the SSS will want to talk about themselves, you know?

My two-cent worth...

It is not over until it is over. I also believe that his reasons for not registering are obvious and justifiable and I would not throw in the towel just yet.

One thing you need to consider is that in order for your family to come to America, you and the kids would have to follow your husband. He will need to get a job and establish residence in the US before he can sponsor the family. Having said that, there is nothing that should prevent him from looking for a job and applying for one if he finds it. That he is not stateside is not an impediment because most employers will not schedule a face-to-face interview before conducting one or two or even half a dozen phone interviews. Any of his concerns in regards to the status of his citizenship and obligations to the US can be discussed during this process. It may not be a walk in the park but it can be done.

Regardless of what anyone says, I believe a potential employers would be best suited to inform him if his status vis-a-vis SS is an issue for the contemplated position.

Good luck!

[LauraDP 10]

I appreciate everyone's perspective, input and responses whether the replies are encouraging or otherwise. We have to be realistic about our prospects otherwise we could risk undermining our lives here in the UK for no good reason. In order to make a pragmatic decision about our future we need to reach a realistic assessment of our immigration prospects so I am grateful to any replies I receive to my posts

Thanks

Laura

[LIFE'SJOURNEY 970]

Has he ever had a security clearance done, what level was he given? By your minor description of this job, he will needs to be cleared thru this?

[LauraDP 10]

My two-cent worth...

It is not over until it is over. I also believe that his reasons for not registering are obvious and justifiable and I would not throw in the towel just yet.

One thing you need to consider is that in order for your family to come to America, you and the kids would have to follow your husband. He will need to get a job and establish residence in the US before he can sponsor the family. Having said that, there is nothing that should prevent him from looking for a job and applying for one if he finds it. That he is not stateside is not an impediment because most employers will not schedule a face-to-face interview before conducting one or two or even half a dozen phone interviews. Any of his concerns in regards to the status of his citizenship and obligations to the US can be discussed during this process. It may not be a walk in the park but it can be done.

Regardless of what anyone says, I believe a potential employers would be best suited to inform him if his status vis-a-vis SS is an issue for the contemplated position.

Good luck!

Thanks for your reply, Gegel.

The plan has always been for Chris to move out to the US up to 3 months before the rest of us follow in order for him to start work, find us somewhere to live etc He will initially be staying with our very good friend who is also acting as co-sponsor. The reason we have a co-sponsor is because my husband is not currently resident in the US but we hope to amass evidence of our intent to establish domicile in the US as we move further along in this process.

It is not a major problem for him to take up a job in the US earlier than the time scale we had planned (ie up to 3 months before myself and the kids follow) and I am sure we would both rather that scenario then to have completed the visa process for me and the four kids, with all the money and hassle that entails to boot, and him still not to have obtained a job. However, aside from the emotional issues of us being split apart as a family, there are some logistical issues with him moving out to the US too early on in the visa process: it would leave me to sell a house that we both own so there could be some legal hoops to jump through in order for me to be able to do that; the kids and I would have to move in with my in-laws for an extended period as we would become homeless (because of having to sell the house) which means enrolling the kids into a different education system before then enrolling them in a different education system yet again when we get to the US; the kids and I would have no income in the UK during that period; I would have to organise all of the shipping of our possessions, winding up of our affairs here and the completion of the visa process all without my husband but with four demanding kids in tow.

That is encouraging that you think most employers would conduct some phone interviews (or video conferencing?) prior to setting up a formal interview as that would allow Chris to reveal this SS issue at that stage rather than when we have shelled out for a transatlantic flight. That way at least we would not be hit in the pocket by any adverse reaction to the need for the employer to apply for a waiver.

I just wish we could get some sort of definitive answer on this before we pay out the huge sum for the five I-130s. Perhaps if Chris actually manages to talk to someone at the Selective Services Registry tonight we will feel more reassured.

Thanks for your response to my post and for doing your level best to stick a pin in my expanding balloon of panic.

Best wishes

Laura

[LauraDP 10]

Has he ever had a security clearance done, what level was he given? By your minor description of this job, he will needs to be cleared thru this?

He has had high level security clearance here in the UK throughout his professional career and must have had some level of security clearance in the US when he interned at the Pentagon back in 1995. I don't know if he would remember what level was given or have a record of that after all of these years. He is not home right now for me to ask him. Is there a way of finding that out? There should not be any problems whatsoever with his security clearance other than potentially this blip with the Selective Service.

Thanks again for your input, Life's Journey.

Laura

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

Do you work for the federal governmnt? I work for the federal government and live in washington DC, so please add if you have had experience.

Is a part of your job hiring people? For every department?

Edited August 21, 2012 by Harpa Timsah

[JohnR! 5,495]

Thanks for your reply, Gegel.

The plan has always been for Chris to move out to the US up to 3 months before the rest of us follow in order for him to start work, find us somewhere to live etc He will initially be staying with our very good friend who is also acting as co-sponsor. The reason we have a co-sponsor is because my husband is not currently resident in the US but we hope to amass evidence of our intent to establish domicile in the US as we move further along in this process.

It is not a major problem for him to take up a job in the US earlier than the time scale we had planned (ie up to 3 months before myself and the kids follow) and I am sure we would both rather that scenario then to have completed the visa process for me and the four kids, with all the money and hassle that entails to boot, and him still not to have obtained a job. However, aside from the emotional issues of us being split apart as a family, there are some logistical issues with him moving out to the US too early on in the visa process: it would leave me to sell a house that we both own so there could be some legal hoops to jump through in order for me to be able to do that; the kids and I would have to move in with my in-laws for an extended period as we would become homeless (because of having to sell the house) which means enrolling the kids into a different education system before then enrolling them in a different education system yet again when we get to the US; the kids and I would have no income in the UK during that period; I would have to organise all of the shipping of our possessions, winding up of our affairs here and the completion of the visa process all without my husband but with four demanding kids in tow.

That is encouraging that you think most employers would conduct some phone interviews (or video conferencing?) prior to setting up a formal interview as that would allow Chris to reveal this SS issue at that stage rather than when we have shelled out for a transatlantic flight. That way at least we would not be hit in the pocket by any adverse reaction to the need for the employer to apply for a waiver.

I just wish we could get some sort of definitive answer on this before we pay out the huge sum for the five I-130s. Perhaps if Chris actually manages to talk to someone at the Selective Services Registry tonight we will feel more reassured.

Thanks for your response to my post and for doing your level best to stick a pin in my expanding balloon of panic.

Best wishes

Laura

Laura,

I do think it is feasible. In the least, I do believe that until all options are explored one should not quit. That however is my personal point of view and I only bring it out because I think you need some encouragement.

Having said that, I believe - and I mean it respectfully - this is going to be one project you will need to play by ear and adjust accordingly and dynamically.

My first concern would be having your husband secure a job he will be able to perform and that will fulfill him careerwise. In the current economy that in and of itself may turn out to be a lengthy process. When he does get it, then and only then you need to worry about the logistics of selling your home and filing the I-130s. Unfortunately chances are things will not align themselves as you would expect or wish, and you need to be resilient yet flexible enough to reconfigure your steps. In all this, the easiest part will be selling the house and moving. To be sure, the associated relocating the kids while the visas are being processed is going to be an adjustment no matter how easy or hard it comes. So long as your husband leaves you with the necessary power of attorney you can do the transaction legally. Having moved across the Atlantic a few times, I can assure you, it looks more painful than it actually is. Call a few moving companies, determine the size of the container and get quotes. They will come and pack everything in GB and unpack at your new home in the US when you're ready. Until then, they can keep your belongings in storage so you need not worry about them. All you need do is pack your suitcase. They will take care of absolutely everything, including insurance and customs, if necessary.

The kids may end up as being those with the bigger task in all this because you may end up having to make a decision and moving them to another country and school system in the middle of their school year, but then again, kids will reconfigure themselves and turn on a dime, so for them it will all be fun. Still on the subject of kids, having four in tow must not be the easiest task for any mother, but then, there is no shame in asking friends and family for help.

Again, I am saying all this because you asked for encouragement, so forgive me if my words sound intrusive.

[LIFE'SJOURNEY 970]

Is a part of your job hiring people? For every department?

Part of my job is hiring people that have been cleared by OPM. The government works the same no matter agency, location or job. It is called process and procedures, no matter what what most of you'll think the government does run in an effecient manner.

Edited August 21, 2012 by LIFE'SJOURNEY

[LauraDP 10]

Laura,

I do think it is feasible. In the least, I do believe that until all options are explored one should not quit. That however is my personal point of view and I only bring it out because I think you need some encouragement.

Having said that, I believe - and I mean it respectfully - this is going to be one project you will need to play by ear and adjust accordingly and dynamically.

My first concern would be having your husband secure a job he will be able to perform and that will fulfill him careerwise. In the current economy that in and of itself may turn out to be a lengthy process. When he does get it, then and only then you need to worry about the logistics of selling your home and filing the I-130s. Unfortunately chances are things will not align themselves as you would expect or wish, and you need to be resilient yet flexible enough to reconfigure your steps. In all this, the easiest part will be selling the house and moving. To be sure, the associated relocating the kids while the visas are being processed is going to be an adjustment no matter how easy or hard it comes. So long as your husband leaves you with the necessary power of attorney you can do the transaction legally. Having moved across the Atlantic a few times, I can assure you, it looks more painful than it actually is. Call a few moving companies, determine the size of the container and get quotes. They will come and pack everything in GB and unpack at your new home in the US when you're ready. Until then, they can keep your belongings in storage so you need not worry about them. All you need do is pack your suitcase. They will take care of absolutely everything, including insurance and customs, if necessary.

The kids may end up as being those with the bigger task in all this because you may end up having to make a decision and moving them to another country and school system in the middle of their school year, but then again, kids will reconfigure themselves and turn on a dime, so for them it will all be fun. Still on the subject of kids, having four in tow must not be the easiest task for any mother, but then, there is no shame in asking friends and family for help.

Again, I am saying all this because you asked for encouragement, so forgive me if my words sound intrusive.

Your words are not at all intrusive, Gegel. I appreciate your encouragement. I don't think as a family we could manage the timescales involved in waiting for Chris to get a job before even submitting the I-130s. That would leave me living without my husband and so single-parenting the kids while living with my in-laws for far too long to be feasible on an inter-personal or financial level. Thanks for mentioning the Power of Attorney thing for the house sale, however, as I had not thought of that as an option for if our house has not sold before Chris has to leave the country. Given the fact that we can all live together as a family in the UK and our reasons for relocating to the US are not linked to reuniting the family, I think there are only so many risk factors we are willing to tolerate before we jettison the whole plan. Right now it all feels like too much of a leap in the dark. Hopefully our contacts in Federal Gvt will get back to us with some clearer answers one way or the other.

Thanks

Laura