Advice would be appreciated

[kcooke 1]

Hi,

I know these topics have likely been covered a million times before, so I apologise for asking them again. The reason I do is that every situation is different and wanted to see if there is anyone going through or have been through this process.

I am a UK citizen. I married my US citizen wife in October 2013. We are in the process of figuring out all of the paperwork to allow us to settled in Michigan. One extra point I should note in that I have 2 children that would be coming with me. They are 10 and 5 years of age.

I wanted advice on the process, processing times, and best practices from anyone experienced with this.

We are considering the CR1 route as that would allow me to work straight away when I set foot in the US. At least that is how I understand it.

Would I have to file a seperate I-130 forms for each of my children or are they included on my form?

I also need to find out about sponsorship and/or the amount my wife needs to earn before we can start this paperwork.

Any tips or advice for this process would be appreciated.

I apologise if this is a bit scattered.

Thank you in advance.

[NikLR 13,227]

1. Are the children US citizens or will they be permanent residents as well? If they are not USC then they will each need their own I-130 and appropriate documentation and fee. The I-130 instructions tells you exactly what you and they will need (it is different.)
2. You will need either sole custody paperwork (including a death certificate if applicable) or a letter of consent from the children's other parent for them to move if the USC is not the parent by the time of the interview
3. Yes, a CR1 visa will grand you a green card upon arrival. You can work as soon as you get your SSN.
4. Processing times vary widely For instance last year there were non-expedited cases that were done in 6 months (mine was 8) but right now it's taking 8-12 months or more just for the first stage, plus another 2-4 months for the second stage. Plan on a year to 18 months and be happy if it's shorter! You always have 6 months from the medical date in which to enter the USA. Everyone who needs a visa will be required to have a medical and will need to attend the interview. I suggest making sure your children are caught up on all of their vaccinations and you have a record of it.