Help With Quick Strategy For Applying Question

[thebrownsquare 1]

Hello, everyone. My name is Andrew and I'm new here. I read the guides, but I think I have more of a strategic question that could use the years of experience this board seems to have.

I'm a US citizen, born and raised in Texas.

I've lived in Europe for 5 years now. First Amsterdam, then Austria.

After 2 years in Europe I married my girlfriend who is Austrian. Today is our 3rd anniversary.

We're thinking of moving together to Dallas. My wife has never lived in the US before, outside of a few months for an exchange program at Uni 16 years ago (where I first met her).

I have a good career, but no job currently in Dallas.

I'm thinking that in order to get us both over there and working the best thing is to move over in advance of my wife, get a job and an apartment, a car, things like that, then begin the application process. She can keep her job here, then make plans to move over when she is accepted.

BUT THIS SUCKS. I obviously hate to be without my wife for however long that might take (6 months - 1 year it seems?)

Is this the only option? I really need to have a job and an apartment BEFORE going over there, right?

Can we start the application before I get those things, then update them when I have them, so that it goes faster?

Or do I need to get all of that set-up before we even begin the application process? That means probably around 12 - 16 months away from my wife. That is a huge bummer.

She has a good job, so we're trying to avoid having her in the states for a year, not working, just waiting on application stuffs. It would be ideal, obviously, if she could come over and start working pretty immediately.

I'm just a bit confused about timings and what is possible. How do people normally do this in this situation? I guess the answer will be that most people just go over and the foreign partner doesn't work for a long time?

I hope this makes sense. Thanks so much in advance for any wisdom you might drop on me!

Sincerely,

andrew

[milimelo 4,852]

See with Frankfurt USCIS (has jurisdiction over Austria too) if you can do DCF with them:

https://www.uscis.gov/about-us/find-uscis-office/international-offices/germany-frankfurt-field-office

For sponsorship- you still file as a primary sponsor but you can have a joint sponsor if you don't make enough on your own.

[thebrownsquare 1]

@milimelo: Hey, thanks.

Yeah, as stated, I cannot do the direct filing because I don't live in Germany. They can handle other issues, but will not do DCF. It sucks.

I also understand the joint sponsorship thing. I'm just unsure how well that works. I have a sponsor that makes a ton of money, and will have enough money in my account to cover their requirements. Given this, do you think I should apply BEFORE I get there and get a job, or still wait until I have a job?

Thanks!

[milimelo 4,852]

I would apply now - by the time your spouse interviews you will have enough proof of income (pay stubs).

[JFH 12,196]

You don't have to be apart from your wife. I would start the application now as it will take around a year to get the visa anyway.

Further down the line in the application process you will need to demonstrate your intent to re-establish domicile in the USA. The things you need to do to prove this are apply for jobs, rent an apartment, have a bank account, etc. There are lists of such things on this website to help with that. One thing that is very important is that you have filed taxes whilst you have been overseas (even if you did not owe any tax due to your income level, you must still file). If you haven't been filing, file those back taxes now.

As long as you can satisfy the requirements of your intention to re-establish domicile in the USA, you can stay in Austria with your wife until she receives her visa and you can then enter the country together. She cannot enter before you, must be with or after you. She will be a permanent resident (green card holder) immediately upon her arrival in the country and can start work right away.

[thebrownsquare 1]

@JFH and @milimelo

Thanks so much for your help! I think I'm close to understanding. So even if I won't be in the states for about 6 months to start applying for a job, getting bank account, etc, I should go ahead and start the process now, then by the time we get to the point where I need to prove my intent, I'll likely already be over there and have the requirements?

Does that sound reasonable? Thanks again for all of the help!

andrew