What costs should I expect when I move to the USA on a K1 fiance visa?

[TBoneTX 43,043]

As soon as you're married, create Wills, Healthcare & Statutory powers of attorney, and similar documents that will be valid in your U.S. state of residence.

 

These can be done through lawyers or through on-line services.  Remember, too, to include notarization in your budget.

 

These documents make excellent evidence for Removing Conditions (which you should look toward), and are even more valuable to have in "life."

 

I recommend that these documents be a chief priority, one even more immediate than redecorating your residence, etc.

[Patient 57]

20 hours ago, Adam&Allison said:

So I have my K1 visa now and I'm trying to figure out what costs will be incurred when I move to the USA between the time I land, and receive my Green Card. I have the AoS/Biometrics fee which I believe is at $1225 right now - I've also got stuff like marriage license, certificate etc. budgeted for. What else should I be expecting?

Enough to cover all the suggestions above, money to: 

1. A return ticket home - visit or escape back
2. Emergency money in case you end up like many here on VJ speaking about a relationship which went bad or car or something else creates a need for cash not credit/loans.
3. A spare passport - because a) one has a visit stamp from a undesired country at border b) may protect you in the future if USA relations decline with a country you need to visit in the future - not that expensive to obtain before you leave.
4. International driving licence - get it before you leave - see other Visajourney related posts.
5. Filing of taxes, education of differences in your country and the USA, other topics - so you are up to date on the IRS 
6. Money for the Internet - so many places in the USA are not at real 1Gb speeds that so many of us are used to outside the USA - it will be like arriving back in 1995 with dial-up!

 

 

[Adam&Allison 128]

47 minutes ago, Patient said:

Enough to cover all the suggestions above, money to: 

1. A return ticket home - visit or escape back
2. Emergency money in case you end up like many here on VJ speaking about a relationship which went bad or car or something else creates a need for cash not credit/loans.
3. A spare passport - because a) one has a visit stamp from a undesired country at border b) may protect you in the future if USA relations decline with a country you need to visit in the future - not that expensive to obtain before you leave.
4. International driving licence - get it before you leave - see other Visajourney related posts.
5. Filing of taxes, education of differences in your country and the USA, other topics - so you are up to date on the IRS 
6. Money for the Internet - so many places in the USA are not at real 1Gb speeds that so many of us are used to outside the USA - it will be like arriving back in 1995 with dial-up!

 

 

 

Thanks to all for the replies! For these;

 

1) Return ticket is taken care of

 

2) There will also be emergency money set aside

 

3) I think being a UK citizen if I applied for another passport I would have to surrender my current one, theres no countries on my passport right now that concern me. The majority are the USA, others include Spain, Italy and Ireland.

 

4) I don't have a regular driving license now so that's something I'll need to get in the USA

 

5) I'm in the process of learning US taxes with a very knowledgable member of VisaJourney

 

6) This is a thought - forgot about this one!

 

Thanks for the replies!

[David&Femke 91]

Also you you might want a second car, in america its hard to get around withouth a car and when your husband is at work and you cant work for at least 3 months you can get cabin feever. when you buy a car even just a second hand for a 1000 then you can go to the store when your husband is at work and then you to will have more time to spent together when he is home.

 

Edited February 20, 2017 by David&Femke

[NikLR 13,220]

14 minutes ago, David&Femke said:

Also you you might want a second car, in america its hard to get around withouth a car and when your husband is at work and you cant work for at least 3 months you can get cabin feever. when you buy a car even just a second hand for a 1000 then you can go to the store when your husband is at work and then you to will have more time to spent together when he is home.

 

This is true.  I spent a lot of my time driving my husband to and from work so that I could have our vehicle during the day.   Other times I just stayed home but we lived in an apartment complex that had a gym and a pool so that was handy at the time.  Even after I started working he would drop me off at work, then drop our vehicle off on his lunch break so I would have a ride home (or he would come grab me.) Having 2 vehicles has definitely made our life easier now that we live 30 minutes away from my husband's work.  We were about 10 minutes before and in an area with little bus traffic.  Our current area has a lot of buses though so I could probably take that if I didn't mind spending an extra hour or so getting to where I want to be.