When to quit my job?

[Scandi 3,971]

I quit my job, sold everything I owned including car and home once I had the visa in hand. I didn't want to risk doing anything in advance and then for some reason get a denial and not being able to move to the US.

 

I had the visa in hand on Sept 6 and quit my job the same day, sold my home on Sept 30 and moved to the US on Oct 24.

Edited February 4, 2018 by Scandi

[Laë 0]

Thank you everyone for your replies! I am well aware that the safest way to proceed would be to wait til I have the visa in hand, I do agree with that. Unfortunately, with the sudden passing of my dad three weeks ago, I want to make sure to give my apartment 3 month notice early enough, stop working in May or June, sell all my stuff, move back home with my mom to help her out and then take care of the rest of the visa process. I am not counting on my fiancé's money, I'm saving as much money as I can. I do understand that I'll need savings for several months. Thank you all for your advice!

[pajobra 1,395]

1 hour ago, Chris Duffy said:

I was serious.

 

You have the rest of your life to work.  Take time and make the most of it and get your affairs in order and move back home.

 

I think that is a great plan, spend time with family.  Time is a commodity that no one can buy.  You will look back at your life and remember the good times with family and friends, not the time you worked.

 

When I decided to do a K1 for my fiances, I told her to " Quit work, move out of your apartment, and spend precious time with your family and friend.   I told  her I would support her.

 

 

Not everyone has that luxury or a fiance that can support them in another country by helping pay for stuff. My Mum had to help us when I had my medical and interview. I paid for both those out of my paycheques but there was no way I could afford 12 days in Montreal, Canada. My Mum paid all our living expenses and food while we were there as an early wedding gift to both my husband and I.  Without her help there is no way I could have done that.

 

I was lucky because I already was living with my Mum to save money and paying a low rent to her as well as for food so no need to put notice in for an apartment. My work knew 6 months beforehand that I would eventually put my two weeks notice in. I formally put it in the day I got approved at my interview and I moved two weeks later. 

[NikLR 13,220]

Even if my husband had told me to quit my job and that he would support me, I would not do it.  During our entire process we operated two separate households. I have worked since I graduated college with a few exceptions when my kid was little.  I suppose this comes from having a breadwinner mother.  

[NikLR 13,220]

1 hour ago, Laë said:

Thank you everyone for your replies! I am well aware that the safest way to proceed would be to wait til I have the visa in hand, I do agree with that. Unfortunately, with the sudden passing of my dad three weeks ago, I want to make sure to give my apartment 3 month notice early enough, stop working in May or June, sell all my stuff, move back home with my mom to help her out and then take care of the rest of the visa process. I am not counting on my fiancé's money, I'm saving as much money as I can. I do understand that I'll need savings for several months. Thank you all for your advice!

I think its wonderful that you will be able to spend some time with your mom.  Its crazy that your apt requires 3m notice, but i can totally understand not wanting to pay for it when you dont live there either.  

[allajustin 18]

Once visa and plane tickets in hand! I had to give a two week notice after received my passport back with visa and purchased airplane tickets.

[Etamkoos 100]

Can you travel to work whilst living at your mother's?  You could put the notice in on your apartment now (meaning you would move out in May) and start selling items/moving belongings to your mother's whilst working, all the while, still moving along in the process.  If that's viable, that's a good place to start.

[Orangesapples 1,954]

7 hours ago, NikLR said:

You have 6 months after the visa is approved also to immigrate so you have more time than you think. 

 

(To be specific, you generally have 6 months from the medical date.)

Not necessarily, my visa was valid for 6 months from the day of the interview. I was surprised, the 10 more days I had didn't really matter though. 

[Richard Purves 58]

5 hours ago, missileman said:

The safest time is: After you have visa in hand.  Quitting any time prior to that is definitely subject to a degree of risk unless you an agreement with your employer. Remember, you will have several months after visa issuance before it expires.

What he said. I just had my interview and I'm glad I didn't jump the gun because I'm stuck in the AP process now. You can't trust that your interview will go smoothly: trust me it's not a foregone conclusion.

[Etamkoos 100]

51 minutes ago, Richard Purves said:

What he said. I just had my interview and I'm glad I didn't jump the gun because I'm stuck in the AP process now. You can't trust that your interview will go smoothly: trust me it's not a foregone conclusion.

How did your interview go?  Were you approved? 

 

It is normal for the status to be classified AP after approval and pending issuance of the visa and not an indicator of a long wait.

 

While there are times that one can be put in to a state of Administrative Processing after interview, due to a complication or requirement of further evidence, of which can be a long drawn out process, this is not atypical.  That being said, one should not rest on the laurels that it will not happen and therefore ceasing employment is not recommended until you have been approved unless you can financially support yourself in the mean time.

[Richard Purves 58]

No. Check my timeline but I was sent straight to Administrative Processing from the interview.

 

It seems my file is still within the UK embassy but the black box nature means it could be days/weeks/months/years and I'll not know unless I'm notified by USCIS / NVC etc.

[Etamkoos 100]

22 minutes ago, Richard Purves said:

No. Check my timeline but I was sent straight to Administrative Processing from the interview.

 

It seems my file is still within the UK embassy but the black box nature means it could be days/weeks/months/years and I'll not know unless I'm notified by USCIS / NVC etc.

Ah, I just took a look at your case.  It is important to note that your visa is in a different category, EB-1, and not a K-1 visa and therefore will not be subject to the same criteria or processes as the OP.

[Richard Purves 58]

Who knows .. I think the deal with AP is unless it's because you've still got documents to submit, we don't know how it works.

 

Back to the OP's question though: I'm certainly not handing notice in until I've that visa stamp in my passport for safety reasons.

[DBR 36]

I quit my job in October 2017 and spent three months with my fiance in California, the timeline ETA for my K1 visa was around mid - December and it moved back to mid - January which has now been surpassed. It's not too much of a big deal for me, if you want to be as safe as possible I would wait until the visa is in your hand as others have said.

 

You have around 6 months after the interview / approval to enter the US, so you can always quit the job and tie up the lose ends once you have the visa and then enter the US. It kind of sounds like you want to fly out to the US the same day your visa arrives in the post! 

[NikLR 13,220]

11 hours ago, NikLR said:

You have 6 months after the visa is approved also to immigrate so you have more time than you think. 

 

(To be specific, you generally have 6 months from the medical date.)

 

3 hours ago, Orangesapples said:

Not necessarily, my visa was valid for 6 months from the day of the interview. I was surprised, the 10 more days I had didn't really matter though. 

 

Just to point out the word I used, which means: often but not always.