snapdragon

Haven't heard anything since my biometrics (June 5th or thereabouts). *drums fingers*

updating noa1 for snadragon.

I replied to the last list there, but it seems there are some missing between the most recent list and the second most recent list so I deleted it because I didn't want to reply to the wrong one. We finally sent our petition out on April 23.

Been a while since I've been to VJ. Strange to be doing it all again. We expect to send our package in the next couple of weeks so I'll add myself here.

California Service Center (0 applicants)


VJName..............Date of I-751...NOA1 Date....Biometrics.....Approved
Caryh..............................TBD
Name..................--/--/--......--/--/--......--/--/14......--/--/--



Vermont Service Center (1 applicants)

VJName..............Date of I-751...NOA1 Date....Biometrics.....Approved
myafi1985..............28/03/14......--/--/14......--/--/14......--/--/--

snapdragon.............TBD...............................................



IMPORTANT!

* Make sure that your VJ Text Editor setting is set to Rich Text Editor.
* Go to the MOST RECENTLY POSTED VERSION of this list (go to the last post and scroll UP) and "Reply" to it, deleting the "quote" tags in your reply.
* Please DO NOT change the font, font size, add colors, stuff like that.
* Please PREVIEW before posting to make sure it is properly formatted.
* Please check that you have not deleted anyone's NAME & DATA.

Date of I-751 = The Date you sent your application
NOA Date = The Receipt Date on your original NOA letter
Biometrics = The Date of your biometrics appointment
Approved = The Date your case was approved

In fact, I absolutely loved the UK and only came here to be with my husband. I remember before I came here that instead of packing up the house whilst waiting for my visa interview, I only felt like lying on the settee watching soaps and I had to actually force myself to get on with it. That was my clue, I think, that my subconscious was telling me that I really didn't want this change at this stage of my life. Ahhhh well, as I have said before, the things we do for love!

That's exactly how I felt too! It was kind of a big indicator. My husband and I sometimes second guess whether it was the right decision to move to the USA and not the UK, but I think at the same time we're determined to make it work here in the US. I'm grateful that we are a great team and we are very strong together, it's just that life in the US is pretty tough right now! Still willing to give the battle a fight though.

Hello everyone, I'm late to this party but just wanted to chime in after reading (most of) this thread:

1. Homesickness and culture shock is a ######, and will creep up on you unexpectedly. Every time something frustrating happens to me I think "I wish I was back home" - it's my go to gripe and I know that's a bad habit that's getting hard to shake off.

2. Brits, it's worth shelling out $50 for Tunnel Bear (IP proxy), especially when your spouse gets into British Bake Off.

3. I lived in Scotland most of my life and traveled to Portree plenty of times for work. Once got a really good deal on the Cuillin Hills hotel when it was out of season

4. Settling in takes far longer than I could have expected, I've been here 6 months and I'm still learning to go with the flow.

5. Blogging does help, and if others have expat blogs I'd love to read them (mine is linked in the bottom of my post there).

6. Venting here helps, and I always forget that! Glad to be back.

I'm just frustrated right now because I've been here six months and money is tight, I can't find decent work (I left a good job to move here and admit I sometimes feel resentful), I have no healthcare, local drivers scare the bejeesus out of me (I live in PA and the driving habits are terrible!), and I'm actually ashamed to say that I haven't kept in regular contact with my friends back home because I don't want to admit how tough I'm finding it in the USA. I want to make it work here in the USA but just miss the UK so much more than I thought I would.

Hello all, been a while since I've been here. Wondered if you had all seen this recent article in the Scottish Herald which refers to the new immigration rules.

Wow, maybe you should get back in contact with them and call them out on the cut and paste!

It will be cut and paste, exactly. I had to copy and paste letters for a Member of Scottish Parliament as a job once. It was very disheartening, as some people were in dire straits and I couldn't do anything except cut and paste the same old responses.

Blah blah blah as expected.

Wish I could see your blog though - the site won't come up for me for some reason (could be the blocks on sites here at the office).

Hmm, thanks for letting me know. It might be the blogger template I have. No end of problems with it, going to change.

Okay, here's a wee article I wrote responding to Ms May's response.

Here's the full text from the response to me. Nothing we didn't know already (forgive weird language/spelling as I just scanned and copied words from a pdf). Notice it says the word "burden" three times. My MP did say he'd be interested in my comments...

Thank you for of 25 June on behalf of a constituent about Changes to

the Immigration Rules for spouses and partners.

Your constituent is Concerned that the minimum income requirement of £18,600

to sponsor a spouse or partner under the family migration route would prevent

the couple returning to the UK should they Wish to do so at a future date.

The purpose of the minimum income requirement for sponsorship is to ensure

that family migrants are supported at a reasonable level so that they do not

become a burden on the taxpayer and they can participate sufficiently in

everyday life to facilitate their integration into British society. British citizens and

those settled in the UK are free to enter into a genuine relationship with

whomever they choose, but if they Wish to establish their family life in the UK, it is

appropriate that they should do so on a basis that does not increase burdens on

the taxpayer and promotes integration.

The new income level of £18,600 was set after considering advice from the

independent Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) who had been asked to

advise on what the threshold should be, to ensure that the sponsor can support

the spouse or partner and any dependants independently Without their becoming

a burden on the taxpayer. The MAC’s report, which was published on

16 November 2011, recommended that the threshold should be set in a range

between £18,600 (the level at which a couple generally ceases to be able to

access income-related benefits) and £25,700 (the level at which the sponsor

becomes a net contributor to the public finances).

Your Constituent asked whether provision is made for instances where the

sponsor is not the main earner and whether co-sponsorship would be possible.

The present or prospective earnings ofthe migrant partner will not be taken into

account when applying for entry clearance. This is because there is no

guarantee they will be able to find employment in the UK, or how long it may take

them to do so. We want to be certain, at the time that the migrant is granted

entry to the UK, that the sponsor is capable of supporting them independently.

However, where the migrant spouse or partner is already in the UK with

permission to work on another migration route, or once they are in the UK as a

spouse or partner on the family route, their earnings from employment here will

be Counted towards meeting the minimum income requirement, togetherwith the

income of their sponsor.

We believe it is right that the person seeking to be joined by their migrant spouse

or partner should be the sponsor, and that they should be able to support their

partner independently. Therefore third party or joint sponsorship is net accepted.

Similarly, offers of support from third parties will not be counted towards meeting

the requirement. We want the sponsor, or the couple if both are already in the

UK, to demonstrate independent financial standing, with adequate resources

under their own control.

Your constituent also mentioned that her husband would need to Complete a five

year probationary period if the Couple returned to the UK, Compared to the two

years required under the American system.

The main aim of introducing a five year probationary period is to better test the

genuine nature of the relationship before the migrant spouse or partner is

granted settlement. However, the Government believes it will also assist migrant

spouses and partners to integrate into British life before reaching settlement.

The longer probationary period does not prevent migrants from taking

employment, or from taking a full and active part in British society.

Full details of the Changes to the family Immigration Rules can be found on the

UK Border Agency’s website...

The Rt Hon Theresa May MP

Finally got my letter from Theresa May. Didn't say anything interesting. Will type it up later.

I know how you feel - I have been here three weeks and while I've received my Green Card, gotten a bank account and really want to hit the ground running, the DMV wouldn't accept my SSC with my maiden name (even when presented with a marriage certificate and my husband in person), and the woman at the SSA didn't seem to know what she was doing. I'm waiting on my new SSC and I'm frustrated. I'm sorry that doesn't help, but I know how you feel.

You asked your MP where the proof is? Or you asked your MP why third party sponsorship isn't allowed?

I don't think you'll get anything from the horses mouth except hay. My husband's MP also says he wrote to May. I'm sure she's got boilerplate responses for every question that could be asked, all of them containing the phrases "we think it is right" and "Migration Advisory Committee".

That's not saying I'm unimpressed that we are getting responses from the MP's. I just think that writing to May is fruitless. What's more likely to bear fruit is if enough MP's get inquiries to cause them to call for change. May isn't going to be persuaded. The MP's will have to do it themselves.

I asked if there will be provisions for co-sponsors, and if not, why not.

Yeah, I know writing to reps is, on the whole, fruitless. I once worked for £6 an hour as an assistant for the Scottish Government. Most of my job was to copy and paste standardized answers to letters the minister responsible for the policy I worked on, according to correspondence rules (correspondence to UK reps must receive a reply within a 6 weeks deadline). I'm sure there is a temp or an intern copy-pasting my letter as I type and the minister will never actually really be involved. But the benefit of writing to reps is that sometimes a deluge of correspondence can send a message to policymakers.

Plus I can be an unsatisfied grumbler when I get my unsatisfying response, and as a Brit, that is my prerogative!

Hi there, do you know where I can find some proof that the UK doesn't have co-sponsor program ?

best!

Well, this is one of the questions I asked my MP, who passed it onto Theresa May, so I'll have an answer from the horse's mouth soon, so to say.

I just wanted to add weight to the comments that it's likely you won't need a immigration lawyer for the CR-1 process. If you can both read English, fill out forms with personal data, and neither of you have been married before or committed any crimes, I'd recommend doing it yourself. We did, and it's not difficult - promise!

Also, definitely check with regards to the UK marry visit visa and whether you'd need it, even if on a student visa. I know that in Scotland at least, you won't be able to register to marry without it, so you'll probably need some kind of notation.

Hi all

Thanks for your messages and support - I spoke to my husband and he's not put out that I want to volunteer etc, in fact he expects me to. He's also somewhat glad that we are both looking for work because he has been able to spend time with me while I adjust.

I lived in a rural place in the UK, but the difference is back in the UK I could and would walk to other villages, get public transport to the city, etc. I worked in the city, sometimes worked in London, and even without a car felt fairly free. Not so in the USA, it just doesn't have the public transport infrastructure - just suburban sprawl.

rlogan - yup, there's a couple of groundhogs, the odd chipmunk, deer, bunnies, and allegedly a bear that wanders around (I've never seen it). In the UK I had foxes, deer, bunnies etc, so it's quite nice.

My MP forwarded my letter to Theresa May for her response. He's a Lib Dem so I'd liked to have heard his response as well, but there you go.

I knew it would be hard to settle in and adjust, but I think I underestimated it. I've been here about 10 days but struggling with how I'm supposed to feel and what I should be doing.

I've got a bank account, a cell phone, and already passed the test to get a driver's permit. Unfortunately the dmv wouldn't issue one to me because my ssc (obtained years ago on different visa) was in my maiden name. My husband had to drive me to the other end of the county to the ssa who just handed me a letter to say I've applied for a new card, which the dmv wouldn't accept.

We live in a rural area and I feel trapped and dependent having to ask for rides everywhere. I just want to get up and going to start my life here proper - I want to apply for jobs , networking events and voluntary opportunities, but feel hampered by having to rely on people (spouse and his parents). When I explained to my husband (who is also looking for work) I'd applied for a few things he seemed really put out, said he'd need notice to drive me, and it'd depend on the location, and questioned my ability to work anyway (I know I can and he does too, I don't know where that came from),

I knew it'd be hard, but I feel a bit down and thought I'd ask how others coped at the start, and how long it took you to get up and going in your new home. Any advice would be much appreciated

We don't have the kind of money in savings the Coalition would want to offset his earnings. But we'd have enough to keep us from qualifying from any benefits over there if he was working in his field.

I can hardly look at photos of Wes' home city. All I can think when I look at them is "we can never live there now".

I know how you feel. Not sure if you've read this article from the Economist - they reckon it'll be challenged on the human rights grounds.

I know I've LITERALLY just arrived in the USA, and we're determined to stay here for at least five years, but I do feel like we have had a choice taken away from us. And it's also hard to leave behind a country that is going to implement such a badly thought out policy. My country, no less!

As my husband says, we'll just have to try our hardest to earn enough to meet the UK conditions. But then, if we are earning enough to meet the UK conditions, maybe we won't be thinking about returning. As it is, we are young, and both have suffered at the hands of the recession. Months ago, I left a job that was above the £18.6k threshold and it makes me think "what if?" But I have to have faith that we have made the right decision in sticking to our guns.

Our experience (so far) with the US process hasn't been too bad. I say 'so far' because it's two years until we lift conditions, but other than the timespan to get the CR1 (a year) it's been pretty straightforward. I hope that building a life and career here will be too - because right now I'm not sure we can go back.

Definitely agree! People need to see this before coming to a decision they may not be able to reverse later.

I was talking to my mother yesterday about the new rules. She knows very little on immigration for any country so i guess she sees it how everybody else who doesnt have a reason to know but has seen the news does. Her reply was "They cant just split families up!". Oh but they can. And i hope people dont learn that when its too late.

Yup. We made our decision in context last year and I've just made it out to the USA. When I had my medical three weeks ago the lady who gave me my vaccinations even said "you know it's easier for him to come here right?" - not anymore!

Wrote to my MP.

I know that some intern will probably reply in 6 weeks exactly (I did that job once) but I tried. I might encourage my family and friends to do the same.

You've hit the nail on the head with my reason for posting this information.

I can't tell you the number of times that I've read Brits write "If it doesn't work out in the US, we'll just move back to the UK". My advise now would be to strongly re-think that logic. You better be sure you are willing to tough it out in the US for a while. Your country is not going to make it easy for you to bring your foreign spouse home with you.

Yes, quite. Thanks indeed for posting.

There wasn't a specific threshold. The guidance was a couple had to have "adequate reserves" after paying for housing. This was interpreted to be around £110 or so per week (the amount of some benefit a person can get - never paid much attention).

Things were actually way too easy before.

Thanks. It's pretty upsetting reading to learn that moving back to the UK would be more prohibitive than what we went through to move to the USA. Quicker, maybe, but tougher.

Not that I'm pre-planning to move back to the UK before I've even hit US shores, but it's nice to have options. Now I'd have to get an £18.6k job in the UK to before he could join me? Also, to be on 'probation' for five years is just galling.

It just makes me really sad, not just for me but for all long-distance couples. Angry letters to MPs imminent...

I think you both need to spend time discussing what you want and the options that you have - which country ultimately to live in etc. I know you say probably England, but you also mention the USA. You both need to come up with a definite plan.

If you got married and started the process for him to move to the USA, you could stall the process if needs be, by leaving gaps in time before returning paperwork for example (as long as you do it within a year, but you can feasibly stall the process to two years).

My situation is completely different, but we got engaged in December 2009, remained long-distance, got married in 2011, and I'm literally just about to move over to the USA. That's 2.5 years of separation all-in, and that's without delaying my visa process. We committed to this plan even though there have been many times we have second-guessed ourselves about the best route to have taken (even down to which country to live in).What is your timeframe when you say 'years down the line'?

US Permanent Residents can return to the UK for six months at a time, or a year with permission to re-entry, although if they don't have sufficient ties to the US that can be tricky. I really think that would be the best bet for him to spend any time in the USA - having a work visa but being married to a USC might not look great.

Perhaps, if marriage is not the best option at this stage, you could both investigate the Global Entry program to visit each other as much as possible until you are both ready to get married and start the immigration process.

What were the thresholds previously?