craig_b1990

Less than a month old is perfectly fine. By the time the petition is being looked at, the signatures will be several months old, and they'll have updated info at the time of your interview anyways so no sweat.

I don't think you are biting back. Not at all.
I'm not all that far from South Carolina. At least not "far" as we consider that in the US. It's a lovely state. I can't see though that the employment picture is stellar there. North Carolina has ranked ahead of South Carolina for ages, and it's in the dumper now. Do you know that the unemployment rate in the UK is lower than in the US?
Have you researched the type of job you would need in the US to offer affordable health care? It's hard to decipher from an employment ad just what your underlying costs for health coverage would be. People in Melaina's area should be able to tell you which employer pays the most towards employee coverage. If you are researching health care costs in the US, you might want to google average family cost for coverage.
If you are looking at advertisements for government jobs, check to see if you as an alien would be eligible for those jobs. Most US Federal jobs require US citizenship for employment. State, County and City jobs - not so much.
I'd suggest you and Malaina have a discussion about what happens to a family in the US when a job is lost. How long unemployment compensation can be claimed in the US. Whether or not a family gets any help with their rent or mortgage in the event of a job loss. Whether or not they can go to the doctor or hospital when they lose the health coverage associated with that job.
You say you've discussed children receiving a US education. Education in the US is very much determined by the district the child lives in. And costs for a degree at a university are far more than costs in the UK. My son's bachelors degree in Music Education cost over 60K.

Hey there! I've have a quick browse of this forum, and it seems really friendly, helpful and has a very positive feel about it. I obviously joined for a reason....so I will start with my story, then I'll ask what I want to ask, and hopefully find help
I have already had a good research across the internet about the process, and I am fairly confident with what I already know, I just would like some more "personal" takes on the situation rather than the facts you get from the government websites.
Basically, I plan on taking the K-1 visa route to be with my girlfriend next year (roughly around September we will look at starting the process). We have been together for approaching 2 years now. I am from Leeds, UK, she (Melaina) is from Hanahan, South Carolina. I will try and keep this short and sweet.
It took me 6 months to go visit her from originally meeting, I spent the summer of 2010 with her and her family and had an amazing time, fell in love with the state, the country and the girl all over again . From that I then came back to the UK and knuckled down with my job, to save as quick and as hard as possible. I returned to her for her birthday in Sept 2010. After that Melaina spent last Christmas here in the UK with me and my family, we spent a weekend in London also sight seeing etc. I then took a trip back to the USA in March 2011, again she returned here (UK) through June and July 2011 with me and my family. At the moment we looked at being sensible and saving all the money we can so I haven't seen her since, however, I am going back again for this Christmas (2011). That is our meetings out of the way. As for records I should need to prove the relationship is legit, we have numerous photo-books, and photos, we have family members that have met each of us respectively (I don't know if that will help the case at all, but anyway), we also spend most nights talking on Skype, so we have call/text records from that to use when the time comes to give "evidence".
That is basically our relationship in a nutshell so far. Any more questions about that, just ask me because I'm sure I will have missed something out!.
Now to our situation, we are waiting until next September so that she is 18 when the process begins, I am a couple of years older. Now I know how it looks to outsiders, and I am expecting sceptics, but my family, her family and friends alike, all know that we are genuine and its for real. It may seem like "puppy love" and that we are still young, but both families know our plans, and no one has mentioned anything to suggest that we are not anything but "for real". Its a huge, life changing, gutsy decision for me to take. I chose that I want to move and live in the USA for many reasons.
Next onto what I would like to know (sorry if I seem a bit blunt and to the point here, my hands are aching from all this typing).
-If at all possible I would like to know and hear of personal experiences in particular that of moving from England to the USA.
-My main worry is the affidavit, because she is in schooling/ starting college she doesn't have a job, so i am unclear as to if she could co-sponsor me alongside her mother. Her mother is happy to do so, she has VERY substantial savings and investments, and would meet the limits of the affidavit should needs be. So just how big a deal is the Affidavit, because i have savings too, so would it be a "deal breaker" if Melaina didnt meet the affidavit, and should her mother co-sponsor me, how would that effect my application if at all?
-What tips/tricks is there that could be helpful to me, that i may not find otherwise?
-Is there anything i can do before starting the process all off, that may help speed the process up or help it along (maybe something along the lines of having the jabs i need before starting the visa, so that when i have my medical for the Embassy appt, i wont need to have any jabs there, for example)
I can't wait to build my knowledge up and get to know you guys Thank you for any help or responses, in advance.