UKHusband

Thanks, will get them sent over!

Do you need your co-sponsor birth certificate? Wasn't aware of that?

I've literally just done this! Advice on here is great, and this link talks you through it pretty much step by step for someone in exactly your (our) position: http://britishexpats.com/wiki/Taxes_filing_with_the_US_IRS_in_London

I filled in a 1040 and 2555EZ for 2010, 11 & 12 for my wife.

I also completed this questionnaire: http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-utl/non-resident_questionnaire.pdf - don't know if that is required or not, but I included it just to be on the safe side!

It's easier than you think, so I wouldn't stress!

If there is the slightest possibility of wanting to return to the UK, she should "get around to it" before you move to the US. There's a pinned thread in the UK forum that explains why.

We don't have that intention to return to be honest, but I agree with you, it would be a good idea, thanks. Will talk to the wife about it - not sure we will have time now though... Any idea how long it takes?

One unrelated question after reading that thread you linked too - we are going down the co-sponsor route, but I read there something about the income requirement being only something like £12500 for a two person family?

My wife has a job waiting for her in the family business that will pay more than that, and we have savings both in the UK and the US - would we be better ditching the co-sponsors and going it alone, and if so would we just need a letter from the business detailing the job and salary?

Actually, re: my last question on tax I've Googled it and found this really helpful page!

http://britishexpats.com/wiki/Taxes_filing_with_the_US_IRS_in_London

Going to do this tomorrow and get it all sorted!

She didn't get around to citizenship but has ILR...

For anyone following along, should update that the medical was done today. Very professional and quick - nice people, from the receptionists to the x-ray tech and the doctor. The 'intimate' part of the exam was way more in-depth than I was expecting, or had read on other people's reviews, and took me by surprise a little but you just have to grin and bear it lol.

And at least now I know there are no problems in that area!

Other than that curveball it went exactly as I was expecting thanks to all you good people sharing your experiences!

Thanks for that, sounds quite straightforward. When I'm less exhausted tomorrow, I'll investigate further - am I right in assuming we just have to fill in IRS form 1040 and 2555 EZ as her UK income was nowhere near the threshold.

Oh, and apologies if this is a dumb question, but where do we send the forms to?

Thanks!

Hello again.

I have looked into the tax return thing and think we may have a problem here - hoping for some of the usual fantastic advice from you guys :-)

My wife's father has apparently been looking after my wife's tax affairs while she has been here - however he was under the impression she didn't have to file last year as she had no US income, therefore he didn't file anything.

My wife did have a UK income though which she paid UK tax and NI on, and reading up on this if I have understood it correctly, she needed to file and declare that.

What do we do now? I have my medical tomorrow - will we have time to file this before the interview, which I imagine will be around 4 weeks? And if so, does anybody know which forms she needs?

I wish I'd taken an interest in this earlier now, that's for sure, but she just trusted her dad to do it right!!

Ah, that will be me having no clue of the US process then lol.

I will investigate further - I have vague recollection now you say that of it being mentioned at some point.

We are using my wife's parents as a joint sponsor. Tricky stuff all this lol.

Haven't thought that far ahead personally, but interested in the responses for sure!

Sorry, just seeking a clarification - as my US wife has been living in the UK for 7 years she fills in the I-864 but isn't expected to supply a 2012 tax return?

That sounds like a more stupid question written down than it did in my head (sorry )

Just making sure there's not some kind of document required, rather than just taking our word for it!

Thanks as ever Lost_at_sea - hope you are settling in okay!!

Still waiting on Packet 3 here, but in the meantime making sure we have everything lined up ready to go. Just wanted to check on the I-864 details with some of you knowledgeable people :-)

Quick recap.

US wife and I have lived in the UK since getting married in 2006.

Wife's parents are sponsoring us to meet the financial requirements until we get work.

As I understand it the forms that need filling in are these:

Wife's Mother - I-864 (ticks 'only joint sponsor')

Wife's Father - I-864a

Does my wife also have to fill in an I-864? Even though she doesn't have a US income yet, or a US 2012 tax return?

Also I believe she has to show intent to re-establish domicile - she has maintained a US bank account while in England, and has a letter from her parents saying we will live there until we source employment and accommodation. Is that sufficient?

Hoping this is the last complicated step lol. Thanks for any help in advance!

Mine was the same, assume (as with many things in this process) that's just the way it is lol.

Anyone know of an alternative to the extortion line, as that now seems to be closed and redirects you to automated recording hell!

This strand is really helpful for me as I set out on DCF process (as is Lost at Seas fab guide) thanks. Is there a way to auto follow your progress UK husband or do I just need to watch out for your posts, very interested in your timeline.....new to this very helpful site as you can tell

Thanks

I think you just have to click on my timeline, then the follow timeline button! Good luck, it seems London are moving pretty fast at the moment so you shouldn't have to wait too long!

My GP practice was just really very amused that I had to have it. The nurse was laughing when she went to check with the doctor whether it was okay to give it to me.

I think they have a lot of discretion over these things - if you have a particular doctor you like or a good humoured nurse I think they just do it for you.

Of course some practices are very strict about inoculations for travel - I think it depends where you live. If loads of people are getting vaccines I think they start to worry about the effect on their budgets.

Worst case scenario if you can't get anyone to do it for you, you may even be able to simply have it done at your medical in London - at a premium cost of course. Might we worth phoning the Knightsbridge practice to see if that is that case and get a cost quotation.

I'm pretty sure that if you schedule an appointment with another doctor or nurse that they might just do it.

I actually got this done yesterday (no ill effects as yet lol). They were very apologetic about messing me around the first time, and I even managed to get a properly printed vaccination record as well, so that all turned out okay! The nurse I saw is anything but good humoured - I reckon she's either botoxed to death or has no nerves in her face as it seems impossible for her to raise a smile!

Thanks, will call the DoS line from the office before I finish work (next week! Woohoo!)

One quick question, was having a look at the Medical form and it asks you to fill in the Interview Date - I thought at that point you wouldn't have the interview date as it wasn't scheduled until after the medical? What do you put there?

Edit: Actually it says 'Visa Appointment Date' - does it mean the date of the medical?

At the top of the page it says 'Notice of Approval of Relative Immigrant Visa Petition' and the opening line is 'The visa petition you filed has been approved', and 'Classification 201(b) Spouse' so yeah, I'm 99.9% certain!

We're shocked too by how quickly it's moving.

I will leave it until next week before calling them to hassle them though lol

Thanks! Will print that out and beat them over the head with it!

No call from the doctor's but amazingly I have received my NOA2 this morning - petition filed on the 11th July, approved on the 19th! Much quicker than expected.

I will check your guide but I think I remembered reading that at some point you could call up to get your case number to allow the booking of the medical? Is that correct? And should I do that now or wait a while?

Irritating experience with the Practise Nurse at my GP yesterday.

Took the afternoon off work as I'd booked to see the nurse to get my vaccination record, and have my MMR vaccination in preparation for the medical as I knew I needed it.

When I got there she said 'the doctor has said he doesn't know if you're entitled to this, we've never been asked for it before and he thinks you will have to do it privately'. I suspected this was wrong and told her that and she just said 'I'm caught in the middle, what can I do?'

I said I would pay for it then (just to get it done) and she said 'we won't be able to do it, you'll have to find a private practise'.

Someone is supposed to be calling me back today. I have checked online and it recommends on the NHS website that all adults my age should have it if they haven't already (and not in relation to visas - just generally!)

Also, for my vaccination record she just handwrote it in a 'are you ready for your holiday' leaflet? Will this be acceptable to the Knightsbridge lot?

Really annoyed me as I've taken time off. Anyone else had trouble with this? Useless.

This is the only part of the process that makes absolutely no sense to me to be honest - they already have this info, but until I started this application it never even crossed my mind that this was info I would ever need again in the future (why would I?), so I never paid it any mind!

Oh well, just about managed to sort it in the end with minimum of guesswork!

Thanks for the suggestion! I'd read that took six months, but 20 days isn't too bad!

Spent a painstaking evening last night revisiting old emails in my wife's Gmail account and through some Sherlock Holmes type work managed to get all but three pretty close to nailed down! I reckon we can figure out another two, but on the last one (of ten) I'm just going to have to take a best guess! It will be close enough lol

I'm struggling a bit with this I must admit.

Even if I find my old passport I'm only going to be able to take a best guess at leaving dates, as they obviously remove the green thing when you leave the country and give you no other indication!

Thanks, unfortunately I've gone through a few email addresses and a few computers in that time, so all that's gone...

I'll figure something out - the annoying thing is they have all that info already, not me lol. If I don't have it, I'll just have to tell them why - not like I can do anything about it really (except find my old passport!!)

Quick question - I've filled out the next form (the DS-230 or whatever it is called) and I just need to do the 'dates you have entered and exited the US supplemental sheet.

I have two problems with this - 1) I can't find my expired passport anywhere and my current one only goes back to 2006 and 2) how would I know the exit dates from memory?

I must have made at least 10 trips to the US in the last 15 or so years and can't remember how long each trip was. Some were work trips so I wouldn't have booked them, but for the ones I did myself I've checked my Expedia and Travelocity accounts and neither store information back that far!

Any ideas/suggestions? Is 2006 onward enough? I spent a lot of time travelling backwards and forwards to America from 2003 to 2005 as that was when we were in a (really) long distance relationship for much of the time prior to the start of 2006 when my then fiance came to England for five months on a tourist visa before we got married - I just don't have any detail!