JohnnyThunder

Thanks for taking time to reply. The visa I'm applying for is as a parent of 2 children that are US citizens (my ex-wife was American). I've Googled "maintaining legal permanent residency" as suggested and it appears that I would be able to go back to the UK for a period of less than 6 months in 1 year, which would be fine - I just wanted to make sure that once I was in the US I would be able to go and visit my relatives and friends for an extended period.

Thanks again for everyone's help, it would be an impossible process for me without it.

Thanks for the replies - I appreciate it.

So just to clarify, once I have the visa I then have 6 months to enter the USA - I assume I then have to apply for a green card? Any ideas on how long that takes to come through and am I allowed to go back to the UK during the time I'm waiting for it?

Hi,

I'm in the process of trying to decide when is the best time for me to apply for my visa. I'm a UK citizen with 2 children (US citizens) living in the US and I now understand the procedure for applying and that it can take 12-18 months to get the visa.

At the moment, due to elderly relatives, I'm not sure that I will be able to move over to the US when my visa comes through, so my questions are:

1) Will it expire/lapse if I don't use it?

2) Would I be able to use it for several short trips to the US if I was still resident in the UK?

Any help with this much appreciated.

Boiler - No, I haven't checked out medical insurance yet, although i know it's a significant expense - do you have any suggestions for directions in which to look? Thanks for flagging that up. What part of Wales are you from? I live near to Cardigan

OK, it looks like I've got it. I think there's some very confusing information out there for the uninitiated and I very much appreciate the advice from those in the know - patience is a virtue and knowing the rules certainly is a big advantage. I went into this thinking that I understood what was required from the system after a bit of Googling around, but that's been blown out of the water and I could have landed myself in the deep stuff without the knowledge you've passed on to me - I'm very grateful.

OK I think I'm beginning to see the light, but just to check the best way to do this would be:

1) Get my daughter to submit the I-130 from the US

2) Once the I-130 has been accepted, them follow the procedure as outlined here, using a DS-260 form: http://travel.state.gov/content/visas/english/immigrate/immigrant-process/petition.html ?

Am I starting to get it?

Thanks again for everyone's help, I could have really landed myself in the mire, accidentally, without it

Thanks for the replies, much appreciated.

I don't understand how I could be living in the US if I don't have a resident's visa?

If I buy a return ticket from the UK to the US for my visit in the summer under the VWP (May - July), can the I-130 and I-485 forms be submitted when I'm there and if so, will I be able to get back into the US after I've returned to the UK in July?

Thanks again for your help - I'm trying to tread carefully and understand exactly the process I need to go through.

Hi,

Can anyone please help me to unravel my situation:

1) I'm the Father of 2 offspring (both over 21) - they have both lived in the USA for over 10 years - their mother is a US citizen, although we're now divorced, I'm a UK citizen

2) Both the kids have US passports, although they were born in the UK. My daughter is also married to a US citizen

3) I want to apply to go and live in the USA and I'm asking my daughter to sponsor me - I believe she needs to fill in form I-130 - is that correct?

4) I intend to visit my daughter over the summer on an ESTA certificate for just less than 90 days, but while I'm there I understand I can apply for my permanent visa by filling in form I-485 and sending it in at the same time as the I-130 - is that correct?

5) If both forms have been sent and my application is still pending, can I leave the country temporarily? (I have an elderly mother in the UK that I want to come back and check on). From what I've read so far it looks like I may need to fill in an I-131 (Application for Travel Document) to ensure that I can re-enter the country - can anyone confirm that? If so, what category do I use?

All help will be very much appreciated, thanks in advance