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*Snowdrop*

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  1. So I wrote this post a few years ago about what people can do to prep for their move and how to manage the first few months - a lot of it is more relevant to K1 arrivals who can't work usually for at least 3-5 months when they arrive - once you've been here on VIsaJourney for a while you will see how many people didn't realise how difficult the waiting before the visa and the waiting for the right documents after arriving can be. So some of this won't apply but it might give you some ideas for things to focus on and think about while you wait for the visa to process.
  2. You are going through one of the easier consulates, and you clearly have already spent a lot of time together. We didn't have any joint finances, although I think we had named each other as pension beneficiaries but I don't think we even mentioned it on the forms. It's not great that you have to spend your married life living in two separate countries - I got married in July 2007 and didn't move to the USA until December 2008 so I know how it feels. However there are loads of things you can do in the mean time to both take your mind of the wait, and to really set yourselves up for the best situation when you do finally get over there. It's great that you got your job back because the best thing you can do is work and save as much money as you possibly can -it will give you a good buffer for all the expenses of the visa, the move, setting up a new home together, having some fun travelling and exploring your new country, and covering any employment gaps if it takes you a while to get a new job. Your US spouse now has plenty of time to really declutter and sort out your future home together. And to prep info for all the things which will help you settle in when you first move over.
  3. The previous people I've seen on here who have married prisoners and then filed the Spouse visa application have done so because their partner was going to be in prison for a long time - years -and they wanted to be there in the US to be able to visit on a regular basis. In your case, as he's getting out in a year, I'd give you the same advice I'd give anyone who has begun a relationship with someone online and from another country - give yourselves a lot of time to get to know each other in different circumstances. First face to face - and then in your case face to face outside of the prison environment - meet his family, meet his friends, see if your goals and futures are compatible, see if your living habits and needs are compatible. THEN... make the big life-changing decisions about marriage. Work out what his prison record means for his travel options, will he ever be able to go to Switzerland with you? If you have children with him in the USA then you will have to commit to living there until they are adults if he can't leave the country. This is what I'd advise to anyone in a relationship where there has been little in person experience of each other.
  4. You probably need to tag the OP - I was just quoting her - I'm not the one getting married!
  5. So I do have experience of multiple visits to the US to see a partner. I did this over three years - including one where we were married and the visa was processing. I used to fly five to six times a year for 1-2 week trips. The big difference was each time I was returning to a job - at quite a well known and prestigious company and after the first couple of trips I was also asked when I was returning and where I worked - that seemed to satisfy them. You will seem more of a risk as you have no official reason to return. Also the only time I did a 2.5 month stay was the very last trip before my visa was processed and I moved permanently. This is what I would do with your current schedule: - I am visiting him for 2 weeks May/July. - I am going to the UK to visit family and for a trip to Italy for 4 weeks. - I would visit him again for 4 weeks, end of July to end of August. You stay in the UK or Europe. - He comes to the UK for a 2 week visit. - I would come back with him early September. - We would vacation out of the US for 10 days/2 weeks before heading back together. Meet him somewhere outside of the US for your vacation in Oct. - Visit him for 2-3 weeks in November, you go back to the UK - He flies to the UK for Christmas, for 2 weeks. - I would fly back again with him in Jan, we would get engaged in the following couple of months. - We plan a 2/3 week vacation to the UK/France in March. - I fly back to the US with him and we would marry in May. You are still seeing each other regularly but you are both spending more time in your own countries than each others which will keep the immigration people happy
  6. I've wondered about his visa status. The way they 'fled' Canada just before the borders closed because of Covid makes me think he entered on a tourist /ESTA option and then adjusted while there, or maybe he still had a diplomatic status because that was before they did their final exit from The Firm. So his options would be: Spousal Green Card O1 Work Visa - with one of the startups he's been associated with Investment Visa - in either one of the startups like BetterUp or the Archewell foundation itself? Can you be a 'silent' partner in a business for the sake of an investment visa Can you adjust from inside the US for the last three? Or if the USA allowed him to enter and stay with a diplomatic status during Covid he could have applied for the other when back in the UK for their 'exit tour' The only thing that makes me doubt the green card via spouse is to keep your green card you have to be officially domiciled in the US. But Harry is still listed as a Councillor of State in the UK and you have to be domiciled in the UK to be one.
  7. You can do a lot to prepare and get ready for the AOS waiting time:
  8. Well technically, it's only good for one entry to get married but you aren't getting married on the trip for giving notice, you are simply showing the registrar that you have obtained it in - so that they know you have all the legal ducks in a row - along with proof of residence for the UK citizen, any divorce certs etc. You 'use' the visa to get married on the trip you make for the actual wedding. If I remember you have something like six months from issuance of the visa to get married. So there is a little planning needed to make sure that the wedding is within the six months and you get all the other bits done with the correct timing. It would be much easier to get married in the USA as a destination wedding. It was just I really really wanted to get married at home in the UK so I made us jump through all the ridiculous hoops. We did have a gorgeous wedding though. If I had to do it again I would probably have done a quick USA justice of the peace / Vegas wedding to get the legal bit done and then had the wedding I wanted in the UK with a blessing - would have been less hassle than the marriage visa. But then saying that I have a feeling my Mum would have been upset not to be at the 'proper' marriage bit.
  9. Hi - just in case you actually want to get married in the UK - it's not that he has to be there for 29 days - it's that in England and Wales you have to give at least 29 days of notice to get married - and then you have to get married within 12 months of giving notice. However you do have to reside in the place you give notice for 7 days. So he could come over for a week and then you can give notice together - he goes home and comes back for the wedding which will be a minimum of 29 days later or a maximum of within 12 months later. I did this with my husband. -applied for the marriage visa and it was granted in February - he came over for an 8-day vacation in April - we gave notice on the 8th day and he flew home - he flew back in July for the wedding If you don't mind getting married in Scotland it's even easier because it's all done by forms which get sent to the Scottish registrar - https://www.mygov.scot/getting-married so he doesn't need to make an extra trip to give notice.
  10. I went home to the UK for five months once to take care of my Mum who was dying from cancer, they didn't even ask for details once I just said I'd been visiting family. I was bracing myself because I didn't want to burst into tears if I had to say out loud that my Mum had died. So I probably looked all kinds of stressed/nervous/upset etc. I've had more questions after a week out of the country than that time. You have a Greencard - they don't care about your relationship anymore until you need to renew your conditional card, and even then you can divorce and still apply to renew as long as the original marriage was genuine.
  11. It depends on which country you are interviewing in, the UK is fairly flexible when it comes to an asset like that. I know people who have shown their mortgage/equity documents and been able to use it for their income requirement. But some consulates are not as flexible and only want to see 'cash in hand'. I recommend searching the site for people from your consulate who have been in the same position.
  12. Remote work for foreign employers is one area where immigration rules have not caught up with the reality of life yet. The no working without authorization rule is designed to prevent non-residents taking job opportunities away from residents (and also it's easier to make sure you have taxed residents than non-residents so the government won't lose any money) Digital nomads are on the increase - lots of people check in on work while on vacation as well as those who permanently travel. My personal opinion is that it's silly to consider a non-resident without work authorization taking a local restaurant job the same as someone getting paid from overseas for doing something online for a company not based in the USA. As far as I know the definition of 'working in the USA' has never been tested in court to definitely include remote overseas work yet - it would make it a lot easier if it had been. So the decision is yours, and as a PP has said unauthorized work would be forgiven in your situation.
  13. Are you talking about what to say to Canadian authorities about why you have been away for 5 weeks? Or what to say to US authorities on your next visit in the future? If it's the former just say you were visiting your boyfriend - why would Canada care that you've been out of the country for 5 weeks?
  14. No - you can't use it for any other purpose than work. I used to have an I visa before moving here to live and I used to come on ESTA to visit my fiancé - the CO was always very clear at the border that if I was entering on ESTA I could not work even with the I visa in my passport because I wasn't using it to enter. The reverse also applies. Maybe you can persuade your employer to send you on a research trip for a story/piece which takes you to Seattle, Portland and San Francisco - sucks to have to work while on vacation but would enable you to make the trip.
  15. The one positive in your favour is that the UK embassy has been known to allow assets held by the beneficiary to be used - in the past, I admit I haven't heard it done recently. A sort of self-sponsor. But the one I remember doing that were mostly couples who had been living in the UK together and were doing DCF (consulate filing which isn't available anymore anyway) together. Honestly the easiest way to solve the financial hurdle at this point would be to find a joint sponsor. Could his mother do it? It would be one less thing to worry about as you already have a less typical case, and then you could just concentrate on the burden of convincing the CO that you are in a genuine relationship and are not doing this for immigration purposes.
  16. I don't know why the other posters are giving you such a hard time. Of course if there is no option for a tourist visa you could do the I-130 immigrant visa option and have your Dad come over spend some time with you and then formally give back the Green Card and use that to apply for a B2 visa in the future showing that he now no longer has immigrant intent because he already gave the green card back. It's worked for some people. It would be a long and expensive way to spend some time together in the USA but as you said might be the fastest and least problematic overall. Good luck.
  17. I had to do the full test again in Virginia - I was dreading it despite being an experienced driver because I'm pretty sure I wouldn't pass the UK test again first time - you know how strict that is with all the little test you have to do. The US test was so different. We just took one turn around the block and back to the center. Didn't even have to do any cones or parking etc. Might be different for you but I bet it will still be a lot easier than you are expecting.
  18. Both immigration paths are expensive. Over the long term the UK one is the most expensive as it has more (and much more expensive) renewals over a ten year period before the foreign spouse is entitled to citizenship/permanent residence, plus the NHS fee for non citizens. Over ten years you should expect to spend roughly 10,000 pounds before it's over. On the plus side for the UK, the NHS is an amazing resource and the social welfare options are more comprehensive. For the US side - the immigration fees are lower - but still significant for those on a low income and the big elephant in the room is healthcare. Coming from the UK you can't underestimate how terrible it is for those who don't have job based insurance. And even with job based insurance depending on the policy it can be pretty bad. If you can save up, and if you can make the income requirements work for the UK system, aim to save up about 4,000 pounds before you begin the process to cover fees and other expenses needed. If you go the American route I'd recommend both you and your boyfriend commit to finding full-time employment with good benefits packages. You'll also need to save up at least a few thousand pounds/dollars (at least 2-3000) to cover the application fees, medical fees, flights etc. Have you both already met face to face? Have either of you experienced the other country? That might help you decide which path to plan for.
  19. The best solution for you - cost and stress wise I think would be to work until Christmas and then move permanently to the USA. But if you really feel you need to see out the whole school year then why not come to the USA to activate the visa just before you go back to school - last week in August? Come back to the USA for the full Christmas holidays, and again for the full Easter holidays. Then when you finally come back after the school contract finishes stay in the USA for a good chunk of time. Lots of people who have green cards and live in the USA have jobs which mean they travel extensively.
  20. Joint sponsor doesn't have to be family. Do you or your husband have any good friends who might be willing to help? It's a big ask but if you can't ask family.
  21. It's to prevent misuse of the spousal visa (or any of the family reunification visas) - it is in place to prevent US citizens 'selling' or giving access to the USA when they have no intent of returning their themselves.
  22. Have you looked up the rules for marrying in Scotland? Unlike England you don't usually have to give the notice in person - you can send it to the registrar - Although you need not both attend personally at the registrar’s office to hand in your marriage notice, at least one of you may be asked to attend there personally before the date of the marriage. You will need, in the case of a religious or belief marriage, to collect the Marriage Schedule (see 12 below) or, in the case of a civil marriage, to finalise arrangements with the registrar. https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/files//registration/m10-notes-and-m10-form.pdf So if you can get all your documents together in time you could possibly do a May Scottish wedding.
  23. It used to be years ago that the initial petition had to be sent to a specific service center based on the US petitioner's US address, then they started getting everyone to send it to a central lockbox, and it was sent from there to a specific center - to begin with it was still divvied up based on petitioner location. But even then sometimes they sent it to one service center and then sent it to another one after a few months if the workload was swamped in one particular place. We were horribly unlucky in 2007 during a major backlog event - our file went first to the Vermont Service Center where it sat for TEN Months with no one touching it - they then sent it to the California Service Center and it was processed in two weeks. Unfortunately you have missed the golden DCF time where UK/USA couples living in the UK could apply directly to London and get it all done in less than 12 weeks! However your husband doesn't have to go back straight away - as other people are saying the process is going to take 12+ months. It could be longer, it could speed up but prepare for the worst. It does give you loads of time to get everything in order and really save up some money to help with the transition. So I'd recommend getting the application sent in asap, and then once you have the NOA2 back have your husband start collecting his proof of intention to re-domicile - he can do some of that before the NOA2 as well. US bank account - US drivers licence - up to date taxes etc. As you get closer to the interview if he can get a US job offer, mortgage, lease etc, kids enrolled in schools that sort of thing, you'll be able to go to the interview with evidence of his intention to go back to live in the USA (it's to stop people using the spousal visa as a way to go live in the US without the US spouse) If your evidence looks good that he's re-establishing his life in the USA you might not have to spend any time apart before you get the visa, London isn't always as strict on this as some other consulates. But be prepared that they might want to see more - so he might need to go back over a month or so before you.
  24. Unfortunately you're going to have to make a 'leap of faith' and just go for it - you can try to game the system with re-entry permits and back and forth for a while but I don't think that will really help you to commit to pushing to succeed in the USA. Do you have access to travel at the moment under the VWP? Or is a visa the only way to enter the USA? One option is to give it a really good go for 3-4 years - think of it like a career sabbatical if you can't replicate your same level of job success - get yourself citizenship and then you have freedom of travel and the option of working back home or the USA depending on what opportunities arrive.
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