Moving to USA

Hi All

First I know this is probably the wrong forum but as you have given us so much valuable advice in recent years for my wife moving to UK then I am reaching out to see if there is any advice on the following or point me in the correct direction...

MY wife USA Citizen and myself british are now starting to discuss the time to move to USA.  Something we agreed over 12 years ago when we met she would come here for so many years before we move to USA.  Im not looking to do it for another 2 years but know things could take a long time to get into place in particular possible Visa for myself?

Also I understand all the expense and time / effort we have gone through for my wife to get her last Visa where she had to take the British Test and Indefinate Leave to Remain Visa? (cant remember name of it) will probably be ended as she can not go for the other visa (again forgot the name) as she is out of the country 4-6 months over periods of time in USA back at her family, and would not really have a need to come back to UK often unless I came back but if that happened it would probably be on my own! :-)  but I guess that is our choice!.

So really I am asking can anyone advice on first steps, where to read up, type of Visa I probably would have to apply for to be able to move over there and live with her, not sure if I will want to work or not!  MY company has offices in USA so there is always a small possibility I could get moved to them but not thinking to much at moment off that.

House we would buy straight out,  Pension, savings etc I would probably keep here in UK and do transfers with fingers crossed on exchange rate when i needed it :-)  Wife will be taking her Pension in 1-2 years so there is income and she could also easily get a job out there.

Thanks in advance for any pointers

The embassys closed for a long time with covid so there are now backlogs for visas.  I'm not sure of the name but you should find everything you need on the US embassy website.  It's not nearly as difficult to navigate as UKVI is! 

I DO know that everything is faster if you guys apply from the UK (she would need to be here to submit the initial application) than it would be for her to file the papers inside the USA. 

Pre-covid you could get the approval in as little as 4 months.  Now it's about a year.  They are catching up fast so by the time you apply, it'll probably be much more predictable.  They do tell you on the embassy website what date applications they are processing - transparency!

I think it's called an I-130? 

Thanks as always KFDancer...

I will take a read but just for my clarification, when you say its easier to submit from uk, with my wife being here, is that because she sponsors me or supports me etc as being the american?

Thanks in advance

Processing is done at the US embassy in the UK if she applies (petitions) from the UK.  If she does it inside the USA, you will be lumped in with a MUCH larger pool of applications, thus slowing the process waaaaaayyyy down. 

I know someone who had a spouse visa but never actually moved to the UK.  She flew over to do the paperwork at the US embassy in London as it made the wait time for her husband to join her in the USA 3 to 4 times faster than if she had applied for him to join her from the USA. 

Thanks KF.  I will start reading up a bit more on it over the summer, my Wife would be here to help from this side although I am not in a rush myself yet :-)  Incidentaly do you know what time frames there are from when you get the approval for getting a I-130 to when you would actually need to move to USA ie does it give just x amount of days / week / months before it expires if you do not move?

O and lastly my wife asked if I am able to work on I-130   please tell me No :-)

Thank you

I think you can delay the move for quite awhile, not entirely sure though.

I won’t answer your second question….  Think that answers it.    A girl never wants to deliver bad news. 

Hi, sorry I am back..

Well things move on! I have the opportunity to possibly transfer my job to USA which would be great news but I Would need to get the VISA in place first to move and work,
I can not see that I can work on a I-130 once it  is approved and handed out.   Do I need to then get another Visa I have seen I-765?


Thank you

 

Lots of info and FAQS here, I know nothing about accuracy or validity but it sounds reasonable.  Of course they’re trying to sell their services but I doubt you need those.  It does get into the whole I-130 work thing ( no you can’t, and actually you can’t travel on it either according to this).  However, sounds like there are other visas b4 the green card what would allow you to work.  My take away from a quick scan is that you need to start ASAP by getting the i-130 petition filed if you want to actually move in 2 years.  You should be able to get your Green card by then, and if Trump gets re-elected it’s not as if you HAVE to go!
https://www.boundless.com/immigration-resources/form-i-130-explained/

Morning  thank you for response I will take a read I think I may have stumbled across it alreaddy but will refresh myself.

I have now applied for a job via the company I work for which deals with immigration / visa's day in day out.  If I get that job I am hopping they will do all paper work for me, but just in case not I will prepare myself to start application myself...

Morning  thank you for response I will take a read I think I may have stumbled across it alreaddy but will refresh myself.

I have now applied for a job via the company I work for which deals with immigration / visa's day in day out.  If I get that job I am hopping they will do all paper work for me, but just in case not I will prepare myself to start application myself...

Good luck! 

Its been a while but just an update.

The job that I have applied for within my company got rejected by HR before it got in front of the hiring manager.  This was based on me living in the UK and not having a Visa etc so auto rejection.  The hiring Manager in the USA is on the case with the world wide manager to try to get HR back on board and the proposal is if I am offered the job (there may be other applicants) the company could push me down the L1 route whilst I go down the I-130 pass via my Wife.

I have started the I-130 application and all I need to do now is press submit and pay the cost, then after that the green card part.   Reading numerous sites this could take 12+ months to complete.

I guess my query is if I do not get the job within my Company I do not want to move to USA for some time or until I can secure a job with other companies.    Anyone have any idea how long I can wait between approval of I-130 and applying for green card or getting both but not actually moving to USA before it expires...   

Thanks in advance

Does anyone know

You can choose to really delay things between each step of the process.  Pre-covid, you could complete the whole process in about 4 months if you took first available appointments for everything.  Or you could delay and drag between each step and take years.  You can very much slow the process down if that's what you want.

Thank you

Just had a quick thought,  on the I-130 form it asked where we would go for interview (something like that) and we entered London thinking it would be the Embassy.    However is that still open, do they offer other places such as Sheffield, Nottingham etc?     I still have the abaility to update the document as its not been looked at yet

Thanks in advance

Hello again

Need a little sanity guidance if possible please. The answers are probsbly in the thread but I am missing them!

The hiring manager has just called me regarding the vacancy and asked a few questions

First was what have I applied for and what does it give me.  Informed him I-130 which from what I read only gives me the abaility to move and live in USA.  It does not give me the right to work?     Is that correct

Processing time that we have been given is upto 9 months looking at the status of the application


Once I get I-130 I can move to America and then I have to apply for a green card?   He said that could take years.     Is that correct or can I apply and start work during application?  Also does anyone know the form name please


Lastly we discussed an alternative and that is work May sponsor me a L1 which I previously had 12 years ago.        From memory that only took a few months to complete via my work petitioning me. It was valid I think for 2-3 years.      If I went this way I could possibly get L1 faster move to usa and continue my green card application ?

Does any of the above make sense!


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