babysnake11

Hi everyone this is my 1st post so apologies if iv got anything wrong, long story short I'm with an American that I NEED to be with, we want to marry, he isn't allowed into the uk as hes done more than 4 years prison time so the only option is me going over there but.....my doctors records are pretty colourful

Nearly 11 years ago when I was a silly 20 year old I was using drugs for around 8-12 months, I did go to the doctors so its on my medical records (coke and ketamine) then due to the drug use and my inability to tolerate hormonal contraception I lost the plot 1 night and ended up sectioned, I was let out the next day and no diagnosis of any mental illness. Then 2.5 years ago I was caught up in a personal tragedy and started drinking went to the doctors and was put on the sick, iv not touched a drop of alcohol in 16 months. Am I right in thinking passing my medical is going to be near impossible?

tom169

Yes, it's going to be a tough one for sure.

Noorah101

If we say yes, what will you do?

Rene

babysnake11

Thanks for the replies and it was what I was already thinking, the next step is to contact an immigration lawyer and book a consultation

tom169

I think this is a wise next step. Did the issues you mentioned result in a criminal record?

babysnake11

No I have a criminal record my ACRO shows NO LIVE TRACE, but the conviction I do have is from when I was 15 and was for fighting. This is all so stressful, iv just this minute got off the phone to my man and he's really down about it now. I guess I will know more once iv book a consultation.

Nice to see a fellow Yorkshire person on here

tom169

Ok the fact you were a minor should help. Let us know how the consultation goes.

Yorkshire = Greatest county in the UK.

civilservant

The issues earlier in your life would not have been insurmountable, since they were a while back and you are presumable no longer a danger to yourself. The recent heavy drinking is an issue that might require a years worth of testing to overcome.

I don't believe the medical would be 'impossible' - but it may well take time.

BenK91

You've already got great advice in the form of seeing an immigration attorney.

I certainly don't think it's impossible but it'll certainly be a bit trickier than someone with no criminal history and/or colorful medical history.

Let us know how your consultation goes

babysnake11

Thank you for the reply, yes that's 1 of my concerns I can only do everything they ask of me, weekly testing and liver function test I'm all agreeable to, I need to be with this man this whole experience is very distressing for me

babysnake11

Thank you, rocky road ahead I just hope there is a way through

Nutmegger

I trust that you have met in person, and that he is in a position to sponsor you financially?

babysnake11

yes of course, holidays aren't a problem but we actually want to be together, he has a job and I'm self employed and can carry on my work over there (once accepted and able to do so)

morpeth

Yes I think that is the right step. For whatever it is worth, most of the issues you describe I think a good immigration lawyer can advise you so they won't be issues that cant be dealt with. I don't know procedure in UK but in USA offenses by a minor can be expunged from the record once you are an adult.

KK85

Welcome to the forum, babysnake11.

I really feel for you. I recently moved to the USA, from the UK, to be with my husband, and my medical history was also colourful. I think it's fair to say that my issues and their consequences were less severe than yours, but I also had an extensive mental health history (over a decade's worth of depression, anxiety, SSRIs, therapies, assessments for personality disorder -
no sectioning, though, or any criminal history) and some minor drug and alcohol use in my past. My medical was approved and there were no significant delays to my case, though it did cost me more financially due to having to obtain extra doctor's letters and whatnot.

My advice is to first get hold of a copy of your full medical records - you will not necessarily (most likely won't) require these for the purpose of immigration, but I found it useful to have a read through mine so that I could garner a better understanding of what was recorded in my history. That way, if Knightsbridge Doctors requested more information from my GP, I was knowledgable about what my doctor could and might divulge to them, which was beneficial when it came to the medical itself. No need to tell them too much if it's not in your history, not asked of you, and therefore not necessary.

Secondly, expanding on the above, prepare yourself for the (almost guaranteed, IMO) likelihood of Knightsbridge requesting more information from your GP before they will sign you off, and the costs that will come with that. The medical element of my immigration process cost me somewhere in the region of £1,000 (including travel to and from London) - the majority of this was paid to my GP's surgery, who had to go through my medical notes in their entirety, cherry-pick relevant bits of information, and write up two letters to Knightsbridge (there is more information about this on some of my previous threads, which I'll link below). Other people on this forum have had their GPs do similar for significantly less money than I paid, but it's best to be on the safe side and budget for these costs just in case.

Thirdly, I agree that it might be wise to consult an immigration lawyer, simply because you do unfortunately tick a couple of the red-flag boxes (mental health issues, substance misuse, criminal history (albeit minor and a very long time ago)) and it would be wise to seek a little guidance. I also agree with some comments above that suggest it is possible/likely that you will need to do a drugs test (at minimum) and/or spend twelve months proving that you are clean. I had to do a drugs test and it sounds like my drug-use was significantly less than yours (I had tried MDMA once, cocaine twice, and smoked a bit of weed in my early teens). Worst case scenario, in that respect - assuming you are finally approved - is that your immigration will take 12 months longer than average.

Finally, I wish you the very best of luck. I understand very well the angst that the medical can cause - for me, it was the most nerve-wracking and horrible part of the immigration process. Yours and my circumstances are very different, and USCIS would treat us individually even if we'd been through the exact same things, so there is no point comparing yourself to me or guessing what you might go through in relation to my experience, but in case it's of any interest or reassurance, you can read more about my medical history and my experiences throughout this process on this thread here - http://britishexpats.com/forum/marri...ug-use-894242/ - and you can read about my subsequent experience at my medical in Knightsbridge here: http://britishexpats.com/forum/marri...bridge-904191/. The former link goes into lots of detail about what was required from my GP, particularly, and the efforts I made to get certain balls rolling prior to the medical, which might be useful as I imagine you will go through much of the same.

Take care!