HannahJJ

Hi, I am a UK citizen and married to a USA Citizen living in the UK for 10 years. We married in the USA and moved here immediately. We now want to move to US and have just filed our I-130 which they have received and are currently processing.(we know they are about 2 weeks off looking at our petition from the processing times on the website)but does anyone know once they have looked at it, how long it takes for the approval to come back so that we can complete the DS260? Also, the affidavit of support - do we need to send that in, or is that something I just take to the interview?
Thanks!

ian-mstm

Don't believe the processing times. They're wrong more often than they're right.


The entire process takes about 4-6 months... usually 2-3 months for each part of the process. So, once they've looked at it (which won't happen for 2-3 months because it's waiting to come to the top of the pile) notice usually comes within a couple of weeks after that.


You'll take the I-864 to the interview.

Ian

littledorrit

My husband applied for me around the same time as you then. Its so hard trying to time it all - and trying to stay patient. When selling house, moving stuff, sorting jobs... And we're hoping we will be there in time for our kid to start school in August.

agent welsh

When sent ours in February and are expecting it to be July or August. It is stressful, not knowing when to put the house up for sale and all the proof they want to show you are actually intended to move. Who would sign a lease not able to give a day they would be moving? We did keep our bank account and credit cards active (in the states) this whole time, which is one tick. However the schools I have contacted all say wait until your here.

I am the USC, we married in the states (16 years ago), lived there for 3+ years and moved here 11+ years. We are also hoping to be able to have our son start school in September.

carlrush

Hi Hannah - We're in the exact same situation, married in the US 10 years ago, lived in UK ever since and filed I-130 end of January. I'm using this page as my guide for the next steps...

https://uk.usembassy.gov/visas/famil...ow-to-apply-2/

Our house will be the main asset on the affidavit of support too so I figured we'd put it on the market once the DS-260 is filed. We're in the (fortunate?!) position that if, for some unknown reason, I didn't get the green card we'd still move house so no harm getting it on the market.

I've seen elsewhere on the forum that as long as you can show the equity you have in your house (valuation and mortgage statement I guess) you're ok. You can state that you intend to sell so don't need to have it on the market.

ian-mstm

Keep in mind that your house is an asset and assets must equal 3x the income amount. Only the equity in the house can be counted. Also, keep in mind that just because the house can be sold, it doesn't necessarily follow that it will be sold - so the interviewing officer may or may not (at his sole discretion) allow the house to be used as an asset... because there's no guarantee that the house will ever sell and assets must be liquidable within one year.

Ian

carlrush

Good point, I should have clarified that equity needs to be at least 3 x income amount.

I've got the South East rose-tinted specs on having seen the house opposite go on the market for 20% more than it did a year ago and sell on the same day!

littledorrit

We've already sold our house - but managed to delay completion until end May. We live in the middle of nowhere, so expected it to take ages to sell (ironically we go an offer the first day we put it on the market!)

So we'll be homeless from end May. And i130 went to London mid Jan. So we're hoping it won't be too long after that (although we know that's pretty hopeful) - but do have a backup plan.

We wanted to sell anyway - so not too worried about getting our house gone.

Harder part (I think) is at the other end - need a house there before our kid can start school. And without house sold here we'd find it hard to afford the deposit on a rental over there.

We've been married 20 years. Lived here for most that time (apart from 2 years living in the States 15 years ago).

RainyDays

Lots of us in similar situation and similar timescales. We filed the I-130 in London on 5th January and received a RFE about 7 weeks later. We sent off the evidence (I'd forgotten to abandon my residency) and have received an acknowledgement, but still no update on the status of the I-130. I have to say, in my case, the info on the US Embassy website with respect to which applications they were processing was spot on.

Like some of you above, we're hoping to move in time for the children to begin school in August. Lots of juggling. We have a house to sell (currently doing it up) and we're also applying for my husband's British citizenship at the same time. Then there's the children's US passports to travel to London for (on two separate occasions as they don't seem to have appts for first passport and renewing a child under 18 on the same day), getting a rental in the US and so on.

At least lots of people here have done it before and know the pitfalls to look out for. I did it the other way around 14 years ago. Never thought I'd be travelling back!

agent welsh

I agree RainyDays there are lots of us. Where have you all been the last 11 years? I have only run into one other American over here in the great east of England. Guess it all depends on where you live. My DH works in London with quite a few Americans.

When you say forgotten to abandon my residency, what do you mean by that?
Only because I am hopping I haven't over looked anything. I sent the form off before I found this forum.

RainyDays

I didn't surrender my old green card. I thought I didn't need to bother because it was conditional and the date on the card had expired. I was wrong! I had to send it to the embassy along with a form saying that I had no intention to live in the US, which is odd given that I'm sending it back so I can apply for a new visa to live there!