Hey folks, first post seeking advice.

I'm a UKC married to a USC and we are both settled and working in the UK. We've been married for over 2 years and are now thinking of moving to the US to have kids.

Can you give me a bit of hint as to where to start on this undoubtedly long process. Does the fact that my wife is settled in the UK and not in the US have any effect on her ability to sponsor me? What sort of time-line are we looking at here?

Any help will be hugely appreciated.

Cheers

Hi and Welcome to BE. Start by reading the Wiki Guide here: http://britishexpats.com/wiki/DCF_I-130_Filed_In_London

You're looking at about 8 - 10 months processing time.

Rene

Just an aside, I'm sure you have already looked at the cost implications of having kids in the US and have a job lined up with good benefits?

As someone who has recently gone through this process, I would say that as your wife is settled in in the uk and has no US income then you would need a joint sponsor who earns over the poverty guidelines for you and your wife, make sure your wife has been filing tax returns. fill all the forms in yourself and you could be done and dusted in less than 12 months

Just a small comment on the bolded part above. The joint sponsor must have income / assets for their OWN household size, plus the immigrant. The USC wife is not taken into consideration in the joint sponsor's household size count, because she's not immigrating.

Rene

I stand corrected! But my conversation at the consulate with the person at the window she said " your JOINT sponsor earns enough to support you BOTH" which is why i said that. But that is the written rule

She's an idiot, and was under no obligation to give you accurate information.

Ian

funny you should say that. Because the guy at secondary inspection said the same thing because she had given me some wrong info

Unless you are planning on coming to the US with a job and healthcare benefits, stay in the UK and have your child[ren]. Without benefits here in the US, regardless that the future mom might want to be near her family at the time of pregnancy, you will find yourself nearly bankrupt.

No idea on your financial situation, but you can of course simply 'self-sponsor' with the appropriate level of assets.

Definitely understand that it will probably be necessary to defer procreation until such time as income and health benefits are established.

It won't actually be "self-sponsor"ing. Since they are married, their assets are considered joint. So even if all the savings is in the UKC's name, the USC can still use those assets on her I-864. The USC is still the sponsor.

Rene

No, he cannot. An immigrant requires a sponsor. (So much for the phrase "of course".)

Rene has explained the correct way that his assets could be used, provided that the assets are sufficiently 'liquid'.

Regards, JEff

My bad, I was using "you" to represent the pair of them, their assets, their accounts, etc. Lack of clarity.

The USC is of course (!) the sponsor, but can use their (joint) assets

Of course!