Colin.

Hello, I am looking for some pointers/recommendations.

I'm 24, live in Scotland, and am employed as a group transport manager with
a large and successful road freight company, and have the legally required
Certificate of Professional Competence, and also ADR and Dangerous Goods
(HAZMAT) safety advisor certificates, which, from what I have been able to
research so far, are recognised in the USA.

I've never been arrested (not even a parking ticket). I am of good health
and character, though I would think the biggest thing that impedes me is my
lack of university qualification.

My girlfriend is the same age as me, and is a New Jersey resident. We have
been increasingly talking about getting married. This is a matter of
personal commitment. We no longer wish to live apart, and spend vast sums
visiting one another.

I would ideally be looking for employment in the same industry, along the
same lines.

Is all this achievable? What is a reasonable time frame in which I can
expect it to be resolved? Any help that anyone could give me would be most
gratefully received.

Thanks

Colin

Noorah101

Hi Colin,

Marrying your USC girlfriend is not a problem, check out www.uscis.gov for various methods of immigrating.

Your girlfriend must meet certain financial requirements to sponsor you, or else find a joint sponsor who does meet the requirements.

Your education and employment have nothing to do with your immigration process.

Best Wishes,
Rene

Noorah101

Not sure exactly what you are referring to as achievable. Yes, it's achievable to marry your girlfriend, immigrate to the USA, and work here.

A very general timeline for immigrating might be about 6 to 8 months. As for finding work after that, it's anyone's guess.

Rene

meauxna

Colin, one factor that differs *greatly* between different types of marriage-based visas is work permission.
You and your fiancee might want to talk about how important it is to a) be together "faster" but not have immediate work permission or b) very important for your to be able to work immediately and can wait a couple of extra months to ensure that.

You can start researching your industry online and see what the equivilant position is called in the US, and if any special qualifications/degrees/continuing ed are required for it in the US.
Then look into what companies hire for that position and start networking.

Colin.

    | Colin, one factor that differs *greatly* between different types of
marriage-
    | based visas is work permission.
    | You and your fiancee might want to talk about how important it is to a)
    | be together "faster" but not have immediate work permission or b) very
    | important for your to be able to work immediately and can wait a couple
    | of extra months to ensure that.

We can wait a while in order that I can get permission to work sorted out,
that is no big deal. But I must be able to work, or to at least commence
looking for work, immediately upon my eventual arrival.


    | You can start researching your industry online and see what the
    | equivilant position is called in the US, and if any special
    | qualifications/degrees/continuing ed are required for it in the US.
    | Then look into what companies hire for that position and start
    | networking.

Well I have a couple of days off work ahead of me, so that's exactly what
I'll be doing ;)

Colin.

    | Hi Colin,
    |
    | Marrying your USC girlfriend is not a problem, check out www.uscis.gov
    | for various methods of immigrating.
    |
    | Your girlfriend must meet certain financial requirements to sponsor you,
    | or else find a joint sponsor who does meet the requirements.
    |
    | Your education and employment have nothing to do with your
    | immigration process.


Many thanks for your help, it's very appreciated.

Kevin Keane

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Yes, it's achievable.

First of all, though, what is your girlfriend's status in the USA? Is
she a US citizen? Or is she there temporarily or permanently?

Assuming that she is a US citizen, here is what to do. There are
actually several different approaches, but the one that would bring you
together fastest is probably this:

- - She sponsors you for a fiance visa. In order to do that, you must have
met in person in the last two years, and she must make at least 125% of
the US poverty income (I think somewhere around $18k/year).

- - Once approved (takes about six months to a year), you move to the USA.
You then have 90 days to get married and apply for a Green Card.

If she has a different status in the USA, the answer will be very different.

colin. wrote:
    > Hello, I am looking for some pointers/recommendations.
    >
    > I'm 24, live in Scotland, and am employed as a group transport manager with
    > a large and successful road freight company, and have the legally required
    > Certificate of Professional Competence, and also ADR and Dangerous Goods
    > (HAZMAT) safety advisor certificates, which, from what I have been able to
    > research so far, are recognised in the USA.
    >
    > I've never been arrested (not even a parking ticket). I am of good health
    > and character, though I would think the biggest thing that impedes me is my
    > lack of university qualification.
    >
    > My girlfriend is the same age as me, and is a New Jersey resident. We have
    > been increasingly talking about getting married. This is a matter of
    > personal commitment. We no longer wish to live apart, and spend vast sums
    > visiting one another.
    >
    > I would ideally be looking for employment in the same industry, along the
    > same lines.
    >
    > Is all this achievable? What is a reasonable time frame in which I can
    > expect it to be resolved? Any help that anyone could give me would be most
    > gratefully received.
    >
    > Thanks
    >
    > Colin
    >
    >


- --
Please visit my FAQ at http://www.kkeane.com before asking a question here.
It may answer your question. Remember, I am strictly a layperson without any
legal training. I encourage the reader to seek competent legal counsel
rather than relying on usenet newsgroups.
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ian-mstm

You do not need work authorization to look for work or even go to a job interview. However, many employers will dismiss you immediately - even with excellent qualifications - because you do not have local references, and they are not obligated to check foreign credentials. I wish it was easier for newcomers, but you will likely be unemployed for at least 4 months after you enter the US and you need to be financially (and emotionally) prepared for this.

Ian

Colin.

    | Yes, it's achievable.
    |
    | First of all, though, what is your girlfriend's status in the USA? Is
    | she a US citizen? Or is she there temporarily or permanently?
    |
    | Assuming that she is a US citizen, here is what to do. There are
    | actually several different approaches, but the one that would bring you
    | together fastest is probably this:
    |
    | - - She sponsors you for a fiance visa. In order to do that, you must have
    | met in person in the last two years, and she must make at least 125% of
    | the US poverty income (I think somewhere around $18k/year).
    |
    | - - Once approved (takes about six months to a year), you move to the USA.
    | You then have 90 days to get married and apply for a Green Card.
    |
    | If she has a different status in the USA, the answer will be very
different.


She is a USC, born and raised. She is also a German national on account of
her mother being German, if that makes any difference to anything.

Folinskyinla

Hi:

She is a dual national. It MAY make a procedural difference in that there may be a possiblity that she can file her I-130 with the DHS office in the US Embassy in London while with you in the UK. My understanding is that , as a EU national, she has the right of abode in the UK and the London DHS office has jurisdiction over I-130's filed by US Citizens resident in the UK. On these chat groups, it often goes by the name of "DCF".

Note, this is just a possiblity. I may be a lawyer, but I'm not YOUR lawyer. I'm not saying this would work, but it is an area of possible inquiry.

Noorah101

Hi Colin,

If immediate work authorization is the most important thing you're looking at, then my vote would be for going through the spouse visa process (IV) which will result in a CR-1 visa for you. That way, you become a Permanent Resident upon entry to the USA, and receive your green card within a few weeks, and are work authorized from Day 1 with no further work authorization papers to complete or renew later on.

If you and your wife qualify for DCF, that would be the quickest way to achieve this, as Mr. F pointed out. If not, you would start by getting married and having your wife file an I-130 in the USA.

Best Wishes,
Rene

Rete

Have absolutely no idea what your chances are for employment in your career field. Look at Google or one of the links for employment services to ascertain whether your field one for which you are qualified. If you are going to based in New Jersey well at least you have a headstart with the Hazmat industry with all the oil refineries and storage companies along the NJ Turnpike.


If you ever have questions regarding immigration to the US, give us a holler.

Rete

Rete

That is not necessarily true. I was born in Germany and lost my German citizenship when I was recognized as a US citizen when my parents married and made me legitimate.

Rete

I don't see that he is asking anything about immigration but rather than he is inquiring as to his chances of obtaining employment in the status and field in which he is currently employed and what the timeline would be for that.

Nowhere does Colin ask an immigration question.

Elvira

Rete, I think this is because, in the past, Germany did not recognize dual citizenship. AFAIK they do now.