kagaroar

I want to make it clear to begin with this question is something I'm asking about the future; not right now, as I'm currently 17, UK citizen, about to go into university next year. My girlfriend is from the USA; we're serious about trying to make a future for ourselves, most probably in the U.S, but of course want to hold off until I at least have a good degree.
Here's the story. I'm applying for courses right now with high grades, looking most likely at Glasgow for a joint honours in English lit. and Film & TV. I'd be looking for a job afterwards in entertainment and media, possibly journalism. Is this sort of degree marketable? I'm aware Glasgow is high enough in league rankings that it should be reputable abroad.
My girlfriend is looking to study medicine, meaning that as far as I am aware she'll still be studying if I did move to the US after I finished my degree. At least, she'll be a year behind as she's a year younger than me anyway. The biggest problem for me, moving to the US would be the affidavit of support. Thankfully, I do have access to liquid assets including shares and inheritance; they should be in the range of at least 20k GBP and above. Would it be possible by then to have amassed the liquid assets required considering a supportive, relatively wealthy family to allow me to enter by proving I have that money? And if my girlfriend was working part time, would that salary - however little it may be - also apply? We'd be living on our own together, so if I had to give liquid assets, they'd need to be around 90kUSD or so, correct? Or is that amount too high?
I'd like to emigrate on a fiancee visa, have a small ceremony and then a celebration when we are older and have more to spend. Could I get engaged to her during University and then begin the process together in my final year? If successful, that would mean my first job pertaining to my degree would probably be stateside (visa processing times permitting.) Could I secure a job there in that matter, fresh from Uni?
I really love her, and I can see a future with us together... It'd just be great to know if that future is closer than I think it is.(I was assuming I'd have to work for a year at least after Uni to be able to be with her, but if I could get there sooner it would be amazing.)
A smaller concern I have is that we're a lesbian couple, but as far as I've read there aren't any restrictions on that bar making sure the state we marry in recognises gay couples? Is that correct?
Thank you so much for your time, and if there's any other way you could think of for her and I to be closer for at least a while I would love to hear it. Thank you!

Twinkle0927

If you have the funds available you can look into a student visa and study in the USA in the meantime. If you're thinking of making the US your permanent home, you may as well study there if you can so that your qualification is understood. From experience, HR departments don't know where to begin with overseas qualifications and education. Despite the fact that I did GCSEs and A levels in the U.K., completed a German Abitur, and also hold a BA and an MA from Germany, my HR file shows that I left school with no qualifications because the online form they use wouldn't accept the address of a school or university outside the USA or the grading system that is used in Germany. So they just left it blank.

Your plan is a good one in terms of seeing this as a long-term project. Spend time getting to know each other and see how you both feel after the initial flush of excitement that a new love brings at your age. I would urge you to reconsider the fiancé visa if you are planning on studying in the U.K. and then moving to the USA. With this visa you cannot work for several months. Depending on the industry you are in, the longer you spend out of work, the harder it is to get back in, or to get back in at a level that matches your skill set. That would be a shame to do all that studying and then not be able to put your skills to good use. The CR-1 visa is far better suited to career professionals. There need not be any gap in employment.

If, however, you decide to study in the USA then there are other options available and the above would all be moot.

kagaroar

Hey! Thanks for your reply
I did look into studying in the US, but I'm not sure it's going to be feasible; at least not right now. It'll be hard for me to get a scholarship, and if not I think I'll land myself in some crazy debt. I'm Scottish, so studying here in Scotland means I'll just have to pay for accomodation and living expenses; I think it'd be more sensible to keep the assets I have untouched then to throw them at a 20-50k USD per year university without a scholarship...
-However, I'm definitely wanting to study abroad through my university in the US. I'm amazed at how many links they have with universities there! I'd like to work my hardest to be able to do a year abroad (at least) there, as through that program my university charges me the same fees they would if I was at home. If that year went well, I'd consider (if it was possible) transferring to a US university for my final year; as I would want to make my permanent home there as you've stated. Would you think that was a good option? And, for curiousities sakes, what would you suggest as options if I did end up studying in the US?
I want to be with her so dearly. but I also know that being sensible and planning ahead for our future is just as important; I'll make sacrifices if it means being with her sooner in the long run, rather than in the short term, if that makes sense?
I actually wasn't aware of that part of the CR-1 visa; I thought that both visas wouldn't let you work for a period of time. The best way to do it then is to get married and then apply, right? Working as soon as possible would be really important to me. Looking back to my question about getting engaged during my final year; if I returned to the UK for my final year, would it make sense then to get married during that year and apply for a visa as my year of study is ending? Just the same as I would if applying for a fiancee visa, but instead as a married couple; again, I'd still want to have a proper celebration when we were settled. Hopefully this all doesn't seem too 'dreamlike'- I just really want to make this plan work. Thank you so much for your reply, by the way! Did you also emigrate to the US? How long have you been there, and did you find yourself settling in well?

civilservant

I agree with the above. If studying in the US is an option financially, then do it. It will solve a whole host of issues that will come up later on.

Noorah101

If working in the USA immediately after arrival is important, then you should consider getting married and then doing the CR-1 immigrant visa. That process takes about a year, so get married about a year before your intended move date.

If she doesn't meet the I-864 financial requirements by that time, her income plus your assets can be combined (because you'll be married and everything is considered joint), or a joint sponsor can be used.

Rene

mrken30

I think If you get married now, but the time you move, you won't have the 2 year conditional Greencard. I may be wrong there, maybe someone could clarify that.

Also my employer was easily able to verify my UK qualifications without any issues. I do work for a very large employer. The smaller employer that I worked for did not care so much, just as long as I could do my job well.

Noorah101

That is true, but the removal of conditions is not a big deal either, so they should get married whenever they are emotionally ready.

Rene

SanDiegogirl

The OP is 17 !!!!! Please don't even suggest thinking of getting married now ...

KK85

Hi, kagaroar!

I'm Kate. My husband (Pete) and I are just at the tail end of the CR-1 visa application process, with the view to me (UKC) joining him in the United States, finally, next month.

Pete and I got married in September last year, just as I was about to embark upon my final year of university. Like you, I was studying an arts degree (English and Creative Writing, in Cardiff). Pete and I started 'dating properly' right at the beginning of my studies, though we had known each other for over 10+ years prior, and it was an absolute whirlwind of a time, as I'm sure you can empathise with and imagine. And everything I'm about to say is not said with the sole intent to deter you, as we all deal with things differently, of course, and it is not my place to tell you what is or isn't right for you. But please may I suggest that you be very careful when it comes to throwing yourself into the deep end of your relationship, with a marriage and an immigration, while right at the peak of your studies. Perhaps you and your partner are completely emotionally, mentally and financially stable right now, and you certainly do come across as particularly thoughtful and intelligent, and so maybe you'd be fine! But immigration is hard. Long-distance relationships are hard. University can be hard. Pete and I were also dealing with his mother's terminal illness while we were planning our wedding and my immigration, so we had added stress, but even without the impact of that, the combination of my university-related stresses and our immigration stuff was truly quite testing of our relationship. And this is the bit where you and your partner should be getting to know each other, enjoying each other, and being excited for the future, not stressing about forcing a happily ever after to happen right now. It will make your studies and your long-distance relationship considerably harder. (Not impossible! I am proof that it is possible. I did very well at uni, and my marriage is stronger than ever. But that took some strength that I would never have guessed I had, and my husband is some kind of superhuman, I'm quite sure of it.)

In the longer term, the CR-1 visa would be ideal for you when it comes to work, if working straight away is important to you, and I salute that approach wholeheartedly. But in the meantime, you can spend a considerable amount of time in the States while visiting under the VWP. Especially while you are a student! While I was studying, I was back and forth from the USA for weeks (sometimes months) at a time during summer breaks and whatnot, and that time was so valuable, not just for Pete and I and our relationship, but for me as a potential immigrant. Moving to another continent is a huge deal, as you know. Familiarising yourself with your potential new neighbourhood and culture is therefore so valuable, and you are in a position of luxury, right now, while you have no children or pressing career responsibilities, where you can come and go for a while and get excited about moving there. And it will also be a gorgeous opportunity for your partner to come to Scotland, too, and see the stunning country that you live in! I am determined to get Pete up to Scotland on his next visit to the UK.

I really, wholeheartedly and vigorously salute your motives and the amount of thought you've put into this process and your adventure so far. You are doing everything by the book and so sensibly, which is so commendable. But there is no rush. It feels like there is, of course, because you are 17, and even if you are 32, like me, there is a pressing urge to be with the person you love. But you have all the time in the world and so much to gain in the meantime, and I truly hope you will see the advantages in staying put, just for now, and making the most of the circumstances you're in today, and the opportunities they bring. Get to know your girlfriend even better. Get to know America before you move. Get to know yourself, and earn your degree (in Scotland, indeed where it's insanely cheap!). Give your girlfriend the opportunities to get to know Britain. And you will be so much stronger, for all of this, as an individual and as a couple.

I wish you the very best of luck, however you decide to move forward. If you do decide to jump on the CR-1 or K-1 wagon sooner rather than later, you have at least come to the absolute best place, and we will all be more than happy to guide you.

Twinkle0927

Yes, I emigrated last December on an IR-1 visa (same as CR-1 but for people who have been married more than 2 years when they emigrate). I had visited over 40 times before I moved here and had a job waiting for me. That definitely helped with settling in. I found frequent, short visits were better for me than a few long visits but we are all different and we all cope with this differently.

You can get engaged whenever you want. Engagement isn't a legal status, just a promise to marry. I would listen to the comments from those who have married whilst studying - not something I can advise on. This is my second marriage and I was 40 when we got married.

One thing I will say is, once the decision to leave the U.K. has been made, take time to really enjoy it. Also show your girlfriend the U.K. as much as you can. I wish my husband could see it but he has a lifetime ban so it's very unlikely to happen. He would love to go. I miss things on a regular basis but I have a lot of happy memories from the U.K. to keep me going.

Rete

Hi Kagaroar

It is admirable and speaks well for you that at the age of 17 you have the ability to think and plan for long range goals. I'm sure with your attitude and abilities you will do well in whatever field or enterprise you undertake.

Now that you have gotten the basics of the two visa types open to you and your USC love interest , you can set this aside and get on with the business of furthering your education and experience life in the UK and in the US on visits that you will be making.

Whether you attend college/university in the US or the UK is up to you. The US schooling will be quite expensive and might well be outside of your means at the beginning. But with determination and perseverance, you might be able get a part time job, save for one year of schooling in the State in a place close to your love and then return to the UK to finish school. Her road is a long and hard one and with her goal of obtaining a medical degree, she will have little time for a personal life. Even more so after graduation while she does her internship.

If the love is there now, and continues to be nurtured over the years, you two will be able to overcome these obstacles and enjoy a happy life together in another 5 or 6 years. Take it from a grandmother, life is never always easy but life is about living and striving for our dreams. Enjoy life and keep an eye on the future but never lose sight of the present. The present is all you have with certainty.

FWIW, there is someone here with the name MASTA who is here on a student visa. Not sure they are here on a full or partial scholarship but you might want to read his posts. Apparently, like yourself, he is in love with an American, and has chosen to attend college in the US to be near her. He might have some words of wisdom for you in your quest for scholarships and obtaining a student visa.

bewildering

Medicine is a postgraduate degree in the USA. Your girlfriend will need to complete 4 years of undergraduate pre-med biology before starting another 4 years of Medical School. Also, because of the competition for places, many students take a year to study for the MCAT, which is the entrance exam for medical school. Then there are another roughly 3-4 years of residency (training in a specialty). Becoming an MD in the USA is a long, long process. The whole system is utterly bonkers.