Songbird

Thank you both Glad to be able to offer up some help (even more glad that I didn't get it totally wrong! LoL )

JaMbers

songbird, thank you so much!! it DOES feel daunting,
but i know we can and must do it, and we will. it IS
a lot easier knowing there are friendly, helpful people.

and thank you to *everyone*, i think i love you all..

the power supply unit on our computer failed, i've been using my mothers/grandmothers computer,
so i won't be around much for a few days. once i can get it sorted out i will return, but rest assured
i am reading every post and will continue to do so, as will my husband once our own computer is back
in business. this means so much to us, and to have people truly want to help vs. bashing you is great.

ri_mischief

What area are you in? Sounds like if there is a pro-bono lawyer there it would be really worth a consultation (as a previous poster suggested) even if it's only to check that you filled the forms in correctly once you get that far.

Songbird

Awww sweetie you are VERY welcome!

Your post really touched me - it takes a lot for someone to open up on a public board. Dealing with immigration can be VERY scary and taking the step to actually get it over with is not easy especially when its been so long. Like I said you are in VERY safe hands here. My knowledge is limited BUT there is a wealth of experience available to you here that people will be only to glad to share

If ever you feel the need to chat / off-load / or just want to touch bases then feel free to pm me

farmerwife

Try your local public library?
Ours has internet access - no charge; and printing off copies of info ( such as Songbird detailed for you, or USCIS stuff), is often free for for a few pages or 10 cents a page after that.

JaMbers

Hi everyone, we have a new power supply unit in now, so I will be back more often again..and since we can use our own computer now, my husband may join in as well. We now have all the paperwork we need in hand, but are still questioning staying. Thank you again for all your help

meauxna

Welcome back

Please don't file anything just yet--you don't know what you do need to file and what not.

Have you made a list of what you filed, when, and what the responses were from USCIS?

You may want to know about USCIS' Fee Waiver program and how they determine eligibility:

USCIS Fee Waiver Guidance

ian-c

staying where ??? what area ??

Folinskyinla

Hi:

Which confirms that they are NOT exempt from the filing fees. The idea is that if one is going to have show financial eligiblity to adjust, they need to pay the filing fee.

JaMbers

Hi everyone..have not filed anything yet-no money to. We are going to ask a family member about help with that if we can. I have been job hunting with no sucess..even at fast food places, and from what I've been hearing through the grapevine is that no one can seem to get a job in this area lately. I'm not sure what to do about sponsership at this rate. About staying, what I meant was that it is still possible we will end up in England after all. Who knows?? We sure would like to know, sooner rather than later, but right now things are so with how to get it all sorted out and done with.

Not to mention we have a family member that we live with (as I've mentioned before, my G/M & mother..the person in question is my mother) threatning to try to take our children if we step foot out of this house..she is not stable, mentally ie paranoia, and she rages. She would deny these things but it is the truth. She also has made nasty accusations against my husband (which she has done to others, then realized her error and boo hooed about how horrible she was to say it..my grandfather, she did it to him as well. But she is turning right around and doing the same thing again. the problem with it is, even though we are innocent, I don't want to be seperated from them for even a little while as it's being looked into. One man was seperated from his little girl for a long time because they said he broke her bones..while she suffered with poor care in foster care, they struggled to prove she had a genetic bone disease, which she did and they got her back, but it was hell being away from her as I'm sure you can imagine. I don't want that to happen to us.) Soo ANYWAY, my mother is obsessed with my son and says she could care less if we leave..myself, my husband, and our daughter..as long as we leave him with her. HA, as if that would *ever* happen!! :curse:

I'm a bit sick of our life story feeling like a made for TV movie and having to live with the bad guy, or gal in our case . A comment my husband and I make to each other very often is "I just want this to be over"..we just want our paperwork DONE or for us to be GONE and have it all squared away, plus not having to deal with crazy/mean family members any longer. It's too much.

Noorah101

Hi Jambers,

The kids are yours, right? Does your mom have any legal custody of them? If not, she has no power to do anything. At this point in time, it seems like the best thing to do for your family (husband and kids) is to return to the UK and have a nice settled life over there, away from your other family drama. I think it takes about a month or so to get immigrant visas to the UK for you and the kids. It's expensive, though, so you'll still have to dig up money to do that. But, once you have the visas, you can just leave...you don't need your mom's permission, unless she has some kind of legal tie to the kids. You might need proof from the kids' father to remove them from the USA, though.

The only immigration thing you mentioned in your post was the lack of funds to file his AOS. Did you manage to find a joint sponsor? Unfortunately, without that, you'll just have to keep waiting....or seriously consider moving the family to the UK.

Best Wishes,
Rene

Bluegrass Lass

Jambers, have you tried contacting Catholic Charities? I've heard that they can sometimes help monetarily. I don't know if they can provide the funds for AOS, but it doesn't hurt to look into it. To raise the money for AOS, I would suggest looking at every item that you own, determine if you need it, and find ways to sell it off. Find any way you can to earn some income, even if it means cutting people's grass, recycling aluminum cans, or doing odd chores for neighbors/friends - start racking your brains trying to come up with ways you can bring in enough money for the AOS.

You will need to get the joint sponsor worked out before applying though (I think you already know that).

I know you've talked about returning to the UK, but how would you even get there? If you can't raise $1000 for the AOS, then how are you going to afford the visa for you (and maybe the kids?) and not to mention plane tickets, and getting yourself a place to live over there? As much as you may want to return to the UK, I would weigh up the costs of moving there, versus getting things settled here.

I wish I had suggestions for how to handle your mom. No offense, but she sounds positively loony.

Tracym

Isn't there likely to be a similar problem moving to the UK?

I thought you had to be able to support a wife and kids over there too, for them to be granted a visa - so wouldn't that be a possible problem?

Apparently requirements include:
- You can support yourself and any dependants without help from public funds
- You have adequate accomodation where you and your dependants can live without help from public funds

http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/uk...ecivilpartner/

And if he moves back there ahead of her and the children to first get a job and accomodation (a job that can support four people) - he'd now have a 10 year ban I believe, so if anything went wrong they could be separated...

LynannC

Hi

I'm so sorry to hear that you are still in this nightmare. To come here to the UK your marriage settlement visa currently costs £515 (about $1030), then you would have the cost of airfares for all four of you. (Plus would you need to get passports, or do you already have them?) I know it must seem like there is no end in sight right now, but it looks like it would be cheaper to file for the AOS Stateside.

Perhaps your father in law could help you find a way to fund the filing of the AOS, as at least once your husband has his EAD he can then work and start saving a deposit for your own home.

Wish I could offer more practical suggestions, but all I can suggest is either selling some things you don't vitally need right now, or finding a way to earn some extra money.

Best of luck

Lyn

Tracym

It appears to me that he would not qualify to bring his family to the UK. He is not settled there, does not have an income, does not have accomodation. Unless there's something I'm missing.