Immigration w mental illness
Jul 23rd 2008, 9:04 pm
#1
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Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 5
Immigration w mental illness
My fiancee and I would like to get married (obviously). He is a UK resident and I am a US resident. He would like to settle in the US with me for at least the next 5 years. I am a US teacher and so I would prefer to stay in the school I am working in now rather than relocate to the UK.
The clincher is, my boyfriend has been being treated for the last 15 years or so for mental illness (Despression and Anxiety - possible mild bipolar) and has tried to commit suicide a few times (all before we were together). He is a wonderful guy and treats me beautifully and we HAVE lived together for 6 months at a time under visitors visas (before anyone suggests that marrying is a bad idea because we don't "know" each other). He is currently recieving incapacitation befefit from the UK system and is in the process of reentering the work force. We are looking at this (immigation) as a long term plan - within the next 2 years.
I am wondering if anyone else has gone through this. Once married he could get my health insurance and continue his treament here in America and we are working to get the blessings of his psychiatrists. He dilligently goes through his trement, takes his meds and is REALLY working to be as "good" (notice the quotations) as society expects him to be. Not to mention the fact that he would never be a burden on the public dole as I make more than enough money to support the two of us on my own.
Are we working on a pipe dream here? Is the only way for us to be together for me to give up YEARS of teaching at the same school and a stable life I would love to share and uproot for the UK to be together?
Personally I think the prejudice against the mentally ill is absurd and makes one wonder how we expect people to get treatment to get better if they know they are going to be punished for not being "perfect". Mental illness does not make someone a bad person.
The clincher is, my boyfriend has been being treated for the last 15 years or so for mental illness (Despression and Anxiety - possible mild bipolar) and has tried to commit suicide a few times (all before we were together). He is a wonderful guy and treats me beautifully and we HAVE lived together for 6 months at a time under visitors visas (before anyone suggests that marrying is a bad idea because we don't "know" each other). He is currently recieving incapacitation befefit from the UK system and is in the process of reentering the work force. We are looking at this (immigation) as a long term plan - within the next 2 years.
I am wondering if anyone else has gone through this. Once married he could get my health insurance and continue his treament here in America and we are working to get the blessings of his psychiatrists. He dilligently goes through his trement, takes his meds and is REALLY working to be as "good" (notice the quotations) as society expects him to be. Not to mention the fact that he would never be a burden on the public dole as I make more than enough money to support the two of us on my own.
Are we working on a pipe dream here? Is the only way for us to be together for me to give up YEARS of teaching at the same school and a stable life I would love to share and uproot for the UK to be together?
Personally I think the prejudice against the mentally ill is absurd and makes one wonder how we expect people to get treatment to get better if they know they are going to be punished for not being "perfect". Mental illness does not make someone a bad person.
Jul 23rd 2008, 9:10 pm
#2
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Joined: Apr 2003
Location: Phoenix, Arizona
Posts: 58,679
Re: Immigration w mental illness
As long as he's continuing treatment, I don't see this as an obstacle to his US immigration. He should get a detailed and optomistic report written up by his own doctor(s) so he can show the USCIS doctor when it comes time for his visa medical.
Rene
Rene
Jul 23rd 2008, 9:14 pm
#3
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Joined: Dec 2007
Location: Kansas, USA
Posts: 2,620
Re: Immigration w mental illness
My fiancee and I would like to get married (obviously). He is a UK resident and I am a US resident. He would like to settle in the US with me for at least the next 5 years. I am a US teacher and so I would prefer to stay in the school I am working in now rather than relocate to the UK.
The clincher is, my boyfriend has been being treated for the last 15 years or so for mental illness (Despression and Anxiety - possible mild bipolar) and has tried to commit suicide a few times (all before we were together). He is a wonderful guy and treats me beautifully and we HAVE lived together for 6 months at a time under visitors visas (before anyone suggests that marrying is a bad idea because we don't "know" each other). He is currently recieving incapacitation befefit from the UK system and is in the process of reentering the work force. We are looking at this (immigation) as a long term plan - within the next 2 years.
I am wondering if anyone else has gone through this. Once married he could get my health insurance and continue his treament here in America and we are working to get the blessings of his psychiatrists. He dilligently goes through his trement, takes his meds and is REALLY working to be as "good" (notice the quotations) as society expects him to be. Not to mention the fact that he would never be a burden on the public dole as I make more than enough money to support the two of us on my own.
Are we working on a pipe dream here? Is the only way for us to be together for me to give up YEARS of teaching at the same school and a stable life I would love to share and uproot for the UK to be together?
Personally I think the prejudice against the mentally ill is absurd and makes one wonder how we expect people to get treatment to get better if they know they are going to be punished for not being "perfect". Mental illness does not make someone a bad person.
The clincher is, my boyfriend has been being treated for the last 15 years or so for mental illness (Despression and Anxiety - possible mild bipolar) and has tried to commit suicide a few times (all before we were together). He is a wonderful guy and treats me beautifully and we HAVE lived together for 6 months at a time under visitors visas (before anyone suggests that marrying is a bad idea because we don't "know" each other). He is currently recieving incapacitation befefit from the UK system and is in the process of reentering the work force. We are looking at this (immigation) as a long term plan - within the next 2 years.
I am wondering if anyone else has gone through this. Once married he could get my health insurance and continue his treament here in America and we are working to get the blessings of his psychiatrists. He dilligently goes through his trement, takes his meds and is REALLY working to be as "good" (notice the quotations) as society expects him to be. Not to mention the fact that he would never be a burden on the public dole as I make more than enough money to support the two of us on my own.
Are we working on a pipe dream here? Is the only way for us to be together for me to give up YEARS of teaching at the same school and a stable life I would love to share and uproot for the UK to be together?
Personally I think the prejudice against the mentally ill is absurd and makes one wonder how we expect people to get treatment to get better if they know they are going to be punished for not being "perfect". Mental illness does not make someone a bad person.
Jul 23rd 2008, 10:17 pm
#4
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 35,082
Re: Immigration w mental illness
Another vote for 'don't despair'.
Plenty of people with depression, anxiety and past suicide attempts have successfully immigrated to the US. As noted, he'll need a positive review from his current doc and evidence of insurance coverage from your insurance company will help. He'll need to answer the medical questions honestly, but these docs have heard it all.
Plenty of people with depression, anxiety and past suicide attempts have successfully immigrated to the US. As noted, he'll need a positive review from his current doc and evidence of insurance coverage from your insurance company will help. He'll need to answer the medical questions honestly, but these docs have heard it all.
Jul 23rd 2008, 10:35 pm
#8
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 35,082
Re: Immigration w mental illness
We recognize our own.
(must be the scent)
Thanks for dropping by!
Jul 24th 2008, 1:02 pm
#13
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Joined: Jan 2008
Location: Liverpool to Batavia
Posts: 270
Re: Immigration w mental illness
I was suffering from depression during my immigration process ( I'd been caring for my mother who had Alzheimers for several years before her death last Oct and it took a lot out of me )..
I took a letter from my doctor to my medical and the doctor who did my examination said that it was exactly what the immigration services were looking for. My GP wrote that I was being treated for depression and that I was not a danger to myself or to others.
He also stated that he could only offer his opinion to the USCIS regarding my condition and that they could ask for me to see a specialist in mental illness .......... but they never did
Good Luck
Paul (off his medication and chilled out
)
I took a letter from my doctor to my medical and the doctor who did my examination said that it was exactly what the immigration services were looking for. My GP wrote that I was being treated for depression and that I was not a danger to myself or to others.
He also stated that he could only offer his opinion to the USCIS regarding my condition and that they could ask for me to see a specialist in mental illness .......... but they never did
Good Luck
Paul (off his medication and chilled out
)
Jul 24th 2008, 1:52 pm
#14
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Joined: Jan 2007
Location: NW Chicago suburbs
Posts: 11,253
Re: Immigration w mental illness
I was suffering from depression during my immigration process ( I'd been caring for my mother who had Alzheimers for several years before her death last Oct and it took a lot out of me )..
I took a letter from my doctor to my medical and the doctor who did my examination said that it was exactly what the immigration services were looking for. My GP wrote that I was being treated for depression and that I was not a danger to myself or to others.
He also stated that he could only offer his opinion to the USCIS regarding my condition and that they could ask for me to see a specialist in mental illness .......... but they never did
Good Luck
Paul (off his medication and chilled out )
I took a letter from my doctor to my medical and the doctor who did my examination said that it was exactly what the immigration services were looking for. My GP wrote that I was being treated for depression and that I was not a danger to myself or to others.
He also stated that he could only offer his opinion to the USCIS regarding my condition and that they could ask for me to see a specialist in mental illness .......... but they never did
Good Luck
Paul (off his medication and chilled out
)What you're talking about is a situatinoal depression - not a big deal (from a medical standpoint).
The OPs fiance has a more serious mental disorder with associated harmful behaviour (suicide attempts). He is also currently disabled by it (which raises public charge considerations). If he is bipolar, that is a condition that is not cured generally, but requires long-term medication.
They will probably look at him a bit more closely than they did you (and rightly so). The key thing is likely to be how long ago the harmful behaviour occurred AND if it is judged likely to recur.
I would suspect that they would want him evaluated by a psychiatrist.