Rhyd87

Hi all, thank you for taking the time to help

I am new to this forum, I have had a search through previous threads but not found the answers, so my apologies if this has been discussed multiple times.

I am struggling to see a way to live and work in the USA other than a marriage route. I have been dating my girlfriend for 6 months now. She is a US citizen. We met whilst traveling and continued our relationship after we returned home ( I'm British ). We have been meeting every four weeks so far, with myself flying to the states. This has been working well. She is looking to start school again with a course lasting around two years. Studying in the US is in her best interests, we have looked at other countries. With limited time out of study we will have large gaps beween when we meet. Around 6-8 weeks.

Is there a way I can live in the USA with her and work? From my understanding this is very hard. I see a strong future together however I don't feel marriage is right for us today considering we have only been dating 6 months, although not out of the question in 6-12 months time.

If we did marry can she live in the UK if we chose to do so? What if the relationship didn't work, would I be required to surender my visa and leave the US? It's a large commitment to built and new life and have to leave.

I am 30 she is 26. My only qualifications are I hold a UK and Australian truck licence ( not something I'd like as a long term career ) my main income has been through importing electronics to the UK from the USA, although brexit exchange rates have lowered my income. My other qualification is very niche to the European inflatable industry, which would be of no use anywhere other than the UK. Any move to the USA would require me to take a paid job.

Any advise would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for your time
Robert

Jerseygirl

Welcome to BE.

Please note this forum is for questions re US visas and citizenship. I recommend you repost your questions about your girlfriend moving to the UK here...

Citizenship/Passports and Spouse/Family Visas (UK) - British Expats

Good luck.

Noorah101

Hi Robert,

Read our Wiki link called "Pulaski's Ways". It lists all the ways into the USA. See if any have potential and then come on back to discuss.

Basically, from what you've told us so far, I don't see a clear path to living and working in the USA anytime soon, other than marriage. My advice is to continue long distance until you feel ready for marriage.

Rene

Twinkle0927

It takes many months for a marriage visa to be processed so if marriage is something that is right for 12 months down the line, then it could be a consideration. Realistically it's your best option. Possibly your only option.

There are certain requirements for foreigners to move to the U.K. - there are other forums to help with that. But it's likely she would be able to live in the U.K. as your wife.

If you move to the USA on a marriage visa and the marriage subsequently fails you may be able to stay. That depends on how long you've been married and whether you entered as a fiancé or a spouse. If you arrive as a fiancé and divorce before the adjustment of status is complete you would have to leave. But I don't know why you are thinking about that 6 months into a relationship. Perhaps you need to take time to get to know each other more.

Noorah101

Robert,

See this very similar thread: http://britishexpats.com/forum/us-im...ing-us-899852/

Rene

ian-mstm

This must be some new meaning of the phrase "large gaps". Some of the members here don't get to visit their SO for 6-10 months at a time... so 6-8 weeks is nothing!


Generally, there are 3 routes to the US: family-based, employment-based, and investment-based. If marriage is out, that leaves one of the other two. Unless you have a lot of money that you're willing to put at risk for a visa, then investment-based is out also. That leaves employment-based. So, either you find a US employer willing to sponsor you for a visa or you find a UK-based employer who has offices in the US (or wants to open a new office in the US) and who is willing to transfer you!

A temporary solution would be a student visa - but that'll be very expensive... not the visa so much, but the international tuition cost.

Many people find this link helpful.


Yes - assuming you're eligible to sponsor her.


Perhaps, but not usually.

Ian

KK85

The shortest period my husband and I have spent apart is eleven weeks! The longest was a big, fat ten months. It's a bummer, but you get used to it!

Welcome to BE, Robert! I (among several here) am currently going through the spouse visa application process - CR-1, specifically (i.e. we got married, I returned to the UK and then we started the visa application process; as opposed to the K-1 visa, which would see you travel to the States to then get married and adjust status while remaining in the US). You're in good company here if you do decide to pursue either of these routes, with plenty of people on hand to guide you.

You mentioned a couple of times that your priority is to live 'and work' in the US, and that any move would require you to take a paid job. If you can't afford (or don't want) to be out of work for a period of time, you might prefer the CR-1 visa over the K-1 visa, as with the CR-1 you'll be eligible to work in the USA as soon as you arrive. With the K-1, once you're married, you'll be stuck in your new home for likely a handful of months (I hear the average is three? Though it varies) before your EAD (employment authorisation document) is processed and you are eligible to work.

It does sound as though the alternative visa options might not be relevant to you, or at least might be more expensive or complicated compared to the spouse visa route. I wish you luck in making a decision! Six months isn't the longest of times to be dating before committing to marriage, so I understand the hesitation. You and your partner know what is best for you. May I just say, though... if she is going to be studying for a couple of years, it might be in your/her best interests to be visiting and keeping up the long-distance for just a little while longer. I was mid-way through a degree when my husband and I married and started the CR-1 process, and the process (not to mention the emotional element of it) was very distracting and sometimes quite an unwelcome stress. I made it through! But it can be quite a lot to have on your plate all at once, especially such early days into a relationship.

Twinkle0927

We had gaps of around 6 or 7 weeks but I work for an airline and could see him for a few days either whilst I was working or during my down time and shifting things around and flying standby. We were the exception with that frequency, rather than the norm. Due to various health issues and changes in company policies we went through a gap of 8 months before I moved here. It was very hard but didn't kill us. And looking back I'm glad I spent a long period in the U.K. before I left to get everything done that I wanted to do there, say goodbye to aging relatives, revisit old haunts, go out with friends, take trips to see national treasures such as Stonehenge and the Lake District, went up to Scotland for a week with an old friend from Germany who is now married to a Scot. That sort of thing. I call it my British overdose. Stuffed my face with all my favourite treats, watched Victoria Wood DVDs, laughed until I cried, took thousands of photos, went out with work colleagues on a Wednesday night and came home Monday morning. It was a wonderful time.

KK85

I love this, and I am doing exactly the same thing.

I finished uni two weeks ago, so left Cardiff and am now back in my hometown (in Somerset) to see out my final few months as a UK resident. It is quite poignant to be spending them in the same place I was born - I kind of feel like I'm book-ending my life in the UK, if you will. Much as I miss my husband and feel very much like I'm in limbo-land at the moment, I'm considering it an opportunity to do much the same as you did. I'm seeing old friends, visiting old, familiar places, I'm even working two jobs alongside either of my parents at the moment, which is keeping me busy, but a great opportunity to spend some more time with each of them before I'm gone! My husband suggested I take lots of photographs of 'home'. I didn't really understand the suggestion until I got here. Suddenly I find myself compiling an album of photos that represent so much of my life - childhood until now - and it will be such a treasure to take with me and look back on.

To the OP, this is all stuff worth considering when making your decision. Leaving your life behind and starting a new one is very exciting, but there's also a sweetness in embracing the time you do have at home, while you still have the chance. Your partner will still be there waiting for you at the end of it all, and the long waits in between don't have to be terrible.

LondonSquirrel

Hello. I'm one of the many Brits on here who married an American many years ago after spending relatively little time with my spouse. Like we decided to get married after he had gone back from his first visit to London. In our case, he ended up moving to the UK and is now a dual US/UK citizen. (For some, that's the ultimate goal, since if you have kids they'll most likely be dual, and it's good for all the family to have the same citizenships. Fyi it takes 3 years of permanent residence in America (less 90 days) for the Briton to get US citizenship and 5 years residence in the UK for the American to get UK citizenship. Citizenship is best since in both countries permanent residence usually expires after a couple of years of not living there).

The one thing I will say that struck me from your post, is your frequent visits to the USA, presumably on an ESTA. There's nothing wrong with it per se, and if you have good ties to home, you probably won't have any problems getting allowed into the US. But if I were you, I would consider getting your girlfriend to visit you in the UK too. Besides if you're going to hopefully get married eventually you'll want her to meet your family and friends, right?

Welcome.

scrubbedexpat099

Marriage seems the only way for either route.