jedimark01978

Turning into a nightmare here in louisiana, only recently received my green card/social security card etc after nearly 2 years of waiting with immigration... my plan was to set up a new concrete business like the one I had in wales but my US wife lost her job basically when I got here and as such I have been paying all the bills and her college debts since then from my savings account in the uk... she has exhausted all her benefit claim which was nothing to brag about but it did help out with the baby stuff etc etc... My wife is also struggling to find work and she has a masters degree.. and now my savings are virtually gone... I must have applied for over 200 jobs over the last 3 weeks and not even one reply.. I hate claiming any such gov. benefits but now is the time I need some help... does anyone know if there are any available here for me to claim? my wife say's there are non unless I have been working before to claim unemployment insurance benefits? is this the case... surely there must be some financial help here for me.... if not I guess i'll have to come back to the uk and find work...? I have been getting i'll as of late and I cant even afford to pay the doctors here the $70 dollar fee just to see them never mind the medication fees... so what I am asking is can I put in a claim for unemployment benefits and or some medical coverage "medicaid" just like all the foriegners can back home?

Noorah101

Unless you've been employed in the USA, you can't claim unemployment benefits, as that's something covered by your previous employer (the one who let you go or laid you off).

I don't know via what method you immigrated, but if it was via marriage to your USC wife, she filed an I-864 Affidavit of Support for you, which was to guarantee to the US Government that you won't be using means-tested benefits such as food stamps or welfare. Not sure if Medicaid or other medical benefits fall into that category. Your wife, as a USC, can claim benefits, though...she can get food stamps, etc, if under a certain level of household income. Also perhaps can qualify for housing assistance. Also, if the baby is a USC, I believe there are some medical type benefits there, for the baby. If YOU happen to get some kind of means-tested benefit after all, the government will go to your wife for repayment (or whoever did an I-864 for you...your wife, or a joint sponsor).

If you go back to the UK to work, you run the risk of abandoning your PR status, so might want to consult with an immigration attorney on how to best manage that route. You can apply for a re-entry permit (form I-131), which helps demonstrate that your stay abroad will be temporary, and it allows you to be outside the USA for up to 2 years, but it does not totally prevent abandonment of PR status. Being outside the USA can also affect when you are eligible for US Citizenship, so take that into consideration as well.

I know it's very difficult in this economy. I sympathize.

Rene

jedimark01978

Thanks for the quike reply noorah101, I was thinking maybe going back to the uk for maybe 3 months and go back into a management position.. relocation package available for the 3 months then come back to the US with some cash boosted into my uk account? I have not seen my family back in wales for nearly 2 years so would a 3 month spell there just be looked upon as a holiday to see family?

Giantaxe

Medicaid should be available to the wife and baby if their income is low enough. Pretty sure that as it's a means-tested benefit, the OP wouldn't be able to qualify, legally at least. Sadly, as many people are discovering, the social safety net in the US is flimsy at best.

SanDiegogirl

How do you expect to walk into a management role in the UK after being away from the UK for nearly 2 years? .... and by the sounds of it not working during that time?Have you not heard about the unemployment level in the UK?

I would say you can't afford to travel to the UK and your time would be better spent looking for a job here.

jedimark01978

One of my old companies I used to work for have recently sent a letter to my uk address asking if I would be available to come and do some consulting work for them for a min of 3 months with a relocation/rental home covered for that period!

jedimark01978

Thread can be closed now.... thanks

SanDiegogirl

Yeah .......

Mummy in the foothills

Then I'd probably go for it, you have nothing to lose and everything to lose here. Be aware after april the rules for taking your US spouse back with you will be changing, theres supposed to be a minimum income requirement like they have here, and it's quite high, so make up your mind sooner rather than later.

fatbrit

I wouldn't bother with these if money is tight. You can't get rid of them unless you're pushing up the daises, so the loan company is usually happy to suspend them for a while. Of course, they're still accumulating interest, but the rate is relatively low.

Michael

Emergency medicaid is available to immigrants and the government doesn't come after the sponsor. However emergency means that you must end up in the hospital or some life threating illness occurs.

Bob

You can only defer so many months though and it's not that much time within every 3 year period.

They might be willing to reduce the minimum payment though.

There might be charities who might be able to help.

http://www.thebritishsociety.org/ is a Brit charity to help Brits in New England, but there might be something similar down your way to help with some short term bills?

Mummy in the foothills

For student loans you may want to read about on here.
http://studentaid.ed.gov/PORTALSWebA...sh/IBRPlan.jsp
Apparently they will consolidate and make the payments based on income, so $0 income$0 payment some other parents were talking about it as it's new starting this year. Not applicable to my son who is paying his back now, but we have a friend looking into it for her grad who is still unemployed.

Squirrel

Don't forget if you go back, the baby doesn't need a visa, just get a British passport for him. You can get a UK Spouse visa for your wife in about a week if you are willing to pay an extra $300 expediting fee, and like others say, if you go this route, try to do so before 1st April when rules might change, and defo get the paperwork for permission to be outside the US for 2 years as normally only 1 is allowed. The money you spend on that document with be worth it not to have to do the US Immigration stuff for you again.