jgirl1972

Does anybody know if the British embassy will assist with the cost of returning to the UK?
I am married to a US citizen but my status expired some time ago (and so did my British passport). The marriage has been rocky from the get go with various different incidents including one where he was arrested and charged with domestic violence. The charges were later dropped by the police and we got back togethor to "work on our marriage". In the most recent incident I found a string of emails between him and women on the casual encounters section of craigs list arranging meetings. I am desperately unhappy and just want to get home at this point. As I have no status I obviously have no income and as he is the sole wage earner I have no money to pay for a flight. I am not sure if I would even be allowed to board a plane with an expired passport. I have no family to help either here or in the UK and I am increasingly desperate. Hoping somebody here can help with advice.

Jerseygirl

They will but they expect you to pay it back.

Noorah101

I take it you don't have a credit card, or are not listed as a card holder on any of his credit cards?

Rene

jgirl1972

No I don't have a credit card they are all in his name.

Noorah101

...and you are not an authorized user on any of the cards, right?

Do you have access to a checking or savings account? Is there enough in there for a flight home?

Rene

jgirl1972

No I have no access to anything he doesn't give me - a position he has been very keen to maintain. One of the issues has always been control. We have been married for several years and yet never filed because apparently we "couldn't afford the filing fees". I am beginning to think my best bet may be to move out to a womens shelter and try to work with the embassy from there as once I have left I will not be able to feed myself.

fatbrit

One thing to mention is that going home is not your only option. If you want to stay and have residency with permission to work that may also be possible. However, once you leave you relinquish that option, and will be barred from returning to the US for many years.

Just putting it on the table for you to consider.

If you're definitely going home, contact the embassy and they'll repatriate you. I'm sure they'll whine and winge a lot.....but they will get you home.

jgirl1972

I don't want to leave the country but I am not understanding how I could stay with no income, no right to work and no access to unemloyment benefits.

Jerseygirl

This thread may help answer your questions about travelling using an expired UK PP. If you require help with repatriation I think you need to contact your nearest British Consulate office.

fatbrit

It might be possible to get you residency with permission to work.

You need to contact Catholic Charities if you're interested in pursuing this. You don't need to be a Catholic to get their help.

If you're interested in doing your own research on whether it may be possible, Google VAWA.

jgirl1972

OK this is extremely helpful. Thankyou. I will contact the Catholic Charities and see where I am at. It has made a real difference to get some advice and just not to feel so alone with this.

Jerseygirl

It must be tough being in a strange country with no family to help you either side of the pond. Good luck.

Bob

You don't say where you are, but if in Boston area, well New England -

http://www.britcharity.org/About/WhoWeAssist.htm

I'm sure there are other charities who might be able to help out.

jgirl1972

Thankyou Bob. I have emailed the secretary to see if there are any similar organisations working in my part of the US
Don't want to seem cagey about not revealing my location but I really don't need him to smell a rat any sooner than necessary and as such am remaining as anonymous as I can for as long as I can.
Thankyou again.

iray

The consulate will help you speak to friends and family in the UK and try and get them to assist with getting you money wired here to get you home. What they won't do is give you money and say "Here you go, don't worry about it". Someone else mentioned that if they give you money, they will expect it back. In actual fact, they will require you to sign an "Undertaking To Repay" which basically entails you giving the Consulate your passport, them giving you a loan and an emergency travel document, good for a one way journey to the UK, and until you have paid back any funds you owe you will not be issued a new passport.

As others have mentioned, if you want to stay here, best to contact the Catholic Charities or read up on VAWA.

Good luck.