Sheepdip

Register with Foreign Office LOCATE service: -

http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/travel-and-...ng-safe/Locate

Gary Hipperson

That sounds like a great Idea!! But I thought that they had stopped issuing Dual Citizenships to people, that you had to have one or the other?

Bob

No, you can hold more than one citizenship. The US will just treat you as a US citizen.

The UK couldn't care a farts whisker.

Some countries don't allow dual citizenship, some others such as Germany make you jump through hoops first before getting a second citizenship.

meauxna

"They" don't issue anything. I am a dual citizen by luck of birth; both countries consider me their citizen. My spouse is a citizen of the UK by his birth and of the US by naturalizing. Both countries consider him 'theirs' but the US is grabbier.

JAJ

It should be IR-1 if you are married more than 2 years.

gnasher12

I am just starting to think about all this stuff. just have a few questions on what i think i need to do.

1. keeping one bank account, and closing others i wont be using. - good idea?

2. sending a P85 with my past p60 and pay slips for previous years I think i paid too much tax.

3. closing mobile phone accounts, changing addresses with some companies, getting them to go to a u.k address - somewhere safe stuff can be sent to

and lastly what happens if you dont call anyone about your student loan?

so many people i know have gone travelling or left, and not said anything to student loans company, I didnt even think of it. infact i dont think i have heard from them since 2009!

Bob

If the banks don't have a problem with you not being resident, keep them all open.

P-85 is certainly easier sorting out before you leave.

Student loans, depends when you got the loan, usually have to annually let them know if you aren't resident of the UK though.

Gary Hipperson

Okay any more info on this? our application has been ongoing for 2 years so if you could explain a bit more would be helpful!

meauxna

They are both Immigrant Visas and you don't choose which one you apply for; the distinction is only how long you have been married when the visa is issued (and you are applying for a K-3 at last look, which is a different kettle of fish altogether).

If you are having troubles with your visa application (2 years?) please post about that in the marriage based visa forum.

Gary Hipperson

we arnt having any troubles, its just taken us a long time to sort it out, and get things going, one factor being money

meauxna

Ah, well it's been a while since you posted over there; check in sometime.
And you didn't tell us how the Landmark evening was; hope you enjoyed it.

rpjs

If you've been married to your USC wife for a full two years or more when your visa is granted it will be an IR-1 visa, not a CR-1 visa. The difference is that with a CR (Conditional Resident) visa, you are only a conditional Permanent Resident, and two years after you move to the US you will need to file for removal of conditions and show you're still married (or if not show that the marriage and your immigration to the US was in good faith).

If you qualify for the IR (Immediate Relative) visa then your Permanent Resident status once you arrive in the US is unconditional, and your Green Card will be good for 10 years, and even then will be automatically renewable so long as you kept up your US residency (assuming you've not taken US citizenship once you qualify for it).

So the IR visa is much better if you qualify for it, and if you do you will get it automatically - you don't need to ask at your interview.

I understand that if you don't quite meet the two year requirement when you get the visa, but pass the two year mark before you emigrate, then you can point this out to the border agent when you arrive in the US on your visa, and ask to be admitted as an IR-1, but they have the discretion to only admit you as a CR-1 if they chose.

Gary Hipperson

Okay So thats some good info, We did originally filed for a K-3 2 years ago but while our application was in the first stages of processing, they changed things and our attorneys said that we will be now filling for the CR-1, and that my with this my green card will be issued a couple of months after I enter the states, and that we wouldnt have to file for change of status if I can remember correctly.

rpjs

In practice, your Green Card should only take a few weeks to arrive after you do (mine took exactly three weeks last month). But you will have Green Card *status* from the moment you're admitted: your visa + the immigration entry stamp in your passport act as a temporary Green Card until the actual one arrives in the mail.

HarryTheSpider

Hi Gary

One thing you may also wish to consider is signing up with one of the UK credit reference agencies alert services - you get an email every time there is a change to your UK credit file - searches, changes of address etc - it costs about £7 a month. While in the US you don't want your UK identity nicked - you'd have a nasty shock if you returned...!

It's peace of mind.

Do the same in the US too - it's way easier for card and ID fraud to happen here, and judging by the experience of a work colleague, it's a real stressful nightmare to sort it out in the UK - even more so if you are in the US, and a whole new level of stress if your US credit and ID gets hacked...

Oh - the P85 tax rebate when you leave your UK job - send it in as soon as you get your P45 - they seem to respond within 10 days with the rebate - can be paid via BACS.

And do keep a bank account or 2 in the UK, especially one you can manage on-line.

The other thing to make sure is that all your UK utility bills, cable/Sky/mobile etc are closed down fully before you leave - don't make the mistake we did of sending a letter in 1 month before we left (as per contract terms) - it seems every organisation took the opportunity that we were going overseas and therefore a little more distracted or 'vulnerable' to get awkward - particularly the mobile phone and cable people...

Good luck

Cheers

Harry