jamiedan

Hi there,

My wife and I have just discovered she's pregnant with our first child during my application for a spousal visa. I am currently waiting for my interview at the London embassy and we were planning to move at some point during January by which time she'll be half way through the pregnancy.

My worry is with the cost of the pregnancy. Obviously if we stay here in the UK we can have it for free. But I'm worried that no insurance companies in the US will take us on as she's already pregnant and then would we be left to meet an expensive hospital bill?

Does anyone have any experience/knowledge of this? We are planning on moving to California although my wife's parents are in Arizona so this is an option for the pregnancy too.

Thanks,
James

avanutria

If it were me I would wait until after the pregnancy - but be aware that financial requirements will change for a family of three, and if you cannot meet them with your assets/sponsors then that may be a factor to consider.

Noorah101

You can ask to postpone your interview date, plus you have 6 months after you receive the visa in which to enter the USA. Might want to consider having the baby in the UK.

avanutria brings up a good point about needing a new I-864 after the baby is born, unless the baby will be a USC at birth. In which case, the baby will need a US passport to get into the USA.

Rene

fatbrit

The cost of a US birth is going to be far more expensive that doing the airfare twice. I hope you're doing an immigrant visa? It's valid for 6 months, generally, from the date of issue.

Get your calendar out and plot carefully to see if you can fit in a weekend in NY after you get the visa. Your wife has to be in a suitable state that the airline will fly her. On entry to the US, you're a PR....but you can return to the UK for a while. So, go back to the UK and do the sprog stuff courtesy of the NHS. It's best if you return to the US within 6 months, but up to 12 months should be doable if necessary. It's irrelevant when your wife and sprog return.

meauxna

Just to clarify that, the USC spouse must enter with or ahead of him *on that first trip with the Immigrant Visa*.

avanutria

Even if the baby will be USC at birth, it'll still increase their household size from 2 to 3, thus changing the 125% poverty rate amount that they'll have to present.

Noorah101

Oh yes, you're right. Duh. Thanks.

jamiedan

Ok. On entry to the US on the first occasion with my permanent residancy, do I not have to stay for a certain time?

I think the baby will be due in June. I think we will have the Visa by the end of the year. Could we fly to the US in January....if I can find a job pronto, I'll have an insurance policy through work which would mean we would not suffer through pre-existing conditions. If I failed to find a job by say the end of March (6 months pregnant), could we then fly back to the UK and have the baby in England?

If we did this second option, how do we then get the baby back into the US? My wife is the American if that makes any difference...

AmerLisa

Do you really want to go with "if you find a job pronto" to count on your wife having medical coverage for her pregnancy? I think a lot of jobs may also make you wait 90 days to gain medical coverage. And what if she has problems before that? What if she couldn't fly back? Then you're left with a huge medical bill. I'd go with what everyone else is saying. Have the baby there and then make your plans.

avanutria

Has your wife said what she would rather do?

I would not count on finding a job pronto - at least not one that pays ANYTHING for health care. Took me 9 months, and although I got the job in August and started in September my cover doesn't kick in until October.

fatbrit

You can catch the next flight back if you want. But you might as well make a weekend of it.

Your wife should naturalize as a UK citizen if she qualifies.

Why not just plan a week or weekend in NYC/Boston/Orlando in late February and then go back to your life in England. Plan to make the real trip to a new life in August or so when the baby's a couple of months old.

fatbrit

You've said nothing so far to suggest the kid won't be a USC.

Has your wife ever lived in the US?
If so, for how long?

jamiedan

I should have said that I have a meeting set up with a prospective employer as soon as we get there (Los Angeles)...this was expected to be in January. I think there is a reasonable chance that it will lead to a job but obviously there are no guarantees. I could go there, see if a job comes from it and if so we make the move, if not we return to the UK.

My wife is keen to make the move asap, we both are, as that is what we had planned. But obviously we don't want to risk our baby's health or massive bills.

Regardless of the above, it would seem to make sense to enter the Country before the pregnancy, then the Visa issue is all clarified. We can then return to the US when the baby is old enough, hopefully just by my wife registering the birth with the London embassy. My wife has lived in the US all her life apart from the last 3 years where she's been studying in London.

AmerLisa

As far as I know your wife and you would register the birth at the US Embassy and then apply for US passport while there. I don't think its changed too much in the last nine years.....but I could be wrong.

Best wishes on your upcoming new addition, btw.

AmerLisa

Absolutely agree with this!