Duncs

Hi,

I am at the end hopefully of the application for a marriage based visa. My wife is a USC and has been studying in the UK. We are planning to go to Boston in the autumn.

I wondered about applying for work now should i try to get stuck in ahead of time or wait until arrival? I have no social security number until after i enter but would having the visa already be a big advantage?

We are not well off but as i am currenly unemployed in the UK and have been forced to give up my profession(barrister) because of debts can it get any worse?

regards,

Duncan

Patrick

Yes and No is the answer. Some companies will look at you before you arrive as long as they know you are going to get a SSN and visa others won't touch you with a barge pole.

I tried to apply for jobs before I arrived and noone would look at me because I had no visa. I have been here 3 months and only had one interview so it didn't really matter, saying that where I moved is a really small city - Boston is a huge city so you shouldn't have too much trouble.

You can't leave any debt behind in the UK if you are emmigrating - you know that don't you! A couple of easy ways to get on the Credit ladder in the US is to have an MBNA card in Europe and then get MBNA USA to give you a card based on your UK credit. Another is to buy a Ford and get Ford US get your credit history from Ford UK. If you have have debt in the UK or bad credit history these two things are not an option.


Patrick

NC Penguin

It's rather impractical to start your US job hunting whilst abroad. Regardless of the economic climate, few employers would be willing to a hold a position for you until the autumn.

In the meantime, there's plenty you can do to start your job hunting.

Do you intend to work in the legal profession in the US? If so, start researching about what you need to do to qualify to work as the equivalent of a barrister (attorney?) in the state of MA.

Regardless of the above, now's a good time to start working on creating a US resume. It's quite a lot different than a CV and if you do want to work in the legal profession, there may be some additional differences for a resume for the legal field.

You can also start reading about jobs in your profession of choice on the web. Find out about the local papers in Boston as well as national job websites. You'll start to get a feel for the salary range, the benefits and the locations where the jobs are based.



NC Penguin

frrussre

As the others have said, virtually impossible to find employment or even an apartment without being here.

Employers, don't have the time or need (Unemployment is fairly high) to recruit you by phone or long distance mail. They will not bother, if you are not actually here in USA with SSN. All the rest is a "Maybe you will get SSN/You will come to USA/What date you will arrive".
The same with apartments, usually best to stay with relatives, or a hotel/short term rental.
Good Luck.

Reg. Frank R.

Leaving UK with unpaid debts sounds very unwise. These things have a habit of biting you on the butt later up the road. All sounds like the stuff that made The Americas, people running from the cops & just ahead of the debt collectors.

Duncs

What do you mean by this? Do you mean its a bad idea (i know that already) but if i dont have it, i dont have it. Or do you mean that it will cause some particular problems in the US other than in relation to my capacity to get credit?

regards,

Duncan.

Patrick

If I remember correctly we had to show to the embassy that we are not leaving debt behind. The I-30 is an immigration visa so for all intends and purposes you are giving up residency in the UK and leaving your old life behind. If you do leave debt behind you still have to pay it off, if you don't they will catch hold of you somehow, there is no escape whatsoever.

When you get to the USA your credit is zero, you will need help to build it up, if you have left a trail of debt in the UK you have closed all the doors as far as companies cross checking with their UK affiliates (Ford, MBNA and Amex for example).

I really don't understand what your intentions are - if your going jump ship and run away from your debt then thats up to you (I won't judge) but it will make any plans to come back to the UK almost impossible. Your a barrister you should know all this. If your plan is to go to the US get a job and pay it off from a far it will cost you twice as much - it will cost you a fortune to transfer money and you will lose a lot in the exchange.

Patrick

Duncs

Not aware of any such requirement by the Embassy and nothing in the documentaion i received from them for my interview requests banking information so i am suprised that you had to provide any I hope thats not the case. Was it part of your i864 affidavit of support maybe? My wifes parents are sponsoring me financially so i have no financial information of my own to present.

I am not trying to evade my responsibilty and i know that debts are recoverable in the USA as well, although more trouble for the creditor to do this. I am endeavouring to negotiate a repayment agreement with all my creditors and if that fails i will opt for insolvency or bankruptcy. I have run up large debts as a consequence of an unsuccesfull attempt at self employment and lots of people defaulting on monies owed to me, i am not willing to sit around in the UK until its paid off. At least in the USA bankruptcy only lasts for certain length of time then people give you a second chance. In the UK its seems to ruin you for ever. If i am bankrupt i get disbarred. In the usa at least i can rebuild my credit so its a better option than the UK.

Its not a perfect position to be in and i wish i were entirely solvent but its just not going to happen. If i am lucky i will succeed in selling all assets and using them to at least settle my debts so i will get a new start in the USa. But either way life there has to better than here!

regards,

Duncan

Patrick

Hi Duncan,

I admire your honesty and hope that everything works out for you. I have been speaking to Ellen about out interview and how we showed we wouldn't be leaving debt and it was because we have joint bank account and had to show bank statements (and we can't remember if that was part of the i864 or not).

I wish you all the luck in the world. You will start from zero as far as credit concerned in the US, if your wife has a credit history you can piggyback on her to get your own credit history started.

Tips: get both your names on the utilities
get her to get a credit card and have you on there too
try to get a co sponsor for a car, you will pay through the roof on interest if you don't.
I doubt if you will be able to afford a house any time soon in Boston because they are really expensive (you have to go really far out to get anything for a decent price, even as far out as Natick your still paying $350,000 for a 2 bed cape) so make sure you get both your names on a lease.
When you get some sort of store card and use that build up your credit.

Good Luck and God Bless

Patrick

frrussre

Patrick, I was not sponsored. I was already married to a US Citizen in UK. Had sufficient funds & property to come to USA.

But as you said, I remember a form or question regarding debts in UK. Sure I signed something to that effect. Many years ago, but sounds familiar.
Reg. Frank R.
Hope you are having a good weekend, weather in NYC stinks wet & cold.

Patrick

Mine was I-130 as well. I am sure that we had to show that we would get rid of our debts but (like you) I can't remember if it was a form or a question (but we had our bank statements there).

Unfortunatly it was only mid 80's today and the beach was full of hotties (not that I noticed because I was with the wife). Tomorrow its more of the same, I hate living at the beach!

Patrick

You can have the last laugh though because I am going bald and did not put sun screen on the top of my head and now I look like a belisha beacon.

frrussre

Lifes a bitch and ya die. Glad you had a good time at the beach. Sorry about the noggin. I just got off the phone with Winter Pk, FL they are baking in sunshine.

17 years ago my wife said lets move to NYC for 3 months, then move on to my favorite place Florida. Guess what still in NYC.
Question, do you think I got scamed or what?

Frank R.
Ps. Maybe we will go out on a boat fishing manana. 50f should be warm enough.

darrenb

At our I-130 interview in Feb 2003 we were not required to show anything to prove we were not leaving debt behind. No bank statements were asked for (my wife and I have a joint account), no current financial supporting docs at all. The Embassy was only interested in the tax returns and most specifically the tax returns of my sister in law who acted as co-sponsor.

Good luck

Patrick

I thought you made a killing on your house, why do you need a sponsor? Did you show your going to make a killing on the house?

Patrick

darrenb

At the time we were not 100% sure whether would sell the house or not. We knew if we did we would make some money from it but as it was undecided at that time we went the co-sponsor route.

Patrick

I'm wondering if because you had a co-sponsor thats why you weren't asked about debt. Ellen was my sponsor and everything we have (house, debt, cars etc) are in both our names. We where using the selling of the house as our 125% so I think we had to show that there would be enough money left over to meet the 125%.

Thats the only reason I can see we would be treated differently, if Duncan is getting a co-sponsor maybe he will be golden too. Great for Duncan

Patrick