Mummy in the foothills

The more I read the more I think that the Daddy should just get his paperwork sorted and move to UK, get residency then citizenship sorted for him in UK and once all is well and you've saved some money and maybe he has been to the local tech and got some skills and decent pay they start planning a move to US. To turn up penniless and with his family sponsoring sounds like it's a recipe for disaster. We are a family of 5 living on $22 an hour and just making it (in a cheap part of CA), we have no debt, and pay less than rent for our mortgage.
What your BF may earn (construction is based on weather and where you will be winter is harsh so no work) will not support you, there is no child tax credit, or child benefit, or other programs. Your sponsor is responsible for you and your Dd as neither of you will be eligible for anything as non US citizens. You or your Dd getting sick would mean many thousands in medical bills as you won't be eligible for medical programs either. If he has to fly to UK to sign birth certificates etc he may as well get that end sorted first.
You may think you are living on pennies but it just doesn't compare.

fatbrit

uk-yankee.com

Savanna

Yeah, I think that's what we are going to do, then once he gets residency next year we can apply from the visas from this end. I think I may have gotten him a job too through a friend that owns his own demolition company.. all he needs is a safety cert and that's easy enough to get.

See because he has spent 2 years in the UK on a spouse visa, would he be able to apply for settlement from the US and take the life in the UK test there?

I guess thats something i will have to look into, which isn't always easy, the information is limited, I suppose thats so you will call the Embassy, they must make a fortune off phone calls alone.

Thanks Fatbrit (sounds wrong calling u that lol) I'll have a look.

rculater

No he cannot take the test there.

I'm not an expert please don't quote me on this, but i think he will need to apply for hes spouse visa again, from the US.

This will allow him to come back to UK and work, it will be valid for 2 years, just before the 2 years is up, he will need to study for and take the Life in the UK test here in the UK, and after passing the test, apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (Permanent resident)

As fatbrit said uk-yankee is the best free advise, but I would seek professional advise regarding him re-entering the UK. Im sure hes going to need a lot of evidence that you two are still "together" and a good explanation as to why he went back and now wants to return...

Good luck Savanna ...

Savanna

Thanks rculater.

We are still undecided about what to do, I want him to come home.. he's still undecided. Stuck in between a rock and a hard place. He's still adamant that the K-3 would be the way to go.. but he didn't even know u had to pay to adjust ur status, he was arguing with me that u only had the cost of the visa which is $355 lol

And we will need to file for all 3 kids since he's not here to get them US passports, I believe its $600 for each kid and he still doesnt have a permanent job.. I honestly feel like running away from it all prolly just the pregnancy hormones. Hate not havin any direction, feel totally stuck right now.


You guys must be sick of hearing about this

meauxna

Savanah, no, not sick of hearing about it, but getting worried sick that your Mister doesn't 'get' it. You can't pay for 3 kids to immigrate just because you can't afford the passport.. they don't qualify because they are already US citizens.

I can't see any way that makes sense other than for him to return to the UK. You can read any one of my posts to see that that's a rare recommendation from me but to put it in the simplest terms.. what's going to be easier/cheaper to move: One, or Four? Clearly it's going to cost less money for him to come back to the UK. The point is, will he get a job there and start earning some income?
At the very minimum, you've got government resources there. You could be living out of your car here in very short order.

You could ask your husband to join the thread so he can ask his own questions, but we're not making this stuff up. I'm horribly surprised that he didn't consider some of this before he left the UK.

Giantaxe

Imo, he's being scarily naive (or willfully ignorant) at the expense of his wife and family.

fatbrit

+1

AmerLisa

Tell him to take the stick out and use some common sense. Seriously, you probably want to knock him senseless by now.

I agree with everything meauxna has told you. He needs to come back and get his commitments in order, what else is he doing? He doesn't have a job, is he hiding over here, or what? There is no easy way about it. Your two youngest are US citizens, he has to file for them at the embassy. They can't arrive on visas, that's just plain stupidity.

It has nothing to do with being sick of hearing about it, what is annoying is that he's being as thick as a plank. Don't let him get away with it.

Bluegrass Lass

The only kind of assistance that would available for them would be food stamps., and possibly WIC (and I'm not sure if that would be considered means-tested benefits and therefore unavailable for new immigrants). There is no such thing as monetary assistance.

Bob

WIC would be covered for USC's though, which the kids are.

They still need to get US passports to go to the US though as they aren't able to get visa's, not needing them.

Songbird

Depending upon hubby's income, although savanna wouldn't qualify in her own right as a non-usc, hubby would possibly be eligible for assisted public housing through HUD. Don't know what the availability is like in that area though. As far as I am aware assisted public housing does not contravene the rules re: means-tested benefits as it would be her hubby's application not hers.

In general I have to agree with the worries and concern that have been raised in the thread. Me and hubby are living below the poverty line for a single person here and it really is a total nightmare! Lord knows how we would cope if we had children as well. As someone already said, being poor in the USA is far worse than being poor in the UK. At least in the UK there a safety net of sorts under you, here, you are walking that high-wire sans net Oh and I'm not just talking about that in terms of you being a non-usc, 100's of thousands of usc's are themselves struggling to stay afloat.

Although hubby has family here, who you say are willing to help, it will get old pretty quick for both you and them. I fully appreciate that you (and hubby) want a better lifestyle for yourselves and your children but I'm afraid that he at least has no understanding of just how difficult, if not impossibly so, trying at this time to do that in the US would be. A different life for sure, a better one...... errr no. I can't really see how in your circumstance there could be any upside to you relocating here at this time.

I really wish this wasn't so negative but all that I can see is the enormous problems you could face if you made this move here now. Quite honestly, your hubby seems to be thinking like a single guy - sure he can rough it here, but not as a married man with a family and responsibilities you can't. What worries me most is that he doesn't seem to realize the difference (or maybe he just doesn't want to) In his possible defense, I will add that most Americans have really no clue about the ins and outs of immigration, the bar to a majority of public-assisted benefits for non-usc's, costs involved etc, etc, so happen his behavior is more based on ignorance of that than anything else. That being said, once informed of those problems and barriers ( via yourself) then he really does need to take them on board and adjust his plans.

I really hope you get through to him savanna, and I'm just so glad you came to BE, at least you have the information you need to try and knock some sense into him

anuny

Their father is a citizen, so the issue of new immigrants would not arise ? Would it ?

Did he leave UK after a nasty argument ? Did you'll fight a lot ? I guess he is young, in a foreign land without his beer-drinking buddies watching baseball or basketball or whatever...

Leaving you alone and expecting another child is not exactly the right thing to do...

Songbird

It would for savanna, she would be in the same boat as every other PR. Hubby could claim for his children but savanna as a non-usc would have no access in her own right to the majority of means-tested benefits. Even for example with HUD, hubby could claim for himself and his children but savanna's 'contribution' to that would be assessed pro-rata. I am only aware of this because me and hubby are trying to work our way through this maze ourselves.

Nutmegger

As would the child whose father is not a USC.