ironporer

Les,
Have you thought about marrying the 23 yr old son who wants to stay in the US and needs a visa?

http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=326306

Might just kill 2 birds....
(Joking... best of luck)

Wintersong

Sorry I spent 20 minutes bothering then...

jjmb

Must admit, Lesley, I admire your tenacity but I am with BritguyTN, on this, why?


You have MS and currently, you are lucky and receiving free medication however, that will not go on indefinitely. So once that runs out you will need to find a health insurer who will take you on, not very likely, I suspect. In the meantime, you are spending your life savings on the very slim chance (on what is going on at the moment), that you will get a GC. So you get your GC, the sponsor for your meds dries up, you can't get health insurance and in the meantime, all your savings have been depleted. Not a good outlook in my book.

Really you should be looking elsewhere, if you are not prepared to go back to the UK. You have done it before and there is plenty of Europe to explore.

BritGuyTN

oooh, all of a sudden I have a bad taste in my mouth now you mention health insurance.... eurgh...

Jjmb, I think you just put some rationalised points to my earlier opinion

bloody good point - I know if I had a severe pre-existing condition the USA would be one of the last places I would choose to live

Lesley - refresh your memory by looking at this thread http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=286920 you started in Feb and my reply, 4 posts down.

I think everything in there still stands as valid - except I didn't consider the medical aspect of things

PM Manc and ask his opinion of your health insurance possibilities with MS

Englishmum

First of all - I think the letter is too long. Also you say this letter is a 'template' for other users of an immigration forum to use, it is overly complicated and emotive. In one paragraph you are talking in general terms, then in the next you are talking about your personal concerns ie. you are talking about "we" then it switches to "I".

Rather like a CV/Resume, the person receiving it will be very busy and will only want to skim through the main points.....try to keep it all on one page only and keep it short and succinct.

Lesley - you have been a guest at my house and you are a very nice person. However, I have to agree with BritGuyTN and jjmb. What on Earth would you do in a couple of years time if you have progressed no further with your application for a Green Card? You will most likely be desperately short of funds in two years; as a student you will still need to run a car, eat, buy clothes, pay for medical insurance and rent. In addition there are the tuition fees that you can't presumably get any loans on as you're not a PR or citizen.....and after all that you may still have to leave the US and be stony broke as well.

Why not get a Bachelors degree in Scotland....after all tuition there will be *free* of charge? With a degree you will have a better opportunity to live in the US and you can do it in three years (or four if you want Honours in Scotland).

It does seem that marriage is the only viable possibility if you're determined to stay in the US, in all honesty.

Lesley1020

I am actually getting meds from Biogen, the drug company and I have been approved until 2010 at the current rate they are charging me ($100 per year). That is the recommended maximum time I believe to be on the drug anyway. I do still have, and will contine to have medical insurance. If I go to school, I will be part of their group plan (they have already confirmed this) and if not, my current company are going to extend my policy for non pre existing conditions, so not so bleak

I get what everyone is saying, I really do. What it comes down to for me is that regardless of all the stress, and everything that has happened, I have never been this happy. I want to be there when my best friend has her baby in November, I want to explore the future possibility of a genuine and lasting marriage with my b/f rather than taking the easy way to a GC and just getting married right now... and a million other reasons. They are more important to me than anything right now, and that is why I am standing so firm on trying every option. I guess if I am totally honest, because of my family situation at home, I never had the opportunity to feel a part of things like I do with my friends and their families here, and I treasure that now, and don't want to lose it. And you know, having MS changed my outlook on everything. I know I could wake up one day and not be able to walk, or see, or whatever - and I want to do it all now - I want to live every day to the fullets, and never give up on things, maybe that's a part of it - I don't know.

While I truly respect the advice offered here, and I understand where people are coming from, I am going to continue to go forward until there is nothing left to try. And I promise, I am going to quit whining now!

Lesley1020

Sorry, I missed that post a while ago... I used some of your comments to change it and some others too.... As EMum pointed out, was too long also... so off it has gone to DC... didn't even have to waste the stamps just sent the faxes a while ago.. Have already had a telephone call from the Secretary of one of them asking me to sign a form to agree to pass my records to them