FuzzleFace

Hi,
I haven’t made the big move yet but it is planned for around April 2019 so I thought I would introduce myself rather than just lurking around (I have visited on and off before during my visa applications)

So, I got married to my husband in August 2017 after we had been together for almost 7 years. We met at university (Sheffield) while he was on a student visa from the USA in 2010.
While he was in the UK we were told by one of our lecturers that he could actually be eligible for dual citizenship as his father is a British citizen and was born here before he moved with his family to Wisconsin when he was still a child. We looked into it and easily followed the procedure to get all official documents like a passport, National insurance card etc.
After graduation, I tried applying for a B2 visa as we planned on doing a bit of a Gap Year for 6 months before we settled into employment etc. This was denied. It was a shock because the advice we had been given was that it would be easy as the UK and USA relationship is strong. After the denial we looked into it more and found out it was actually completely the opposite and is actually harder to gain a tourist visa precisely because of the good relationship giving me the option of an ESTA. The B2 denial meant I was then pretty much ineligible for ESTA/VWP from then on.
He still went back to visit his friends and family for a month before coming back and getting a job. We applied the next year for the same visa to be able to attend a friend’s wedding, which was also denied. We waited another couple of years before trying for the third time to go to another wedding, which was luckily accepted for a 10 year multi entry B2 visa!

Using this visa, we visited the USA each summer for a while. When he proposed, we also planned our wedding to take place in his hometown too.

We started the CR1 visa application at the end of 2017 and have just recently completed that whole process and I have my new visa in hand! The plan is for us to move to Orlando, Florida but obviously there is a lot for us to figure out before then and time is moving quickly now!

Sorry, I didn’t think I was going to write that much! In any case, hello, happy to be here, hoping to learn a lot from you lovely people!

Rete

Thanks for stopping at the Welcome Inn. As you more than just introduced yourself, I have asked that your thread be directed to the US Marriage-based visa forum.

If you are eligible to use the VWP, you would naturally be denied a B visa for visiting. Very surprised that you did not use the VWP the first time and went the B visa route. Unless there was something in your background that prevented you from using the VWP, it was a waste of your time and money. The third time you had more links to the UK and therefore was accepted for the B visa as you were older, working, etc. Actually, you were eligible to still use the VWP and could have applied for its use via the ESTA 6 months after the denial. There was no reason for you to have to reapply for a B again. The VWP is not due to special relations with the UK but is available to several countries. The ESTA is only the permission to use the VWP.

Glad you have your IR visa in your passport. I hope you are aware that you must enter the US with this visa before the six months are up from the date of your medical. If you don't, then you will need a new visa. You will find that Orlando is home to a large British population and is the most popular city in Florida for UK immigrants.

Welcome to BE.