Moving Back... will somebody think about the children...

[JimVaPhuong 4,863]

yeah... if it is legal, the adoption process would be tougher and more expensive than waiting for naturalization with Mommy.

It's just hard for us to struggle here when over there we had respectable positions and good money by Cambodian standards. I had friends from all over the world. We thought we could come here and improve everyone's English and save money to start a restaurant in Cambodia, but only the first part of that plan seems realistic. An English BA and Khmer language skills aren't big money makers in the states. My wife has learned that the streets of America aren't actually paved with gold.

Unfortunately, you're in the worst part of the worst state for unemployment and cost of living. I live in Northern California, and make a decent living, but I've been at the same company for more than 8 years. In that time I've watched most of the other companies in the same industry leave the area and the state. In the meantime, home values have plummeted, the cost of living has continued to rise, unemployment remains at a record high rate, taxes keep going up while the state's revenues decline, public services are evaporating, and the schools are rapidly decaying. If I lost my job now I'd be screwed. There's a glut of qualified people looking for work, and a severe lack of businesses available to hire them. It's beyond depressing what's happened to this state, and it's going to get worse before it gets better.

But California is NOT the United States. There are many places in the US where life is substantially better than Southern California. If you can't stand where you're at then start looking for someplace better. The world doesn't consist only of L.A. and Cambodia. If you can stick it out until your wife has been in the US for three years then she can get her citizenship, and your step-daughter will automatically become a US citizen. After that, you can go anywhere you want. It's only three years out of your life in return for a lifetime of options you wouldn't otherwise have.

Give it some thought...

[Daniel&Theary 30]

I believe the US has banned adoption of Cambodian children since 2001 due to trafficking problems

I think that is only if you go to Cambodia to adopt but not to adopt a step child already in the states. We are in the process of me adopting my step son. So far no problems Daniel

[casey the medic 0]

@ Jim VaPhuong, I really enjoyed reading your comment. I am originally from northern California and it is amazing how much things have changed in a decade. When I first hit the job market up there I could be picky about where I wanted to work, but certainly not anymore. My friends who are doing well in the bay are in sales or computers. They also stay with the same job for a good amount of time. I really respect anyone who can stick it out in the same company for many years. But yeah, very good point about my decision leading to a lifetime of options.

@Daniel, Wow! can you share a little bit about how long the process is and how expensive?

[Boiler 44,874]

To file for the child would require a US Domicile.

[--- 42]

If your stepdaughter is old enough, I think you should ask her what she wants but also tell her why you want to do this! But honestly I think you should go back to Cambodia if it will be better for you financially AND emotionally. I hope everything goes well.

[casey the medic 0]

I researched something Gary said earlier and it looks like we would have another option. I believe my family could move back to Cambodia, and sometime before my stepdaughter turns 21 (she's 7) I could file for an IR-2 for her because I am a US citizen, and I married her mother before she the child turned 18. With this visa, my stepdaughter would receive a 10-yr green card upon entry to US and if she decides to stay in the US at that point, she could meet the residency requirement for naturalization after 5 years.

Seems legit...

[Boiler 44,874]

I researched something Gary said earlier and it looks like we would have another option. I believe my family could move back to Cambodia, and sometime before my stepdaughter turns 21 (she's 7) I could file for an IR-2 for her because I am a US citizen, and I married her mother before she the child turned 18. With this visa, my stepdaughter would receive a 10-yr green card upon entry to US and if she decides to stay in the US at that point, she could meet the residency requirement for naturalization after 5 years.

Seems legit...

Correct, but you need a US domicile, but that can be worked around.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

I researched something Gary said earlier and it looks like we would have another option. I believe my family could move back to Cambodia, and sometime before my stepdaughter turns 21 (she's 7) I could file for an IR-2 for her because I am a US citizen, and I married her mother before she the child turned 18. With this visa, my stepdaughter would receive a 10-yr green card upon entry to US and if she decides to stay in the US at that point, she could meet the residency requirement for naturalization after 5 years.

Seems legit...

Read my post again, I said that, and it is correct. Up until age 21 YOU can fle the petition.

The need for her MOTHER to be a citizen and file petition will come in after she turns 21. I was covering all the bases

copied from previous post

At any point in the future, up until she is AGE 21 you could petition her again as an IR-2 and she could live here the required 5 years and become a citizen. (the three year rule only applies to spouses and children under age 18 when the souse gets her citizenship)

Edited January 2, 2012 by Gary and Alla

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Correct, but you need a US domicile, but that can be worked around.

Actually they could qualify for a DCF IF Cambodia does those, I do not know if they do.

[casey the medic 0]

Thanks Gary and Boiler

[Daniel&Theary 30]

Sorry about waiting to get back to have not been online in a few days. We just went to a basic family attorney (fees vary depending on attorney)but we have to send a notice to the father notifying him of the process and thats where we are now. He has agreed to sign the papers but we will see

[FilH 0]

I love visajourney and appreciate any input you guys can offer on my situation. I am a US citizen and I live in California with my wife and minor stepdaughter. My wife came to US on a K1 and daughter on a K2 from Cambodia, and now they both have conditional green cards. We have lived together here for 1.5 years and now have a 1 month old baby. We are all happy together, but things are a bit rough for us, and we want to move back to Cambodia. In Cambodia, my wife and I had high-paying jobs, and a support system of my wife's family members. We also own a large plot of land in a nice area of Siem Reap. Here, we are in debt up to our noses and on a downward spiral working minimum wage jobs. My parents and siblings don't get along with my wife. My stepdaughter attends a gritty LA public school.

We worked hard getting the visas and green cards. However, my wife's home country is calling us back and the urge to get up and go is strong. Our main concern is my stepdaughter. We want her to have US citizenship like her new sister. We don't want her to blame us when she is older if she is stuck in Cambodia. We fear that leaving with her will bar her from future re-entry to the US.

Thanks for reading! Thoughts?

My thought would be to move to another part of the US that is cheaper. You are in one of the costliest parts of the US with schools I would never want to have my children in. There are many places in the States that are much cheaper to live with decent schools and communities.

Personally I have been asked to move there for my business, I'm an entertainer, and I have refused, choosing instead to work from a much cheaper area. I would still have to fly from LA so to move there I would in effect take a pay cut and the quality of living would be lower as well.

All that being said, if you liked living in Cambodia and can get good jobs there and have family you will have to decide what is most important to you and your family.

Best wishes to you and your family.