Misery loves company

[Alex~Alan 8]

I really dislike airing my dirty laundry, but I need to just put this out there. I wonder if there is anyone else out there in the same boat.

Our K-1 Visa is being held up by the fact that I can not find a job. There...I said it. He is going for his medical in two weeks. This is excessively stressful on me at the moment. I was laid off last June due to my Grant-funded job being cut at state level. There is no one on my side who can be a co-sponsor. I just have to get a job!

Now, it is getting ridiculous...I have a Master's Degree, and have never been out of work in my life. I went down to the state unemployment office to see if they could offer any help and when they asked me how long I have been out of work, their reply was "that's not so bad!" Can you believe?!!!

The situation just looks so bleak. I wonder if I will ever be able to fill out the I-134 at this point. I try not to get down, and get up every morning and make an effort of showering and dressing as if I had a job, but, this is getting more and more difficult. I put out at least 30 applications/resumes in the last couple of weeks alone.

If it is this bad for me, I only wonder what difficulties he will entail when he starts looking for work once here.

Any support or advice is welcomed. Thanks for letting me vent.

[Ilona&Rimas 1]

It is really bad still and certainly feel your pain. Any chance you go there instead of him come here??

[max+patricia 24]

Do you have assets, like as a house, some kind of savings account, 401k? Does your fiance have assets in the UK?

If I remember correctly, London is one embassy where beneficiaries can self-sponsor - meaning if he has money in the bank or something of significant financial value, he can sponsor himself. If not, take a job doing whatever even if it's only until you find something better. In 3 months time, take those paystubs with you to the interview and show that you're making over the requirement. For a household of 2 (if you don't have kids or other dependents) you'll need to be making $18,000/yr, which is $9/hr full-time. No sweat.

[Alex~Alan 8]

Do you have assets, like as a house, some kind of savings account, 401k? Does your fiance have assets in the UK?

If I remember correctly, London is one embassy where beneficiaries can self-sponsor - meaning if he has money in the bank or something of significant financial value, he can sponsor himself. If not, take a job doing whatever even if it's only until you find something better. In 3 months time, take those paystubs with you to the interview and show that you're making over the requirement. For a household of 2 (if you don't have kids or other dependents) you'll need to be making $18,000/yr, which is $9/hr full-time. No sweat.

The problem is that if I make $9 an hour, I won't be able to afford to live. Yeah, great, it would meet the conditions for the Visa, but the fact is that will just not cover basic expenses of rent, electric, fuel for the car, food, etc. for two people. I need bare minimum $16 and that is scraping by. He is in no better a boat over there. He lost his job last July and works as a temp. We have both decided to move US rather than UK, weather, and my family being the major reasons. We just keep hoping things will work themselves out soon. It is bad enough waiting for the Visa process, yet alone deal with the terrible economic conditions we face.

I think what irritates me most is I know at least two other couples who just came over to the US, got married, and stayed. We chose to go the responsible route, and now, I think that is going to keep us apart longer.

[* Kristin * 49]

I hope you get a job soon.. I know how frustrauted you must be. My mum was meant to be our co-sponsor but she lost her job earlier this year, and I was SO worried that we weren't going to be able to find one. (I was living abroad and had foreign income, so couldn't do it at the time.)

Is there really no friend or anyone at all who would be able to co-sponsor? I am sure you have really tried everyone you know... :-/ but it's so hard being away!

I really dislike airing my dirty laundry, but I need to just put this out there. I wonder if there is anyone else out there in the same boat.

Our K-1 Visa is being held up by the fact that I can not find a job. There...I said it. He is going for his medical in two weeks. This is excessively stressful on me at the moment. I was laid off last June due to my Grant-funded job being cut at state level. There is no one on my side who can be a co-sponsor. I just have to get a job!

Now, it is getting ridiculous...I have a Master's Degree, and have never been out of work in my life. I went down to the state unemployment office to see if they could offer any help and when they asked me how long I have been out of work, their reply was "that's not so bad!" Can you believe?!!!

The situation just looks so bleak. I wonder if I will ever be able to fill out the I-134 at this point. I try not to get down, and get up every morning and make an effort of showering and dressing as if I had a job, but, this is getting more and more difficult. I put out at least 30 applications/resumes in the last couple of weeks alone.

If it is this bad for me, I only wonder what difficulties he will entail when he starts looking for work once here.

Any support or advice is welcomed. Thanks for letting me vent.

[max+patricia 24]

The problem is that if I make $9 an hour, I won't be able to afford to live. Yeah, great, it would meet the conditions for the Visa, but the fact is that will just not cover basic expenses of rent, electric, fuel for the car, food, etc. for two people. I need bare minimum $16 and that is scraping by. He is in no better a boat over there. He lost his job last July and works as a temp. We have both decided to move US rather than UK, weather, and my family being the major reasons. We just keep hoping things will work themselves out soon. It is bad enough waiting for the Visa process, yet alone deal with the terrible economic conditions we face.

I think what irritates me most is I know at least two other couples who just came over to the US, got married, and stayed. We chose to go the responsible route, and now, I think that is going to keep us apart longer.

We also know a few people who did the same thing and didn't have to spend a single day apart. There's alot to be said about people who do it the right way, something I think you should be proud of. Sorry your situation turned out like this... I can relate... I had my dream job until we lost federal funding and 12 of us were let go (try living in Hawaii on $0/hr). I still think you could pull it off, considering you have time. All I'm saying is that if you're this far in the process, don't give up on it. Do what you have to do short term to make it work long term.

[Alex~Alan 8]

Thank you all for your support. And, no, there is no possibility of a co-sponsor. My mother is on very limited social security income, and my brother is in school full time, and gets help just to support himself. I don't expect anyone to bail me out of this, it is just that sometimes, it just feels good to be understood and heard, even if there is no real answer to my problem. I have heard that the consulate at some point will give a notice of last call at some point, and I am just concerned that will happen and I still won't have a job. I do NOT want to have to start from scratch on all of this. He says if I still haven't found something by June, he will come and spend some time here with me. Thanks, guys!

[KiwiBird 132]

Hey, you can totally do it. The financial side of it really sucks, and it seems like the stupidest reason to hold up a visa. But keep trying your best to find a job... just enough to meet the requirements. You can do it!

[kikip 12]

Thank you all for your support. And, no, there is no possibility of a co-sponsor. My mother is on very limited social security income, and my brother is in school full time, and gets help just to support himself. I don't expect anyone to bail me out of this, it is just that sometimes, it just feels good to be understood and heard, even if there is no real answer to my problem. I have heard that the consulate at some point will give a notice of last call at some point, and I am just concerned that will happen and I still won't have a job. I do NOT want to have to start from scratch on all of this. He says if I still haven't found something by June, he will come and spend some time here with me. Thanks, guys!

You can request that your deadline be extended at the consulate... that'll buy you some time at least. just out of curiousity, whats your degree in?

[Alex~Alan 8]

You can request that your deadline be extended at the consulate... that'll buy you some time at least. just out of curiousity, whats your degree in?

Marriage and Family Therapy. It seems a lot of human service and counseling jobs get axed when the economy goes bad. Prevention seems to get no focus during these times. I believe that many others who would normally work these jobs are also in a similar predicament.