citizenship

[Louised 11]

I'm only at the beginning of my journey, don't want to worry too much about the forms until I need to fill them out. I've got a much better idea of what must be done now, so many thanks to everyone :0) and I've discovered that my children and hubby are entitled to come over with me, so can sleep a lot easier at night without worrying so much...Realistically we have a good few years to save up in and sort it all out, I'm not in any particular rush, just wanted to know if it is possible :0)

It's not a case of my father not caring about me, more a case that things were awful between him and my mother, I'm more glad that it happened how it happened, as it would have hurt a lot more having to suffer through a sloppy divorce and who would gain custody etc...my only wish was that my citizenship had been sorted out whilst I was a child, but things happen for a reason and I was destined to meet my husband in England, and wouldn't change him or my children for the world :0)

Louise should be asking these questions, filing a I-130 without all those other forms is foreign to me, is that the only form she has to file for her kids? What comes after she brings the kids to the USA, are they considered US citizens then? What if they came here with a tourist visa? Not even sure why I am involved with this. Have friends in the military that didn't care about their kids at the time, but certainly do now. Guess better late than never.

Stepdaughter did get her US citizenship last March, already 21, her biological father didn't want anything to do with her, and certainly would not have given his permission to be adopted. That is life, but we managed to make a family out of it. We are still trying to get my step son here, Obama or the DOS completely lost interest in Latin America, the middleeast and Africa are of their greatest interest now. To complicate matters, Chavez kicked out the American ambassador, so we did the same. Well not we, we can get along, but our leaders can't.

[canadian_wife 1,823]

I'm only at the beginning of my journey, don't want to worry too much about the forms until I need to fill them out. I've got a much better idea of what must be done now, so many thanks to everyone :0) and I've discovered that my children and hubby are entitled to come over with me, so can sleep a lot easier at night without worrying so much...Realistically we have a good few years to save up in and sort it all out, I'm not in any particular rush, just wanted to know if it is possible :0)

It's not a case of my father not caring about me, more a case that things were awful between him and my mother, I'm more glad that it happened how it happened, as it would have hurt a lot more having to suffer through a sloppy divorce and who would gain custody etc...my only wish was that my citizenship had been sorted out whilst I was a child, but things happen for a reason and I was destined to meet my husband in England, and wouldn't change him or my children for the world :0)

Actually, the bolded is not true. If you become an American citizen, they have no right to be brought over, they are not entitled to anything. You must petition for them and they must apply for appropriate visas. Many people think immigration is right or an entitlement.

Good luck

[Louised 11]

Ok to phrase it better, I know that I will be able to petition for them, and we have a sponsor who earns more than enough to do so...is that better?

Actually, the bolded is not true. If you become an American citizen, they have no right to be brought over, they are not entitled to anything. You must petition for them and they must apply for appropriate visas. Many people think immigration is right or an entitlement.

Good luck

[canadian_wife 1,823]

Ok to phrase it better, I know that I will be able to petition for them, and we have a sponsor who earns more than enough to do so...is that better?

Yup, sure is

Good luck

[Jojo92122 1,924]

I'm only at the beginning of my journey, don't want to worry too much about the forms until I need to fill them out. I've got a much better idea of what must be done now, so many thanks to everyone :0) and I've discovered that my children and hubby are entitled to come over with me, so can sleep a lot easier at night without worrying so much...Realistically we have a good few years to save up in and sort it all out, I'm not in any particular rush, just wanted to know if it is possible :0)

It's not a case of my father not caring about me, more a case that things were awful between him and my mother, I'm more glad that it happened how it happened, as it would have hurt a lot more having to suffer through a sloppy divorce and who would gain custody etc...my only wish was that my citizenship had been sorted out whilst I was a child, but things happen for a reason and I was destined to meet my husband in England, and wouldn't change him or my children for the world :0)

Hi Louise,

Seems like you have what you need to start your journey to America. The Guides (button located above) are a good resource. Best of luck to you and your family.

Jojo

[Louised 11]

Thank you :0)

Hi Louise,

Seems like you have what you need to start your journey to America. The Guides (button located above) are a good resource. Best of luck to you and your family.

Jojo

[NickD 203]

Thank you :0)

LOL, I was sure dumb when I started all this, for a country I had to give up six years of my life for, thought I could just marry my wife and bring her over here. Can tell you, having to talk to kids to get permission to bring my wife here, well let's say, it was humiliating. Find Louises' situation interesting, a US citizen, finally coming home, but also with complications. Wish her the best of luck that includes getting good compassionate officers to bring her family here.

[Jojo92122 1,924]

LOL, I was sure dumb when I started all this, for a country I had to give up six years of my life for, thought I could just marry my wife and bring her over here. Can tell you, having to talk to kids to get permission to bring my wife here, well let's say, it was humiliating. Find Louises' situation interesting, a US citizen, finally coming home, but also with complications. Wish her the best of luck that includes getting good compassionate officers to bring her family here.

Nick,

Your wife was a foreign citizen. She didn't have the right to live in the US. No foreign citizen has a right to live in the US unless the citizens of the US allows the foreign person to be here. Marriage to a US citizen does not give that person a right to live here either. The law permits the US citizen to petition for the foreign spouse.

If marriage to a US citizen was the only criteria for bringing a foreign person into the US, the rate of marriage fraud for an immigration benefit would skyrocket. There has to be a procedure to ensure that only bona fide marriages lead to a green card for the foreign spouse.

Sorry that you found the process humiliating, but marriage fraud makes it a necessity to protect our borders from immigration fraud. (Please don't make this a discussion about how poorly we protect our borders.) While we cannot prevent all cases of fraud, we have to have a procedure to do it. The alternative of a foreign person marrying a US citizen having the right to just enter the US immediately after marriage is not an acceptable option to me. There has to be a procedure to root out fraudulent marriages and to conduct a background check on the foreign person if we are going to allow this person to immigrate to the US and eventually become a US citizen.

Edited July 28, 2011 by Jojo92122

[NickD 203]

Nick,

Your wife was a foreign citizen. She didn't have the right to live in the US. No foreign citizen has a right to live in the US unless the citizens of the US allows the foreign person to be here. Marriage to a US citizen does not give that person a right to live here either. The law permits the US citizen to petition for the foreign spouse.

If marriage to a US citizen was the only criteria for bringing a foreign person into the US, the rate of marriage fraud for an immigration benefit would skyrocket. There has to be a procedure to ensure that only bona fide marriages lead to a green card for the foreign spouse.

Sorry that you found the process humiliating, but marriage fraud makes it a necessity to protect our borders from immigration fraud. (Please don't make this a discussion about how poorly we protect our borders.) While we cannot prevent all cases of fraud, we have to have a procedure to do it. The alternative of a foreign person marrying a US citizen having the right to just enter the US immediately after marriage is not an acceptable option to me. There has to be a procedure to root out fraudulent marriages and to conduct a background check on the foreign person if we are going to allow this person to immigrate to the US and eventually become a US citizen.

Wife working for an American based company in Venezuela knew all about immigration, I had a lot to learn. Still asking new acquaintances that lived here all their life if they ever heard of the USCIS. So far the response has been zero. Was just sharing with Louise, do have things to learn.

[Louised 11]

Thought I'd finally update this. I went to the embassy back in the beginning of April 2013 to apply for an American passport, and after a lot of upset reliving the past (had to explain the situation of my Dad leaving etc) and a big kerfuffle with proving he supported me financially as a child...my passport arrived on my doorstep a few weeks later, much to my surprise! We are now saving up and our "deadline" for the big move is when my daughter finishes up primary school (in just over 3 years time) :0)

[Done--Really 331]

Be sure that all your kids are under 18 when you make the move !!

[TBoneTX 45,591]

Congratulations, and a giant thank-you for updating your thread.

[shayy17 3]

Thought I'd make one comment regarding the children's citizenship issue... You should look into the rules regarding reporting a birth abroad for your children (what you did for yourself I assume) while YOU do not meet the minimum residency requirements I know there is an OR your father/mother did and so your children may qualify under the same process for us citizenship through you (given your father meets the residency requirements even if you do not)

Thought I'd finally update this. I went to the embassy back in the beginning of April 2013 to apply for an American passport, and after a lot of upset reliving the past (had to explain the situation of my Dad leaving etc) and a big kerfuffle with proving he supported me financially as a child...my passport arrived on my doorstep a few weeks later, much to my surprise! We are now saving up and our "deadline" for the big move is when my daughter finishes up primary school (in just over 3 years time) :0)