Temporary move pending immigration approval?

[starskraper 0]

Hi,

I'm wondering about the feasibility of temporarily relocating to some country other than the US while we wait for the immigration process to complete. I'm a US citizen and my wife is a Nigerian citizen. Since it is next to impossible for her to visit here, I am wondering if there is a country somewhere that would welcome both of us in as temporary residents for perhaps 12-18 months while our US immigration process takes its course.

Does anyone have any experience doing something like this? Anyone have any ideas on countries to look at? I have a lot of job flexibility so I could move just about anywhere as long as US citizens are welcomed in. The challenge always seems to be finding a country that is accommodating to Nigerian citizens.

Thanks in advance for any help/ideas/insight you are willing to share!

[nigerwife 17]

Well, you would both be welcome in Nigeria. Many of us on this forum have done so. It is also very helpful at the point of interview to prove your commitment to your marriage and relationship.

I'm not sure where in the world you could go for 12-18 months without getting some type of residency status...regardless of your passport country. Tourist visas typically range from 3-6 months in duration globally.

You may also think about how you would continue to prove domicile in the US if you are not living here. It can be done, but you'll want to be sure to plan for that.

Which takes me back to the suggestion of considering Nigeria--there are so many benefits to you doing so, even beyond the immigration process.

[starskraper 0]

Thanks so much for the thoughts. I've considered looking into a temporary move to Nigeria. The concern that keeps me from being more serious about doing just that is about my safety as a US citizen being there. I've already had one quite serious "incident" while visiting there. I'm just not sure it would be a good idea for me to try living there for any extended period of time. What are your thoughts? Are there places in Nigeria other than Lagos that would be safer for a US citizen? Thanks again. I really appreciate your insight.

[NigeriaorBust 4,087]

Safety in Nigeria can depend on where you are and how well you blend.in. Just like in southern California you are safer in Beverly Hill than south central LA you are safer in better neighborhood than in poorer ones. Blending in also helps. My sister in law is a non Nigerian black and it is easier for her to not attract attention than it is for me as a white. One thing that attracts attention ( good and bad ) is sticking out. A third thing is looking like you have something to take or have money. I never wear jewelry even here but my husband loves flashy and has had it removed without consent a few times.

[nigerwife 17]

Even Lagos has its "safer" areas; like VI. Like any city of 10 million people, it has good and bad people and areas and you need to proceed with caution. I have to say though that I traveled alone in and out of Nigeria and in Lagos while we lived there (I traveled internationally for work) and I never felt I was in a compromising situation. Even as a lone white woman. But I felt confident in myself and comfortable in Nigeria. I guess that confidence showed and I didn't portray myself as a possible target. Ironically, we were more likely to get harassed (by police or whatever) when I was with my husband.

There are literally thousands of non-Nigerian living and working in Nigeria which means there is a large ex-pat community there. They live all over the country but there are larger concentrations in Abuja and Lagos. There is also a large group in Jos but they are mostly missionaries and a large group of primarily oil company employees in Port Harcourt.

You can check out some expat blogs like Internations to get a feel for what it is like to live in Nigeria as a non-Nigerian. One thing outside of safety issues to be prepared for is the cost. You can live at any comfort level and get anything you want in Nigeria--but it does come at a cost--so be prepared for that.

Living in Nigeria will certainly give you a more in-depth exposure to your wife's culture and homeland. I highly encourage it! I love Nigeria and her people. Some of the most purely kind and generous people I have ever known, I met in Nigeria. Sure, she has her flaws and some of these are gaping wounds, but she wouldn't be Nigeria without them.

Hope that helps!

[del-2-5-2014 1,339]

Even Lagos has its "safer" areas; like VI. Like any city of 10 million people, it has good and bad people and areas and you need to proceed with caution. I have to say though that I traveled alone in and out of Nigeria and in Lagos while we lived there (I traveled internationally for work) and I never felt I was in a compromising situation. Even as a lone white woman. But I felt confident in myself and comfortable in Nigeria. I guess that confidence showed and I didn't portray myself as a possible target. Ironically, we were more likely to get harassed (by police or whatever) when I was with my husband.

There are literally thousands of non-Nigerian living and working in Nigeria which means there is a large ex-pat community there. They live all over the country but there are larger concentrations in Abuja and Lagos. There is also a large group in Jos but they are mostly missionaries and a large group of primarily oil company employees in Port Harcourt.

You can check out some expat blogs like Internations to get a feel for what it is like to live in Nigeria as a non-Nigerian. One thing outside of safety issues to be prepared for is the cost. You can live at any comfort level and get anything you want in Nigeria--but it does come at a cost--so be prepared for that.

Living in Nigeria will certainly give you a more in-depth exposure to your wife's culture and homeland. I highly encourage it! I love Nigeria and her people. Some of the most purely kind and generous people I have ever known, I met in Nigeria. Sure, she has her flaws and some of these are gaping wounds, but she wouldn't be Nigeria without them.

Hope that helps!

I like your style.

This pretty much sums it up.

[livindadream 156]

Starskraper,

First and foremost, I'm not discouraging you from the option of staying in Nigeria. My husband is Nigerian and I have been to Nigeria several times. I never wanted to be apart from him for long, so nearly 5 years ago I started staying the majority of my time abroad here with him. We just recently started the process of filing for a petition so I know I will be here quite some time still. When we decided that I will stay here, we too wanted to find a place other than Nigeria. Just something safer and more comfortable. I had my share of bad experiences in Nigeria and I didn't feel ok going back. We have been living in Accra Ghana for the better part of 4 years and we love it!! The electricity is stable, water flows, internet is fast, it's completely safe here...no police harassment at all!! No area boys, nothing. Airport area Accra is on the rise, beautiful buildings popping up everywhere. There are a lot of great shopping areas and good restaurants. We rent a 2 bedroom, 2 bath house, private compound in a gated community for 500 USD per month. We can go out at midnight for a walk, or be coming home in the middle of the night and we never once in 4 years have encountered any problems. Sure Ghana is still an underdeveloped country, and there is plenty of issues that we don't have to endure back in the States, but it is a really good alternative to staying in Nigeria. We've looked into other countries that he can travel to with a Nigerian visa, and the options are not much better than just staying put in Nigeria.

[nigerwife 17]

I like your style.

This pretty much sums it up.

Thanks Gowon! I typically like your style as well. Great minds think alike; as my husband would say.

[starskraper 0]

Thank you to everyone who has replied. I very much appreciate your time and sharing. Nigerwife, NigeriaorBust, Gowon, and AYOsGirl, thank you so much.

I definitely agree that there are many, many kind and caring people in Nigeria who make me feel very welcome and safe. I've only spent about three weeks there in total, but in that time, I met some wonderful people who I have come to know as good friends. Unfortunately, in that short period of time, I have also experienced several situations that were quite concerning to me. Two of those situations could have been very serious and involved my own personal safety. Thankfully, everything was okay in the end, but as I think back over those experiences, I realize the level of danger and risk that I exposed myself to. Beyond those two personal safety incidents, I also had two credit cards compromised and had my email address and phone number stolen and subsequently used to impersonate me. The two credit cards were used ONLY at bank ATM's, which I assumed would be safe. And the email address and phone number theft was perpetrated by someone who I grew to trust but who betrayed me once a sliver of trust existed between us. The person who compromised my identity also stole several gifts that I had brought for my wife. So all that happening to me in just three weeks time makes me want to avoid Nigeria, even to visit my wife.

AYOsGirl, the info you passed along about Ghana really sparked my interest. I had thought about looking into Ghana but never have too seriously. From what you shared though, it looks like Ghana may be a very good alternative to Nigeria. Thank you so much for your insight. Was it difficult for either you or your husband to get the approvals and documents that allowed you to live there for 4 years like you have?

Thanks again, everyone.

[livindadream 156]

Thank you to everyone who has replied. I very much appreciate your time and sharing. Nigerwife, NigeriaorBust, Gowon, and AYOsGirl, thank you so much.

I definitely agree that there are many, many kind and caring people in Nigeria who make me feel very welcome and safe. I've only spent about three weeks there in total, but in that time, I met some wonderful people who I have come to know as good friends. Unfortunately, in that short period of time, I have also experienced several situations that were quite concerning to me. Two of those situations could have been very serious and involved my own personal safety. Thankfully, everything was okay in the end, but as I think back over those experiences, I realize the level of danger and risk that I exposed myself to. Beyond those two personal safety incidents, I also had two credit cards compromised and had my email address and phone number stolen and subsequently used to impersonate me. The two credit cards were used ONLY at bank ATM's, which I assumed would be safe. And the email address and phone number theft was perpetrated by someone who I grew to trust but who betrayed me once a sliver of trust existed between us. The person who compromised my identity also stole several gifts that I had brought for my wife. So all that happening to me in just three weeks time makes me want to avoid Nigeria, even to visit my wife.

AYOsGirl, the info you passed along about Ghana really sparked my interest. I had thought about looking into Ghana but never have too seriously. From what you shared though, it looks like Ghana may be a very good alternative to Nigeria. Thank you so much for your insight. Was it difficult for either you or your husband to get the approvals and documents that allowed you to live there for 4 years like you have?

It's definitely worth looking into...if you have any questions about Ghana, feel free to ask! As for the paperwork...your wife as an ECOWAS Citizen, she can come back and forth with merely a drivers license. You would require a Visa which they will stamp you for 60 days no matter how long you tell them you will be there.To extend your visa (up to three months at a time) you simply go to immigration, drop your passport and application...pay about 20 USD per month for each additional month you wish to stay. I keep doing this, because I leave every four to six months and go back to the States to do some work that I cant do from abroad. I stay home for a month or two and then come back. I've been told that getting a resident permit is fairly easy, but I don't know the specifics about getting it since that is not the route either of us has taken. Would you be working in Ghana or are you self employed like myself and will be working "from Ghana"? There are some benefits of getting a resident permit though, mainly you can Directly File your petition from Ghana as long as you both are holding resident permits. They have a USCIS field office here which allows for DCF. (don't know if you've already submitted everything back in the States). Here is a link to the immigration site. It seems to leave out the regular resident permit though, unless Im missing something. Though honestly, you may just want to extend your visa every few months...you can pretty much do that indefinitely...you would just want to make sure you apply for a multi-entry visa when coming (they will usually grant it for 5 years) and then you wouldn't have to reapply for a visa if you were to go back and forth. www.ghanaimmigration.org

Edited December 11, 2013 by AYOsGirl