UK VJers Progress Update Thread

[lurdino 9]

I had my POE on Friday, spent all day in IKEA and Wal-Mart yesterday, and today caught up with my future mother- and grandmother-in-law After six months' separation it's so nice to be reunited with my fiancée.

POE at Chicago O'Hare was fine, the queues were lengthy but everything went well. I really recommend Icelandair, at least for those flying from Scotland.

Now to deal with SSNs, AOS and, oh yeah, getting married!

[AMZJ 61]

I had my POE on Friday, spent all day in IKEA and Wal-Mart yesterday, and today caught up with my future mother- and grandmother-in-law After six months' separation it's so nice to be reunited with my fiancée.

POE at Chicago O'Hare was fine, the queues were lengthy but everything went well. I really recommend Icelandair, at least for those flying from Scotland.

Now to deal with SSNs, AOS and, oh yeah, getting married!

Glad everything went well for you Enjoy your new life!! I'm also planning on POE in Chicago so it's nice to know that they are good there.

[SunflowerSweet 1,321]

I had my POE on Friday, spent all day in IKEA and Wal-Mart yesterday, and today caught up with my future mother- and grandmother-in-law After six months' separation it's so nice to be reunited with my fiancée.

POE at Chicago O'Hare was fine, the queues were lengthy but everything went well. I really recommend Icelandair, at least for those flying from Scotland.

Now to deal with SSNs, AOS and, oh yeah, getting married!

I remember I mentioned earlier that my fiance has a very similar flight plan to yours and it turns out we had the same idea for spending some time at IKEA once he lands in Chicago!

I am glad everything went so well! You are making me so excited for his POE!

Edited April 25, 2016 by MorganandMichael

[YorkshiretoAZ 12]

My visa has gone from Ready to AP to Issued all within the last few hours this morning

Hope everyone is well I'm just making a few appointments for eye test etc before I leave. I leave work on Friday which is also my birthday so much to do!

[Tricked 33]

That was very quick

Still sitting at updated on the 21st for me; still hoping to get the date this week.

[Laurajc1984 8]

Woo hoo it's been issued!!!! Cannot believe how quickly this happened, good luck to everyone on their journeys, hope you're all getting on okay ?

[JFH 12,190]

Nice to see a flood of good news.

I think our case is now past the halfway stage of the USCIS leg. I'm hoping for NOA2 mid June.

[chipmunk92 11]

Hi everyone, random question: Does anyone know what the process is like for an American citizen married to an English citizen to gain citizenship in England? Obviously my fiancé and I are planning to live in the US, but we were talking about future plans and were wondering how that process compares to this one. Is it easier/ harder, longer/ shorter? Any info would be appreciated

[Tricked 33]

https://uk.usembassy.gov/visas/immigrant-visa-faqs/status-check-2/

FYI for anyone not aware.

That seems to be a way of knowing roughly what date of readiness/medical results are currently being processed.

So currently it shows 20th.

Chipmunk, I think there's a thread at the top with information,http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/372449-before-you-permanently-move-to-the-us/ gives details. But essentially, I think once we leave, we have to meet a certain income threshold in the UK, and various other hoops to jump through. I've not really looked into it too much since we decided on the US, not the UK.

Edited April 26, 2016 by Tricked

[lurdino 9]

Hi everyone, random question: Does anyone know what the process is like for an American citizen married to an English citizen to gain citizenship in England? Obviously my fiancé and I are planning to live in the US, but we were talking about future plans and were wondering how that process compares to this one. Is it easier/ harder, longer/ shorter? Any info would be appreciated

My fiancee and I actually lived together in the UK for six and a half years (three of those as students) and made the choice to immigrate to the US because it's that much simpler in comparison, if that gives you an idea. The US has a lot more hoops to jump through of course, but the financial requirements for a non-EU family member to the stay in the UK are really high and now that non-EU working visa applicants are going to have to make £35,000 a year to remain in the country, it's quite possible that they'll get even higher.

If you're high earners though it should be a doddle! We're hoping that in the future things will get easier and we'll both be able to dual-citizen it up.

[yuna628 9,676]

Hi everyone, random question: Does anyone know what the process is like for an American citizen married to an English citizen to gain citizenship in England? Obviously my fiancé and I are planning to live in the US, but we were talking about future plans and were wondering how that process compares to this one. Is it easier/ harder, longer/ shorter? Any info would be appreciated

The hard truth: It's difficult. I don't particularly feel like arguing the semantics of whether or not the current UK policy is a good or bad thing... but the rules you can find in the link in my signature.

The long of it is; if you have a great deal of cash in savings the UK will say welcome to you and your expat fiancé immediately with the appropriate paperwork. If not? Well, then the UK spouse will need to return to the UK without you for a period of time, and find a job that can pass the test (a job with a financial threshold that over half it's citizens could not meet). Financials can only be based on the UK spouse and not the USC. You won't be allowed to work if you should even manage to get in for a long time, there's additional fees and health surcharges, and well.. it can be a divisive and difficult issue. I can tell you this issue is currently before the UK Supreme Court after an extremely hard fight, and whether these rules will stay in place is up to the ministers of that court to decide or if the Tories are punted out of office. As a non-EEA citizen, Americans are effectively put behind a financial test so high for their UK spouses, it has caused lengthy separations and break ups of families... and has led to families to seek creative ways to get around the rules.. or in our case (as many others) for UK citizens to take their families, leave their country for others that welcome them, and while they may hope to return some day to live, don't find it likely in the near future.

The short of it: You got a lot of money? They want you. You are an EU/EEA citizen? They have to take you but don't really want you and may not want you in the future. Non-EEA already living in the UK? You need a lot of money or they won't want you.

[JFH 12,190]

On the topic of moving to the UK...The income requirement also has to be guaranteed and not made up of commissions, bonuses, overtime, etc. Many people in the UK are now on zero-hours contracts and these would not qualify, even if they have P60s from the last x years to show they make more than the required amount. I work on commission. I have a low basic (just below minimum wage) and sell and name commission. I've done this job for 17 years and never made less than £25,000 in a year, even all those years ago and the past few years I've found myself in the higher tax bracket, but that's not good enough.

Also, criminal records... The bane of my life. 26 years ago my husband, as a reckless youth, picked up a conviction for theft. The U.K. does not allow anyone to settle or even visit if they were SENTENCED to more than 2.5 years in prison - regardless of how long they served and regardless of what the sentence for the same crime would be in the UK. My husband was sentenced to more than 2.5 years but paroled after less than 2.5 years inside. I doubt the UK would hand out a sentence of more than 2.5 years for a young first-time offender of a non-violent crime.

If anyone wants to explore the creative routes people have used to get to the UK, just google Surinder Singh.

It is, contrary to the Daily Mail's belief, very difficult for non-EU citizens to settle in the UK You only need to look at the lengths people will go to, risking their lives in refrigerated lorries and clinging to truck axles to know that it's not easy. Why would theth do that if there was an easier way?

For us to settle in the USA requires a huge amount of paperwork but the requirements are more lax. Thankfully. We originally wanted to settle in the UK but my husband has a permanent denial because of his record and my earnings are not acceptable so we decided to settle in the USA. It wasn't our first choice and we are not too thrilled about it but at least we will be together.

Edited April 26, 2016 by JFH

[chipmunk92 11]

Wow, thanks to everyone for all of the info! I am actually shocked- I thought that once we were married it would be pretty easy for us to live there/ for me to gain citizenship. It makes more sense for both of us to live in the US career-wise anyway, but it would be nice for us to have the option to live in the UK someday. Sounds like we will need to save a lot before it becomes a viable option for us.

[SunflowerSweet 1,321]

Yes, the financial requirements to settle in the UK were a huge bummer when I learned about them. I understand the idea, but £18,600 a year is quite a lot, especially considering you need to have held the job for 6 months I believe? And no co-sponsors.

The rules are currently being challenged in the supreme court:

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/feb/21/families-challenge-minimum-income-visa-rules-supreme-court-non-eu-partner

I don't think there has been a decision made yet. The article mentions they don't expect one to be made until this summer. I'm not too hopeful though as it has been challenged and upheld in the past.

I actually stumbled upon an article in a newspaper I found on a bus while I was visiting the UK about a man who has been serving in the British military for quite some time and because of the minimum income requirements he could not afford to sponsor his wife and children to move to be with him. It's really quite sad actually. They had a little notice at the bottom where you could text in your thoughts and opinions on the story and you bet I took advantage of that

[Hotter Otter 1,211]

As far as I understand it once you have left the UK and want to move back either the UK citizen has to move back to the UK first and get a job that earns over 18,600 in the UK before you can petition for your non EU spouse or you as a couple have to have a lot of assets. I have known people who can't reach that amount in earnings (the westcountry is not renowned for high wages) who can't live together because of the rules.

The US visa system kept my wife and I apart for a year and I would not like to have to go through that again.