Older married couple

[kennedsh 0]

I’m not entirely sure where to start, other than filling out an I-130. Background: my husband is a New Zealand citizen, age 64. I am a US citizen with permanent residence in New Zealand. I am an RN, age 62, and have kept my license in Ohio active even though I have lived and worked in New Zealand for the past 10 years. My husband and I have been together for over 5 years, and married about a month ago. After a recent visit back to the states, we have decided we would like to move back in a couple of years. Our intention is to work for several more years as we are both in good health. (My  partner is also an RN and is seriously considering taking the NCLEX so he can be registered.) I use my son’s address in Ohio as my mailing address. Will we need a sponsor as we won’t have jobs immediately when we move back? We aren’t wealthy but do have some savings and we are both working in New Zealand. What is the best way to go? I really don’t want to move back alone in order to establish a domicile, although that is obviously our intention as soon as possible. (We can live with my son for awhile, while we await the arrival of our belongings). 

Any` help/ideas would be greatly appreciated in starting this journey!

[Sukie 1,464]

9 hours ago, kennedsh said:

I’m not entirely sure where to start, other than filling out an I-130. Background: my husband is a New Zealand citizen, age 64. I am a US citizen with permanent residence in New Zealand. I am an RN, age 62, and have kept my license in Ohio active even though I have lived and worked in New Zealand for the past 10 years. My husband and I have been together for over 5 years, and married about a month ago. After a recent visit back to the states, we have decided we would like to move back in a couple of years. Our intention is to work for several more years as we are both in good health. (My  partner is also an RN and is seriously considering taking the NCLEX so he can be registered.) I use my son’s address in Ohio as my mailing address. Will we need a sponsor as we won’t have jobs immediately when we move back? We aren’t wealthy but do have some savings and we are both working in New Zealand. What is the best way to go? I really don’t want to move back alone in order to establish a domicile, although that is obviously our intention as soon as possible. (We can live with my son for awhile, while we await the arrival of our belongings). 

Any` help/ideas would be greatly appreciated in starting this journey!

Good luck to you!

 

We are also a 64/62 year old couple.  I am the USC and my spouse was a critical care nurse in Queensland.  We both chose to retire in 2011.  My spouse has her Oath Ceremony on August 17th!

 

I believe you will need a sponsor.  I am not sure if the fact that both of you are approaching the usual age of retirement will affect their decision.  The fact that you will both be able to be registered in the US as nurses will be a plus, however.  But because you will not have jobs lined up before you come back, I think it is safer for you to consider having a sponsor.  I am not sure what the current requirement is for savings if you do NOT have jobs - you may be able to use the assets instead of having a sponsor.

 

Start by filing the I-130 if you are really serious about moving back.  I want to be sure you know that the tax implications can be serious.  If you have retirement schemes in NZ, your retirement monies will be taxed by the US.  We are currently having to work through this, as my spouse has superannuation from Australia.  It's not taxed when it is taken out in Oz, but it IS taxed in the US when it is taken out.  Have you worked the required 40 quarters in the US so that you will be able to get Social Security and Medicare?  I am assuming you have been filing US taxes for all the years you have lived in New Zealand.  If not, you will need to become up-to-date (I'm sorry about this - but it is really killing a lot of people) before the end of the process.

 

Best of luck to you through this LONG process!

 

Sukie in NY

 

 

[kennedsh 0]

Many thanks for your response! Fortunately, I have filed tax returns in the US every year since being in New Zealand, so that won’t be an issue. And, yes, I have more than the 40 units for SS and Medicare, having worked from the age of 16 to 52 when I moved to NZ.That being said, I’m pretty sure both of us working for a few more years will mean we will make more than allowed when it comes to getting SS. My RN license is active in Ohio and there appears to be a good number of nursing jobs, so thinking of doing a traveling nurse job in the area where we want to live, and hoping I might have something lined up before we get there. (I don’t think the nursing shortage will improve in the next few years! So this “experienced” nurse might get a job!) I did work in Australia a few years ago and had a job lined up and waiting when I arrived.

 

The sponsor issue might be a problem. My parents have been deceased for years, my only sibling and her husband are in their 70s and retired. My older son is a possibility, although he has an Australian wife, and my ex-husband had to serve as their sponsor. (He has his own business and his income was adequate to support his fiancé, but apparently was not enough to support a wife!) So I do know there can be a bit of discretion (for lack of a better word) when it comes to such issues. (And using immigrated to NZ and Australia,and having to have nursing registration both places I’ve been through multiple processes!) I guess one thing I’ve learned is that even though you try to do it all right the first time, there is always going to be “something” to throw a wrench in the works.

 

This is certainly a daunting undertaking but I guess we will get there!

Is there any sort of time limit on the I-130? While I don’t want to wait until the last minute, I don’t really want to have things “time out” and have to repeat them!

 

Thanks again!

[Crazy Cat 41,985]

Congratulations on your marriage! My wife and I are 60 and 65 respectively.  In a couple days, we will celebrate our 3 year anniversary.  I am a retired RN.  Keep in mind that the CR-1 process takes about a year from filing to visa in hand unless you can go the Direct Consular Filing route.  Good luck!!

[kennedsh 0]

Congratulations on your anniversary! 

Our proposed move is a few years down the line. We have two dogs and a cat, with one dog being about 14 years old, and the cat being about 17. (The other dog is nearly 4 years old.) I don’t think the older two would survive the move, so a slow process is okay with us and we would prefer to see the older pets live out their days. We have a mortgage we want  to pay off as well, and the sale of the house will help out greatly with the move. Lots to think about!