DCF in London - January 2020

[Stuwoolf 44]

Embassy Update July 22 1300hrs

 

https://uk.usembassy.gov/information-for-nonimmigrant-visa-applicants-following-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak/

 

Just confirming July 27th?

Edited July 22, 2020 by Stuwoolf

[os306 103]

13 minutes ago, Stuwoolf said:

I guess then there is little point in requesting the document until in receipt of LDN. Will hold off. Perhaps next week all will become clearer (he said optimistically 😂) I'm not even sure if such a document is available from NHS Scotland.

Should definitely be available in Scotland (it might be called an Emergency Care Summary, but I would double check with your GP). 

 

I've already obtained mine, and I wasn't planning on asking my GP for another one closer to my Medical Appointment (even if a few months have elapsed). I think given everything that's going on, and the uncertainty regarding appointments, it's a bit unreasonable to expect us to request another...

[Morgan5698 58]

On 7/20/2020 at 9:31 PM, Gaz1a said:

With a variety of visa types not being processed, am I the only one that is a bit optimistic it may be quicker than two months? Like yes, backlog but you have two different tracts here - LND and Visa Appts.

So you can actually check amount of visas issued by type in London - I looked at January. approx 11,000 Non-Immigrant visas were issued, 300 Immigrant. So what is opening up on the 27th represents less than 3%. With these numbers would support the idea that the backlog wont be too extensive as long as Non-Immigrant visas are not being processed. Just a little ray of optimism for you all. 

 

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/legal/visa-law0/visa-statistics.html

[Stuwoolf 44]

1 hour ago, Morgan5698 said:

So you can actually check amount of visas issued by type in London - I looked at January. approx 11,000 Non-Immigrant visas were issued, 300 Immigrant. So what is opening up on the 27th represents less than 3%. With these numbers would support the idea that the backlog wont be too extensive as long as Non-Immigrant visas are not being processed. Just a little ray of optimism for you all. 

 

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/legal/visa-law0/visa-statistics.html

 

Yep. Keep up with the positive vibes🙂

[Mpere 11]

I requested an expedited visa interview end of June, they acknowledged the request on July 1st and told me that it is under review and they are not able to give a timeframe or update for the process. I’m on day 22 still waiting to hear back   

[Just Paul 4,595]

8 minutes ago, Mpere said:

I requested an expedited visa interview end of June, they acknowledged the request on July 1st and told me that it is under review and they are not able to give a timeframe or update for the process. I’m on day 22 still waiting to hear back   

You don't have a "filed for:" listed in your profile nor a timeline so unless you did file with the London USCIS before it closed much of this procedure discussion may not apply since a DCF filer is responsible for setting their own appointments.  If you did file with USCIS in London then please update you profile and create a timeline so we have an accurate dataset.

[Stuwoolf 44]

So lets do a bit of day dreamin......

 

The LND has arrived. The Medical and subsequent Interview has taken place and its all good. The UK property is sold and after paying everything there is say, 25k left of the proceeds. How is this transferred to the US? Is it best to use an account with perhaps HSBC or Santander which is opened in UK and just draw on it when in US or open a US bank account and transfer the money in? Carry cash on the journey over and declare on the in-flight Declaration Card?

[Just Paul 4,595]

30 minutes ago, Stuwoolf said:

Carry cash on the journey over and declare on the in-flight Declaration Card?

Best to transfer it electronically!

[Wuozopo 4,293]

35 minutes ago, Stuwoolf said:

Carry cash on the journey over and declare on the in-flight Declaration Card?

That would be insanely risky. Use Transferwise. Works well. And do sell the house before you leave so it doesn’t end up having to be reported on your US tax return. Oh wait, is the American an owner of the house?

Edited July 23, 2020 by Wuozopo

[Lil bear 4,261]

1 hour ago, Stuwoolf said:

So lets do a bit of day dreamin......

 

The LND has arrived. The Medical and subsequent Interview has taken place and its all good. The UK property is sold and after paying everything there is say, 25k left of the proceeds. How is this transferred to the US? Is it best to use an account with perhaps HSBC or Santander which is opened in UK and just draw on it when in US or open a US bank account and transfer the money in? Carry cash on the journey over and declare on the in-flight Declaration Card?

Try OFX/Forex. Better exchange rate than other methods 

[Morgan5698 58]

1 hour ago, Wuozopo said:

That would be insanely risky. Use Transferwise. Works well. And do sell the house before you leave so it doesn’t end up having to be reported on your US tax return. Oh wait, is the American an owner of the house?

I’m in agreement with this. I’m an accountant and there’s a lot of things to consider with this. Firstly, luckily; I have A US bank account. I opened one as a non-resident with WF a few years back. I’m in a situation similar to you; moving over to the US soon with savings in GBP and how to convert this to USD. I would suggest like above TransferWise. They use the general market rate and a fixed charge. Whereas others offer a lower rate and no charge but it’s absorbed into the rate they offer. The problem is the GBP/USD rate is not very good right now. However this is looking more optimistic at present than it has done all this year. So I’ve started moving my money in increments to limit my exchange loss. If you don’t have a US bank account you can certainly send to your spouses bank account instead. It’s worth just following the FX rate and understanding where it’s going and transferring the right way at the right time. 
 

Will also emphasise, as already stated if you’re planning on selling do it before arriving in the US on the CR1/IR1 so you don’t become subject to US tax - unless your citizen wife isn’t already on the property. 

[Stuwoolf 44]

Thanks for the replies re transferring money.

 

We already have a Formal Offer on my (UKC) property which will be accepted. My USC spouse is not part owner. It is solely in my name. Although, right now it is our home.

 

My concerns were really about there being a US taxation obligation on what was transferred in to US. I would agree that an electronic transfer to my wifes US bank account is the most appropriate way of doing things. I presume this should be done before arriving on US soil?

 

Thanks again for the info.

Edited July 23, 2020 by Stuwoolf

[Lil bear 4,261]

15 minutes ago, Stuwoolf said:

Thanks for the replies re transferring money.

 

We already have a Formal Offer on my (UKC) property which will be accepted. My USC spouse is not part owner. It is solely in my name. Although, right now it is our home.

 

My concerns were really about there being a US taxation obligation on what was transferred in to US. I would agree that an electronic transfer to my wifes US bank account is the most appropriate way of doing things. I presume this should be done before arriving on US soil?

 

Thanks again for the info.

Just make sure that everything is in cash/savings accounts before you enter at POE. Investments /retirement /superannuation fund earnings and withdrawals are all taxable in the US once you are an LPR. We sold our house, cashed in retirement accounts etc before we entered ( before we were LPR) We moved our money over after we entered ( once we were LPR) but it all cane from savings accounts , so the $$$ itself was not taxable .. Had we waited to cash out until after we arrived we would have been taxed on the funds. 🤬

Edited July 24, 2020 by Lil bear

[Wuozopo 4,293]

1 hour ago, Stuwoolf said:

My concerns were really about there being a US taxation obligation on what was transferred in to US. I would agree that an electronic transfer to my wifes US bank account is the most appropriate way of doing things. I presume this should be done before arriving on US soil?

Only income is taxable. What you might have in the bank right now is not income. You can bring it now or later.  Once you become a LPR then if your money earns interest or your investments pay dividends, then only the interest or dividends earned in the tax year are taxable. If you file a joint return for 2020 tax year, then what you earn in investments in 2020 will be taxable, but not the balance of your account(s). I still have a bank account and 3 pensions in the U.K. None of those are taxable. When I start drawing my pensions, it will be monthly income that is taxable, just like like US pensions.

 

Got to go but I have some more to say on the subject later.

[Wuozopo 4,293]

Ok about the house sale. The US will tax profit made on the house as a capital gain. BUT there is an exclusion of $250,000 for an individual or $500,000 for a joint tax return. Since the profit you mention is nowhere near that limit, your money won’t be taxable if you meet the requirements. Start reading here and read more detail in the links the IRS provides. https://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc701  You may have some extra paperwork to fill out that sounds a bit daunting at first read, but a tax accountant can sort it for you or you can wade through it bit by bit and learn, much like you are learning the immigration process. The year you immigrate is the hardest and with a house sale, another layer. BUT if you sell the house before you become an LPR, you follow UK tax laws. Once you move, you file with the IRS and not the UK per the tax treaty between the countries. I don’t think the house sale is going to hit your pocketbook either way, but there could be extra forms to fill out to report it, even if exempt from the capital gain tax. While you’re  waiting on an interview, you might want to read up on IRS publications.
 

 Most want to file a joint return with their American spouse because it’s a big tax break. Since she was out of the country, any salary income she earned in the UK for 2020 could be excluded from taxation so improving on zero taxes owed isn’t going to be improved by filing jointly. You can’t do better than zero owed.  On the other hand, I believe you both would qualify for the 2020 stimulus package by filing a joint return for 2020. There’s so many options, I can’t get my head wrapped around it tonight to give an opinion.  Confused yet?