IR-1 vida DCF in London - visa issued and valid for less than 1 month :(

[retheem 564]

OP you should be asking this question while on the flight to the US lol. Come, get processed and then hop into the next flight back.

[JFH 12,190]

Travel here asap, even for just a weekend. Flights are going for a song right now so grab what you see available. You don’t even have to go to your intended home. A quick trip to the closest East coast city will do (New York and Boston tend to be the cheapest, flight wise). Just get your feet on the soil, turnaround and go back to the UK for a few months. Your spouse will need to go with if they are not already over here. The immigrant visa requirements are that the petitioner is in the US before you or travels to the US with you. So grab 2 cheap tickets to wherever. 

[Melc 138]

19 minutes ago, JFH said:

Travel here asap, even for just a weekend. Flights are going for a song right now so grab what you see available. You don’t even have to go to your intended home. A quick trip to the closest East coast city will do (New York and Boston tend to be the cheapest, flight wise). Just get your feet on the soil, turnaround and go back to the UK for a few months. Your spouse will need to go with if they are not already over here. The immigrant visa requirements are that the petitioner is in the US before you or travels to the US with you. So grab 2 cheap tickets to wherever. 

To follow on this, I've seen return flights for under 300 GBP via Dublin to Boston. Weekend trip might be the way to go. 

[Eladnolnod 36]

@JFH After reading through this am I correct thinking that I would be ok to get my visa and head over for a week and then head back to tie up loose ends? 
 

Would this cause any issues at ROC stage etc? 
 

My wife needs me there quite urgently but won’t have enough time to sort everything out prior to my intended departure date and this plan, as mentioned for OP to follow, would be ideal for my situation as long as it didn’t cause any other problems.

[Crazy Cat 41,842]

Just now, Eladnolnod said:

@JFH After reading through this am I correct thinking that I would be ok to get my visa and head over for a week and then head back to tie up loose ends? 
 

Would this cause any issues at ROC stage etc? 
 

My wife needs me there quite urgently but won’t have enough time to sort everything out prior to my intended departure date and this plan, as mentioned for OP to follow, would be ideal for my situation as long as it didn’t cause any other problems.

You can turn around and head back immediately after entering the US if you want.  There are no ROC issues.

[Eladnolnod 36]

2 minutes ago, Lucky Cat said:

You can turn around and head back immediately after entering the US if you want.  There are no ROC issues.

Thanks!

 

I would only be back for around a month or so before moving over permanently so this would be great!

[Crazy Cat 41,842]

1 minute ago, Eladnolnod said:

Thanks!

 

I would only be back for around a month or so before moving over permanently so this would be great!

Once you initially enter the US with your IR-1/CR-1 visa, you are immediately a legal resident, and your passport then serves as your Green Card until the plastic one arrives.....a few months outside the US will have effect on ROC.

[JFH 12,190]

17 minutes ago, Eladnolnod said:

@JFH After reading through this am I correct thinking that I would be ok to get my visa and head over for a week and then head back to tie up loose ends? 
 

Would this cause any issues at ROC stage etc? 
 

My wife needs me there quite urgently but won’t have enough time to sort everything out prior to my intended departure date and this plan, as mentioned for OP to follow, would be ideal for my situation as long as it didn’t cause any other problems.

You are correct. No issues with ROC. The only issue you will have is the quarantine requirement when returning to the UK (assuming BoJo hasn’t changed his mind again by then). 

[Eladnolnod 36]

@Lucky Cat @JFH Thanks for you replies. 
 

I sometimes think BoJo’s rules are more complicated than this immigration process 😅

[Lil bear 4,198]

45 minutes ago, Eladnolnod said:

@Lucky Cat @JFH Thanks for you replies. 
 

I sometimes think BoJo’s rules are more complicated than this immigration process 😅

I doubt it !!!! Though ScoMo in Aus is often accused of the same ! 

Edited August 14, 2020 by Lil bear

[Lucky2Lucky 2,526]

2 hours ago, Eladnolnod said:

@JFH After reading through this am I correct thinking that I would be ok to get my visa and head over for a week and then head back to tie up loose ends? 
 

Would this cause any issues at ROC stage etc? 
 

My wife needs me there quite urgently but won’t have enough time to sort everything out prior to my intended departure date and this plan, as mentioned for OP to follow, would be ideal for my situation as long as it didn’t cause any other problems.

Yes you can do this. But your wife only needs you urgently here for a week?! lol

[NMHayek 56]

On July 24, the DOS approved that medical exams could be valid for 7 months rather than 6. I’m surprised your visa wouldn’t have had an extended date for one month.... see link below.

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/News/visas-news/one-month-extension-of-immigrant-visa-medical-examinations.html

Edited August 15, 2020 by NMHayek

[Mark Weston 3]

Thanks everyone for the clear answers.

 

In retrospect, the bureaucratic reasoning is fairly obvious.  However, I'm still angry that the two Consular Officers who dealt with my case at the interview didn't mention this possibility.  Even an extra few days warning might have helped.  It would also be nice to know why the medical exam extension didn't apply to my case.

 

Anyway, back to running round in circles with hair on fire.  In many ways, the quick visit to New York to "cash in" has appeal.  But we have a kid and two dogs who probably can't be left unsupervised for a weekend...