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Most people think because of Mexicans, that the US has under-regulated immigration. This is a very poor assumption.
Some things you'll face:
All parties need clean records
You need to make 19.6k a year for two people and an additional 8k per person, or have some proof of income and a co-sponsor who covers every person involved including their family. 4 People is around 36k.
3 recent check stubs and written letter from each sponsors employer
About 1.5k just to file the application and around 3.6k if you have a lawyer file and manage for you, lawyer cuts wait time in half
Civil surgeon medical exam that averages $700, but cheap ones around $245 exist
Translated birth certificate from official native speaker
Substantial material proof you are a couple or immediate through marriage
The interview is like a job interview, if your clothes aren't up to their standard, you have facial scars, or if either of you are the quiet type or awkward, you'll most likely be rejected which is bad because plane tickets and the application are crazy expensive even to a six figure person
That applies too all the application types(fiance visa and immediate on tourist). Don't do fiance visa, bring your partner over and marry and apply on the same 90 day visa, way cheaper and no one year wait and extra costs.
The only other ways to get in are through refugee statuses and the 500k a year lottery. There is also employer endorsement, but that is only for high-level positions; unless you already have the card, then most employers will take over as sponsor.
Also, if you are a guy, and you are bring a female over to marry, pretty much everyone assumes it's a mail-order-bride no matter what proof you have or the length of the relationship..
HOW I KNOW: My wife is from Europe, immigrated recently after I lived there with her for years, and I've met a lot of other couples too under the same scenario. It's only of the first things we talk about when we meet..
Most people think because of Mexicans, that the US has under-regulated immigration. This is a very poor assumption.
Some things you'll face:
All parties need clean records
You need to make 19.6k a year for two people and an additional 8k per person, or have some proof of income and a co-sponsor who covers every person involved including their family. 4 People is around 36k.
3 recent check stubs and written letter from each sponsors employer
About 1.5k just to file the application and around 3.6k if you have a lawyer file and manage for you, lawyer cuts wait time in half
Civil surgeon medical exam that averages $700, but cheap ones around $245 exist
Translated birth certificate from official native speaker
Substantial material proof you are a couple or immediate through marriage
The interview is like a job interview, if your clothes aren't up to their standard, you have facial scars, or if either of you are the quiet type or awkward, you'll most likely be rejected which is bad because plane tickets and the application are crazy expensive even to a six figure person
That applies too all the application types(fiance visa and immediate on tourist). Don't do fiance visa, bring your partner over and marry and apply on the same 90 day visa, way cheaper and no one year wait and extra costs.
The only other ways to get in are through refugee statuses and the 500k a year lottery. There is also employer endorsement, but that is only for high-level positions; unless you already have the card, then most employers will take over as sponsor.
Also, if you are a guy, and you are bring a female over to marry, pretty much everyone assumes it's a mail-order-bride no matter what proof you have or the length of the relationship..
HOW I KNOW: My wife is from Europe, immigrated recently after I lived there with her for years, and I've met a lot of other couples too under the same scenario. It's only of the first things we talk about when we meet..
That's pretty much it. A few things have changed. The povery line is now 125% of the national guideline which is about $6K per person, you need all the translations done. We have had this done. They never asked for checks. We had a lawyer in Charlotte (www.greencards.com) who wanted "about $10K" to get our Green Cards for us and since I did not do that he charged me $250 each time I called him. When I di call, he gave brilliant advice.
If you look at the pdf "Route to Green Card" I posted earlier you'll see that if you have $1M you are prepared to invest the US will give you a Green Card. The jib route will get easier in the coming years and family based immigration will get harder since the administration has finally worked out that 000s of broke and aging parents do not actually help the economy but several hundred Asian Dr. and PhD. graduates might just.
Our interview was very low key (at least as far as some of the jib interview I've had). We saw two people. One was an admin type (I think he acually observed very well though) and the other asked some questions like "How often are you in contact with your son?" Hmmm, a "soft" question... So I replied "Whenever the bugger wants money." Everyone laughed and then I clarified to say that we are on Skype once or twice a week and we exchange up to 6 emails a day, most days and we have spen 2 months in Charlotte this year. We passed in about 7 minutes.
That's pretty much it. A few things have changed. The povery line is now 125% of the national guideline which is about $6K per person, you need all the translations done. We have had this done. They never asked for checks. We had a lawyer in Charlotte (www.greencards.com) who wanted "about $10K" to get our Green Cards for us and since I did not do that he charged me $250 each time I called him. When I di call, he gave brilliant advice.
If you look at the pdf "Route to Green Card" I posted earlier you'll see that if you have $1M you are prepared to invest the US will give you a Green Card. The jib route will get easier in the coming years and family based immigration will get harder since the administration has finally worked out that 000s of broke and aging parents do not actually help the economy but several hundred Asian Dr. and PhD. graduates might just.
Our interview was very low key (at least as far as some of the jib interview I've had). We saw two people. One was an admin type (I think he acually observed very well though) and the other asked some questions like "How often are you in contact with your son?" Hmmm, a "soft" question... So I replied "Whenever the bugger wants money." Everyone laughed and then I clarified to say that we are on Skype once or twice a week and we exchange up to 6 emails a day, most days and we have spen 2 months in Charlotte this year. We passed in about 7 minutes.
Yeah, when you start dealing with the protocols countries use you find out how crooked they are on a strategic level.. It's like a computer system, the more you use to more you know..
My wife came in on a 90 day ESTA waiver and we paid a lawyer 3.6k after marriage and gathering the other stuff, almost 1.5k of that was the app fee, and we used a co sponsor that more than covered everyone since I was only making 18.2k at the time. She had her card inside two months.
Most people I talk to make the mistake of bringing partners in on fiance visa, the first interview for that is typically a year after the application, then when they get here you have to do the same stuff anyway..
Pardo Law Firm in Charlotte is good, and even revealed cheap ways to do things, we saved a lot on a complete medical exam because they told us who they heard good things about. This was all with just the 80 dollar phone call we made up front. We did what they said and they automated the rest. The application took half the time compared to others we've talked to..
Congratulations! I know how excited you must be to get here. Keep reaching out and most will try to help you in every way possible.
Thank you for your kind words. They are much appreciated. We are pretty excited to be moving to Charlotte. OK, our son and his family live here so that's an obvious reason. The fact is however that I am just super stoked to be able to live and explore at least some of the United States in my retirement.
In moments of sanity (fairly rare with me...) I sometimes doubt the wisdom of a couple who are nearly 70 years old uprooting themselves and decamping 4000 miles. But then, what is life without some fun and a bit of a challenge?
I know that folk here are always super helpful and that when I need to know something about the area, you guys will always be forthcoming.
Yeah, when you start dealing with the protocols countries use you find out how crooked they are on a strategic level.. It's like a computer system, the more you use to more you know..
My wife came in on a 90 day ESTA waiver and we paid a lawyer 3.6k after marriage and gathering the other stuff, almost 1.5k of that was the app fee, and we used a co sponsor that more than covered everyone since I was only making 18.2k at the time. She had her card inside two months.
Most people I talk to make the mistake of bringing partners in on fiance visa, the first interview for that is typically a year after the application, then when they get here you have to do the same stuff anyway..
Pardo Law Firm in Charlotte is good, and even revealed cheap ways to do things, we saved a lot on a complete medical exam because they told us who they heard good things about. This was all with just the 80 dollar phone call we made up front. We did what they said and they automated the rest. The application took half the time compared to others we've talked to..
Don't want to get in to crooked countries but, I'm with ya. It's like a comptuter system. The more you find out, the more you wish you hadn't.
I guess that you must have made you move a few years ago because if you overstay your 90 day ESTA welcome today, they will never let you back again. We were quite literally counting the days as to when we had to leave since I am a bit of a tax exile from the UK due to my previous residency in Switzerland and I can only spend 120 days (new rules since 6th April) in the UK before becoming liable for rather a lot of tax.
We used the law firm sparingly. The process is fairly straightforward provided you read everything carefully which, was that I did. We did what they said, and I talke to the help desk (talk about needing patience).
Things have tightened up over the medical exam. In London today, there is one single doctors business that handles 100% of the medical exams and there is no escaping this. bekieve me, I tried. I even asked if we could complete the process in the US but, no, we could not. Goota be the US Ebbassy, London.
We are now waiting for our Passports to be returned and then we can fly in. Got the movers coming an 2-3 September so we'll fly out a day or so later - unless something else goes wrong.
Don't want to get in to crooked countries but, I'm with ya. It's like a comptuter system. The more you find out, the more you wish you hadn't.
I guess that you must have made you move a few years ago because if you overstay your 90 day ESTA welcome today, they will never let you back again. We were quite literally counting the days as to when we had to leave since I am a bit of a tax exile from the UK due to my previous residency in Switzerland and I can only spend 120 days (new rules since 6th April) in the UK before becoming liable for rather a lot of tax.
We used the law firm sparingly. The process is fairly straightforward provided you read everything carefully which, was that I did. We did what they said, and I talke to the help desk (talk about needing patience).
Things have tightened up over the medical exam. In London today, there is one single doctors business that handles 100% of the medical exams and there is no escaping this. bekieve me, I tried. I even asked if we could complete the process in the US but, no, we could not. Goota be the US Ebbassy, London.
We are now waiting for our Passports to be returned and then we can fly in. Got the movers coming an 2-3 September so we'll fly out a day or so later - unless something else goes wrong.
No we did it last year, laws are still the same. The lawyer just said have everything turned in at least 15 days before her leave date.
Your case is different of course because neither of you seem to be citizens, so you can't use the immediate clause through marriage.
I've always been curious what other ways there was in besides employer sponsor, 500k lottery, immediate, refugee, and the political one. Also, I've seen manufacturing plants here bring dozens of hispanics in at once and have them all green cards and work permits inside a month; must be the financial method you mentioned..
No we did it last year, laws are still the same. The lawyer just said have everything turned in at least 15 days before her leave date.
Your case is different of course because neither of you seem to be citizens, so you can't use the immediate clause through marriage.
I've always been curious what other ways there was in besides employer sponsor, 500k lottery, immediate, refugee, and the political one. Also, I've seen manufacturing plants here bring dozens of hispanics in at once and have them all green cards and work permits inside a month; must be the financial method you mentioned..
Yep. It is our son who is now a US citizen. He started the process for us from the USA. We therefore HAD to complete our process from the UK and all the document processing was done in the US.
Our son who married his American fiancee in Switzerland did his imigration in Switzerland and his took just six weeks.
Yep. It is our son who is now a US citizen. He started the process for us from the USA. We therefore HAD to complete our process from the UK and all the document processing was done in the US.
Our son who married his American fiancee in Switzerland did his imigration in Switzerland and his took just six weeks.
I listed it before in an earlier post but it shows the process and th ways so clearly that it is perhaps worth a second look.
Yeah I looked at it, but it didn't cover how we did it. My wife came in only on a 90 day ESTA waiver, we got married, then submitted everything to the lawyer. I guess he did a change of status while things processed.
Another note: I-94 isn't really needed, we got to just use the passport stamp
Yeah I looked at it, but it didn't cover how we did it. My wife came in only on a 90 day ESTA waiver, we got married, then submitted everything to the lawyer. I guess he did a change of status while things processed.
Another note: I-94 isn't really needed, we got to just use the passport stamp
Ahh, you got married in the States. That's what did it. That is why it was so quick. FAced with a fiat acompli, the US would have relaxed their rules somewhat. They couldn't do that with us. We have been married for well over 30 years.
The I-94 won't be neccessary for us. When we finally get our passorts back from the Embassy, we will also get a sealed envelope that we must hand (still sealed) to the immigration agent at the airport. When his rubber stamp hits our passports, we'll become legal immigrants.
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