# Is there anyone who was a UK citizen and is now a US citizen? Please help.



## rebeccap42 (Jun 26, 2010)

> Hi all,
> 
> I'm hoping someone can help me.
> 
> ...


Further to this post is there anyone here who has been a UK citizen who is now a US citizen. What did you do? How long did it take? What roughly did it cost?

Any advice would be brilliant. We really don't want to move and settle for a few years only to be sent back to the UK. He is potentially an extraordinary alien and I’m just a very experienced mathematics teacher. Any further help would be really appreciated.

Thanks again

Rebecca


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## twostep (Apr 3, 2008)

What do you mean by extraordinary alien and a very experienced math teacher? As math teacher you should know that lack of information means lack of results.


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## rebeccap42 (Jun 26, 2010)

Hi, 

Thaks for the quick reply. Sorry for the lack of specifics.

I have been teaching mathematics at secondary school level for 5 years. I am currently responsible for the entire schools numeracy. My partner is an AST (Advanced Skills Teacher) which I believe may tick the boxes for being an extraordinary alien. He has been teaching mathematics in secondary schools for 7 years. We have both also completed outreach work in primary schools.


Thanks again

Rebecca


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## twostep (Apr 3, 2008)

rebeccap42 said:


> Hi,
> 
> Thaks for the quick reply. Sorry for the lack of specifics.
> 
> ...


UK school system is not my forte but job placement is. A private institution has to be very interested in your husband to sponsor a visa. AST alone will not do. Has he published, has he done some work of his own?


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## rebeccap42 (Jun 26, 2010)

twostep said:


> UK school system is not my forte but job placement is. A private institution has to be very interested in your husband to sponsor a visa. AST alone will not do. Has he published, has he done some work of his own?


Thanks again for the quick reply. Sadly he is not published or done work on his own.

What should our next step be. Any advice?

Thanks 

Rebecca


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## Fatbrit (May 8, 2008)

rebeccap42 said:


> Further to this post is there anyone here who has been a UK citizen who is now a US citizen. What did you do? How long did it take? What roughly did it cost?
> 
> Any advice would be brilliant. We really don't want to move and settle for a few years only to be sent back to the UK. He is potentially an extraordinary alien and I’m just a very experienced mathematics teacher. Any further help would be really appreciated.
> 
> ...


I naturalized as a USC 66 months after I first arrived. But my route is unlikely to be yours.

Your most likely route if you can pull it off is: H1b -> GC -> USC

H1b to GC is at the whim of your employer. Before that you're more an indentured servant than anything else. The time required from your employer's yes to you receiving your GC can vary widely from 6 months to 6 years. A master's degree helps here.

GC -> USC takes 5 years. It's quite straightforward.

You are reasonably stable after you get your GC. You can work for whoever you want and live here as long as you like. In fact the only big difference between you and a USC is you can't vote, you get thrown out if you get caught smoking dope, and you can't chose to live overseas for as long as you like with the right of return.


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## rebeccap42 (Jun 26, 2010)

Thanks again for your help.

Will look into "pulling off" a H1b visa from an employer.

Thanks

Rebecca


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## Fatbrit (May 8, 2008)

rebeccap42 said:


> Thanks again for your help.
> 
> Will look into "pulling off" a H1b visa from an employer.
> 
> ...


Go here: MyVisaJobs.com

I still can't decide whether I trust this site or not. But it seems to show who has sponsored teachers in the H1b category. I'd approach the schools and/or school districts directly rather than using a middleman. Be warned that the H!b is awash with internet scams.


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## rondelle (Aug 14, 2010)

H-1b visa is very tricky to come by nowadays as alot of schools are scaling back.

There is a J-1 visa for teachers to work up to 3 years in the usa. Luckily your area(math) is one of the subject field that sponsors are normally interested in. At the end of the 3 years alot of companies filed the H-1b visa for their teachers if you prove yourself during this time.

You can google this company ITES. Its a reputable company for bringing math and science teachers from the uk to NC. The guy is actually English, former teacher living in the USA


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## MarylandNed (May 11, 2010)

I went the H1B (Feb 1998) to Green Card (Dec 2000) to USC (Feb 2006) route but not as a teacher - I'm a software developer. H1B to GC was a tricky and time consuming process so using a good immigration lawyer (as I did) is highly recommended. 

GC to USC was fairly simple and fast and you're even allowed to file the application 3 months before you're eligible (in my case I was able to file 4 years and 9 months after I became a GC holder). I was easily able to handle the USC application process myself.

Holding UK and US citizenships at the same time is not a problem - in fact I have 4 citizenships as I am also a citizen of Ireland (by birth in Northern Ireland) and Canada (by naturalization). However, if you are a USC, you must leave and re-enter the US using a US passport (no matter what other passports you might have in your possession).

Being a GC holder is not as safe as you might think. You can lose GC status if you stay outside the US for too long. A GC holder can be deported for various crimes - including DUI (especially one causing injury or death). Also a GC holder (unlike a USC) is not guaranteed re-entry into the US after travelling abroad. A GC also has to be renewed the GC every 10 years.

One of the pitfalls of being a USC is that you have to file a US tax return every year for the rest of your life - no matter where in the world you live. You are mostly protected from double taxation on the same income as long as you live/work in a country that has such an agreement with the US (luckily for me this includes Canada, Ireland and the UK).


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## Wayfarer (Apr 4, 2009)

MarylandNed said:


> I went the H1B (Feb 1998) to Green Card (Dec 2000) to USC (Feb 2006) route but not as a teacher - I'm a software developer. H1B to GC was a tricky and time consuming process so using a good immigration lawyer (as I did) is highly recommended.
> 
> GC to USC was fairly simple and fast and you're even allowed to file the application 3 months before you're eligible (in my case I was able to file 4 years and 9 months after I became a GC holder). I was easily able to handle the USC application process myself.
> 
> ...


Yeah my friend who lives overseas makes a point of leaving the US on his British Passport and re-entering on his Green Card. I think he said he once had a problem with having been out of the USA for over a year, but in the end they let him back in with a warning.


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## MarylandNed (May 11, 2010)

Wayfarer said:


> Yeah my friend who lives overseas makes a point of leaving the US on his British Passport and re-entering on his Green Card. I think he said he once had a problem with having been out of the USA for over a year, but in the end they let him back in with a warning.


The rules for crossing borders are here:
DHS | Crossing U.S. Borders

GC holders travelling by air now also need a passport (or "other secure travel document" whatever that means - so get a passport just to be safe) to enter the US. So your friend should show his UK passport (along with his GC) for entry via air. When entering via land/sea, he can continue to show just his GC.

However, requirements are different for USC's and he'll likely have to show a US passport if he becomes a USC.


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## twostep (Apr 3, 2008)

Wayfarer said:


> Yeah my friend who lives overseas makes a point of leaving the US on his British Passport and re-entering on his Green Card. I think he said he once had a problem with having been out of the USA for over a year, but in the end they let him back in with a warning.


The cross reference is being recorded and the lack of exit will catch up with him. At the very latest when he files for citizenship.


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## Wayfarer (Apr 4, 2009)

twostep said:


> The cross reference is being recorded and the lack of exit will catch up with him. At the very latest when he files for citizenship.


I was wondering this myself.
I don't think he'll be getting/be going for citizenship anyway, just on the golden greencard road as it keeps him in pay and happy enough


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## twostep (Apr 3, 2008)

Wayfarer said:


> I was wondering this myself.
> I don't think he'll be getting/be going for citizenship anyway, just on the golden greencard road as it keeps him in pay and happy enough


I wish him luck at his next renewal:>)


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## mamasue (Oct 7, 2008)

twostep said:


> I wish him luck at his next renewal:>)


My thoughts exactly!!


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