# thinking immigrating to usa



## sinders34 (Jul 30, 2014)

Hi I'm new to this forum. My name is estelle , my fiance is a lorry driver and has been made redundant and we both like the idea of moving to the states. We have done bit reseaech and there are plenty of jobs but were unsure were we would like to live. We have four children two of them are in secondary school. My mum was born in America and came to uk when she met my dad, im unsure if I can get an American passport and of it would make it bit easier for us . Would appreciate any help xz many thanks zx


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## twostep (Apr 3, 2008)

Start here to get information about US immigration:
Family-based Immigrant Visas


Should your mother fulfill all the requirements - this is the link to the processing times. Unmarried children over 21 - processing of applications July 2007
Visa Bulletin For August 2014


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## sinders34 (Jul 30, 2014)

Thankyou for reply but still non wiser lol


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## JoeyJoJo! (Jun 25, 2013)

.............


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## Davis1 (Feb 20, 2009)

you mother would need to be living in the US ..to file fore you ..And for employment 
you need a degree minimum 

Pick a visa 


There are basically NINE ways that you can get a visa to live and work in the US: 

(1) Marriage (or engagement in anticipation of marriage) to a US citizen. 

(2) You have skills that are in short supply in the US e.g. scientific or medical training. A degree is normally a must. Or you have superior specialist skills with at least 12 years experience. (H visas)applications next received on 1st April 2014

(3) You have an Employer who is willing to transfer you - but even the employer has to make a good case for you - so you have to be a manager unless you fall under category (2) above.(L visas)

(4) You may get a Green card in the diversity lottery (UK citizens, except N.Ireland, are not generally eligible unless you, your spouse or parents were born abroad or held a different citizenship.

(5)You own or buy business (does not get you permanent resident status i.e. no green card)You must be a national of a qualifying Treaty countries. The business must have a minimum value of around $150k (more the better) bearing in mind you will need somewhere to live and with any startup business you will need at least 2 years living money as back up. So a figure of $350k would be a nearer minimum (E-2 visas)

(6)You are an "investor" i.e. you have at least US $1m in assets to bring with you. half of that in a few areas. And your background will be investigated to the hilt. (EB-5 visas)

(7)You have a close relative (mother, father, brother, sister and no further) who is an US citizen who would sponsor you, approx time this take 2-12 years?

(8.The R1 visa is available to foreign members of religious denominations, having bona fide non-profit religious organizations in the U.S., for entering the U.S. to carry on the activities of a minister or religious worker as a profession, occupation or vocation

(9)THE UNUSUAL You are in a position to claim refugee status/political asylum. or You get a member of Congress to sponsor a private bill with legislation that applies just to you. 
The S visa issued to persons who assist US law enforcement to investigate and prosecute crimes and terrorist activities such as money laundering and organized crime


Recruitment agent will not take you seriously if you are not already in the US. Writing for jobs is really a waste of time; likewise US employers have no idea what foreign qualification are or mean (except Degrees) it may pay you to get your qualification translated into a US equivalent, there are Companies that do this (World Education Services - International Credential Evaluation Expertise) .. 
But if you are getting a visa under (2) above then you need a job offer before you can get the visa. Your Employer will be your sponsor this will cost them upward of $5k. So you can see you have to be offering something really special to get considered They may also have to prove to the Dept of labor that there is no American who can do the job if the position is to be permanent ©
DO NOT USE VISA CONSULTANTS


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## Meritorious-MasoMenos (Apr 17, 2014)

Davis1 said:


> you mother would need to be living in the US ..to file fore you ..And for employment
> you need a degree minimum


Why would her mother need to be in the US to file for her? If the OP were a minor, and the mother was a natural U.S. citizen and still is a citizen, she could file for U.S. citizenship for her daughter at the US Embassy in London and then of course, the OP wouldn't need any degree or anything else to live in the US. I don't know the law for a child over age 18 or 21.

What you must do, OP, is clarify your mother's status, then find what law applies to you at your age, or ask at the U.S. Consulate. The law for minor children of any U.S. citizen born in the US is that they children are automatically natural born citizens of the US. You can, in fact, be president of the US, a little known fact with all the Obama drama. Most Americans think you have to be born in the US to be pre, but no. John McCain wasn't and he was qualified, Mitch Romney's dad, a candidate back in 1968 was born abroad and was qualified, as is Ted Cruz, born in Canada. But all were registered at US embassies or Immigration as children.


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## Davis1 (Feb 20, 2009)

Not much good if only the wife can get a passport 
bearing in mind she has never lived 
in the US ... and with the restriction that brings


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## Meritorious-MasoMenos (Apr 17, 2014)

Davis1 said:


> Not much good if only the wife can get a passport
> bearing in mind she has never lived
> in the US ... and with the restriction that brings


If she can get a passport as a U.S. citizen and she is married for years to spouse, she'll easily get a visa for her spouse. My spouse is Mexican. We'd been married five years. She just came to U.S. on her tourist visa. We went to Immigration, and on same day, they gave her a permanent green card, nothing even about that temporary two-year green card.

The delays come with people recently married. I had read before she came to U.S. for that final time of all the problems in getting a visa, so I said, heck with that. She had a multiple entry tourist visa, and that was just fine.


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## Davis1 (Feb 20, 2009)

Meritorious-MasoMenos said:


> She just came to U.S. on her tourist visa. We went to Immigration, and on same day, they gave her a permanent green card, nothing even about that temporary two-year green card.


thats a fabricated statement and not true it does not work like that ...
An IR1 will take around a year for the OP


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## Meritorious-MasoMenos (Apr 17, 2014)

Davis1 said:


> thats a fabricated statement and not true it does not work like that ...
> An IR1 will take around a year for the OP


Fabricated? I don't know what you're talking about. As I said, I think the gov't scrutinizes newly married people. We were married for five years, even less. We flew up to Virginia, she on her tourist visa. Within a month, we went into the Washington DC Immigration office. That same day, they gave her a permanent green card. Surprised me. I had thought they would give a two-year temporary one. She's now a U.S. citizen, of course, but yes, it was given the same day we applied for it. I am a nobody, with absolutely no influence. We also had a child, who had a U.S. passport from Mexican City embassy.


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## Meritorious-MasoMenos (Apr 17, 2014)

Meritorious-MasoMenos said:


> Fabricated? I don't know what you're talking about. As I said, I think the gov't scrutinizes newly married people. We were married for five years, even less. We flew up to Virginia, she on her tourist visa. Within a month, we went into the Washington DC Immigration office. That same day, they gave her a permanent green card. Surprised me. I had thought they would give a two-year temporary one. She's now a U.S. citizen, of course, but yes, it was given the same day we applied for it. I am a nobody, with absolutely no influence. We also had a child, who had a U.S. passport from Mexican City embassy.


Adding, I don't know if this mattered, but the official who authorized the Green Card was of Mexican origin, and she and my wife yacked away about their beloved Mexico during our interview.


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## Davis1 (Feb 20, 2009)

you must have a memory problem ... the green card 5 years ago took a minimum 3 month to just manufacture making it impossible to get it in a day .


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## twostep (Apr 3, 2008)

Meritorious-MasoMenos said:


> Adding, I don't know if this mattered, but the official who authorized the Green Card was of Mexican origin, and she and my wife yacked away about their beloved Mexico during our interview.


Please discuss personal experiences to the lounge; especially ones that have nothing do with OP's question. Permanent Green Card and AoS in 30 days in DC for a married couple!


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## twostep (Apr 3, 2008)

sinders34 said:


> Thankyou for reply but still non wiser lol


Have you read the links? In a nutshell: your mother did not file birth abroad and request passports for you and your siblings. Now she needs a US residence, respective income or assets to file for your Green Card. Currently such applications are being processed who were filed in 2007. 

Read the links and ask specific questions.


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## mamasue (Oct 7, 2008)

Meritorious-MasoMenos said:


> . My spouse is Mexican. We'd been married five years. She just came to U.S. on her tourist visa. We went to Immigration, and on same day, they gave her a permanent green card, nothing even about that temporary two-year green card.
> .



Just curious...... how long ago was that??


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## Meritorious-MasoMenos (Apr 17, 2014)

Davis1 said:


> you must have a memory problem ... the green card 5 years ago took a minimum 3 month to just manufacture making it impossible to get it in a day .


Well, as I recall, they did mail her the Green Card, but again, it was authorized in one day. I don't recall how long it took for the permanent card to arrive, but we walked out of there that day with written confirmation that she had received a permanent card.


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## twostep (Apr 3, 2008)

Meritorious-MasoMenos said:


> Well, as I recall, they did mail her the Green Card, but again, it was authorized in one day. I don't recall how long it took for the permanent card to arrive, but we walked out of there that day with written confirmation that she had received a permanent card.


As all your posts in the US section this gives no information just a changed personal statement. What applications did you file and when?


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## twostep (Apr 3, 2008)

Meritorious-MasoMenos said:


> Why would her mother need to be in the US to file for her? If the OP were a minor, and the mother was a natural U.S. citizen and still is a citizen, she could file for U.S. citizenship for her daughter at the US Embassy in London and then of course, the OP wouldn't need any degree or anything else to live in the US. I don't know the law for a child over age 18 or 21.
> 
> What you must do, OP, is clarify your mother's status, then find what law applies to you at your age, or ask at the U.S. Consulate. The law for minor children of any U.S. citizen born in the US is that they children are automatically natural born citizens of the US. You can, in fact, be president of the US, a little known fact with all the Obama drama. Most Americans think you have to be born in the US to be pre, but no. John McCain wasn't and he was qualified, Mitch Romney's dad, a candidate back in 1968 was born abroad and was qualified, as is Ted Cruz, born in Canada. But all were registered at US embassies or Immigration as children.


This statement is not true. The US born parent has to qualify to transfer US citizenship.
Citizenship Through Parents | USCIS


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## sinders34 (Jul 30, 2014)

I am 34 so dont know what applies to me. From what I understand I had choice on if wanted to be British citizen or American.


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## sinders34 (Jul 30, 2014)

I am 34 so dont know what applies to me. From what I understand I had choice on if wanted to be British citizen or American.


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## sinders34 (Jul 30, 2014)

Im guessing the same applies for Canada? ?? Xx


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## twostep (Apr 3, 2008)

sinders34 said:


> I am 34 so dont know what applies to me. From what I understand I had choice on if wanted to be British citizen or American.


No, you would have been able to get both citizenships.


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## Davis1 (Feb 20, 2009)

You do realize if you were-issued a green card incorrectly and you never has a removal of conditions then her green card and citizenship are fraudulently obtained and can lead to CANCELLATION AND DEPORTION (no matter who made the error)... Time to shut it ...


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## manuel dexterity (Oct 2, 2014)

]

The number of posts someone makes on a message board has nothing to do with what their life experiences are. I have ordered no one to do anything. People can believe you or not. That is their perogative. I think you are lying, plain and simple.


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## Meritorious-MasoMenos (Apr 17, 2014)

Davis1 said:


> You do realize if you were-issued a green card incorrectly and you never has a removal of conditions then her green card and citizenship are fraudulently obtained and can lead to CANCELLATION AND DEPORTION (no matter who made the error)... Time to shut it ...


She's a happy U.S. citizen now. 

Again, it just happened to me. Now, last week I went into a Mexican consulate in the US for a visa to live there full time. Now, I had always read on this forum that you have to have proven income of $2,000 per month, just lowered to $1,500 again, for the initial visa that has to be renewed every year for four years, at which point you have to have $2,500 of monthly income for the permanent visa, no more visits to Migration.

Well, I went in, with an appointment, with all documents requested. Now, maybe all the "experts" and "moderators" on this forum were wrong or maybe the Mexican gov't recently changed the law, because when the official handed me back my US passport with the visa in it, she said it was permanent, no need to go through with the four-year, yearly visits to Migration.

I'm sure either A or B is correct. But also, shortly after I got inside to the right desk and checked in, a man came in with his mother in her 80s, very feeble and really not all there mentally, also there for her visa to live in Mexico. Also American. They missed her appointment by 90 minutes because of traffic, and I was right on time for mine. The Mexican visa person looked at me, and I replied, "Go ahead, help her now."

It involved me staying another two hours because of lunch. I was a bit miffed that the son never thanked me, but whatever. Sitting there, the Mexican woman's daughter was sitting in a desk next to her, doing nothing. She was in her 20s, and we chatted in Spanish.

After the official dealt with the woman, a tall guy came in. He too was seeking a visa to live full time in Mexico, but, as it turned out, via his marriage to a Mexican woman. They had also been in the consulate previously to get a passport for a child they had, born outside of Mexico.

After the guy presented his documentation, the woman said the wife had to be there as well in order for the visa to be given. He grew more and more irritated. He was some kind of European, from his accent, very sophisticated, dressed nicely, far better than me, sun glasses resting up on his forehead.

He explained to her that his wife had just been in the office the previous week for their son's passport. Wasn't that enough?

No, the woman explained. She had to be there in person. The guy got more and more irritated. "C'mon now, we're both busy. This is ridiculous."

He called his wife on his cell and passed the phone to the official. They talked in Spanish, which I of course understood, but the answer was still the same.

The guy was muttering openly about how stupid this all was. The daughter started rolling her eyes at me, and the mother was arching her back more and more.

It went on for a while. "Okay," the guy finally relented. "We'll come back. Let's make an appointment now."

"No, you have to make the appointment online," the official said.

The guy got really exasperated now and his voice started rising. "You're right here, so please make the appointment."

He was really treating her like a paid employee, and her hackles went up even more. He handed her the phone again and the wife tried to get her to make the appointment.

In reply, the official turned her computer screen to the European and said: "Here is the page. You must go here to make the appointment."

"But it's right there!" he said incredulously. "Just do it."

Needless to say, he walked away without his visa, without an appointment.

All three of us talked in Spanish about how impolite he was. A half hour later, my visa came back as permanent, rather than temporary.

Again, as I said, probably the moderators didn't know the law, or Mexico changed it. Still ... 

I bring it up, not as a guide, just again, as a suggestion that rigid laws can be bent, legally.

Or again, when my wife and I were just dating. She was in her early 20s, employed but no real financial strength in Mexico. She was a prime candidate to do a flyer if the U.S. gave her a tourist visa. She went in. I was hoping the embassy would give her at least a one time entry, and we'd build up credibility by returning on time. This was in a period, as always, with long lines of people every morning seeking tourist visas, of which few "at risk" people got one. But they gave her an immediate, multiple entry, permanent tourist visa, for the life of her passport. Go figure. Well, she was cute as a button and it was a guy who interviewed her.

And who is that new clown accusing me of lying? I'm not selling anything, or even saying anyone else can duplicate it. Just, the law is not always rigid.


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

I'm getting confused here. Are you talking about getting a visa for Mexico or for the US? Because it very much sounds like you're talking about getting a visa for Mexico. The mods have been addressing the issue of getting a visa to live in the US. 
Cheers,
Bev


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## twostep (Apr 3, 2008)

First - please refrain from calling other posters "clown". Thank you.

Second - personally I find your posts not the least bit informative but confusing bits of what you claim was your wife's immigration process.


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## mamasue (Oct 7, 2008)

Meritorious-MasoMenos said:


> If she can get a passport as a U.S. citizen and she is married for years to spouse, she'll easily get a visa for her spouse. My spouse is Mexican. We'd been married five years. She just came to U.S. on her tourist visa. We went to Immigration, and on same day, they gave her a permanent green card, nothing even about that temporary two-year green card.
> 
> .



I'm also confused....It looked like you were talking about a GC for your wife....
Now it looks like you're talking about a Mexican visa for yourself. 
Clarify, please??


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## manuel dexterity (Oct 2, 2014)

Mexico does not issue permanent visas through their embassies or consulates. The process is merely started there. And the visa is not stamped in an applicants passport. Once they approve your residency you must enter Mexico within a certain time frame. Once you enter Mexico with your visa approved but not yet finalized, you have so many days to report to INM (Mexican Immigration). There you complete the process which entails being fingerprinted. You will eventually be given an ID card that corresponds to your residency status but that may take a week or longer.

This is much different from what mas o menos has posted. And just like his tale of his wife getting her green card in a day, it has no basis in reality.


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