US Seagull
Well-known member
bhaexpress said:Be honest with you, the prospect of trying to pick a winner in a US election is something I would gladly abstain from, their politics are a far bigger joke than ours.
Funny what you say though, my attoney reckons I need to become a US citizen. The main reason that I've not moved over there full time as yet is because I am doubtful as to his advice. Apparently I'm supposed to go over there on the Visa waiver and then make my application and just not come back to England. Now another lawyer I spoke to told me that's Visa fraud. Needless to say the US Embassy are about as much use as a chocolate fireguard. I will be seeing this attoney when I go over next month but I reckon I'd be better off getting it done from this side of the Atlantic. I don't have a lot of faith in the US immigration autorities.
I'm sure that by now you've checked out the USCIS (formerly the INS) website. The whole damn thing is a maze though. I had the advantage of already being in the states on a student visa and my whole process went suprisingly easily (so far that is, I'm currently in the process of getting the provisional status removed from my green card) and I didn't use an attorney at all. I also had the bonus of having another Brit in my lab who was in exactly the same situation but about one year ahead of me.
Anyway, from what I've heard entering on a visa waive with the intention of staying permanently is a bad idea. I believe it is visa fraud since by taking the waive you are promising that you're going to bugger off home at some point. But I'm not an expert. There are several websites and message boards you should check out, but I didn't use any of them. Try a google search, I know they are out there. I think a lot it depends on exactly on where you are now and where your wife is now.