Moving back to the US and bringing my family with me.
So like the title says I plan to move back to the US with my family. I am a US citizen but I haven't lived in the US since I was 16. I have a million questions and fears about the whole process.
My children don't qualify as citizen and neither does my husband. I am trying to get them their green card. The process seems so overwhelming and my son has heart problems. I was told that this won't disqualify him and he should be fine. But I am still nervous. The affidavit of Support is so confusing and scares me the most.
I could really use some advice from others who have returned to the US with their family's after being away for a long time.
So far I have:
- filed my US taxes. I back dated them because I didn't realise I need to submitted every year even if I own $0. I did them when I was first an adult and aware I needed to lodge them but I owed nothing so so I thought it was pointless. I didn't know it was a legal requirement wether I owed money or not. I was a stay at home mum for a while and I earned nothing so I thought why bother. Only when I return to work and became a home owner did I think maybe I do owe something now that I have an income and assets. That is when I realised I had messed up... I filed and backed dated them all and did the disclosure thing so I should be ok.
- Went to the embassy to get a adult US passport.
- Discovered my US birth certificate is wrong while I was there, so, I asked the county I am from to send a new one.
What I still need to do:
- file the i-130 for everyone.
- figure out where we are moving to.
I think San Antonio is the right place.
-prepare medical records for medical check
-prepare for affidavit
-prepare for interview
Questions I have:
- If I am in the US already will my family stand a better chance of getting approved?
How do I provided an address in the US if I don't live in the US?
- San Antonio is massive, I have no idea where will be a good place to raise my family. We'd like a to live on the outskirts of town in a rural setting.
- What about work? My husband works in asset finance and would like me to be a stay at home mum. He should make a good deal of money and this should be possible. But, I'm more realistic and realise that I will likely have to work. I work in transport and logistics, however I am also qualified as a ELF teacher. However I haven't practiced in a couple of years. I know there is work in the heavy vehicle industry in San Antonio, but I live in Australia we drive on the other side of the road. This is a recipe for disaster. Driver's I have taught who come from a different city struggle, let alone another country.
-The finances. Like the multiple rule confuses me. Do we need to sell our house before the affidavit? I am reading conflicting reports. Some sound like we basically need to have sold the house, have our bags packed, a US bank account open, school enrolments sorted and a house bought in the US. Other reports say that we have 12 months to sort everything and get over there.
Any information from a lived experience would be appreciated! Please let me know, its possible, not as hard as I think and tip would be lovely!