Impact if move to be with hubby?

[irishmo89]

We were married in June 2006, filed our I-130 in July 2006 and only rec'd approval in June 2007. While things are beginning to move, we know that we still have a long battle in front of us since we do need to file the waiver due his overstay. As I'm sure you will all agree, the seperation has been very difficult and I'm thinking of moving to be with him in Ireland while we continue to wait. Obviously, we are concerned that if I do move his waiver will be denied. Has anyone else moved abroad to be with their spouse while going through the process? If so, what impact did it have....if any.
Thanks

[jsierra1982]

i know there are people who have lived in mexico during the waiver process.

incidentally, where in n. ireland are you going to? my family is from a town called crosshill crumlin near belfast, though i have never been there.

[irishmo89]

thanks. he is just outside omagh, county tyrone which is about 1 1/2 hours from belfast.

[kenaly]

I was in Canada with my husband for the entire immigration/waiver process..as long as you can document the hardships well, there should be no problems with you living in Ireland.

[MistyB]

I lived abroad the whole time. A long long time. I wrote the waiver on the pretense of what would happen to me if I had to remain in the foreign country and how it would be better improved if I moved back to the US with my family. I brought in an argument in the middle of my financial stuff about airfare and that if I moved back with my three children, there was no way I could afford airfare to see my husband and keep our family together. Which was true. There was no way I could afford it. So just think like that. Try to compare and contrast.

[Cynthia]

We were still together as family when we started ours in Germany. The HSL was written based upon the same manner like MistyB. The "would be/will be/could happen" deal.

[Paul & Kerri]

I too lived with my hubby during most of our waiting time with the whole immigration process. Our hardship letter was written while I was still back home in the States (therefore applied to my hardships of being in the States and being alone). We never changed anything on it. However, if it would have been denied, we would have had to submit new evidence of hardships that we were dealing with overseas, as well as adding more proof to the old hardships. Luckily for us, our waiver was approved and we didn't have to worry about that. The areas where I think it would hurt your case is if you talked about safety and health issues of that country, but then turn around and live there knowing about those things. Best of luck to you!

[falperb]

I totally disagree with paul&kerri about the health conditions and safety arguements, wife is living in husbands country doesnt change the facts of that country's safety and security and health care. They could be waiting together for the approval. for example if somebody applied for the waiver from Iraq and the husband and wife are waiting for the desicion to be made in Iraq. Do you think the U.S government will say ohhh you can obviously live there so Iraq is a safe country for you, I dont think so. Thanks

[Paul & Kerri]

falperb, you are wrong. If they claim anything to the matter regarding the saftey and health risk of living in that country in their hardship letter, that shows the goverment that they were willing to put themselves at risk living there in the 1st place. Also some of the hardships written in a lot of letters deals with the seperation from thier spouse (though this is not a strong hardship, it does get mentioned many times in the letters. Along with depression and/or medication/counseling the spouse needs due to the seperation from the spouse). I seen someone get their waiver denied because the spouse was visiting the other country. You can never assume what the goverment will think or say. Thus my point would be to not include any health or saftey issues (of the country only) in the hardship letter if they are approaching it with her living in that country and what the hardships are for them. Why would you claim those as hardships and then go and live in that country? JMO

[falperb]

if they had a problem with the spouse living or visiting the aliens country then please read misty's thread and also read her hardship letter. she has lived in sweeden for about 6 years and she mentioned about the education system in sweeden and how it would be difficult for her to continue her education. so why didnt the government say that ohhh you have lived in sweeden for 6 years and how can you have problem with the education now. plus you are so so so lucky to be approved with weak arguements such as family separation.

[MistyB]

You have to look at the big picture. We had financial difficulties. I mean kick your teeth in money problems. We were being evicted from our apartment 4 weeks after that waiver was approved. And we faced it before we even did the waiver. I tried to find a job. Not long after I moved. Then I got pregnant. Who's going to hire a pregnant immigrant? Sorry but it's true. I came over to Sweden with $500. My husband was in school at the time. I knew a few phrases in Swedish but was I fluent? No I wasnt. There were a few english classes at the university but nothing that lead to any degree. Most of the classes I would have had to take were in swedish. I could not have followed. Not at that pace. I had no family there. My husband's family lived two hours away in the deep forest. I swear it is. It is miles away from the center of town and no bus stops available. We didnt own a car. My husband couldnt have found proper work like that.

Bring into the cultural differences. The medical care which I had to force them to speak to me in english with. The way they lack a serious care about depression. They hide in the sand where it is concerned (I was bordering on Major Depressive Disorder with NO medicine)..I had a few other health problems. The stress of it all was killing my marriage and me. We had three children and lived in a one bedroom apartment. The cost of living was high. My husband got laid off. We couldnt even get welfare in Sweden because I refused to contact my oldest child's sperm donor of a father who had not paid ONE dime in child support prior. It was hard.

Add all of this in along with the separation of the family and how my husband was not allowed to visit his own children in MY country and there you have it. A recipe for hardship.

Take everything in your life into consideration no matter how small. It all adds up to a big big piece of the puzzle. It's all in the wording and the evidence that you can back up your claims. Claims which are not made up but fact. Facts you can find if you dig.

[Paul & Kerri]

falperb, I wasn't talking about education. Only that if there are safety or health risks involved in living in that country. Also, we had many more hardships besides family seperation. Like I said that is not an extreme hardship, but often is added into the hardship letter along with other extreme hardships.