Moving From Uk To Usa

[kevinm]

I am a British citizen and my partner is Thai. He came to the UK on a fiance visa in Sept 2006 and we entered into a civil partnership in Feb 2007. He now has FLR until Feb 2009. I was working in Thailand from Jun 2004 and we met in Jan 2005, I had to return to Uk in Jan 2006 and he joined me in 2006 haveing gone through all the visa hoops. Puting the application togethr was the time consuming part as applied and visa granted 4 days later.

I work for a Uk subsidiary of a US company and they are asking me to relocate to Seattle probably around March 2008. Does anyone know if it is going to be possible for my partner to join me and whether this is going to be a massive task with slim chance of success or straight forward. If he can't join me I'm not going so thats simple.

I have a very good job with an excellent salary and considerable assets but thats about it.

If anyone can point me in the right direction as to where I should start it would be very much appreciated.

Edited November 7, 2007 by kevinm

[ProThaiExpat]

I wish I could offer you a glimmer of hope, but unless he gets a visa for a visit on his own, he just won't be able to use his relationship with you for any relief.

The U.S., despite yearly introduced legislation to provide partner immigration equality and some 130 or more co-signers, it remains a bastion of inequality as to same sex relationships.

Your only hope is to have your partner apply for whatever visa he qualifies for on his own and just hope he can get a 10 year multiple entry tourist visa allowing him to visit you often.

However, if U.S. visa authorities get wind of his status, they will look upon any effort of his to gain access, other than tourist to visit you, as an end run around the absence of same sex immigration rights.

There are many multi-national same sex couples who must live apart due to inequality in immigration laws, particularly in the U.S. or must live in a friendly third country to be together.

As an example that is stronger legally that yours, an American Citizen marries a Thai in Canada, attempts to obtain visa as any other opposite sex couple would, answer no. As long as GWB is president, he will veto any corrective action.

I am not up on anti-discrimination laws in Britain regarding same sex partners who are registered, but I would suggest your company's offer should be treated as a "hardship post" for you and if they are any good at all and aware of your relationship, would not hold it against you if you refused the offer based on the fact that it would break up your family unit.

[samran]

Practical answer:

if your company is serious about you, make sure they organise a job for your partner as well as part of the package.

[kevinm]

Prothai and Saman

Thanks for your responses and they are much what I thought. I don't think there is any way he would get a visa on his own merits to the US from thailand. He is not degree educated, his spoken english is fine but his written english and reading has a ways to go. He does have a job here and has a fair amount of cash in his own right by thai standards but not by western standards.

My company know of my situation and the decision to go is upto me so we won't be going. I wouldn't do anything that wasn't above board so no psudoe jobs or visitor visas.

It's a real insight into the land of the free. Not sure if an American with a thai partner could do the reverse ie move from US to Uk so won't crticise too much

[jstumbo]

Prothai and Saman

Thanks for your responses and they are much what I thought. I don't think there is any way he would get a visa on his own merits to the US from thailand. He is not degree educated, his spoken english is fine but his written english and reading has a ways to go. He does have a job here and has a fair amount of cash in his own right by thai standards but not by western standards.

My company know of my situation and the decision to go is upto me so we won't be going. I wouldn't do anything that wasn't above board so no psudoe jobs or visitor visas.

It's a real insight into the land of the free. Not sure if an American with a thai partner could do the reverse ie move from US to Uk so won't crticise too much

There is always Canada. It would be about a 2-3 hour commute one way to work in Seattle.

I am from Seattle originally and it is a very nice place, especially if you like the outdoors.

[sbk]

Canada does recognize same-sex partnerships but I have to wonder if they would give him a visa based on your job in the US. If you had a job offer in Canada then obviously there wouldn't be a problem but since not, it seems as though it would be less clear. However, it is worth checking out with Canadian Immigration.

[kevinm]

Canada would be a possability so will investigate. We have a fully owned subsidiary in canada and I could be based from there which is close enough for me to go to Seattle as I don't need to be there every day.

Thanks for the advice guys.