UK citizen pregnant with US citizen's baby

So I came to the states to visit my boyfriend on a 3 month waiver visa. Whilst out here I have found out I am pregnant with his baby. We are certain we want to stay together as we love each other very much and we are very excited about the baby but also stressed after reading all the complications with visas. I would really like to have the baby back home in the Uk to be around my family but we have been told it would be better to have the baby here as it would automatically have a dual citizenship. Would it also make our situation easier if we got married? Would it be easier for him to come back to the UK with me? I don't no where to even begin! Would appreciate some advice!

First of all, congratulations!!!

elg1989 wrote: ↑

Fri Sep 27, 2019 3:16 pm

Would it also make our situation easier if we got married?

From a legal point of view and for immigration purposes, absolutely. And that includes sorting out dual citizenship for your baby easier, to gather documents, etc.

elg1989 wrote: ↑

Fri Sep 27, 2019 3:16 pm

Would it be easier for him to come back to the UK with me?

It’s relatively easier if you are married but the truth is, the requirements for spouse visa in the UK are high (kind of the same level for US too). If you want to settle in the UK, as a married couple, the sponsor (you) must earn £18,600 per year plus having a job for the last six months. If you don’t meet the requirement, you can also have a total of £62,500 in savings in your bank account for the last six months. Additionally, you will have to submit further documents like relationship evidence, accommodation, etc.

The current fees for spouse visa are £1,523 + £1,200 for IHS (so he would have access to the NHS)

elg1989 wrote: ↑

Fri Sep 27, 2019 3:16 pm

So I came to the states to visit my boyfriend on a 3 month waiver visa. Whilst out here I have found out I am pregnant with his baby. We are certain we want to stay together as we love each other very much and we are very excited about the baby but also stressed after reading all the complications with visas. I would really like to have the baby back home in the Uk to be around my family but we have been told it would be better to have the baby here as it would automatically have a dual citizenship. Would it also make our situation easier if we got married? Would it be easier for him to come back to the UK with me? I don't no where to even begin! Would appreciate some advice!

I think getting married first will resolve a lot of issues.
I will suggest to not overstay your visa waiver and head back to the UK. When you are at least six weeks before the expected date of delivery, you could come back to US again and have a baby in US. The rationale behind this is an automatic citizenship for the baby. Then you can head back home to the UK and take your time processing spouse visa.
Conversely, you may have the baby in the UK and still the baby would also be considered a US citizen by the virtue of one parent being a US citizen. Then you can all take time processing the spouse visa, which can be a time consuming and a headache both ways (for the US and the UK) but still, as long as you have each other's back - it will come to pass.

It is very expensive to have a baby in a hospital in the USA. The average cost hovers around 30K. You will probably need/want health insurance, unless you are secretly super rich.

As you probably know, health insurance is by and large run through employment in the USA, it also depends on what kind of contract you have with your employer. Not every job qualifies for benefits. If you are two working Americans who are married, your respective insurance companies negotiate with each other to determine who provides the coverage for the children (very complicated, somewhat draconian - so sorry).

If you get married, and your partner is working in a steady job with a decent contract that offers health insurance. You might become eligible to be covered by his employer's health insurance and thus you'll both be able to potentially afford to give birth in the USA at a hospital. But the sooner you research about getting on your partners insurance the better. These insurance companies are notorious for splitting hairs about what they will and will not cover and if you have "pre-existing conditions" (like pregnancy) that started before you join the policy, they might be weird about it. Definitely do your research and call around about everything.

I don't know if you could get some other kind of "travel" health insurance with a "pre-existing condition", and if something major (and sort of inevitable) like birth would be covered on a travel plan, or if you'd have to pay up front and be reimbursed etc... I'd be super careful here and check all the fine print.

The last thing you want is to treated in an American hospital with no insurance coverage. Be warned that even with insurance coverage they aren't going to cover the full cost of treatment. You'll be left with a co-pay and probably a percentage of the final cost of treatment. I'd go into any encounter with the American medical system expecting to pay 10% of whatever the full cost is even with good insurance.

There is also the possibility of giving birth outside the medical system at a private home in the USA. You'd definitely want to seek medical advice while you're in the UK during the course of your pregnancy to help you make a decision and weigh up the risks associated with this and it would totally depend on your individual health history etc. etc. Ultimately, only you can make this decision.

Sorry this post is a little bit scary, but I feel like simultaneously funding a wedding (even a very small one), various immigration processes, and also a hospital birth in the USA would be enough to bankrupt some people. I hope this helps!