Who knows about becoming "legal" in the U.S. Through Marriage?

  • Thread starter Thread starter abb
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
A

abb

Guest
Hi, can anyone help me out on where to begin the process for marrying someone and making them a legal U.S. citizen?

I also have this question:
Is it possible to marry in the church and not marry civil? Or can I marry a non-legal person in the United States?

My goal would be to eventually make my girlfriend (who is illegally here in the U.S. now) a legal U.S. citizen that is my wife.

Thanks for your responses and many blessings.
Andrew
 
this is not the place, get a good immigration lawyer. Catholic Charities in many dioceses, especially on the border, can refer you, and most of these dioceses have someone in charge of helping with immigration issues.
 
abb said:
Is it possible to marry in the church and not marry civil?
Click to expand...
No…this was discussed in a recent thread (don’t remember which one…) Basically, the state has delegated its power to marry to the Catholic Church, so any church marriage is automatically civil…
 
I married someone from another country and the fastest and most legal way to go about it is to send her home and file for her legally using the form K129-F. The entire process takes about 10 months, and then you can marry and she can reside her legally. Let me know if you have any other questions.
 
abb said:
Hi, can anyone help me out on where to begin the process for marrying someone and making them a legal U.S. citizen?
Click to expand...
Following the law is one good way.
I also have this question:
Is it possible to marry in the church and not marry civil? Or can I marry a non-legal person in the United States?
Click to expand...
Does breaking the law for love dismiss the sin of breaking the law? Will you teach your children that laws are to be followed only if convienent to the circumstance, but if not it’s ok to break the law?
My goal would be to eventually make my girlfriend (who is illegally here in the U.S. now) a legal U.S. citizen that is my wife.
Click to expand...
Thanks for your responses and many blessings.
Andrew
Click to expand...
Take her back to her home country, marry her in the Catholic Church there, then apply for a visa to bring her to the US legally where she can then apply for citizenship.

I wanted to drive a car when I was 12 but had to wait until I was 16 and legal. Meaning, she might have to wait too. The more you try and cheat the process to speed it up the more you compromise your values. Integrity should still mean something.

When done right (legal) it pays off both physically (time-wise & conscience-wise) but more important spiritually.
 
Verisimilitude said:
Following the law is one good way.

Does breaking the law for love dismiss the sin of breaking the law? Will you teach your children that laws are to be followed only if convienent to the circumstance, but if not it’s ok to break the law?

Take her back to her home country, marry her in the Catholic Church there, then apply for a visa to bring her to the US legally where she can then apply for citizenship.

I wanted to drive a car when I was 12 but had to wait until I was 16 and legal. Meaning, she might have to wait too. The more you try and cheat the process to speed it up the more you compromise your values. Integrity should still mean something.

When done right (legal) it pays off both physically (time-wise & conscience-wise) but more important spiritually.
Click to expand...
Will wonders never cease!!! I agree with your good advice.
 
Verisimilitude said:
Following the law is one good way.

Does breaking the law for love dismiss the sin of breaking the law? Will you teach your children that laws are to be followed only if convienent to the circumstance, but if not it’s ok to break the law?

Take her back to her home country, marry her in the Catholic Church there, then apply for a visa to bring her to the US legally where she can then apply for citizenship.

I wanted to drive a car when I was 12 but had to wait until I was 16 and legal. Meaning, she might have to wait too. The more you try and cheat the process to speed it up the more you compromise your values. Integrity should still mean something.

When done right (legal) it pays off both physically (time-wise & conscience-wise) but more important spiritually.
Click to expand...
While I appreciate your advice, it’s heartbreaking you think I’m trying to cheat the system or toss moral out of the picture. I never mentioned anything of the sort. Maybe I should have been a little more clearer, stating that I am in love with this girl, and she is in love with me. It’s not like I’m trying to get her a green card and be done with it.

I appreciate all the advice, thanks for your time.
Andrew
 
I think what people are offended by, and me with them, is that your girlfriend broke our laws to come here, and is breaking our law by living here every day. No one said anything about you not being in love.

Send her back to her home country and do it right. She’ll have a better chance of being looked at favorably by the authorities if she tries to do everything through legal channels. And you both will be able to hold your heads up, knowing that you didn’t cheat, but did things the right way.
 
Have you tried looking at the USCIS website? That might have some good information/resources for you. It’s uscis.gov I think.

There are many international members of CAF who live in countries other than the USA, so saying things like “Coming over here” and “breaking *our *laws” could be a little bit confusing to others.
 
abb said:
Hi, can anyone help me out on where to begin the process for marrying someone and making them a legal U.S. citizen?

I also have this question:
Is it possible to marry in the church and not marry civil? Or can I marry a non-legal person in the United States?

My goal would be to eventually make my girlfriend (who is illegally here in the U.S. now) a legal U.S. citizen that is my wife.

Thanks for your responses and many blessings.
Andrew
Click to expand...
Hi andrew–is she here on a VISA, I’m assuming? If she is, there’s nothing ‘wrong’ with marrying her in a RCC. (so long as she is going through the proper channels to become a citizen)
 
I’d suggest sending her home ASAP. If she’s caught and deported the odds of getting a fiance visa become rather small. Yet another reason why not breaking the law is a good idea.
 
Based on what I’ve heard from others (I have no firsthand experience in this), you have a few choices:
1 - You can go to Mexico and marry her in a border town. I imagine this is common enough that you could find a priest to do it. You might have to live in Mexico then, until she gets a visa. Do you love her enough to stay in Mexico with her until she gets a visa? This could take a while.
2 - You can send her back to Mexico and wait until she gets a fiancee visa, which could take even longer…
3 - Did she ever have a valid work visa at any time, or did she enter the US with a tourist visa, or did she sneak across the border? If she ever had a work visa, in some states, she could normalize her status in anticipation of her marriage. Otherwise, she’s going to have to go back to Mexico…
 
rasmussen said:
I married someone from another country and the fastest and most legal way to go about it is to send her home and file for her legally using the form K129-F. The entire process takes about 10 months, and then you can marry and she can reside her legally. Let me know if you have any other questions.
Click to expand...
I’m no expert on this subject, but this is how a friend did the same thing. I believe if you marry her outside the US, it messes up the whole program. If you’re gonna do it, do it right.
 
cargopilot said:
I’m no expert on this subject, but this is how a friend did the same thing. I believe if you marry her outside the US, it messes up the whole program. If you’re gonna do it, do it right.
Click to expand...
That is very true. It takes about twice as long if you marry and then try to apply.

One question–how long have you known each other. For the fiance visa, they require proof that you have met one time in person. That is all fine and dandy-because you obviously have, but unfortunately it is in the US and she is illegal. Consider taking a vacation down there to take some legit pictures in her home country.
 
again, feel free to email me–I have been dealing with immigration for the past 3 years. My husband is now a legal conditional resident (conditional on our marriage) and I am his sponsor (basically I had to prove that if he couldn’t find work in the US, that I could support him on my own. He currently applied to remove the conditions (a requirement after 2 years of marriage) and he will be applying for citizenship next spring. There is a lot of paperwork, proof, interviews and money it takes to immigrate legally. But, IMHO it is worth it to know that we did it right, he has a SSN, he can legally work and reside, got a drivers license and a library card-all set! legally.
 
abb said:
Hi, can anyone help me out on where to begin the process for marrying someone and making them a legal U.S. citizen?
Click to expand...
Please consult with a licensed attorney who practices U.S. immigration law. Please do so before getting married. You may wish to consider immigration lawyers who are members of AILA (American Immigration Lawyers Association) because they are required to be in good standing with their state bars. See aila.org for more information. The link for “Find a Lawyer” is toward the top of the webpage.
 
I used a lawyer for part of our process. Deborah Weber (or Webber-can’t remember if one or 2 b’s) but we were very happy with her. It will cost you a few thousand dollars.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top