Utah Immigration Legal Questions

It is unclear from your fact situation what papers your father will be submitting on your behalf this February. Therefore I cannot tell you any ballpark figures on the time frame that it will take to get a green card. On your specific question of whether U.S.C.I.S. will give you back any money if you renew your work permit and the green card comes through, it is the policy of U.S.C.I.S. to not refund any monies in that situation. Due to the limitations of the Lawyers.com Forums, Alan Lee, Esq.'s (the "Firm") participation in responding to questions posted herein does not constitute legal advice, nor legal representation of the person or entity posting a question. No Attorney/Client relationship is or shall be construed to be created hereby. The information provided herein by the Firm is general, and requires that the poster obtain specific legal advice from an attorney. The poster shall not rely upon the information provided herein as legal advice nor as the basis for making any decisions of legal consequence.... Read More

It would appear that the path of least resistance at this point would be for you to wait for your boyfriend to become a citizen and sponsor you for a K-1 visa. That being said, there is nothing to prevent you from reapplying for the F-1 visa at any time as long as you are truthful in your applications.Due to the limitations of the Lawyers.com Forums, Alan Lee, Esq.'s (the "Firm") participation in responding to questions posted herein does not constitute legal advice, nor legal representation of the person or entity posting a question. No Attorney/Client relationship is or shall be construed to be created hereby. The information provided herein by the Firm is general, and requires that the poster obtain specific legal advice from an attorney. The poster shall not rely upon the information provided herein as legal advice nor as the basis for making any decisions of legal consequence.  ... Read More

Hi. The only option to correct your issue is marriage to a US citizen. Thus, if she wants a divorce, you cannot stay. In addition, if you overstayed 6 months, you will be barred from returning for 3 years (10 years if you stayed longer than a year). You cannot file without her or another US wife. ... Read More

Yes, your US citizen brother can file for you. He must file a Form I-130 petition under F4 [brother/sister] of a US citizen. However, I must warn you in that category, his petition will take at least 12 years to become current. In other words, because visas are oversubscribed in the F4 category, do not expect to receive a green card for at least another 13 years or so. While the DACA provides a temporary respite from fear of removal it is temporary and hence, you should consider any and all other options that may be availing to you.... Read More

I'd have to say that anyone who has lived in the U..S since 1983 will probably be covered in any serious comprehensive immigration reform. However, I caution that length of residence will not necessarily be the sole consideration. As with all previous reforms, you must expect there will be other requirements that must be met including length of residency. You will know all the specific requirements for eligibility only after an immigration reform actually becomes law and its' implementing regulations are announced by DHS.... Read More

There is a good chance that you may have difficulty if you go through with your plan. A permanent resident is supposed to remain in the U. S. for at least half of the time. You may be able to obtain a reentry permit to allow you to remain outside the U. S. for up to but not including 2 years, but a reentry permit is not a guarantee of reentry to the country. In addition, since you are obtaining your green card through marriage, U.S.C.I.S. would expect you to maintain a household with your spouse. Are you planning to have your husband accompany you to New Zealand for the 3 years? If not, there may be suspicion that you do not have a bona fide marriage. Due to the limitations of the Lawyers.com Forums, Alan Lee, Esq.'s (the "Firm") participation in responding to questions posted herein does not constitute legal advice, nor legal representation of the person or entity posting a question. No Attorney/Client relationship is or shall be construed to be created hereby. The information provided herein by the Firm is general, and requires that the poster obtain specific legal advice from an attorney. The poster shall not rely upon the information provided herein as legal advice nor as the basis for making any decisions of legal consequence.... Read More

Philippine nationals do not have a visa waiver and so must apply for a nonimmigrant visa at the American consulate or embassy prior to coming to the States. There is no reciprocity between the two nations in this regard. Due to the limitations of the Lawyers.com Forums, Alan Lee, Esq.'s (the "Firm") participation in responding to questions posted herein does not constitute legal advice, nor legal representation of the person or entity posting a question. No Attorney/Client relationship is or shall be construed to be created hereby. The information provided herein by the Firm is general, and requires that the poster obtain specific legal advice from an attorney. The poster shall not rely upon the information provided herein as legal advice nor as the basis for making any decisions of legal consequence.... Read More

Your question requires an attorney consultation. It is not a simple question that can be answered on this type of forum. There are many factors that would need to be considered and evaluated I strongly suggest that you boyfriend contact an experienced immigration attorney for a face-to-face consultation and give him/her all of the facts surrounding his situation. (S)he would then be in a better position to analyze his case and advise you of your options.... Read More