Rete

Many of us old timers miss the bouncing sheep. He danced so well with the mouse

RICH

Widower's visa? What is that?

Rete

Quite easily. Most don't even use fraudulent ID or SS numbers. They work, they pay taxes with an ITIN.

You don't need to prove legality of being in the country for medical care or a bank account or even a mortgage. All you need is an ITIN for most things.

Take the Woodlawn/McLean Heights area of Westchester/Bronx. I would say 65% of all the Irish there are illegally here. Overstays who came to visit and never left. Heck, they even knew that to go back to Ireland for a visit all they needed to do was drive across the Can/Am border, hop on a plane to Ireland and then return to Canada and a friend will pick them up to take them back home to the US. In those days all you needed was a driver's license. They apply each year for the lottery and

Rete

Not a visa. OP doesn't know immigration terms. If you are a widow of a USC and don't have a green card and are in the US, you can apply for AOS. There are certain conditions and restrictions that apply.

becks_r

Another possibility, and this is pure speculation as I have no knowledge of the OP background and circumstances other then what she has shared so far, is that she was married to an extremely controlling husband who wouldn't part with any of his money to fund her immigration. I am sure a lot of people on this forum know how people become victims and lack the ability to break free from that. There are so many abused wifes (and husbands) out there that never seem to be able to break free from the abuse. But this is just speculation, there may be other reasons behind the OP never getting their visa.......

And as regards working without one, well maybe she never worked but her time was spent looking after the daughter and husband. Maybe she worked for a small local firm that turned a blind eye to the lack of Green Card. And all those people selling stuff online, such as on ebay and etsy, I bet none of those had to produce their green card. I haven't worked since I got here, but then again I do have a Green Card..

On a different note, I so want to understand the bouncing sheep.....

Pulaski

The history of the bouncing sheep. There is also a link to another thread in the linked thread.

becks_r

Ok - now I understand, sad story, but I can see why you all miss the bouncing sheep.

jxv73

Widower petitions must be filed within 2 years of the death of the USC spouse. The OP may yet qualify for cancellation of removal.

Shirtback

OT: A propos of nothing, choice & use of Internet username is often interesting ... Something I might think about if I were an illegal alien somewhere (I'm not).

*Whistles* nonchalantly & wanders off to read about bouncing sheep...

rpjs

I heard a story about an Irish guy living illegally in the US who had "friends" working at Shannon airport who'd get him airside without going through US pre-clearance. This was back in the immediate post 9/11 era before the extra security such as sending flight manifests to CBP was brought in.

Rete

Yup, post 9/11 a lot has changed for those illegals and their annual trek back to the green hills of Ireland. The Irish Voice told them they should no longer use the drive to Canada and return route to go back home and return to the US. Kennedy was down here a few years back offering to help make them all legal if he were elected. His visit was Catholic Church sponsored.

MarylandNed

Do you have something to back that up or did you just pluck that number from where the sun don't shine?

Nutmegger

That area is a Mecca for straight-off-the-boat Irish, and yes, a vast number of them do not have papers. I lived in the Bronx in an Irish neighborhood in the 70s, when UK/Irish tensions were high, and it was not comfortable. Here's an example of what you can read online about undocumented Irish in NYC:

Irish immigrants here illegally hope for immigration reform - NY Daily News