Valar

Hi,

During my travels in the US, I met a wonderful girl with whom I fell in
love with. After knowing her for 8 months (most of which were spent
with me in the US on the visa waiver program), I asked her to marry me.
Not so much because of immigration benefits, but because I just want
her to be my wife.

Now she has lived in the US for 4 years, coming here with her mother,
when she was a minor. She was granted a green card when she turned 18,
in 2004.

Since then I have been looking at ways to emigrate to the US, however I
have found very few options, since my degree in business administration
does not appear to be valid as specialized knowledge, which again has
led to numerous turn-downs from American companies, despite the fact
that they thought I was an ideal candidate.

My questions is this: Which date counts in the case of minors, the date
of admission into the US under the mother's visa or the date of
issuance on the green card?

Hope someone knows, since I haven't been able to find any information
regarding this issue online.

Jonas

nettlebed

On what grounds are you expecting to be able to emigrate to the US?

Regarding your question, what are you asking about her? Are you asking "Is she eligible for naturalisation?" If so, the answer is she will probably be eligible to apply for naturalisation four-and-a-half years after she became a Legal Permanent Resident (i.e. the date of issue on her Green Card). However, naturalisation can not be granted until at least five years after that date has passed, and will often take a year or more from the date of application.

See:

http://uscis.gov/graphics/services/natz/English.pdf

which has a nice flowchart to determine her eligibility for naturalisation. If and when she becomes a US citizen you can look at ways of getting yourself to the US. See the section headed "Family" at:

http://britishexpats.com/articles/000089.html

Noorah101

Hi Valar,

You can marry her now, while she's a PR, but the wait for a visa for you is pretty long. However, when your wife becomes a US citizen, your case will be moved up and can be completed sooner. In the meantime, though, you will be living apart.

As it stands, that's the only way I see it happening for now.

Best Wishes,
Rene

Folinskyinla

Hi:

She is an ADULT for most legal purposes -- the age of majority in the US is 18 [there are some vestiges of the old 21 age -- but not applicable here]. Under the immigration laws, upon marriage, she would cease to be a "child."

[I've have several immigrant cases where the US bride was 16 or 17. I will admit that those would not fly today until the girl was 18 due to the I-864 requirement that the sponser be 18 years of age or over].

Valar

I guess I wasn't too clear in my question.
All I was wondering was whether or not the fact that she has been
living lawfully in the US (on her mother's green card) for 4 years
would count towards the 5 year prerequisite for becoming a US citizen.

Noorah101

No. The date starts when you become a PR.

Rene

CarlM

"I asked her to marry me. Not so much because of immigration benefits, but because I just want her to be my wife."

Interesting which part was mentioned first there!!

Just Jenney

I was thinking the same thing. "Not so much for immigration benefits..." means that there is SOME motivation to marry her in order to get immigration benefits. Otherwise he would have said, "Not for immigration benefits..."

~ Jenney

nettlebed

Why don't you read the previous posts? If you look at my post it states VERY CLEARLY that the timing begins from the date she became an Green Card holder. This date is on the card itself. Do yourself a favour, and downlod the naturalisation guide I referenced, and follow the flowchart. Then you will see what I am saying.

If you don't understand it, you're too stupid to live on this planet, and should consider emigrating to the planet Dumbonium XI.

CarlM

(I think you'll find that planet is full of Canadian women who are trying to keep criminal convictions from their husbands while trying to obtain a pointless waiver...)

nettlebed

Mr Coffee: meet Mr Monitor!

Thanks, brightened up my day!

Valar

Eh, I only mentioned that in the first place, since I am posting in a
marriage based immigration forum.

The only reason I am considering marriage based immigration is that it
seems like a far less tedious procedure than any employment based one.
Thanks for answering my question, I got the answer I was looking for.

-Jonas

ian-mstm

You're not too good at math are you? The VW is good for about 3 months. If you had a VW "most" of the time you knew her, then you knew her for less than 6 months when you popped the question. If you knew her for 8 months, then "most" of it wasn't on a VW. QED.

Ian

marasmus

Carl,
Its NOT against the law to marry for immigration benefits, provided its NOT THE ONLY REASON.

So although the guy could marry for that, he better have other reasons, like loving the girl.

===========================================

Valar

Either that, or I returned to Europe to finish some work and then went
back to America on a second VW?
I did not, however, post in this newsgroup to argue definitions of
'most'.