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Marriage citizenship application

I just got married on 11/26/07 my husband is Mexican American born in Yakima, WA I'am not a citizen or legal resident. He would like to put any application for me to becaome a citizen. I have lived in the United States for about 18 years now. I graduated from high school in 2003 and attended college for one year until my scholarship ran out. Where now I can't really afford to finish my general AA at this time. I have no criminal history but I do have some speeding tickets. I've always used my real name on everything in the time I have been in the United States. Do you think he would be able put in an application for me?

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Attorney answers (3)

Reputation Level 8
Anyone who is not in the US lawfully should seek counsel before submitting any immigration application for a benefit. This is because there are many different rules that come into play as to your eligibility to eventually immigrate such as whether you last entered legally or not, whether you need a waiver, whether you are subject to any of the bars, whether you were previously deported or re-entered illegally, whether you will need to consular process or not, and other issues. Just marrying a US citizen is not necessarily a straight road to a green card, though it is often the only remaining viable option for a lot of people short of Congress passing a legalization bill. Also, if you were ever sponsored by anyone else before, you should let your lawyer know this.

Reputation Level 13
If you entered the US illegally, even marriage to a US citizen will not help you and you will be subject to deportation if immigration becomes aware of your presence here. You need to seek competent immigration counsel before filing any applications.

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Reputation Level 12
I agree with the above attorneys. Please remember, there is a big difference between an experienced immigration attorney and notarios or document preparers. Be careful. At the very least, meet with an immigration attorney for a consultation.

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