Going Back to Russia???

[rkintn 0]

My wifes 17 year old daughter wants to go back to Russia for her education...

My question is if I file for her AOS now and she is only hear during the summer months

and the month of January ( Approx. 3 mnths)each year will that be enough time in USA for her to qualify

to keep her green card?

Second choice would be not file now and wait till just before she is 21 ?

All opinions very appreciated...

[Satellite 1]

Is she crazy? What for? I am assuming she is in high school right? Get her enrolled in a US high school. Have her learn English and move on to college here. The Russian high school diploma is worth nothing here. She will always be able to test out of Russian as a foreign language requirement with or without that diploma. She is in her last good years to learn English and be almost accent free. Much harder to do when you are over 20.

As far as AOS is concerned. Once she gets her card she will have show that US is her residents. Guy at POE will decide this. Others should provide better advice on how to show that her home here in the US is her permanent domicile. On the face you do meet the basic requirements of not leaving for more than a year. But other factors come into play that are mentioned on the USCIS site concerning abandonment of status.

Edited February 15, 2006 by Satellite

[kc456 0]

I agree -- if your wife's daughter gets US education, she will have a much easier time getting a job in the US (US diploma, better English skills).

Are there other reasons she wants to go back to Russia?

[rkintn 0]

I agree -- if your wife's daughter gets US education, she will have a much easier time getting a job in the US (US diploma, better English skills).

Are there other reasons she wants to go back to Russia?

She has graduated highschool in russia last year...

She is going to a university here now...

She speaks english very well and can read and write very well... her intructors say she is doing very good..

She misses her boyfriend and her family... Says America is very sad ... No body walks anywhere...

Our subdivision has no people, like a ghost town, no body walking... OH well???

[kc456 0]

I'm guessing it's the boyfriend...

And yes, if she's used to city living, American suburbia could be a shock. But my bet is on the boyfriend.

[Satellite 1]

I think this issue should be discussed between you, your wife, and her. What city is your step daughter from?

When she left was she already attending the university in Russia?

Give her some wheels and some friends and life in American will be grand too.

The issue is really beyond her green card status. She needs to decide where her life is. It is unrealistic to think she will return to the US after finishing school in Russia. If she does it is a lot of lost time to get your education and occupation skills up to par compared to someone who went to school and work here in the US for 4 to 5 years.

If anything I think it is just home sickness and strange customs here in the US that is pushing her back home. Perhaps she feels uncomfortable in her new family setting? I understand it is hard for you because Russian is not your primary language and it is hard to get your points across.

In the end it is a choice she is going to have to make and not go change her mind later. Has she considered life apart from her mother?

Since she is only 17 I would have enrolled her into High School rather than a university, even if she has already graduated. High School is a great way for a teen to get a feel of American culture and customs and acquire lots of friends.

But really, there is not much advice I can really give. Good luck, this issue might turn out to be a lot harder to solve then getting the visa in the first place

[slim 1,530]

Such a young girl isn't thinking about the future, she's thinking about NOW.

She can justify why school back in Russia is better for her and the sad part is.... you're not going to change her mind. She isn't going to care about where she's going to get a better education or a better job, but only where she's going to be happiest. For her right now, that's Russia. I would assume that in a few years, it will be the US, but being 17 she can't see that yet.

The boyfriend is a HUGE issue. Think about all of us on here wanting to be with our S/Os. Then imagine you're a 17 y/o girl on top of that. It's got to be hard for her. But, being 17..... since there are no "hottie" boys walking around anywhere, once there are some, she would probably be more open to staying in the US.

Any large city here in the US (NY, LA, Chicago) is a lot more like Russia than suburbia. People do walk around there, take the subway (or the A-Train) and other "city" things. If you could get her into university in a larger city (have her try it for a semester) where she could live there, walk to school, etc, then she would probably not have a problem with staying here.

It sounds like her main argument for wanting to go back to Russia has nothing to do with school, but moreover, everything to do with a lifestyle difference. She can have that lifestyle here too! And, once there are "hottie" boys (that live in her building, go to her classes, walk by her apartment, do their laundry at the laundromat with her....) around she'll be much more apt to argue that school here is just as good.

This is (or will be when she's 18) her decision, but you guys already know what's best for her. Make her understand what's best for her too. I know it's hard to convince a teenage girl that she may not be right (for once in her life!) but you guys have to. She'll thank you later.

Good luck!!!!! (You're going to need it!)