Need some immigration help

[Tyki 0]

I am seeking information to help my girlfriend. She is 25 years old, is from Kenya, and has been going to school in the US for over 4 years. She will continue to go to school after she graduates this year with her Bachelors.

She is a legal alien resident, has a SSN, and works in the US now. She is interested in staying in the US and living here permanently. The thing is, neither of us know what the best options are.

The DV Lottery sounds interesting now because we are not 100% ready to get married. Besides applying for the lottery visa program what other options does she have? From what I have been reading, foreigners either need to get married to a US citizen or apply for the lottery to be successful becoming a US permanent resident or even a legal US citizen.

I would say maybe in 1 year we could be ready to get married. We have been together for almost 2 years. However, if she wants to try becoming a permanent resident now, what do we do? If the process is so long and hard for all the options (options I don't know of) would it be better to just wait a year and see if we end up getting married and apply for her residency then? I feel that we would be successful in the interview because we have been living together, family members are involved, pictures, purchases, etc.

Any advice on this would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Ty

[aaron2020 11,651]

I am seeking information to help my girlfriend. She is 25 years old, is from Kenya, and has been going to school in the US for over 4 years. She will continue to go to school after she graduates this year with her Bachelors.

She is a legal alien resident, has a SSN, and works in the US now. She is interested in staying in the US and living here permanently. The thing is, neither of us know what the best options are.

The DV Lottery sounds interesting now because we are not 100% ready to get married. Besides applying for the lottery visa program what other options does she have? From what I have been reading, foreigners either need to get married to a US citizen or apply for the lottery to be successful becoming a US permanent resident or even a legal US citizen.

I would say maybe in 1 year we could be ready to get married. We have been together for almost 2 years. However, if she wants to try becoming a permanent resident now, what do we do? If the process is so long and hard for all the options (options I don't know of) would it be better to just wait a year and see if we end up getting married and apply for her residency then? I feel that we would be successful in the interview because we have been living together, family members are involved, pictures, purchases, etc.

Any advice on this would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Ty

As long as she maintains her student status, she can remain her in the US temporarily. She must leave the US if she lose her student status.

The Diversity Visa program is not an option. The entry period for 2013 is closed. The chances of winning is very small. Millions enter for 55,000 visas. Citizens from certain countries are not even allowed to enter because so many of their citizens already immigrates to the US.

It may be possible for her to get an employment visa, but that will up to the employer. It cost an employer a bit of time, money, and effort to acquire a work visa for a foreign employee.

OPT is another option. It will allow your girlfriend to work in the US for a year. She would need to leave the US after that.

Marriage to a US citizen is about the only way for her to remain permanently in the US.

[Harsh_77 718]

If you guys are only looking to delay it for an year before deciding to get married or not, then you have multiple options.

1. As you said she is going to continue her studies – continue going to school and be enrolled in the required number of classes and she will be legal.

2. After getting her Bachs she would be eligible for 1 yr of OPT she can apply for that – gain some work experience and that way she can continue to stay legally in country.

3. Apply for a job and look for employer who would file H1 for her – then she can continue to stay in country and continue working for the employer.

4. She can finish her Bach, get OPT for 1 year then apply for Grad school and continue her school which would go for another 2-3 yrs so she can be in country legally for that duration.

[Boiler 45,474]

Where is she working now? On Campus?