Very Basic Advice Needed

[Synthia212 0]

I am NEW to the whole process and concept so please forgive, and help if you can, with my ignorance. I have friends in Venezuela who are a couple in their 40's with a son who is 18. I met them when they were here with the Venezuelan Navy training for helicopters the Venezuelan Navy purchased from Texas. We stayed in touch after they returned to Venezuela. They are a fine family who I always encouraged to try to return to the US and live permanently, but never new how. Now, they finally are ready to move to the US if POSSIBLE and that is what I wonder. How would that be possible? I see so many different codes and questions and types of visas, etc., and wonder how they could possibly come the US and how I could help them.

I thought MAYBE they could send their son here to attend college and get a student VISA, but that is something none of us knows how to do and also it would not help the mother and father come to the US. I am retired, so I have no job, live on pension and social security, but have family members who know them that work and could probably serve as sponsors if that is needed.

Is it even a realistic possibility for them to come here?

What would be the best way to try?

Thanks for any advice you can offer.

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

You can look at the types of visas on uscis.gov.

Generally people immigrate here for work or through family. A lot of good and nice people want to live in the US, but an American cannot sponsor "friends" or anything.

So you can't really help them very much. They could look for a US employer who would want to sponsor them for a job. The kid could go to school but it's temporary and his parents can't come.

Why do you think they need to live here? Venezuela is not so bad.

[Boiler 45,932]

They are a fine family who I always encouraged to try to return to the US and live permanently

Seems odd, why?

[Synthia212 0]

Thank you for the information. I appreciate the advice and info greatly. As far as why I am encouraging them to move here, I always wanted them to move here for selfish reasons, they are very good friends and basically just wonderful people that I would love to have in my life and in family members lives. They lived here for a couple of years when the father of the family was in the Navy and the Venezuelan Navy sent them here for helicopter construction/training. Their son was born while they were here in the US, so I suppose he has dual citizenship...???

However, they did not have a desire to live here until now. Now, they say that Venezuela is "so bad" that they would like to come to the US. I am not questioning their motives because I love them and trust them and know they would be a benefit to our world, or any place where they live.

He is trying to communicate with contacts in aviation he made while here, so a work visa may be possible.

Can their son come here since he was born here? How could that work?

[Boiler 45,932]

He would use his US Passport.

When he is 21 he can sponsor his Parents to immigrate, takes about a year.

He would need the financials to sponsor them or have a co sponsor.

[Synthia212 0]

Seems odd, why?

They were here for a while, we became close friends, they spent Thanksgiving and Christmas with me. I was with them when their son was born here, they helped me rehab an old house, they took English lessons from me for over a year, we have stayed in touch via internet for over 18 years, I would love to see them and spend time with them, I am older and appreciate the quality of life that time with loved ones brings, I love them and wished they lived nearby....doesn't seem at all odd to me. Seems perfectly natural. Maybe not perfectly "acceptable" as far as cause for issuing visas or immigration regulations, etc., but on a human basis it is just a perfectly natural desire on my part and on their part I think. I just an beginning to understand that "perfectly natural" is probably not going to help them get here.

Might it help that their son was born here? Can they send him to live with me and then can he bring them over? I woudl be gla dot sponsor him if I could, but I am retired, could I do that? Does he need sponsor since he was born here?

[Synthia212 0]

If it seems odd that I am enthusiastically supportive of a family moving to the US, it might help to know my perspective:

I was an ESL teacher to hundreds and hundreds of students, and met many. many families, from foreign countries over the past 20 years.

This is the only family that I became close to and encouraged the to move to the US because I believed they would have a better life here and they would contribute beneficially in every way to life in the US for any and all who come into contact with them. They are just truly very good people.

I know that does not qualify them in any way for consideration, which is why I am brainstorming how they might be able to accomplish that, now that they do want to move here.

Thank you for your advice and suggestions!!!

Your insights are valuable and appreciated greatly.

[KierenHby 899]

The 18-yr old son is likely entitled to US citizenship by virtue of his birth on US soil. I say "likely" because if his parents were posted in the US on some sort of a diplomatic visa, that could complicate things with respect to the son's claims to US citizenship. You have to find out the son's citizenship status.

[charmander 692]

Tell them to look into dv lottery.

[Jawaree 718]

Son at 21 yrs can petition his parents and you can be a co-sponsor

in the meantime they can visit for short periods

[.yana 598]

Lots of other countries don't grant citizenship to members of military families solely based upon their birth in the country where they're stationed.

Not sure about rules in the US.

Your friends should find out whether their son is entitled to US citizenship first.

[IcezMan_IcezLady 582]

I think you jumped the gun with "encouraging" them to move here permanently. You do the research first before you give them false hopes of a quick and easy immigration.

1. You can't bring them here. That's not how immigration works.

2. Check to see the son's citizenship status. He may be a citizen or he might not be..

3. If the son is a citizen, he is the best chance for the rest of his family to move here

4. DV Lottery is opening Oct 1 till Nov 3 (or 4) .. They can try their chances while you explore other options.

Edited September 19, 2016 by IcezMan_IcezLady

[SunflowerSweet 1,321]

Lots of other countries don't grant citizenship to members of military families solely based upon their birth in the country where they're stationed.

That's likely because there aren't that many countries that employ just soli citizenship rights.

Edited September 19, 2016 by MorganandMichael