Applying for US Citizenship - Financial part

S

starcraft

Registered Users (C)
Hi Everyone,

I just want to share my story with you, and appreciate any advice.

I'm in my mid 20s. I had my GC since 2005, and now I'm sending in my application for US Citizenship. I was born in Canada. In just finishing my last year of university (graduate school), and have never had a job before. I filed my income tax forms for past 3 years (1040 EZ), and put 0.00 on every one of them.
My mom is a US Citizen (which is how I got my GC).

I've been told by some people that during the interview, they will ask me how I support myself, and whether the gov't is giving me any money.

Truthfully, I've been on student loans for the past 4 years (my mom paid for my undergrad, but not for grad school). Because I've been in school full time my entire life, I've never had a job.

My mom and others think this will negatively impact me during the interview, as I don't have any assets (money or property), and I even have student loans from the federal government.

I hired an immigration attorney (which only charged me 800.00) to fill out the forms for me and send it in for me (this is the same lawyer who helped me get my greencard 5 years ago and is a family acquiantance). The lawyer doesn't believe that this will hurt my chances of getting US Citizenship.

Please send any helpful advice/comments. Thanks.
 
starcraft said:
Truthfully, I've been on student loans for the past 4 years (my mom paid for my undergrad, but not for grad school). Because I've been in school full time my entire life, I've never had a job.
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Seems reasonable.

My mom and others think this will negatively impact me during the interview, as I don't have any assets (money or property), and I even have student loans from the federal government.
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Your mom's wrong.
 
Hi everyone. Once I get my US citizenship, is there a waiting period for how long I need to wait before I can apply for my fiancee, to get a greencard? She is an international student. We plan to get married in January after she finishes her last semester of school (this would be after I get my US Citizenship).
Thanks.
 
Once they see that you've been a full-time student, they're not going to hassle you about the financial aspect. If you had long periods with neither studying nor employment, that's when they might get suspicious and force you to prove your sources of financial support.
 
starcraft said:
Hi everyone. Once I get my US citizenship, is there a waiting period for how long I need to wait before I can apply for my fiancee, to get a greencard?
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There is no waiting period. It's probably good to ensure you have the financial means to support yourself before you get married, but that's a practical rather than a legal requirement.
 
Your GC wasn't obtained thru marriage, so once you become a US citizen you can file the green card paperwork the same day. However, you need to be married first before you can apply for her (unless you're going to pursue the fiancee visa route ... but that would be a waste of time and money given that she's already in the US legally with a long-term visa).
 
TheRealCanadian said:
There is no waiting period. It's probably good to ensure you have the financial means to support yourself before you get married, but that's a practical rather than a legal requirement.
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Actually it could be classified as a legal requirement, given that for the green card process it is necessary to prove the financial means to support one's immigrant spouse ... otherwise you have to get a joint sponsor who will pledge the required amount of support.
 
TheRealCanadian said:
There is no waiting period. It's probably good to ensure you have the financial means to support yourself before you get married, but that's a practical rather than a legal requirement.
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Thanks for response.

My time line is kind of like this:
1) Jan 2010 - get my own USC
2) Late January 2010 - get married
3) Apply for wife for GC.

Questions:
1)When I apply for her, I'd still be a student until May 2011.
Will the gov't ask how I am able to support her? (I know during the application for GC, normally people need to get a financial sponsor - someone with income). Will this negatively affect our application for my future wife to get GC?

2)Also from the time I apply for her (to get GC - say in late January 2010), how long will it take for her to get her GC? (I'm assuming she will get the "conditional" 1 year GC).

Thanks
 
Jackolantern said:
Actually it could be classified as a legal requirement, given that for the green card process it is necessary to prove the financial means to support one's immigrant spouse ... otherwise you have to get a joint sponsor who will pledge the required amount of support.
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Oh no!
Will my mom qualify? she has no income anymore (she's retired), but she does own a house without mortgage.
 
I suppose she could, but it does give the US government the ability to go after her for benefits, and there are precedents that allow your fiancee to claim spousal support from your mother if the marriage doesn't work out. How well does she like her soon-to-be daughter-in-law? Does she like her more than the paid-for house?

I'd wait until you cut your apron strings before getting married.
 
Hi everyone - thanks for the responses.

Based on my own thinking, I don't think that we will get her a GC, until I land my first job, which is in July 2011. My mom probably won't sponsor her.
However, her Student VISA will expire at the end of April 2011.

Are there any other alternatives to me helping her to stay with me, until I get my own job? (Assuming that we are for certain getting married by the end of January 2011).
I couldn't imagine being separated from her, after we get married.
 
starcraft said:
Oh no!
Will my mom qualify? she has no income anymore (she's retired), but she does own a house without mortgage.
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If she's retired with a pension and/or collecting Social Security, she can use that towards the income requirement. Assets can also be used to offset the income requirement.
 
starcraft said:
However, her Student VISA will expire at the end of April 2011.
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Do you mean she completes her program of study in April 2011? As long as she's still in the US, the expiration date of the visa itself is not relevant.

Are there any other alternatives to me helping her to stay with me, until I get my own job?
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If she's here with an F-1 visa studying for a bachelor's degree or higher, she would be eligible to apply to stay and work for a year after the end of her studies, using the Optional Practical Training (OPT) provision.
 
Jackolantern said:
Do you mean she completes her program of study in April 2011? As long as she's still in the US, the expiration date of the visa itself is not relevant.


Sir, I don't know what you mean by this. Are you saying that even if her visa expires in April 2011, she can still stay in US with me? (until I start getting paid, and apply for her to get GC)?
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starcraft said:
Sir, I don't know what you mean by this. Are you saying that even if her visa expires in April 2011, she can still stay in US with me? (until I start getting paid, and apply for her to get GC)?
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He means that she is allowed to stay so long as she remains a full-time student, and after her degree is complete she can get a 1-year work permit.
 
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