So here's the situation: Myself and a wonderful undocumented girl that has overstayed her tourist visa (she entered legally) have been dating for some time. We've reached the point at which we're seriously considering whether or not we have a chance at a future given the fact that I won't be able to apply for citizenship for another ~4 years. For context we're in our early 30's and acknowledge that before anything drastic like marriage and kids comes along we'd need to get our ducks in a row.
Now, assume that we do decide to get married here in the US in the next couple years. To my understanding, since I'll still be on a green card, she'll not only face long wait times if we were to apply for her green card through me as a sponsor but she'll also have to leave the country and therefore be subject to a ten year bar for re-entry. This uncertainty is obviously not ideal and doesn't afford us the safety required to begin settling down.
I guess the question boils down to this: Is there a possibility of me legalizing her through marriage while I hold a green card, allowing us to be at least reasonably settled here in the next 5-ish years with everything above board, or is this something that I'll have to wait until I gain citizenship for. We both acknowledge that a life together in the US may just be a pipe dream and are both prepared to accept reality and part ways should that be the case.
Now, assume that we do decide to get married here in the US in the next couple years. To my understanding, since I'll still be on a green card, she'll not only face long wait times if we were to apply for her green card through me as a sponsor but she'll also have to leave the country and therefore be subject to a ten year bar for re-entry. This uncertainty is obviously not ideal and doesn't afford us the safety required to begin settling down.
I guess the question boils down to this: Is there a possibility of me legalizing her through marriage while I hold a green card, allowing us to be at least reasonably settled here in the next 5-ish years with everything above board, or is this something that I'll have to wait until I gain citizenship for. We both acknowledge that a life together in the US may just be a pipe dream and are both prepared to accept reality and part ways should that be the case.