Out of status

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Persephone

New Member
I'm posting this here because I dont see an 'out of status' forum or something similar.

I came to this country when i was 3 years old on my parents visa and passport. I dont know which visa my father had, but I think it was a student visa because he studied here for some time. After my father received his degree, he returned to Colombia (we're colombian citizens). I stayed here wtih my mother and sister. The whole time until the age of 18 I had no idea that I was not an American citizen because my parents continued to lie to me and my sister and told us over and over again that we were born here. Finally the truth came out when I turned 18.

I am now 26 and go to college and work here legally in a law firm in new york. I have a real social security card which my parents got for me from the SS office when I was little and I file my taxes every year like a good 'citizen.'

I've done research and I know that if i leave the country, I will be banned for 10 years upon trying to reenter since i've overstayed more than 365 days past my 18th birthday. I consulted an immigration attorney about 2 years ago and he said that aside from getting married (i dont have a boyfriend, im no where near getting married) or having an employer sponsor me (which is very difficult), there is nothing he can do for me.

I was wondering if there is anything that he perhaps did not think of that might help me at all. Thanks for listening.
 
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Hi,

You might want to search for threads on the "Dream Act" which is related to your situation. However, that is just "one more immigration bill" proposed years ago, but there is no indication on when and whether that bill will ever become law.

As far as I know, there is no existing law which favors people in your situation. In the past I heard suggestions - which I think were wise and realistic - that people who were brought up here young could protest and demand that your respective home country (Colombia) put a repatriation program in place and allocate jobs there for you in the public sector. If folks ever succeed on that route, perhaps the US could leverage and influence that directly with the Colombian Embassy. It was just a plan though.

Anyway, good luck to you.

Regards,

Marlon

Persephone said:
I'm posting this here because I dont see an 'out of status' forum or something similar.

I came to this country when i was 3 years old on my parents visa and passport. I dont know which visa my father had, but I think it was a student visa because he studied here for some time. After my father received his degree, he returned to Colombia (we're colombian citizens). I stayed here wtih my mother and sister. The whole time until the age of 18 I had no idea that I was not an American citizen because my parents continued to lie to me and my sister and told us over and over again that we were born here. Finally the truth came out when I turned 18.

I am now 26 and go to college and work here legally in a law firm in new york. I have a real social security card which my parents got for me from the SS office when I was little and I file my taxes every year like a good 'citizen.'

I've done research and I know that if i leave the country, I will be banned for 10 years upon trying to reenter since i've overstayed more than 365 days past my 18th birthday. I consulted an immigration attorney about 2 years ago and he said that aside from getting married (i dont have a boyfriend, im no where near getting married) or having an employer sponsor me (which is very difficult), there is nothing he can do for me.

I was wondering if there is anything that he perhaps did not think of that might help me at all. Thanks for listening.
Click to expand...
 
Last edited by a moderator:
marlon2006 said:
Hi,

You might want to search for threads on the "Dream Act" which is related to your situation. However, that is just "one more immigration bill" proposed years ago, but there is no indication on when and whether that bill will ever become law.

As far as I know, there is no existing law which favors people in your situation. In the past I heard suggestions - which I think were wise and realistic - that people who were brought up here young could protest and demand that your respective home country (Colombia) put a repatriation program in place and allocate jobs there for you in the public sector. If folks ever succeed on that route, perhaps the US could leverage and influence that directly with the Colombian Embassy. It was just a plan though.

Anyway, good luck to you.

Regards,

Marlon
Click to expand...

Yes well unfortunatly the DREAM act, just like this summer's immigration reform is giong no where. Congress just talks talks and talks.

Do you think that perhaps writing to my congressman might help?

I'd like to be able to go visit my parents and my sisters someday.
 
Hi Persephone,

I think that is a creative nickname. I like it :)

In reality, I believe that if you write to a congressman, that initiative will be pretty much useless at this point. You may try though. Note that saying "my" congressman or our "our congressman" is not appropriate in this case. "Our" congressman does not apply for you or me. From my experience, US Senators and staff are usually polite and will take your calls or faxes. In Colombia if a foreigner place a call there persisting on an issue, they would ignore you or worse off, send you to jail. However, do not be fooled by that; what it really counts in the end for US lawmakers are calls from their constituents and based on what you wrote, it seems by now you have realized that the constituent mood is not in your or my favor.

The atmosphere out there is uncertain when it comes to immigration. Let's watch and see what happens with the mid-term elections two weeks from now. If the senate is seized by Democrats - what seems to be likely - that may not change course, since all those amnesty and pro immigration bills are generally accepted in the senate but blocked by the House. If Democrats barely win the control of the House, life there can be a struggle as well because again pro amnesty bills have been pretty much rejected by the majority of the House. The status is undefined, and definitely pending more for the negative side.

Thanks,

Marlon




Persephone said:
Yes well unfortunatly the DREAM act, just like this summer's immigration reform is giong no where. Congress just talks talks and talks.

Do you think that perhaps writing to my congressman might help?

I'd like to be able to go visit my parents and my sisters someday.
Click to expand...
 
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Persephone said:
With the scandals the republicans have had, hopefully that'll be enough to give them the boot. :crossing fingers:
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i do not agree with that.........politics is being played by all politicians all over the world....democrats are no different.......only if we the masses become more aware and educated not be be fooled by rhetorics of these foxes...
 
It seems the Mark Foley scandal and other things are pretty much passed by now. The real issue out there is the Iraq war. However, it seems the Democrats do not have any better plan to deal with it. That is the real problem, the public don't have good choices out there.



Persephone said:
With the scandals the republicans have had, hopefully that'll be enough to give them the boot. :crossing fingers:
Click to expand...
 
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