Legal Question in Immigration Law in California

Is it possible to sponser someone from another country?

We recently found out two of my daughter's friends

do not have legal status in the United States.

Though they have lived here full time for 12 years.

Their mother asked us if we would either adopt

them or sponser them so they could say in the

United States legally. The girls' step father

continously threatens to kick them out or call

immigration and send them back to Mexico. The

step father and three other siblings are here

legally, however the mother is not. The mother

applied for some type of legal ''family'' status three

years ago with a local attorney, who hasn't done

much. We've known these two girls for many

years. Once we found out they were here

illegally, we felt uncomfortable, yet

didn't want them to end up out on the street, or

back in Mexico. They are great kids and good

grades. Is there anything we can do to help them

obtain legal status? If there is anything

we can do, or if there any options for these two

girls, could you please email us back.

Thank you so much.


Asked on 12/31/00, 1:17 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys
Larry L. Doan Law Office of Larry L. Doan

Re: Is it possible to sponser someone from another country?

Sure, it's possible to sponsor someone from another country -- if they're closely related to you or offered employment that cannot be filled by a citizen or permanent resident. The problem here is you have no blood relationship to these girls so you can't petition for them. Nor can you offer them jobs. I don't think you can legally adopt them since their mother is alive and married to a man.

The solution is already present in the girls' family. You state that the stepfather and the other siblings are legally here. Why not the mother? I am assuming that, most likely, her husband filed a relative petition for her -- I don't have all the facts -- and she is just waiting for an immigrant visa number. If the two girls came here at the same time as their mother, then the stepfather's petition for his wife should have included the two girls also. He can threaten to call INS but the fact of the matter is, if the petition was done correctly for his wife, the two girls are already included! They're also protected from deportation under new immigration laws just passed last month.

Anyway, I would need more facts with this case. Please call my office and I would be happy to discuss it with you.

Liem Doan, Esq.

Read more
Answered on 1/04/01, 5:35 am


Related Questions & Answers

More Immigration Law questions and answers in California