Legal Question in Immigration Law in Kentucky
Is there any way for an immigrant who entered the country illegally (has never cleared customs) to legalize his status, be it through marriage, leaving the country and re-entering legally, or by any other means?
1 Answer from Attorneys
If he entered the U.S. illegally, and he is in the U.S. currently, then even if he gets married to a U.S. citizen, he can only receive his permanent residence by returning to his homeland and get approved by the U.S. consulate there. However, if his total time living in the U.S. illegally was more than six months but less than a year prior to departure, then he is faced with a 3-year bar from being readmitted. The bar is 10 years if he was in the U.S. illegally for a year or more prior to departure. The only way to get around the bar is to prove to the consulate that his wife and US citizen children, if any, face extreme hardship if he is denied his visa to return. That could be a quite difficult standard and requires the help of an attorney.
If he had only been in the U.S. illegally for less than six months prior to departure, then he will not face any bar. The process at the consulate is then considerably easier and he will receive his immigrant visa to return to the U.S. as a permanent resident.
I invite you to contact me through my profile here or at my website.
Larry L. Doan, Esq.
www.GuruImmigration.com
http://guruimmigration.wordpress.com (blog)
Note: The above response is provided for legal information only and should not be construed as legal advice, nor to create an attorney-client relationship, which can only be established through payment of consideration. We do not offer free advice except for the information provided herein on LawGuru which has been screened. If follow-up advice on your specific situation is desired, we offer a paid consultation in person if you are in the Los Angeles area, or by phone or email. Please visit our website www.GuruImmigration.com for more details.
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