(I apologize ahead of time if there is a better topic to put this under. Move it if you see fit.)

I'm at the end of my rope and looking for help. My fiance is here illegally from Mexico, and has been for 5 years. I am a citizen by birth. I want to help him but I don't know how. I am desperately seeking good advice from kind people. (Everyone I've turned to has been very rude so far.) Please, someone help me. I know it will take a lot of money and a lot of time, but I just want to help him. What must I do?

Sorry to say - there is no adjustment from an EWI status. I believe he must go home and file for a visa (which will be denied) and a waiver. There will be a bar associated with the length of time he was in the country.

I am going to move this topic to the waiver forum - as those who have experience with waivers might be able to offer some suggestions.

Did he enter without inspection? If he was inspected but overstayed he is eligible for AOS, if not see the post above.

Thanks for moving it. Hopefully some more people w/ experience can elaborate for me. ^ ^;

Did he get here on a visa and went through inspection at the border or just crossed the border? If he came here without inspection then it's going to make it harder.

He entered with a fake visa. /._.

What does "EWI" stand for, and what does it mean?

Entered without inspection, a border patrol officer didn't inspect him... "jumped over the fence"

Find a lawyer to discuss your options.

Its likely he could face a permanent ban from entering the country, for misrepresenting himself with a fake visa. Some types of bans can be overcome with a wavier, others cannot.

Is there an alternative to a lawyer? Are there any kind of free services offered by the government? Or are there low-cost immigration lawyers? I've heard rumors about immigration lawyers who just scam you.

Do not go bargain basement for this one. You need an AILA attorney that has experience with EWI/waivers. The only other help I can think of is Catholic Charities, but it sounds like you should just go right for the legal representation.

Thank you for all your good advice. You're the nicest bunch of people I've met online. Does anyone have any good suggestions for lawyers near Sacramento, CA? I'm not looking for a "basement bargain", but I want answers, not a bunch of fees for sitting down with someone and that's all. If I'm paying someone, I want results.

www.immigrate2us.net - This is a great resource to guide you through the process. Many of the members have sucessfully gotten their significant other legalized without the help of a lawyer.

Looking into it atm.

Use of a fraudulent visa is a crime. Not only is he facing jail time but a lifetime ban. You need to pay for a lawyer...many will see you for 30 minutes at no charge.
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I will look into lawyers in my area. Hopefully I can find someone honest to help me.

This is the organization mentioned earlier, AILA. There's an option to search for a lawyer at the top. Hope you can work it out!
AILA.ORG

Saludos,
Caro

When I search for a lawyer, would it be under naturalization or waivers? I assume the first one, but just to make sure.

**EDIT: Nevermind. I looked it up and it's a waiver.

As someone else posted, the place to be for this type of waiver (especially for Mexico) is immigrate2us.net

There are a ton of others there who have gone through this same thing and won their case without an attorney. If you are going to use an attorney, make sure to make a trip to this website visacentral.net She is very experienced and posts on immigrate2us.net

Mexico also has a pilot program that allows for "on the spot" adjudication which you can read about on immigrate2us. . .

I believe there is a link on www. AILA.com to find a lawyer in your area.

However, immigration law is federal law so you don't need someone licensed within your state to represent you. Better to seek an experienced advocate far away than a so-so practitioner who lives in your area.