Friend's husband never filed papers, now unemployed

[Dogwood_Poet 16]

One of my wife's friends has been in the US about two years, came here on a K-1 visa and they got married, but her husband has never filed ANY paperwork. He lost his job and has been diagnosed as bi-polar, so he has not tried to find a job and spends most of his time alone upstairs.

They survive on help from his family and she cleans houses and babysits, but she cannot get a job because she doesn't have a SSN. There are a couple of places willing to hire her as soon as she gets her SSN.

The husband will not take his medication or go back to the doctor, so she does not know what to do from here. I have been told that failure to file the papers can be considered as abuse and she could try and go that way to get her status adjusted. She is trying to find a co-sponsor as well from her family that lives in the US as well.

The husband keeps saying he is going to sign the papers so she can turn in the affidavit of support and then try for a co-sponsor, but never has.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Edited January 21, 2008 by Dogwood_Poet

[diadromous mermaid 36]

One of my wife's friends has been in the US about two years, came here on a K-1 visa and they got married, but her husband has never filed ANY paperwork. He lost his job and has been diagnosed as bi-polar, so he has not tried to find a job and spends most of his time alone upstairs.

They survive on help from his family and she cleans houses and babysits, but she cannot get a job because she doesn't have a SSN. There are a couple of places willing to hire her as soon as she gets her SSN.

The husband will not take his medication or go back to the doctor, so she does not know what to do from here. I have been told that failure to file the papers can be considered as abuse and she could try and go that way to get her status adjusted. She is trying to find a co-sponsor as well from her family that lives in the US as well.

The husband keeps saying he is going to sign the papers so she can turn in the affidavit of support and then try for a co-sponsor, but never has.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Oh dear. Why doesn't she get the joint sponsors lined up first, and the I-485 completed and then present it to him for his signature? Is it a matter of the filing fees?

[Dogwood_Poet 16]

Everything is ready, he just keeps putting off signing the papers and if she asks him to sign them he gets mad at her.

[~Laura and Nick~ 5]

Everything is ready, he just keeps putting off signing the papers and if she asks him to sign them he gets mad at her.

that's horrible.

I wish her well.

[eau_xplain 2]

Can she have one of his family members help her talk to him about getting her papers in? If they live with his family then there should be someone there that he listens to.

[rebeccajo 14]

Maybe she should confide in his doctor and his doctor could speak to him about it?

[Minya's wife 24]

They survive on help from his family and she cleans houses and babysits, but she cannot get a job because she doesn't have a SSN. There are a couple of places willing to hire her as soon as she gets her SSN.

If his family is helping them surive, they should know that adjusting her status is the key to allow her to be able to be employed legally. Is there nobody in his family that the husband will listen to, take advice from?

As others have suggested, maybe she can have all the forms filled out, line up the co-sponsor and enlist his family to help with getting him to sign on the 'dotted line'.

If there is a valid diagnosis of mental illness, is that not sufficient to allow a member of the family to attain Power of Attorney, and sign the AOS papers? Has your friend consulted w/ an immigration attorney for options?

-P

[Nutty 2]

One of my wife's friends has been in the US about two years, came here on a K-1 visa and they got married, but her husband has never filed ANY paperwork. He lost his job and has been diagnosed as bi-polar, so he has not tried to find a job and spends most of his time alone upstairs.

They survive on help from his family and she cleans houses and babysits, but she cannot get a job because she doesn't have a SSN. There are a couple of places willing to hire her as soon as she gets her SSN.

The husband will not take his medication or go back to the doctor, so she does not know what to do from here. I have been told that failure to file the papers can be considered as abuse and she could try and go that way to get her status adjusted. She is trying to find a co-sponsor as well from her family that lives in the US as well.

The husband keeps saying he is going to sign the papers so she can turn in the affidavit of support and then try for a co-sponsor, but never has.

Any advice would be appreciated.

The wife should get an INFOPASS appointment to speak with a INS representative. She should bring medical papers detailing and showing that her husband has bi-polar problem. Then she should explain because her husband is mentally unstable, she can not rely on him to file papers.

Maybe she could get some special waiver.

[chispas 0]

One of my wife's friends has been in the US about two years, came here on a K-1 visa and they got married, but her husband has never filed ANY paperwork. He lost his job and has been diagnosed as bi-polar, so he has not tried to find a job and spends most of his time alone upstairs.

I have the opposite issue here and I feel for her greatly. It feels like one is living in the twilight zone if the SO has a disorder which prohibits him from performing the basic tasks necessary to thrive here in the US. I would suggest she get the family to try get him to sign. Secondly, can she get documentation from his doctor about his diagnosis and what he is capable or not capable of doing? If privacy laws prohibit her from getting information, then have an attorney write up a release statement that she can use. If all else fails, how about power of attorney or living trust. Mental illness and immigration feels, to me, like I have exploded on the inside and can't get out.

Wish her luck.

[*JG* 2]

One of my wife's friends has been in the US about two years, came here on a K-1 visa and they got married, but her husband has never filed ANY paperwork. He lost his job and has been diagnosed as bi-polar, so he has not tried to find a job and spends most of his time alone upstairs.

They survive on help from his family and she cleans houses and babysits, but she cannot get a job because she doesn't have a SSN. There are a couple of places willing to hire her as soon as she gets her SSN.

The husband will not take his medication or go back to the doctor, so she does not know what to do from here. I have been told that failure to file the papers can be considered as abuse and she could try and go that way to get her status adjusted. She is trying to find a co-sponsor as well from her family that lives in the US as well.

The husband keeps saying he is going to sign the papers so she can turn in the affidavit of support and then try for a co-sponsor, but never has.

Any advice would be appreciated.

The wife should get an INFOPASS appointment to speak with a INS representative. She should bring medical papers detailing and showing that her husband has bi-polar problem. Then she should explain because her husband is mentally unstable, she can not rely on him to file papers.

Maybe she could get some special waiver.

I agree with this.

[Boiler 43,429]

What special waiver?

He signs or it does not happen.

[diadromous mermaid 36]

What special waiver?

He signs or it does not happen.

Well..... technically, he signs or she attempts to demonstrate that his emotional disorder is extreme cruelty, or that she would suffer hardship if sent back.

[mawilson 2,133]

Everything is ready, he just keeps putting off signing the papers and if she asks him to sign them he gets mad at her.

It's her adjustment application - his signature is not required (except for the Affidavit of Support - one lousy document.)

[diadromous mermaid 36]

Everything is ready, he just keeps putting off signing the papers and if she asks him to sign them he gets mad at her.

It's her adjustment application - his signature is not required (except for the Affidavit of Support - one lousy document.)

The papers referred to in the post above are the Affidavit of Support!

[mawilson 2,133]

Everything is ready, he just keeps putting off signing the papers and if she asks him to sign them he gets mad at her.

It's her adjustment application - his signature is not required (except for the Affidavit of Support - one lousy document.)

The papers referred to in the post above are the Affidavit of Support!

Oops, my bad.

I'd submit the I-485 paperwork anyway - even without his signature. She would

probably get RFE'd for it eventually, but her EAD application is likely to be approved

first (within 90 days of filing.)