Working in the USA question

[Corey-Mariya 14]

Hey does anyone here know what you have to do so your fiancee can work when she gets to the USA? What does she have to do to be able to work? I know the fiancee visa is work authorized, and she is flying through jfk and getting the stamp! So my question is what does she have to do when she gets her to work, and how long does this normally take?

Much thanks everyone, you guys are always really helpful

[YuAndDan 153]

Apply for SSN, most employers will requite it.

K-1 Can work with EAD, most employers will not hire a person unless they provide proof of work authorization, that is EAD stamp or card.

NOTE: K-1 is not a work visa, it is a fiancee visa for entry to the USA and marriage, K-1 is "Work Auth" primarily to be able to get the SSN, some states are strict in their interpretation of a federal law that requires persons applying for a "license" to have SSN, this can cause a problem with marriage license if only one person has SSN and the other (the K-1 holder) does not.

Best thing to do is marry, and file for adjustment of status along with EAD. EAD costs nothing when applied for with AOS, based on pending I-485.

[Bobalouie 0]

Apply for SSN, most employers will requite it.

K-1 Can work with EAD, most employers will not hire a person unless they provide proof of work authorization, that is EAD stamp or card.

NOTE: K-1 is not a work visa, it is a fiancee visa for entry to the USA and marriage, K-1 is "Work Auth" primarily to be able to get the SSN, some states are strict in their interpretation of a federal law that requires persons applying for a "license" to have SSN, this can cause a problem with marriage license if only one person has SSN and the other (the K-1 holder) does not.

Best thing to do is marry, and file for adjustment of status along with EAD. EAD costs nothing when applied for with AOS, based on pending I-485.

You will probably run into ignorance and people being afraid to hire her because they dont know what the rules are. Most people think if you dont have a green card that you are not employable, which could be incorrect in some circumstances, like having the EAD stamp in the passport. But that stamp is only good for 90 days and when it expires, she will not be able to legally work unless she has her green card by then, which she wont. So, not only will you run into finding people who understand the rules, you will also run into people who dont want to go thru the trouble of hiring only for 90 days.

You will have better luck once she gets the Green card, but I wouldnt expect her to be much of a contributer until then.

[eekee 182]

Maybe she can just get a steady baby-sitting job? It pays pretty well.

[Satellite 1]

Maybe she can just get a steady baby-sitting job? It pays pretty well.

House keeping pays well too. And if she has other abilities working for cash never hurts. There are something like 12 million undocumented folks doing just fine here.

But look at things from this perspective. According to the immigration law, all unlawful employment and overstays are forgiven at the AOS interview due to adjustment based on marriage to a US citizen.

[Kazan' Tiger 1]

For once, Satellite and I agree. Our mission will be for Alla to secure some cash basis work too to help cover the added expenses.

Maybe she can just get a steady baby-sitting job? It pays pretty well.

House keeping pays well too. And if she has other abilities working for cash never hurts. There are something like 12 million undocumented folks doing just fine here.

But look at things from this perspective. According to the immigration law, all unlawful employment and overstays are forgiven at the AOS interview due to adjustment based on marriage to a US citizen.

[visaveteran1 33]

One of the great advantages of the CR-1 visa is getting a green card immediately upon arrival in the USA. This allows finding legitimate work quickly and there's no $1000 AOS fee.

If sometime chooses K-1, then they can't complain about work issues...the rules are clear. The EAD solution takes time and is limited.

Cheating the government out of taxes and taking a job from a legit worker is a dubious solution to earning income. And I wouldn't allow my wife to be a motel maid or scrub floors at some office building regardless of the situation. If someone can't support their wife for a few months, why bring her here? Save some money and/or borrow enough to get by until she (he) can legally work.

And let's be realistic, how quickly can a Russian woman with little to moderate understanding of English find a decent job? I think it could take up to 6 months to one year to adapt and settle into the life here in the US. The only exception might be if she works for or with other Russians here. In some cities this might be a real possibility but others remote.

[eekee 182]

Well, she's coming in through JFK and getting the stamp, so she won't be working illegally. The issue is that if she found a legitimate job, she'd have to give it up while waiting for adjustment of status.

Re: the maid thing... that's why I suggested baby-sitting for her. Remember, the OP and his girl are 20 years old. A 20-year-old girl baby-sitting is perfectly normal. In the summer, especially if you have a driver's license and can shuttle kids around, you can easily find a job baby-sitting for the same family every day. I've done it several times. A lot of families would probably like having a Russian baby-sitter, because then she could teach their kids Russian and make them sooo smart.

One of the great advantages of the CR-1 visa is getting a green card immediately upon arrival in the USA. This allows finding legitimate work quickly and there's no $1000 AOS fee.

If sometime chooses K-1, then they can't complain about work issues...the rules are clear. The EAD solution takes time and is limited.

Cheating the government out of taxes and taking a job from a legit worker is a dubious solution to earning income. And I wouldn't allow my wife to be a motel maid or scrub floors at some office building regardless of the situation. If someone can't support their wife for a few months, why bring her here? Save some money and/or borrow enough to get by until she (he) can legally work.

And let's be realistic, how quickly can a Russian woman with little to moderate understanding of English find a decent job? I think it could take up to 6 months to one year to adapt and settle into the life here in the US. The only exception might be if she works for or with other Russians here. In some cities this might be a real possibility but others remote.

Edited April 13, 2008 by eekee

[Satellite 1]

Cheating the government out of taxes and taking a job from a legit worker is a dubious solution to earning income.

Who said anything about cheating their tax obligations. Ever heard of the Individual Tax Identification Number. The IRS has received tax returns from illegal immigrants through this system for over a decade.

See source below:

http://news.minnesota.publicradio.org/feat...onessb_illegal/

And I wouldn't allow my wife to be a motel maid or scrub floors at some office building regardless of the situation.

Who said anything about scrubbing floors. If your lady has other abilities such as say tutoring math, performing as a musician at weddings, parties, etc., teaching ballet lessons, or even doing freelance translations there are more jobs available to her.

And let's be realistic, how quickly can a Russian woman with little to moderate understanding of English find a decent job?

Very quickly, if you live in a place with a large Russian speaking community. In San Francisco you can get hired in just about any business that caters exclusively to Russian speakers. Check out the classifieds at http://baraban.com/

[visaveteran1 33]

Cheating the government out of taxes and taking a job from a legit worker is a dubious solution to earning income.

Who said anything about cheating their tax obligations. Ever heard of the Individual Tax Identification Number. The IRS has received tax returns from illegal immigrants through this system for over a decade.

See source below:

http://news.minnesota.publicradio.org/feat...onessb_illegal/

And I wouldn't allow my wife to be a motel maid or scrub floors at some office building regardless of the situation.

Who said anything about scrubbing floors. If your lady has other abilities such as say tutoring math, performing as a musician at weddings, parties, etc., teaching ballet lessons, or even doing freelance translations there are more jobs available to her.

And let's be realistic, how quickly can a Russian woman with little to moderate understanding of English find a decent job?

Very quickly, if you live in a place with a large Russian speaking community. In San Francisco you can get hired in just about any business that caters exclusively to Russian speakers. Check out the classifieds at http://baraban.com/

I thought you needed an SSN to file taxes. I don't have a problem with odd jobs but that takes time to plug in to and is hit an miss. I already agreed with you about finding jobs in cities with Russian communities. I know a Russian couple who came over on a tourist visa for 6 months and have worked the whole time...and they don't know a word of English. Of course, they're probably working for less than minimum wages...but it is money.

[Satellite 1]

I know a Russian couple who came over on a tourist visa for 6 months and have worked the whole time...and they don't know a word of English. Of course, they're probably working for less than minimum wages...but it is money.

Without revealing my sources I too know a Russian couple that came over on a 3 months tourist visa and found jobs in San Francisco as a personal assistant to a 90 year old man for $1400 a month and the lady found a job cleaning homes for two ladies at $10 an hour. Well above minimum wage in both cases.

[Corey-Mariya 14]

And let's be realistic, how quickly can a Russian woman with little to moderate understanding of English find a decent job?

My fiancee is both fluent in ENGLISH and RUSSIAN as weel as a few other languages we met in the USA!

[groovlstk 0]

Whatever you do, do not allow your fiancee to fall into the trap of working for Russian firms or Russian people when she arrives.

[eekee 182]

Why not?

Whatever you do, do not allow your fiancee to fall into the trap of working for Russian firms or Russian people when she arrives.

[Satellite 1]

Whatever you do, do not allow your fiancee to fall into the trap of working for Russian firms or Russian people when she arrives.

Why not?

I am sure groovlstk has his reasons but here are the common problems I have seen:

1. Russians continue to operate and treat their fellow employees as if they were in Russia.

2. They might not pay all or some of the agreed upon salary.

3. You learn English at a slower pace.