In Need of Serious Help

[KJeanes 0]

Around four months ago, my Canadian boyfriend and I visited each other, and in a fit of passion, we got married. We did some light research, and he decided to stay with me (without working) until the end of the immigration process. We have been saving up the money for the I-130 and I-485 forms, and this week we had finally saved up enough money.

Now that I'm looking at it, I think we may have made a terrible mistake. We have little money, and I'm unsure of whether his entry into the country was even lawful. My heart hurts at the thought of losing him, but I have no definitive clue of what our options are. I just know that we wanted desperately to be together, but I also fear deportation greatly. We were very young (both having just turned 19), and now I'm incredibly lost. I just want to do what's right and will keep us together.

Thank you.

[Anh map 2,098]

He can't leave the US until the adjustment of status is completed. File the forms.

Have you budgeted for the medical exam that is required? This requires the form I-693 and must be done by a civil surgeon.

If you need a joint sponsor for the I-864 start working on that now.

*Moved from General Immigration forum to Adjustment of Status Work, Student, Tourist Visa forum*

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

Relax.

First, regarding lawful entry... Did he present himself at the border? Unless he sneaked in under cloak or night or in someone's trunk, he was inspected and has a lawful entry.

Second, regarding money, if you do not make $18K+ a year then you will need a co-sponsor or some combination of work and assets. You can work on that.

You are in a fine position. He should not leave the country until you file your AOS forms and get a travel permission, called Advance Parole. AP is temporary - once he gets the GC he can travel freely (some restrictions in order to maintain his residency).

Look over the guides for CONCURRENT I-130/I-485 and don't panic. You're in fine shape. Good luck.

[HeatDeath 430]

+1 above.

It's ok. Everything is fine. As long as he entered the US like a normal person at a US border station or airport Immigration section, and spoke to an officer, and didn't lie about anything, and sincerely intended to not stay in the US when he spoke to the CBP officer, everything is fine. Entering the US as a tourist, marrying on the spur of the moment, and adjusting status is perfectly legal, as long as he sincerely did not intend to stay when he entered. And it sounds like you are doing exactly what you should be in that situation - concurrently filing an I-130, an I-485, an I-765, and an I-131, and getting a medical done at a local civil surgeon as part of the requirements for the I-130.

It sounds like you are on the right track. Follow the instructions in the Guides here, file the I-130 and I-485 and other forms concurrently, and everything should go smoothly.

Everything Harpa Timsah said above is spot on. Just make sure do lots of reading in the forums here in threads related to your situation, and make sure you ask us questions if you are unsure about anything, and you'll get through this with flying colours before you know it.

BTW, the fees for the I-765 and I-131 are included in the $1070 you pay for the I-485, so don't worry about that either.