Synthia212

If it seems odd that I am enthusiastically supportive of a family moving to the US, it might help to know my perspective:

I was an ESL teacher to hundreds and hundreds of students, and met many. many families, from foreign countries over the past 20 years.

This is the only family that I became close to and encouraged the to move to the US because I believed they would have a better life here and they would contribute beneficially in every way to life in the US for any and all who come into contact with them. They are just truly very good people.

I know that does not qualify them in any way for consideration, which is why I am brainstorming how they might be able to accomplish that, now that they do want to move here.

Thank you for your advice and suggestions!!!

Your insights are valuable and appreciated greatly.

Seems odd, why?

They were here for a while, we became close friends, they spent Thanksgiving and Christmas with me. I was with them when their son was born here, they helped me rehab an old house, they took English lessons from me for over a year, we have stayed in touch via internet for over 18 years, I would love to see them and spend time with them, I am older and appreciate the quality of life that time with loved ones brings, I love them and wished they lived nearby....doesn't seem at all odd to me. Seems perfectly natural. Maybe not perfectly "acceptable" as far as cause for issuing visas or immigration regulations, etc., but on a human basis it is just a perfectly natural desire on my part and on their part I think. I just an beginning to understand that "perfectly natural" is probably not going to help them get here.

Might it help that their son was born here? Can they send him to live with me and then can he bring them over? I woudl be gla dot sponsor him if I could, but I am retired, could I do that? Does he need sponsor since he was born here?

Thank you for the information. I appreciate the advice and info greatly. As far as why I am encouraging them to move here, I always wanted them to move here for selfish reasons, they are very good friends and basically just wonderful people that I would love to have in my life and in family members lives. They lived here for a couple of years when the father of the family was in the Navy and the Venezuelan Navy sent them here for helicopter construction/training. Their son was born while they were here in the US, so I suppose he has dual citizenship...???

However, they did not have a desire to live here until now. Now, they say that Venezuela is "so bad" that they would like to come to the US. I am not questioning their motives because I love them and trust them and know they would be a benefit to our world, or any place where they live.

He is trying to communicate with contacts in aviation he made while here, so a work visa may be possible.

Can their son come here since he was born here? How could that work?

I am NEW to the whole process and concept so please forgive, and help if you can, with my ignorance. I have friends in Venezuela who are a couple in their 40's with a son who is 18. I met them when they were here with the Venezuelan Navy training for helicopters the Venezuelan Navy purchased from Texas. We stayed in touch after they returned to Venezuela. They are a fine family who I always encouraged to try to return to the US and live permanently, but never new how. Now, they finally are ready to move to the US if POSSIBLE and that is what I wonder. How would that be possible? I see so many different codes and questions and types of visas, etc., and wonder how they could possibly come the US and how I could help them.

I thought MAYBE they could send their son here to attend college and get a student VISA, but that is something none of us knows how to do and also it would not help the mother and father come to the US. I am retired, so I have no job, live on pension and social security, but have family members who know them that work and could probably serve as sponsors if that is needed.

Is it even a realistic possibility for them to come here?

What would be the best way to try?

Thanks for any advice you can offer.