# Need Help abt sponsorship?



## shahindia (Oct 18, 2008)

Hey there. I am 21 yrs old and i have a bachelors in commerce diploma and i am very interested in working in the united states. But overwhelming amount of procedures blinds me of my dreams to work in usa.

I can give u the current options i have and i need your evaluation on the best course of action.

1) I have a family friend in usa who is a citizen and i was wondering if his family can sponsor me to reside there?

2) Student visa, well, thats alright i know everything abt it except its way too expensive for an mba program.

3) H1b visa. How difficult it is, in your experience, to get a employer sponsor you?

Thank you for your time. Please give any more choices, if you have.


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## shahindia (Oct 18, 2008)

Guyz i have more options here :-

4) Internships? Is it possible for me to get some cuz i am 21 yrs old with one year experience and have a bachelors degree?

5) Even if i get a internship position, I have a girl friend who is already an US citizen and she is ready to marry me to start a life, so during the internship visa time if i marry her would i be able to file for permanent residency?

And may i know places or websites where the search for internship companies can be made easy. I prefer illinois cuz i have a family friend there.

Thank you for your time.


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

Hi and welcome to the forum.

1. No, a "family friend" won't do you any good in the immigration process. Must be an immediate family member: parent, sibling, adult child.

2. Yup, student visas require that you pay full tuition and you are very limited in how much you can work. There are some scholarships available for foreign graduate students, though. Worth looking into if you're interested in going this route.

3. H1B is getting harder all the time. At present you not only have to find an employer to offer you a job and then wait until you get through the visa process, but because of the number of eager applicants, there is now a lottery in place, so finding that job is only the first step.

4. An internship is a possibility, but remember the term "intern" has no legal meaning. An "internship" can be anything from a real gruntwork job to an "audition" for something much bigger. And, although it is sometimes possible to find a "real job" where you might be eligible for a long stay visa, the general expectation is that when you have completed your internship you will go home for at least some period of time.

5. If the girlfriend is ready to marry you now (and able to sponsor you) this might be a better way to do things. If you come over on an internship and marry her while you're in the middle of the internship, it's very possible that the immigration authorities will challenge the validity of the marriage or raise an objection to how you entered the country "with intent to remain" past the term of your internship. If you go this route, be prepared for a long and potentially very expensive legal battle to remain in the US.

Beware of any websites that offer internship postings for a fee. Many, if not all, of them are bogus and just after your money. Try to go through an established program like BUNAC or CIEE (usually available through your university).
Cheers,
Bev


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## shahindia (Oct 18, 2008)

Thanks for the info.

But

u say that there can be a legal battle if i marry my girl friend while i am in an intern visa. Mostly internship are on h1b visa and thats like a limited time work-permit. Whats the illegal thing i've done?

Can you be a bit more elaborate? cuz there is the fiance' petition but on what basis do u say it can cause problems?

Thank you for your time.


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## twostep (Apr 3, 2008)

H1B is not an intership. You may want to read up on US visas. All details are Log In here -


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

shahindia said:


> u say that there can be a legal battle if i marry my girl friend while i am in an intern visa. Mostly internship are on h1b visa and thats like a limited time work-permit. Whats the illegal thing i've done?
> 
> Can you be a bit more elaborate? cuz there is the fiance' petition but on what basis do u say it can cause problems?


Internships aren't on H1B visas - an internship on an exchange program is normally a J cateogry visa. (Check the US consulate website, where they sometimes have a list of the local organizations that run exchange programs.) You really are expected to go home after the end of your exchange (i.e. internship).

If you marry a US citizen while in the country on a J visa, the USCIS may challenge your right to a spousal visa unless you first return to your home country for a year or so. It happened to a professor of mine at business school. He ultimately got to stay, but it was a long, nasty and very expensive battle.
Cheers,
Bev


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## synthia (Apr 18, 2007)

If you plan to marry, your best bet is to come in on a fiance visa. You must then marry within 90 days.


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## shahindia (Oct 18, 2008)

ok how about if i am on a work permit. A h1b visa. Will i be able to marry her then and adjust the residentship.


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## synthia (Apr 18, 2007)

To get an H1B, you must first find a job, and then your future employer must apply for the visa. This is expensive, time consuming, and can only be done if the employer can provide evidence that there are no Americans or green card holders to fill the position. Visas are only granted twice a year, and after your application is 'approved', you then go into a lottery. If you are lucky enough to get a position via the lottery, you will be able to come to the US. It will take a long time.

If you come in on a fiance visa, which takes a relatively short time to obtain, you can apply for temporary permission to work. You must reapply for a different permission once you are married. It is by far the easies way for you to get into the country. After you have been in the US, and married, for a specified period (I think it is three years) you can get a green card that isn't dependent on your marital status. This is by far the easiest way.


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