ok so i am married to an american lady and have my green card etc. My 2 children 14 and 16 visit at least 2 times a year and come in normally without any visa's and this is not a problem.. I wanted to know if thre is any procedure for them to obtain a more permenant type of visa or card to freely come and go whenever they want ? answers would be appreciated.
There isn't a visa that lets them come and go and do more than a tourist would do (eg work/study).
You could start immigration proceedings (I-130 petition, immediate relative visa), but then they would have to settle in the US.
If they want to stay for longer than 3 months at a time, they could get a B2 visa. In order to get the visa, they have to prove that they do not have immigrant intent. They also are subject to this requirement each time they enter the US, whether on B2 visa or visa waiver.
Antbax, when you got your greencard, did you put them through with yours too?
We have friends who still have a son living in the UK. They applied for his greencard in case he ever decided to move over here. All he has to do when he is ready, is sort out the paperwork and then he can live over here with his dad. It's going to be much quicker than if they had left him off.
But he can't get it if he is only intending to visit occasionally. He has to actually live over here permenantly.
well thats answers the question.. They never come for more than 1 month and if or when they decide they want to move here then its back to the lovely paperwork process agin. we all know how much fun that is lol..
thanks all for help..
But with Green cards, don't you have to be resident in the US for at least 180 days a year? That's what I heard, if you spend less time than that in the States they can take the card off you.
We're in this dilemma - daughter wants to go travelling and off to college in the UK. We're considering applying for Green Cards but I'd be so sad to think that she can only visit us as a tourist sad
Dawn, are you applying for your greencards through a lawyer?
If so, when our friends did it, they put their son on the application in anticipation of him, eventually, wanting to come over here. Yes, he has to say he will be living here (I think anyway) but it makes it easy for him to go through the process when he is ready. I think he can get his greencard while in the UK ready for coming over here.
Ask your lawyer to include your daughter and see what they say.
My two boys obtained green cards. One returned to the UK where he still lives. The other has flown over the Atlantic many times.
He went to school here in Oregon, then to college in the UK.
While living over there, he made sure that he visited the USA once a year for a week or two to keep the green card active. He now resides in the USA. smile
Oooh Melhug, that sounds interesting.
It's no problem having Jenny over here for a few weeks a year, so if we apply for a Greencard for her it does sound promising if your son's card hasn't been taken off him.
We just can't afford to send her to uni here and she wants to go to college anywhere but the USA anyway (no student union bars in the States! lol )
It would be great if she could just do her travelling and degree courses then come and live with the rest of the family over here afterwards; I've been concerned that if she does get a GC and it is taken away for not spending enough days in the US, then she would never be able to get another one.
However, she now says she wants to do an Art Foundation course in England then do a 3-year degree course in Australia.... roll
Interesting indeed Dawn and a veeerrrrry long story!
I cut the apron strings...but I think they were made of elastic and I missed a bit! wink
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Mel
The above is my own opinion and not subject to the approval of trolls... grin
<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by Melhug on 2002-07-23 0547 ]</font>