Visa Issues

[Reeve]

So my girlfriend is trying to immigrate to the US. She graduated with a Masters of Law from LSU in Baton Rouge, LA, back in May and was working for a while after that. Her company figured out that her visa didn't allow for work, so they let her go, but said they'd try to get her an H-3 Training Visa to get her back ASAP. They never did, but another company agreed to hire her and sponsor her for the H-3 Visa. Yesterday, though the company said they'd talked to their immigration attorney, who wouldn't take the case because she said that since the company in question didn't already have a training program in place that the visa would be summarily denied.

So now we're at a loss as to what to do. Companies can't apply for an H1B visa for her until April, since there are H1B caps that fill up within a day or two every April for the whole year. She can't go on unemployed until then. The only companies in Houston that will have existing training programs are oil companies, who are laying people off right now, not hiring.

I'm not looking for actual legal advice here. I'm just wondering if there are any people here who have dealt with this sort of immigration issue in the US and maybe has some insight as to pathways we might consider, because otherwise she's going to have to go back to Argentina at the end of December, and we'll probably have to break up.

[zenkai]

I heard my friend had the same problem in Canada, and he married his Canadian GF, took them a couple of years to straighten it out.

[Independent voter]

Marry her.

30 char rule

[Reeve]

We've only been dating 3 months, 2 if you don't count the month she spent in Argentina. I'm not going to marry her. She wouldn't do it anyway, and her parents would kill her if she did.

[Emageht Tsoluoy]

Then shes pretty fucked.
Green-carding is the best option in this situation.

[Reeve]

Then shes pretty fucked.

Green-carding is the best option in this situation.

She's already applied for the green card lottery twice. First one she didn't win, the current one is still pending.

[Emageht Tsoluoy]

She's already applied for the green card lottery twice. First one she didn't win, the current one is still pending.

Hence the suggestion to:

Marry her.

[lonely zergling]

If you got a problem with visa I suggest getting a mastercard.

Oh wait...

Marry her!

[Independent voter]

She can get into Mexico or Canada? Wait for her across the border. The Canadian border is pretty easy to sneak through.

Then if she pisses you off you can have her deported.

[Reeve]

She can get into Mexico or Canada? Wait for her across the border. The Canadian border is pretty easy to sneak through.

Then if she pisses you off you can have her deported.

If we wanted her to be an illegal immigrant, we'd just have her overstay her existing visa. She's already here in Houston. But she wants to pass the bar and be a lawyer here in Texas. Hard to pass the bar when you're an illegal immigrant.

[Emageht Tsoluoy]

If we wanted her to be an illegal immigrant, we'd just have her overstay her existing visa. She's already here in Houston. But she wants to pass the bar and be a lawyer here in Texas. Hard to pass the bar when you're an illegal immigrant.

immigration laws are pretty solid.

there is not much wiggle room, and the only caveat is a bypass through marriage.

that's a tricky road though, because if they think you are doing it just for a green card, you're both boned.

[zenkai]

move to SF, they don't deport anyone

[Reeve]

move to SF, they don't deport anyone

I'd love to live in SF. Not exactly in the cards though.

[Cybran]

Don't go for mail order brides.

[Deleted]

yeah marry her

just get a decent prenup and you'll be fine

- - - Updated - - -

Don't go for mail order brides.

edginess overload

[Reeve]

Don't go for mail order brides.

Mail order brides generally don't start already in the country while getting a Master's degree in law from an American University.