I have a very good friend of mine who is from Germany. She moved here 20 years ago, married an American GI (whom she met in Germany and he brought her here) and has resided in the US for all of those 20 years.

Her husband has bounced in and out of her life, with many affairs. She is now at her wits end, but is so lost. She NEVER got her citizenship/social security card.
She keeps telling me it will cost thousands of dollars, and I am just in disbelief that after being here for so long AND married to an American for this long, that she could not easily become a citizen without having to spend thousands of dollars.
She is worried she is going to be homeless, and on the streets. He left her last weekend again, quit his job and is now in upper Wisconsin with no plans on coming back. Her rent is due, she is going to be kicked out and they just lost their home that they owned (he let it go into forclosure) so she has nothing.

Does anyone know any way that I can direct her for help to become a citizen so she can work and make money? She so wants to work, and would ne an excellent employee for anyone. It is just a shame that with so many people who are able bodied and don't want to work, here is someone who wants to contribute to the good ol USA and the working economy, but can't.

She is 49 years old. It is just so sad.

She doesn't need to be a citizen, just a legal permanent resident. That's something you need to file for, not something you get through marriage, and yes, it IS expensive, especially with a lawyer, but if she's been in the country illegally for 20 years, she really should get a lawyer. At this point, contacting a women's shelter would probably be a good idea, too. It may or may not be fair, but if you're not born in the US, or to an American parent, getting permission to stay here is a huge pain, and does typically cost several thousand dollars. If she can apply for her LPR, she'll have at least a couple of months before she can work legally, hence why she needs to make sure she'll have a place to stay.

I agree, she needs a lawyer. FAST. Did she come here legally in the first place? If not, I fear she may have serious problems.

Thanks for taking the time to reply! I will ask her if she came here legally.
She does have a lawyer that she has been working with for as long as I have known her, she just keeps saying that she needs the money (and lots of it) to do her paperwork. I just don't see why she can't just do it herself in some way, and not have to spend all of that money.

My best friend was born in Canada to an American born mother. She had no problems getting citizenship. But that must be because she was born to an American Mother, I am assuming. My German friend said that each country has different immigration laws and Europeans have a much harder time gaining citizenship than a Mexican or Canadian Citizen.

I thought that even if you were an immigrant, that as long as you were married to an Americian citizen, then that made you legal.

Is it possible to married to a US citizen and still be illegal?

And, is it possible to check someone's resident status?

I'm no expert but you can be 'legal' without citizenship. One of my inlaws married someone from another country and they were married for probably more than 10 years before the other one became a citizen. They did have to pay a lot of $$ and do immigration type paperwork and it took a long time to get the citizenship and green card, but eventually they received both. Not sure if being married makes it any faster, it still took them many years.

We also had employees at my job who (after 9/11 there was a big govt audit) were found to have used fake SS#s and the company had to let them go. They were not illegally in the country, they were legally on visas or something, but they were not allowed to work in the country yet.

Marrying an American makes it easier to apply to become an LPR (a step below being a citizen), and what you need to be legal), but that's all it gives you. National origin wouldn't make any difference here. Being born to an American citizen, or in the US makes you a citizen.

The government can check your status, but unless you were born a citizen, you have to apply to become legal, and that's not the sort of thing you'd forget. No visa I know of lasts for 20 years, and someone who didn't become an LPR, which I'm guessing she didn't, because she doesn't have a SSN, would be an illegal immigrant. That's a crime worthy of deportation, which is why she needs the lawyer. Using a fake SSN is also a crime, which is why you'd be fired for it fast.

I'm sorry, I know that sounds really harsh, but right now, illegal immigration is a huge deal politically. It shouldn't take years to become legal, but this is something where, if she wants to stay, she is going to need legal help, and she is probably going to end up owing money.

You are right babyblue, somethings just aren't adding up.

I did some more research and I found a website that said to contact your congressman for help. So I did. I contacted her Congressman in the district she lives in and explained her situation and if they could help me, help her.

They said that they could most certainly help her, but she would need to call. I was so excited for her!
I called her up immediately and what she said to me really floored me and made me wonder if all that she has been telling me is actually the truth.

She said, I will call them, but I have to do my hair first and I have errands to run. I said "huh?" I mean here is a woman that was in TEARS with me about her dh leaving and her not being able to work, will be living under the bridge because she can not work (you get the idea) and now there is HOPE and she has to do her hair first and run some errands?????

I told her to call me when she gets done talking with them, she said that it would be later when she calls me. I siad ok
She never called me back and I am wondering if she even called the Congressman.


I am sincerely going to hope that she is just afraid of being deported and that is why she is not doing it. But still...*shrugs*

ok what i don't understand is if she has been here for 20 years why doesn't she have a ssn

if they had a mortgage she would have to have one to apply
same with tax returns.

what i am guessing is she is a legal resident alien and her card expired and she just needs to get that one renewed
that reminds me i have to check when mine expires

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