becoming us resident..? any experts?

[Mizugori]

a friend of mine is interested in obtaining legal resident status in the US. they are currently a citizen of south korea. can anyone advise me on this?

please, do not suggest that i google this ;/ i have researched it extensively but i would just like some professional or even semiprofessional advice. i understand the basic principles but some of the laws could be interpreted in a few different ways, for example.

thanks!

[madmat]

I'd like to help but the only way I know of is to be born here...

[RWB]

If he comes over and stays here for 7 years he can apply for Citizenship at that point. Or he can claim he is Cuban and just touch a beach in Florida ;)

[BLuKnight]

Well, I'd like to help. If you friend were getting married over here I'd have a ton of advice. (My wife is a Brazilian.) Either way, the process is quite expensive for some. I think we've paid Uncle Sam well over 3 or 4k.

The best thing I can recommend is keep a copy of every paper signed. Secondly, calling the INS is not any help whatsoever. You're calling a call center in who knows where and talking to people that just read scripts.

Find your local INS center and make an appointment. Show up, ask questions and write down the answers. Keep up that process to get all your questions asked.

By the way, US residents must notify the INS every time they move to a new place. Also, you have to renew every 10 years. Also, ask for information about dual citizenship. Sometime the US or the other country doesn't permit this. If you have to choose between one or the other, think carefully. Your friend isn't going to want to have problems getting back to S Korea to visit relatives.