Am I screwed?
 

Hi guys,

I found this forum a bit ago and I've been reading around a lot, and it seems to me as if my options are just null.

Here's my story.
I'm 20 years old right now. I graduated highschool last year (class of '11) from a Miami Fl. public school and I now live in Tallahassee FL. I've been in the country for five years now. (came in may 2006) and for now I'm stuck. I was very uninformed and I didn't know about the hardships that would await for me as soon as I graduated until the last quarter of my junior year. The college hype started among my friend and then is when I realized I couldn't just go to college like they could. My SAT scores were poor yet I consider myself a sharp person, just not quite the test taker. (3.89 GPA and 4.6 weighted as well as great top tier AP scores).

I started dating a girl by the start of my senior year, and I told her about my status(she's a USC). She understood it and agreed to deal with it, and we've been together for over a year now. She's always been very supportive and we love each other. Her and I are great supporters and promoters of the DREAM ACT and we've kept our hopes high. She's in college now, she still encourages me to keep up. I go to different lecturers at FSU and sit in classes.(you guys should try this if you are near a university). We've talked about marriage after she's done with college and how it would also help me resolve my status. It's still a touchy subject but it was a feasible option. However as I've kept on reading I realized that this might not be the best option for me.

Here's why. My father left my mother when I was just a baby. She got together with my stepdad and they had a daughter. However after a while my stepdad came here to the US with, what I just learned is, EWI status. My mom thought we would have a better future here, a better education and a better life overall. So she decided to send us here. What I mean is that she arranged things so we crossed departed from my country of origin(Guatemala) and crossed Mexico and eventually cross the US/Mexico border also as EWI. [Note that we were on our own (without any relatives) when we did this and I was 14 and my sister was 8 years old at the time]. We live with my stepdad now and my mom visits sometimes because she has a tourist visa.

Now, you're probably wondering why we didn't simply come in legally with a visa if my mom had one. Well, the trick part is that my mom was married to my biological dad and when he left they never divorced. So I was unable to get a passport without my mother's and his consent while I was still a minor and we never heard of him until once we were here in the US saying that he also had entered America.(also EWI). Thus the whole process of getting us visas wasn't possible.

In essence, here's my question/unclear realization. If I do end up marrying my girlfriend, I would have to leave the country and go back to Guatemala, where I would have to wait 10 years due to my EWI status, and resolve my situation (and possibly shatter my marriage with distance and stress) in order to be able to have a normal life here in the US?

It just seems like my options are nonexistent. I'm trying to work to be able to go to college but it's too much here in Florida. I want double major in mathematics and computer science but it just seems impossible. I'm taking advantage of all the free online resources out there, such as MIT open coursware, Stanford open courseware, and of course lectures and seminars at FSU and I'm also starting some minor "research?" on modularity of Fibonacci and other recursive sequences, but I would like to know I'll be able to maybe get a chance of formally attending college, getting a job and living life normally.

Thanks.

Re: Am I screwed?
 

Yes, if being screwed was having no options then yes you are screwed. You'll just have to hope and pray that the dream act passes soon. To answer your main question I do think you would have leave the country since you are EWI or you could get the waiver but it's close to impossible unless you are in an extraordinary situation.

Re: Am I screwed?
 

Sir, the good news is, you're academically superior to most of us here..

This seems to be your main pt in this post. To make long story short, yes you are correct. To have a girl friend stick by your side for 10 years... I haven't lived long enough to say anything in regards to this matter but I wouldn't count on it.. More or less, we're all in the same boat. And I think you'll do fine even if you end up going to Guatemala with your intelligence and good work ethic.

Re: Am I screwed?
 

It sucks because if you left at 19, there would have only been a 3 year ban. But it's doable, if she comes and lives with you you can file a waiver and possibly overcome the ban. It will be costly and she might have to spend a year with you in Guatemala to prove its a real marriage in their eyes.

Re: Am I screwed?
 

not necessarily....u don't have to go back if u get married to her if you provide that if you leave it would cause hardships, etc.
I have a friend you got married to a citizen and he just had to pay a good sum of money and prove that if he left the country for the 3 months etc it would be a hardship for the wife and kids. But it is possible...u just need to get the right lawyer and money.

Re: Am I screwed?
 

Look up the new directive. Wait for the rule-making process to go into effect. Talk to a very good lawyer. In that order. And hope that you may qualify for extreme hardship somehow.

Re: Am I screwed?
 

Well no with the good news they just posted on the forums look it up it will cheer you up :) I would post a link but am on my phone and its very hard.

Re: Am I screwed?
 

Work, go to school get you degree in mathematics like you want to, and things will fall into place eventually. Although, you might want to search other options. Keep in mind that mathematics is a life commitment. It is tough to be a mathematician, specially in our situation since one needs a Phd or a masters minimum. Most of my friends mare mathematicians or physicist. You have no idea how screwed up the education system (K-12) is here. So, get to study, like it seems you are already doing and fight! Education is the only thing that we are able to do while in our situation so take advantage of it. It will bring rewards no matter where. Eventually something might get done, if it does not then screw it, go to Guatemala or somewhere else. By the way, if you like science, I would like you to explore engineering. I, being a science fanatic dreamed of being a phycisist, however I discovered how hard it would have been in our situation, since like I said ,one needs a Ph.D. My advice is, get a B.S in any of the ABET acredited engineering programs and then do whatever you want to do for graduate school. Engineers are employable anywhere. Sorry I went a little out of topic here.

Re: Am I screwed?
 

Thank you for taking the time to reply to this. I'm glad to hear from other people in the same situation that have the same passion for mathematics, and following your advice, a new fantastic love for physics. I hope the Executive Order that just passed applies to you and as many people possible here. We will do this!

Btw, even as I've grown fond of engineering, physics, and applied mathematics, my passion for theory, research, and pure math seems stronger than ever. So cheers fellow mathematician.