intro plus a ques?

greetings from virginia......ive been searching dream act way before this site was started....but ive been on it almost everyday.....great work ianus youve updated about cir and dream for a long time.....it seems to me as if almost everyone here has worked pretty hard trying to update each other on any sort of news they find about dream or immigration issues to get to the main point i have a question regarding my status but first i'll tell you a little something about me.IAM a 22 year old...i came here in sept 1999 at age 14 on a visitor visa and overstayed....attended high school, i have a drivers lisence and have owned a car since i was 17(money has never been a problem since i have had a steady job), so it may seem as if lifes good but having the ability and not being able to attend college or join the force kinda sucks....but than i see some of you guys without a DL and money problems and i feel bad for you guys but also myself lucky so i hope Dream act passes pretty soon so you guys could achieve your goals and i should mine. well here's my question to whom so ever might have the knowledge to answer it

My parents just came to the US through family based green card....but since iam over 21 and 6 months i didnt get mine even tough it was filed through my uncle at the same time he filed there's now if my parents are to file for me i know its going to take a long time and its going to be more money out of my pocket but i'd like to know excatly how long its going to take?....and is there any other options for me?...........i would appreciate a response thank you very much and good look to everyone coming september![/b]

Sorry I can't help on your question because I don't really know about all this! BUT Hey I have a question for you as well! You say that you came to the country with with a visa and overstayed it right! Then How did you get your DL??? I only ask because I came the same way as you the same year and the same month except that I was 9 years old! Anyways how did you get a drivers license??? I mean are you legal here? I would appreciate your answer or anyones answer Thanks!

703mister, family based sponsorship for a green card is one of the two major ways to earn a green card under U.S. immigration law. Since your parents are sponsoring you then it'll work like this:

A. If your parents are U.S. citizens, then they can sponsor,

i) Husband or wife or unmarried child under 21 years of age
ii) parent
iii) Unmarried son or daughter over 21 years of age
iv) Married son or daughter of any age
v) Brother or sister

B. If your parents are lawful permanent residents, i.e. only have green cards, then they can sponsor,

i) Husband or wife; or
ii) Unmarried child under 21 years of age; or
iii) Unmarried son or daughter over 21 years of age.

When your parents sponsor you, they will file a Form I-130 (Petition for Alien Relative) with the USCIS. USCIS will process the form and award a visa for you, which you use to file a Form I-485 (Application to Adjust Residency), or better known as a green card application. You need to have the visa before you can file the green card application. USCIS will deny your application if you don't have a visa.

Now the visa isn't issued by the USCIS. The visa has to be issued by the U.S. State Department. Unfortunately, under family-based sponsorship, there is a significant backlog of family based visas. This means that there are more applications for family visas than visas available. Please note that the visa limits are set by Congressional law, so State cannot "print" more visas. Currently, the backlog dates back to August 1998, which means visas are only available for applications filed before August 1998. So you see, there is a very severe backlog. Waiting for an available visa is the longest time in the whole process. This wait can be more than 5 years and its not unusual to have more than 8 years of waiting.
You can check updates to the visa numbers in the State Department's monthly visa bulletin. The link is,

http://travel.state.gov/visa/frvi/bu...etin_1770.html

After you receive a visa, you can file for a green card and you should receive your green card within 6-12 months.

The Voice Heard, in response to your question about driver's licenses, before 9/11 it was relatively simple to get a driver's license. I don't know about Virginia state law but in New York, there is a points system where you can get a driver's license if you can accumulate some number of points. Points are awarded by what type of documents you can show to prove your identity and residency. After 9/11 and the REAL ID Act of 2005, federal law mandated that states determine the citizenship of all applicants for a driver's license. Some states are contesting this but I don't know if they've been successful or not. Anyway, now you have to show legal status in order to obtain a Driver's license but you didn't necessarily have to do that before.

The Voice Heard, in response to your question about driver's licenses, before 9/11 it was relatively simple to get a driver's license. I don't know about Virginia state law but in New York, there is a points system where you can get a driver's license if you can accumulate some number of points. Points are awarded by what type of documents you can show to prove your identity and residency. After 9/11 and the REAL ID Act of 2005, federal law mandated that states determine the citizenship of all applicants for a driver's license. Some states are contesting this but I don't know if they've been successful or not. Anyway, now you have to show legal status in order to obtain a Driver's license but you didn't necessarily have to do that before.[/quote]


Thanks for the Help I didn't know that I was just curious Thanks for the help!!! Really appreciate it

Lucky you with your DL.. for many of us that is a BIG factor in feeling "normal" vs. feeling "illegal" ..

BTW If you are new here please visit our TAKING ACTION section and begin calling the senator lists we have posted. If are you are new at calling please PM me with any questions..

Thanks!!

I wouldn't put much money on REAL ID. The program is ridiculously underfunded and the states don't want to use their own money to overhaul a program just because Congress would like them to. But you're right about the DL, it's basically impossible to get it because many states just require proof of status as one of the documents.

Bottom line: DREAM is the only hope if you want a DL so everyone better get calling!

Exactly. The first state to "guinea pig" REAL ID is North Carolina and they are expected to have HUGE problems with citizens not wanting to renew their DLs due to their personal political beliefs [i.e. the "Big Brother" factor of REAL ID].

Many people complained that the Congress was inept by making a lame regulation without any actual way to make it work. Still, in many forums some people blame Americans for doing all the paperwork a week before going to Cancun. Citizens do not want to get in the car, file the paperwork and wait 4-6 weeks for their new REAL ID. The truth is that only 50 people in this country are willing to make tiny, bitty sacrifices like getting a passport. We have priorities like working.