Advice, please, for an idiot like me.

I arrived to the States in the late 2000s when I was 3 with my family because my dad had entered the United States under the B-2 Visitor visa. 6 months later, he succeeded in adjusting it to an H-1B for his dental work. 4-5 years in, we were well on our way of applying for permanent residency through petition of his employer when my dad was laid off. We ended up moving to another state, where he readjusted status to B-2 (on a lawyer's advice) while he tried to find a new employer. While he did find a new employer, USCIS rejected his application. Out of desperation, we became overstays.

My parents' hope lies in my younger brother, a US citizen turned recently 15, to turn 21 so he can petition them for permanent residency.

I wasn't told of our actual status here until my senior year of high school - just last year. My parents had been too afraid that I'd "freak out" if they had told me sooner. While I understand why, I'm now the idiot who applied for DACA AFTER she turned 18 and accrued over a year of unlawful presence. The results of my application are still processing - for all I know, I could be denied. With Trump's unpredictability, the future seems even more awfully unclear.

I'm aware that I can't immediately fall under the same priority as my parents from my brother because as a sibling, I am not an immediate relative. I understand that because I've accrued unlawful presence, I cannot have that be forgiven through the loophole of AP, getting a student visa from a consulate, and an employer petitioning for me without having an immediate relative who is a United States citizen - which leaves me with spouses. Either that, or wait 6 years for my brother to petition my parents, and another year, two, or maybe more for my parents to petition me (which is dependent on priority and availability, as I'm sure you all know).

I feel helpless that the best "fast track" to my being acknowledged as a legitimate person in this nation is to get hitched to a US citizen, instead of working my way up. I'm sorry for rambling, and I'm aware the best chance I have will be an immigration attorney - in part, I'm wondering if there are people who've been in my place and have found better ways out. I'd really like to thank this forum for giving so much great advice that helped me on my DACA application. Thank you.

Came from the same boat as you did...
Being straightforward, your only hope is DACA for now, and DAPA for your parents if that passes.

I've spent shit tons on lawyers and court appearances.
As you've said, the only remedy is marriage unless some miracle happens as it seemingly did when DACA was announced.
I personally will avoid marriage at all costs.
I'm currently focused on school (recently obtained thedream.us scholarship) and starting my own company.
I know quite a few undocumented making 60-90 thousand a year easily.

DACA really is a blessing if you reside in the correct State and if you're willing to go the extra mile in this wonderful country.
I'd recommend not to worry about the future... just live and make the best of the wonderful opportunity, [make sure you have plans].

Just the realization that I'm an underdog fighting my way to the top is all the motivation I need.

I'm one of those undocumented people.

Chyno is a trump for America pill so ignore him before he starts to point how illegal aliens are taking away Americans jobs and lowering their wages.

You need to snap out of it - what would have happened ha detour parents told you about your overstayed visa status ? Did it expired before 2012? Honestly tell us had you known your illegality here would exactly would have you done differently? If you're are 18 you were what 14 when DACA came to be ? I don't see much options for you had you known sooner. DACA isn't a legal or lawful status it's a presence of the two which different and doesn't offer much of a safeguard for adjusting. Not a accruing time wouldn't have helped you either because your state of being here would have moved from status to presence. Pretty much closing any doors of adjusting aside from marriage. Ap would have been useless to you if you wanted to use its loophole which its coming back here with inspection. If you came here legally then it wouldn't have helped you.


The only bad thing here is you not bothering to ask your parents and the fault lies with them but why the heck would they think you would have freaked out? Oh yeah you're huge paragraph kinda of explains your paranoid worrisome personality. I can so imagine the drama you would have made it. Seem as if you lived your entire life in a bubble I can't blame you here really since its your parents who put you there.


It looks like you're already in the only track there is u for which is DACA. Thanks to people like Chyno trump might win the election and if he does I don't see DACA lasting longer. And I don't know how serious he is about deporting us so it's best to start preparing for the worse now

Where are you from OP? Do you speak another language fluently?

That's a gloomy outlook.
If Trump begins to do what he says he would do, it would undermine an already unstable economy especially in States like California and Newyork...

Use some common sense and stop flowing with the political winds.
It's like everyone begins to panic for the slightest barriers...

Prepare yes.... worry, fuck that, use your opportunity wisely.

Couldn't have been said better.

Since you stayed without DACA for longer than 1 year then neither a petition from your brother nor from your parents will result in a green card for you unless the laws change. That said, your brother and parents should file I-130s for you anyways. Who knows, maybe they'll finally re-open 245(i)...

In case of being sponsored by a parent, you could try the hardship waiver, but that's the deep end since proving that the parent will suffer extreme hardship if their adult child isn't allowed in is to say the least - difficult.

So what are your options? Marry a citizen. That's about it.

If you speak a language that the military needs, and you don't mind signing away 5 years of your life then MAVNI is another option.

I'm from South Korea. Currently attending a four-year state college as a freshman, really grateful for all the resources available here.

As for uh, Pianoswithoutfaith, I'd appreciate it if you didn't try to assume my personality and my life from one anxious post. Yes, I'd have preferred it if my parents had told me sooner. In a sense, it caused a lot of awful friction between us all because of words unsaid and feelings misinterpreted, moments I wish I could take back. I'm fully aware that my situation is peanuts compared to other people, but I'd appreciate it if you didn't belittle others'. I suppose you did get one thing correct - I'm "paranoid and worrisome", but I can see a lot of people who have applied being in the same boat.

Thank you for the insight, Demise. Honestly, I'm just worried for my parents. Learning a second language at their age isn't easy, and I've been translating for them since age 5. Really, I just want them to be safe more than me at this point - they've sacrificed so much for my brother and I, and while I can bounce back, they can't as easily.

And Yonah, I really appreciate your advice. Thank you, all, even with the tough love. I was feeling really distressed when I wrote this post a few days ago (what can I say, I'm just a very emotional person), and I'm grateful to have even resources like this to rely on. Sorry for being too lazy to multi-quote; will do so next time.

There are alot of South Koreans in my unit. You should join MAVNI (if your plan allows it ofcourse) and do Army Reserve.