how to work in the US without a green card? (married to a US citizen)

Member since 25 December 2011

luonnollisestiMember25 December 2011 15:02:42

during the 14years we've been married and visited husband's hometown in Baltimore, MD I've considered working there for a few months at a time.
But, is it possible to get a green card at all unless you have a permanent address in the country?
We might be moving over at some point but we are still living in Finland. There might be a temporary permit that's a better choice for me but I don't know.
They told me at the Embassy that a green card if applied for abroad, might take up to 36 months!

Thank You for any insight!
and Merry Christmas to all!

Harmonie ViP

Member since 13 June 2011

HarmonieViP26 December 2011 09:53:33

19273

Hi luonnollisesti and welcome to Expat.com!

Wish you good luck in your research.

Merry Christmas,
Harmonie.

Sobekneferu New member

Member since 23 June 2012

SobekneferuNew member03 July 2012 19:49:24

It depends on the kind of work you want to do... honestly there's certain jobs where you're almost better off not having legal status.

Example: When I was volunteering at a graveyard in Santa Fe, whenever we needed extra work done like an afternoon of weeding, the first idea the other board members suggested was to "hire some Mexicans" to do the work for $10 an hour, even though plenty of non-Mexicans would be happy to do the same work for the same wage. But Mexicans have for whatever reason become the first thing people think of and go to for this.

Alternately, if you have the right kind of skills you can just work "gigs" where you're only hired for a week or two at a time to fill some specific job, usually for a small business or an individual, and usually this kind of work just pays cash or check with no real concern about legal papers or taxes.

Now if you want to work for a big company or doing office work or something you'll probaby have trouble without papers, but if you can do labor, janitorial, kitchen, etc. then it's not that hard to get work without papers. HOWEVER -- if you're going to be working with others there's a good chance everyone else will be Mexican or South American, and in that case they will prefer someone who speaks fluent Spanish so that you can get along with the rest of the staff.

But a lot of folks in your position just start their own business... I knew a girl from Egypt who was married to US citizen and never bothered with the green card she just opened her own gyro stand and does fine.

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Suchan11 Member

Member since 28 October 2012

Suchan11Member29 October 2012 07:03:31

Hello once you move to the US you can apply for a green card as soon as you move there. If you have been married longer than 3 years they will issue you a temporary green card. It can take up to 3 years to get a permanent one but since you have been married so long already, it should not take long at all. It usually takes newly married couples 3 years for the permanent card because INS wants to make sure the marriage is valid and not for just the purpose of getting a green card.

Best of luck to you