How can a UK citizen become a US citizen?

Question

My boyfriend lives in the UK. He's only 17 ad we're really not looking into marriage just yet but he really wants to live in America as soon as possible. How long would it take and how would he go about doing this without having to get married? Marriage seems like the easiest way for him to live over here in the US but we're still too young. Someone help please.

Answer 1

Your main concern is not with becoming a US citizen but with being allowed to come and stay in the US. Once you have that, the process of becoming a US citizen is trivial.

The first choice is between a nonimmigrant and immigrant visa.

There are some nonimmigrant visas that allow a foreigner to work in the US (which I guess you would need to do if you intend on having a somewhat normal life), but they are temporary and hard to obtain.

A typical work visa is applied for by an employer for a foreigner they wish to sponsor and hire. So your task is twofold and twice as hard as it would otherwise be: 1) find a job with a US employer, and 2) find a job with a US employer who is willing to sponsor you. Those visas are subject to yearly quotas, too.

For all intents and purposes, getting such a visa is impossible for a 17-year-old with no education beyond high school, skills or work experience.

The only immigrant visa he could seek to obtain is basically a green card. The green card is technically not a visa but an immigrant visa basically means you will, ultimately, get a green card.

There are various ways one can obtain an immigrant visa, but I don't expect your boyfriend would be eligible for any of them. As with temporary work visas, US employers may sponsor foreigners for green card, but again I don't see how a 17-year-old could possibly be eligible.

See http://travel.state.gov/visa/temp/types/... for a list of nonimmigrant visas.

Details on temporary work visas are available under http://travel.state.gov/visa/temp/types/...

Likewise, see http://www.uscis.gov/greencard for more information on green cards.

Answer 2

If he's under 18, he can be adopted by someone as a child. But hurry up!

Answer 3

Does his parents know about this deviousity?

Answer 4

at age 17 no way that i know of, if a little older with college education he could enter the DV visa lottery at www.travel.state.gov, the lottery starts in October i beleive.