I came to the USA with my family on a working visa i guess because when we came here my parents owned their own business (like a little market) almost immediately.
I came from S.Korea when i was about 6 years old and now im 18 and 1/2 but the visa supposedly expired and my parents didnt/couldnt renew it and now im sure im illegal because on my passport, there is nothing written on it (no visa or anything)
Now i dont know what to do…
1) should i stay in US hoping to get a green card or citizenship and endure those long years of waiting
2) or just go back to my own country and live there?
its honestly very frustrating to realize i cant even do what i love most which is law enforcement and i want to be able to drive legally, get a drivers license, join the military and after pursue a career in law enforcement…
Dont get me wrong, i love this country and i would do anything to stay here because i feel american since i’ve been living here for so long (12+years) but i know im not
What should i do? What kind of status am i in? Am i illegal? Is there any chance of me staying here and becoming legal?
My parents just keep telling me to go to school and get good grades, do good, dont get into trouble and it will all work out and (possibly marry a citizen) but i doubt this and i feel as though i may be wasting time here when i cant even work legally and drive…
I guess what i want to know is what status do i fit in as? Like do i have a chance to get legal status more than any other illegal aliens or am i in the same hole there in?
you are illegal. apply for a green card or leave. your parents are illegal also. you are S>O>L>
you could attempt to become naturalized, but without the appropriate paper work
USCIS will tell you that you need to go to Korea and apply before you accrue 6 months or a year of unlawful status (which starts accruing when you turn 18, except in certain special situations apply). Others may say you should wait until they pass an immigration reform law. But you really need to see a lawyer to get this advice. You can find one for free at
As you are 18 1/2, you might have accrued 180+ days of unlawful presence time if your visa has expired. Get consultation from a good immigration attorney who is well-versed in unlawful presence w/exception to minors under 18, and knows about discretionary waivers for unlawful presence. Ask how you can check the status of your visa without exposing yourself to USCIS. If your visa did indeed expire, you are now subject to deportation and a 3-year ban if formal removal proceedings are commenced against you. So act now, and good luck. I hope you get to stay.
No one that is currently illegal in this nation deserves any preferential treatment.
There already is a path to citizenship and its called Legal Immigration. Over staying a visa intentionally or inadvertently is still breaking immigration laws of the country you are in.
Millions of people apply legally to enter this nation.They do everything that is asked of them and they wait as the wheels of justice turn,slowly I know ,but because they want to be able to be proud of being here and obtain citizenship they dont circumvent laws and enter illegally.Over staying a visa is a very wide spread practice and people do it for many reasons some good people like you seem to be as well as very bad people that have total disregard for the US laws.
I dont see why you would expect or think you should get a better chance to get legal status than anyone else? I am told that no one can change their status ,while in the US illegally..You must return to South Korea and apply from there..
I hope you can return to this nation legally but I dont think you can..
You may be able to join the military I know some people do that to become legal.Check that possibility out and see.
This is really sad, I hope you get to stay with your family in the US. You need to speak to a really good lawyer.
You have two choices:
1. Stay here illegally. You can find colleges that accept students without SSNs or legal residency, but you probably won’t get any financial assistance. Community colleges provide good education at an affordable price. I attended one before transferring to a state university. You won’t be able to get a driver’s license and you won’t be able to work legally.
2. Go to Korea. You can either work a minimum wage job and live with relatives or you can go to college. Overseas-educated Koreans like you have easier admission requirements. You can can even take some courses in English if you attend a university in Seoul or Busan as many have English-language programs for international students. Of course. you will have to serve in the military in your early 20s. If you’re interested in the military as a career, your English-language skills will give you a big advantage in Korea.
In a few years, you MIGHT be able to legalize either through amnesty or by marrying a US citizen.
You asked, ” guess what i want to know is what status do i fit in as? Like do i have a chance to get legal status more than any other illegal aliens or am i in the same hole there in?”
You are illegal. The only difference between illegal immigrants is that some like your family entered legally and overstayed while others entered illegally. If you marry a US citizen or green card holder, it will be easier for you to legalize. However, you cannot legalize on your own simply because you came legally as a child and have lived here for many years.