Immigration help.

[Good_Apollo]

Story is: I have a friend who moved here from South Africa when he was 6. His mother married a guy here and she became a U.S. Citizen, gets muddled but basically the guy left her and stole a lot of papers and now my buddy is 20 and screwed.

He thinks marriage is his only option (stupid move I've told him, he barely knows the girl) but he's been unemployed and out of school for a bit now (no drivers license no birth information) he's too scared to get deported.

What are his options, how viable is naturalization for him?

Oh and his mom is no help so she's not an option, if she cared he wouldn't be in this situation...

[annihilation]

Why can't he go to the immigration office?

[Good_Apollo]

He's helpless and scared because he thinks he's going to get put on a boat, so I'm gathering info for him to help him out.

Thought there might be some law savvy people here so I don't have to spend hours reading through law and regulation texts and procedures.

[annihilation]

If he has been in the US for more than 3 years then he is elegible for citizenship.

[Good_Apollo]

That simple? Even if he's been here illegally? He has no greencard, nothing to say he's credible or anything.

[annihilation]

Usually the penalty for coming to the US illegally is 3 to 10 years that you have to wait to become a citizen.

Children born outside the United States may become citizens after birth based on their parent’s citizenship or naturalization.

[Good_Apollo]

Hmm I'll have to ask him some more about it, I want to get this fixed. Tired of him having no car, job, school, phone or anything and he wants to marry this dumb bitch.

[Alwin Roth]

Well, Since this is sorta on topic.

I Still don't have a green card, just a visa, My family is getting it soon.

Does this effect me getting into a certain college in anyway???
(as in, do i need a green card and us citizenship to get in a college? or could i just have a green card.)

[sevlag]

I know this may not help but, he was born in the US and his biological father is a US citizen, ...

best reasoning i cna think of ATM, sorry

[Wakeboy1337]

Sevlag it says he moved her when he was 6.

[jcap]

Did he go through the public school system? If he did, they might have a copy of some docs on file.

[Cojafoji]

Did he go through the public school system? If he did, they might have a copy of some docs on file.
Bingo. Also, if he was ever admitted to a hospital, they'll have records of it. Not to mention the actual INS depot where his mother became naturalized (filed for green card etc).

tell him not to sweat, and that he'll be fine. all he has to do is stay calm. if he remembers his social, than he can apply for a new card, and a social card is pretty much the end all/be all of us cit.

http://www.ssa.gov/online/ss-5.html

[paladin]

If hes the son of a US citizen, Im pretty sure hes considered a US Citizen. I could be wrong.

[Ganon]

If hes the son of a US citizen, Im pretty sure hes considered a US Citizen. I could be wrong.

citizenship is based on what country you are born in.

[Good_Apollo]

His biological father was South African, his mom remarried when she came here. That guy split with a lot of original docs.

[Cojafoji]

His biological father was South African, his mom remarried when she came here. That guy split with a lot of original docs.
get a lawyer. subpoena. win.

[paladin]

citizenship is based on what country you are born in.

Half right. Half wrong. Here. (http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.eb1d4c2a3e5b9ac89243c6a7543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=32dffe9dd4aa3210VgnVCM100000b92ca60aRCR D&vgnextchannel=32dffe9dd4aa3210VgnVCM100000b92ca60a RCRD)

Basically, If 1) he was born out of the country, 2) both is biological parents are foreign, then he is not recognized as a citizen. He'd have to go through naturalization. If one biological parent is a Citizen, he can be naturalized.

Go get a visa, then apply for naturalization.