I am a U.S. citizen who is planning on marrying my boyfriend who happens to be an immigrant. Although he came from Mexico illegally, both his father and mother became permanent legal residents. They applied as a family unit, but his mother left the unit and reapplied with her son who was born in America. My boyfriend has his employment authorization card, so he can legally be in the United States working here. His application for is I-130 has been submitted, but he has been waiting over a year to receive his priority date to apply for his residency. At this time, his father who is a permanent U.S. resident can sponsor him, in which he will have to wait about six years for his residency. However, we are planning on getting married (sooner than six years). Would his papers be able to be processed faster if I sponsored him? Since he came to the United States illegal, but now has gained authorization to be and live here and received his employment authorization card, would he have to go back to Mexico for a specific length of time before he could gain his residency if I sponsored him through marriage?

-- Mary Johnson (steaming_rice@hotmail.com), March 08, 2005