Undocumented worker

[Turboguy]

I hope maybe someone else has gone through this and can give me an idea of what I am facing and the best way to deal with it.

Here is what the situation is.   I am just ready to start the K-1 process with my gal.  I sent a packet to her via DHL last week,  It is now on the way back to me.  Today I get a message from her and she is sorta upset saying that she loved me but we would never be together because her whole life she has been what she calls an undocumented worker.   I think we would call that "working under the table".  She describes herself as a woman without a past.  Hopefully someone here might have an idea of the best way to deal with it. 

Am I better just putting down where she worked even if there are no records of her working there.   

Am I better just leaving work record blank because legally she has never worked.   (I think this would throw up some red flags and make them wonder why she never worked.)   

Or am I better just working my tail off to learn Russian and be resolved to the fact she will never get in and I will have to move there and drive a taxi to support us

I was planning to do the paperwork myself, should I just ask around for the best Immigration lawyer I can find and put it all in his hands?

 

[Bruno]

undocumented worker... we call this "black worker" in Belgium...

I cannot help you for this... my first wife have never work but it was not a problem because i earn enough for two... but American procedure are so complex...

If it is not working with the K1, marry her in FSU and make a DCF ( direct consular filing )... it is very fast but ... If there are any adverse factors, such as serious illness, criminal record, or previous out of status time, this process may not work.

For everybody, a very good site for all paperwork and faq on K1/K3/DCF/ ... all in one site, updated regulary, clear, ... : http://www.visajourney.com/faq/k1faq.htm

[Turboguy]

Thanks for the fast response Bruno.   I am not worried about the income just the legality of it and the best way of dealing with the situation for the K-1.   Thanks for the link.   That is a great place for Visa info.  I have been scouting that out and will see what I can find out there too.

[schlegs]

TG,

I think what she means by "undocumented" is that she has not held any job that would be listed in her Russian passport (internal).  That should not be a problem.  My wife had several jobs after she finished "technical school" and they are listed in her passport.  When she and a friend opened a pawn shop and then turn that into a cosmetics business, she would then have been "undocumented".  

Talk to your girl and determine what she means exactly.  Was it a flea market job or some other non-standard employment?

Like I said, it should not be a stopper for the K-1 visa.

[Elen]

 

job that would be listed in her Russian passport (internal).

That document is called "labour book" (trudovaya knizhka). Internal pasport is another document.

Mostly such girls work like sellers at openair-markets. (I'm not about "bad" profession)

 

[Turboguy]

Thanks for all the advice so far.   She was working in a jewlery workshop as I understand it.  She started out as a driller and then was supervising which paid a little better.   I don't think she was doing anything illegal other than working off the books, but I think the business may have been operating illegally and she of couse was paid in cash each day. 

She has quit her job now for two reasons.  One was she did not want to jeprodise the relationship with me by her employer getting into trouble and her being there and I guess there were a couple of instances of robbers comming into similar establishements in her town and killing a few people as well as robbing the place.