Long story short I crossed the border discreetly a few months ago. I’m now 18 and figuring out what to do from here. Best strategy at the moment appears to be enrolling in university because even if I get deported later on I’ll have a US degree/uni experience that I can use to get a nice career in my home country. If I end up staying I can iron out the details of how to become legal here while I’m studying.
When it comes to needing to be a citizen, as well as providing a SSN, from what I’ve been reading it all seems to be in reference to getting aid. But assuming I have funds for this degree in full, is admissions really going to need to know my citizenship status to enroll me? Do I need to put in a real SSN in the application portal, assuming I won’t ask for any aid? The only thing they appear to verify is your highschool transcripts, which I will send over from my home country. Thank you so much for any insights!
Apply as a foreign student, which is what you are. The school may require you to have a visa and enter legally.
If you want to apply as an undocumented student, some schools will allow you to do that but it is getting harder and harder to be totally undocumented. You will not be able to work in any capacity. The school may ask your source of funds and not accept any they can’t verify (from a relative? from you home country?) The school may have to waive any requirement for health insurance.
Different schools, and different states with respect to public colleges, have different policies for undocumented people. In some it will make a difference that you didn’t graduate from a high school in the US. You’d have to do the research to figure it out.
Curious what type of funds you have to pay for college in terms of what you can afford, which will also make a difference. And how you will get it in, considering the anti money laundering regulations that flag any transfer over $10k.
You probably know this, but as you are over 18 unlawful presence becomes a factor. What is your plan if you pay for a year or two or three of a degree and then get deported without a complete degree? “Uni experience” isn’t going to count for anything with most employers.
Not so easy when you’ve entered without inspection (the technical term for what you did). There are not a lot of paths to legality.
In some it will make a difference that you didn’t graduate from a high school in the US.
True. If I find that my desired uni doesn’t accept my transcripts, I suppose I can get a US highschool diploma. I might even be eligible to just enroll in highschool and do it there since I’m still 18? Ive heard of undocumented students doing that before, though if you don’t have a SSN for them to attach it to, how is it attached to you? Is it just in your name only? As far as getting it from an adult education center, I’m not sure if they require you to be a citizen or have a valid SSN to get one.
A family friend has a LLC in the US. They can pay for it through that, and we’ll send him the money from us over time.
Im aware and willing to take that risk. Im pretty sure it can go on the resume where I’m from. Employers in the US already famously don’t do much to validate degrees
There are not a lot of paths to legality.
Yeah there’s a lot of mixed answers from many sources on this. Some say you can enlist in the army/air force/national guard, and can apply for citizenship/naturalization as soon as you start basic training, and have it within 6 months. Im not sure how intense that process is however, and how much they interview and dig into your background…. Also not sure if this option is available to those with no documents at all like myself.
From what I gather it seems the only thing that separates an international from a non-international, in the eyes of a university, is residence in a state. Not citizenship. So in theory as long as I reside in a state for about a year, or whatever the guidelines are for that state, I could qualify for in-state tuition. Or to apply out of state, listing my residence as another.
So yes Im aware I missed that part, where on the application you will be asked where you reside. But as far as citizenship or having a valid SSN, I’m wondering if it’s possible to bypass that part, since as long as I’m paying why would they need to verify I’m a “foreign student” or international just to basically use their service?
Is it an option to go back to your country and apply for college for Spring 2027 or Fall 2027 entry as an international student? Then if accepted, you get a student visa, and come to the US for college? I don’t understand why you made the choice you did to enter the US in an undocumented manner.
You don’t have a passport with an entry stamp. They don’t need to dig very far, as you have no proof of legal entry. Your case is different from people who enter legally and overstay. To become a citizen you first have to become a lawful permanent resident (green card holder), a process called adjustment of status. The very first requirement to adjust status is that you have to have been inspected on entry (in other words, entered legally). You can read that right here from the authoritative source on the matter: Chapter 2 - Eligibility Requirements | USCIS
(And no you can’t get naturalized in 6 months through any route in any case, the fastest track is 3 years either through the military or marriage to a US citizen.)
Hopefully you can square up payment due dates with your plan, and the anti-money laundering triggers on bank transfers. I’m not entirely clear to be honest why if your family has the money to spend full freight on college in the US, why you’re coming in unlawfully and trying to find a college who will take you rather than just getting a student visa and doing it legally. It seems a very risky path to take. You may also want to look up the bans on entering the US again related to length of unlawful presence and deportation.
Thanks for responding. Yes I’m in Texas currently, and looking at Texas schools (a private one actually). Although I’m finding out each university pretty much has its own unique rules, which is making this quite complex, but if I need to move to a state with more favorable rules to my specific situation I can surely do that.
At what point will the university prompt me for a visa (aka categorize me as international) though? When I don’t have a valid SSN to enter in the application? I have other family friends in the US who would allow me to use theirs for the 4 years, if a valid one is all that’s needed to put in. Will they ask for it when I give HS transcripts from a foreign country? Again it seems that if financial aid is not involved a lot of the need for those details go out the window.
Is it an option to go back to your country and apply for college for Spring 2027 or Fall 2027 entry as an international student?
Yeah….that would require making it across the border undetected again so I don’t get a 10 year ban…which was very dangerous the first time to put it simply. And then I’d somehow have to get back to Costa Rica, get deported from Costa Rica to my home country…it’s unlikely at this point to be honest. I made the choice because it appeared easy enough get by long enough in the US without ever needing to prove citizenship, as long as you can get ahold of a driver’s license and residence. And doing things the legal route…could take decades. I want to be 18/19 in college in America with my peers, not a 42 year old sitting in a classroom, what can I say. It’s always been an essential dream in life for me, and I feel I’m very close right now
If OP leaves with less than 180 days of unlawful presence (since age 18) they will not have a ban on reentry. 181 days to 1 year is a 3-year ban. Over 1 year of unlawful presence gets a 10-year ban. So if they go this far more sensible route, it’s in their interest to leave the US as soon as possible.
If by “getting by” you mean working as a cleaner, gardener or in a restaurant etc, yes. Any formal job requires proof of legal presence and work authorization.
I missed this originally. As an immigrant I can tell you that the companies we have worked for have done background checks on us, including validation of degrees. I think you place too much faith in “they say” on the internet.
Verifying dates of attendance and degrees earned (or not) at US universities is relatively easy to do, so you can expect employers will do so if they care enough about your college attendance and degrees.
To start your own business it doesn’t appear that you need proof of legal residence. And for companies that aren’t using E-verify (smaller startups ideally?) it seems easy enough to pass their background checks. That’s kind of my best case scenario so far