Need advice on admitting illegal work in USA

[jolantarenee]

I have overstayed my visitor's time (I am canadian czt, so there's no actual visa) by 187 days, as well as worked for 3 months on my ss# and received paycheck. My boss signed a job proposal as management consultant for NAFTA. My lawyer ASSURED me that the immigration don't know my duration of stay in US so therefore I shouldn't give the true dates. That wasn't true, I got denied twice for TN because of not beeing honest about my dates of stay in USA and they also suspect that I was working.That was in May 2007, in October 2007 I got married to my boyfriend since we got stuck like this beeing apart, we want to file petition and form G324A asks to state employment for the last 5 years. Should I tell about the emplyment and what will happen in result. I would rather be honest but I am also very very scared to loose my husband because his kids are in US and he wouln't move to Canada. Thank you so much.....:wave:

[kitkat1]

You are required by law to tell the truth on all paperwork and you will be under oath at the interview. Illegal work is forgiven when married to a USC. You should report the lawyer to the bar association - his advice was illegal.

[jolantarenee]

Thanks, kitkat1, me and my husband think that I should tell the true. If I did have any other cash/undertable job should I state, there is no prove to this, right? Also, I did have and still have Bank of America account

[kitkat1]

Thanks, kitkat1, me and my husband think that I should tell the true. If I did have any other cash/undertable job should I state, there is no prove to this, right? Also, I did have and still have Bank of America account

It's not an issue of proof. The law REQUIRES you to tell the truth. You are lucky that illegal work IS forgiven when married to a US citizen. Therefore you have nothing to worry about.

But if you do lie, you can be charged with misrepresentation and then require a waiver, a long and expensive process and no guarantee of approval.

Since you were already denied previously due to lying, it seems rather clear that your ONLY option is to tell the truth this time around.

[Emily]

You've been denied 2x already for not being truthful so you NEED to tell the truth this time. If you lie again you could lose any chance of legal status.

Listen to Kitkat, she knows what she's talking about.

[klaudialaw]

I dont think you should have a problem with that. If you are married to a U.S. citizen and had unauthorized employment in the US there are some good precedents on the USCIS website saying that it would be ok.

[matt74]

The work isn't so much the issue as is your overstays and your reasons for entering the US each time you came. If you overstayed by more than six months, you are also inadmissible and will need a waiver. If you were working here for sometime and coming and going as a tourist, that is fraud and they may ask for a waiver. Given the fact that they already accused you of fraud in your TN application, you should be prepared to face that issue at the interview.