Adoption / Illegal Status Question

[badseed5]

I have a friend who cam to the US from Armenia in 2001 at 16 years old on a 3 month work visa. When that visa expired, he was adopted by his uncle who had become a citizen years earlier. Somehow, due to lawyer negligence and the 9/11 law changes, his papers for citizenship were never completed. He was legally adopted, but never recieved his Social Security number,etc. He has been in the country since, and was allowed to graduate from high school. Is there any course of action that can help him gain his citizenship and is he in any danger of deportation?

[badseed5]

I have a friend who cam to the US from Armenia in 2001 at 16 years old on a 3 month work visa. When that visa expired, he was adopted by his uncle who had become a citizen years earlier. Somehow, due to lawyer negligence and the 9/11 law changes, his papers for citizenship were never completed. He was legally adopted, but never recieved his Social Security number,etc. He has been in the country since, and was allowed to graduate from high school. Is there any course of action that can help him gain his citizenship and is he in any danger of deportation?

[ntfd3]

me thinks this is one for a lawyer.

[senowen]

Your friend may already be a citizen. If he/she was legally adopted by a USC before turning 18 and after February 21, 2001, your friend automatically acquired citizenship under the Child Citizenship Act of 2000.

http://travel.state.gov/family/adopt.../info_448.html

However, I'm not sure what to do about getting a SSN. I've heard that simply getting proof of adoption by the USC is sufficient, but I don't know.

[Theone]

How could a 16 year old get a work visa?

[ProudUSC]

16 year olds are allowed to work in the US (some restrictions apply). Not sure about the immigration rules on this - I'll try to find out.