[Leslie Ramonas]

I don't know a thing about immigration law. I have a close friend from Kosovo, she is Albanian, who is visiting. Her tourist visa expires in May 2007. She has a sister here who recently married an American. Her sister, however, does not have permanent residence yet.

Is there ANY way I can assist my friend in getting a job while she is here? Can she get an ITIN?

ANY HELP WOULD BE APPRECIATED!

Leslie

[shygrneyzs]

The best answer is to call the INS and ask them your questions.
Their website is: http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis

The have a toll free number also:
National Customer Service Center (NCSC) at 1-800-375-5283 (TTY 1-800-767-1833). This toll-free call center has additional information and, during their specified office hours, can connect you to live assistance in English and Spanish. The NCSC will be able to answer most questions.

[gelai]

I know someone who actually entered United States with just a tourist visa but was able to find a petitioner before his visa expired. His employer petitioned him for an H1B visa(she will also be given SSN once her H1B application is approved), authorizing him to work legally.It usually takes about 6 months (more or less) for it to get approved.If your friend finds an employer who would actually petition her for H1B then it would be much easier from there.the change of status to H1B must be filed right away though, way before her tourist visa expires.Although H1B is not a permanent working permit, it gives the applicant more time to adjust her status. After the H1B approval, she can file for labor certification, then the I-140, then the I-485(AOS). [sorry if it's kind of vague, ask your lawyer for thorough details]. Best of luck!