16 years old, moving to The Bronx

Hi... I'm 16 years old. In Ontario.

I do not have my passport yet, but am getting it shortly. My boyfriend who is 18 lives in The Bronx, New York. Annndddd I'm kinda moving in with him. How do I?

What kind of documents do I need to move there? Can I go to school? Can I work? Do I need my greencard? I know theres a limit on what you can take over the border by car, but if I was moving there, would there still be a limit?

Annndddd do your parents know of your plans?

You will need some sort of visa that allows you to stay, (student visa most likely) plus, at your age I believe you will also need parental consent.

However, I don't think student visas are given to high school students, unless you are attending a USCIS approved private school and your parents are paying your tuitions and boarding.

USCIS Student visa info


Additional info

Given your ages, you are not eligible for a marriage based visa.

You will need a visa to live, work and/or study in the United States.

In some cases, foreign citizens can obtain F-1 (student visa) to study at a public high school in the US. However, you will only be able to do this for up to ONE YEAR maximum plus you are required to pay the FULL COST (unsubsidized) of that year's worth of education, which usually amounts to several thousands of dollars (anywhere from $3,000 to $10,000). Have a read here for more information: http://travel.state.gov/visa/temp/types/types_1269.html

Getting a work permit is not an option for you, as you must have at least a bachelor's degree and a professional job offer in most cases.

A marriage-based visa is also not an option as you are both too young (as Reba mentioned). So that's out, too.

My advice to you is to finish high school in Canada, and maybe consider applying to colleges in and around NYC (there are many of them). You may qualify for scholarships and financial aid that could reduce the cost of tuition.

You can attend high school in the US, but if it's a public school only for a year and the school must be in SEVIS (i.e. registered with the State Dept.) and able to issue an I-20. Plus you must have proof of funds.

This is the list of registered schools: http://www.ice.gov/doclib/sevis/pdf/ApprovedSchools.pdf

I don't think NYC public schools are on there. Most of them are along the border.

Thank you for all your help. No, my parents do not know of my plans ><; And it would be impossible to tell them.

If I were to get a greencard, would I be able to work, go to school, and live in the States?

Obviously yes, but you don't qualify for one. Under the age of 18 this is not a practical plan.

And, I read that I could get married under the age of 18, with either parental consent OR consent of a judge, in New Jersey. Does that help me any?

Well you've said you can't get parental consent and a judge definitely won't give it either so no. And you'd have to get a K-1 visa to enter to get married.

All states have laws requiring you to be at least 18 to marry w/o parental consent. It seems to me that getting married now is impossible for you unless you tell your parents.

Also, if I remember correctly, if you're under 18 you need to get a letter of consent from your parents to cross the border. Certainly if you showed up to the border in your car with all your worldly possessions, that would raise a lot of red flags with the border officials, and it's doubtful they'd let you in at all.

Why don't you have your boyfriend visit you in Canada since he's of legal age to travel? Once you turn 18 the both of you can sort things out. As of right now (Knowing this has already been said in previous post's) there is no way for you to move over there unless you have parental consent.