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In my practice, I have had a number of people come to me to ask about how they can help a relative come to the United States. When the relative is a spouse, child, parent, brother or sister, there may be ways to help them. The rules for these types of relatives vary on whether the petitioner is a U.S. citizen or permanent resident. But, when the relative is a cousin, niece or nephew, often people are disappointed to learn that U.S. immigration law does not provide an opportunity for that relative to come to the United States.

That is when some people start to think creatively. “What if I adopted my niece?” That is a question I hear a lot. On the surface, it would seem to solve the problem. If you adopt a relative, then they become your child, and then, logic would have it, you could file a visa petition. Right?

Well, the answer is not always that simple. In fact, quite the contrary, visa petitions involving adopted children present special issues. The rules that apply to adopted children depend on whether the child was an orphan when adopted. The term “orphan,” however, has a special definition under U.S. immigration law.

Orphans

An “orphan” is a child whose parents:

• died or disappeared

• abandoned or deserted the child, or

• are separated or lost from the child.

If the adoptive parents do not see the child before the foreign adoption, the adoptive parents must be willing to re-adopt the child in the United States.

If there is only one surviving parent, the child may still be considered an orphan if the surviving parent in unable to provide care to the child, and irrevocably gives up his or her rights to the child so that the child can be adopted and leave the home country.

To qualify for immigration to the United States as an immediate relative, the orphan must be adopted by a U.S. citizen and spouse or an unmarried U.S. citizen who is at least 25 years old. The adoption can take place in the foreign country, or the orphan come to the United States to be adopted. The adopted parents must have seen the orphan personally before the adoption proceedings. Finally, the Attorney General must be satisfied that the adoptive parents can give proper care to the adopted orphan. The adoption must take place before the orphan reaches the age of 16.

The prospective parent or parents must show that the child will have a proper home environment when he or she comes to the United States. This is done through a home study and a fingerprint check. The adoptive parents must also show that they comply with any adoption requirements of the state in which they live.

Non-Orphans

An adopted child, who is not an “orphan” may still qualify as a “child” for the purpose of U.S. immigration law if the adoption must take place before the child’s 16th birthday. Also, the adopted child must be in the legal custody of the adopted parents, and living with them, for two years. For all intents and purposes, this means that the adopted parents must live overseas with the child for two years before the child can come to the United States. This makes it almost impossible for a permanent resident to adopt a foreign-born relative in order to bring that relative to the United States. That is because a trip abroad for over six months is considered by U.S. law to be an abandonment of permanent residency.

Because foreign adoptions present tricky issues, it is best that a person consult with a knowledgeable immigration lawyer before going through the process.

The main objective behind the home staging process is to actually make your house presentable to the buyers, so that it eventually gets sold as quickly as possible. Many people think that staging a house would cost them an arm and a leg, and thus prefer to keep away from it. However, the fact of the matter is that even by keeping your expenses down, you can impressively beautify your home, as home staging does not require major reconstruction. Listed below are some of the ways in which you can successfully stage your house without spending a fortune.

Generally, a house is divided into different parts namely the living room, bedrooms, kitchen and bathroom. Now let us see how each of these parts can be managed up so that the buyers fall in love with your house at the very first sight.

* Living room – To make sure that the buyers see themselves settle in your house with their family, remove the family portraits or similar items, which can give the living room a personal touch. Besides, also remove the items, which you think are making the room appear crowded. It is also a great idea to repaint the room using neutral colors. It would give new and fresh look to your house. Give your furniture a slightly different arrangement. If you have old furniture, then you can make use of new slip-covers. However, it is still does not look presentable, then you can consider renting some new furniture pieces.

* Bedrooms – Again you can repaint the rooms using soft neutral colors for a brighter look. To make the rooms look more spacious and open, limit the furniture. Too many chairs, couches and dressers would make them look crammed. Besides, to make your closets look bigger, you can store most of your clothes somewhere else. Also, personal articles should be removed as the buyers then may not be able to see it as their own new home. It is also a great idea to purchase new bed sheets, pillows and comforters to create a clean and bright look.

* Kitchen – Well, this part of the house is expected to be the messiest of all. Therefore, cleaning it calls for more attention. Especially, if the cabinets and counter-tops have turned slightly unattractive with age, then you would be required to perform a thorough cleaning. Besides, it is also advisable to repaint your kitchen using colors, which can make it look more spacious. Besides, get the defective fixtures and leaky faucets replaced.

* Bathroom – Put as much effort and time in cleaning the bathroom, as you did while cleaning the kitchen. If you can afford, then get old bathroom fittings replaced with the new ones. Also, purchase new towels and place them on towel racks. To enhance your bathroom’s appearance, you can even put an attractive vase of fresh flowers at a suitable place.

Completing the home staging process is a walk in the park for those who have some artistic or creative flair. Even if you are not one of those, the process can still be quite easy if you take into account all the suggestions stated above.