How do i become a resident of california?

If you have a car and insurance, do you have a driver’s license? What does under my name &CC’s. mean? You need to contact a lawyer that specializes in residency papers.

Are your parents naturalised citizens? You don’t have a US social security number? There has to be a legal agency that can help you and people like you. I can’t believe the US makes such a mess of things like this. I would call some local legal agencies. I’m absolutely positive you are not the first (and won’t be the last) person in your situation.

I wish you all the best in sorting out your situation.

And I’m really confused that you have a car but no drivers license? Or does California let you drive on a Mexican one indefinitely? I guess that would make sense because of the shared border. If I had brought my son here (Norway) from the US or New Zealand and overstayed, they would not let me send him to school. They would have picked us up right there and then in the system and deported us. I don’t know how the US can be so irresponsible with people’s lives and their own borders. I’m really happy for you that you grew up there and that your parents probably worked really hard there, but now…. esh. You are put in this situation through no fault of your own. If it were up to me, you and people in your situation would be given amnesty, for SURE.

Here in Norway, there is a thing called ‘family reunification’ that you can apply under. It’s sort of how I’m here. If your parents are legal and your siblings are citizens, then there should be a way to help you stay. And perhaps it doesn’t matter if your parents are or not, seeing as how you were an innocent minor and lived there so long yourself…. Oh.. I don’t know. You really need to go see a immigration specialist.

@yazmin86 You are in a tricky spot it seems. Your main question is how do you become a resident of California, but it seems you need to become a resident of the US first.

I will assume your parents are not legal residents of the US or they would have made the effort to make you “legal.” For ID you can get a Mexican Passport I would think? My husband used to go to the Mexican Consulate near to where we lived in FL to renew his, not sure if there is a special rule for a first time passport to be applied for in Mexico. As far as your birth certificate it is usually required to get your birth certificate translated to apply for any documents in the US anyway, so you might want to get that done. There are people who do this type of work, translating legal documents, so they are accepted as legitimate certified government issued documents.

I kind of remember that some states don’t require someone to be a legal US resident to get a drivers license, not sure about your state?

Meanwhile, what is most important is you should be at minimum a green card. Grew up your entire life here, American siblings, I think you need a lawyer to help you petition to become a citizen. You can’t go through your whole life working under the table and worrying about legal trouble. It might have been easier if your aunt became your legal guardian, and then did the paperwork for your green card, but not sure you can still do it now, usually these things are done before a child’s 18th birthday. Are you in school? Maybe if you lived with your aunt and uncle and were enrolled in school, and were their dependent something could be done? I don’t know the laws well enough for someone in your situation, all of my foreign born family ad friends either came here on visas for college, as a toruist, got married to an American, or children became citizens finally when their parents could become citizens. I don’t know anyone personally who just found themselves in America and had to figure out after the fact how to make themselves legal.

Sounds like you’re overwhelmed, try and relax, panic makes us make mistakes. Sounds to me like you have a lot going for you, to help you get citizenship. I’m from California and know that people with less “proof” can get citizenship. You sound like you need help, you need to find a low cost Legal Aid Society, that could tell you what exactly you need to do. Then do it. You have no support from your family, that could be a big help. If not, that sucks. I dont have much family either, we’re not that close, it sucks. There are free legal sources. What if you called the public defenders office at a court and asked them for advice. Free legal help right there. I’m stupid don’t listen to me.

I agree wtih @truecomedian about you sounding overwhelmed, definetly you need to log on to the US Immigration website and there you will find all the information that you need to get started. I myself have experience with completing all the legal papers necessary to apply for citizenship for my first husband. You do need to read all the papers very carefully, though, and if you don’t feel that you can understand all the legal questions it is a wise idea for you to look for resources like legalaid and or Catholic Charities and or maybe the Bar Association. Good Luck! But first get your inner self calm so you can focus on all the details.