Changing Your Immigration Status

If you are thinking about trying to avoid the hassle of applying to change your immigration status, then you should think about the consequences of doing so. The reason the government encourages people from other countries to apply for immigration is because the punishments for not doing so are often not worth the risk. While it is not guaranteed that you will be cause for illegal immigration, if you do end up getting caught, then you could face up to six months in jail and deportation after your sentence is served. This is a bad situation for anyone living in the New York City area if you have family members who depend on you being able to work and live as a normal person. If other people in the New York City area depend on you as a source of income and you get arrested and deported just because you did not make the effort to fill out the proper immigration papers, then you will be seriously disabling them.
This is not a good situation to be in because those people might not have the resources that you do, and if you get arrested for illegal immigration then they might not have the means to maintain a household and themselves might be sent back to another country. Overall, it is not worth the risk, and if you live in New York City, then there are a lot of resources in the area that will help you to get the necessary paperwork submitted in a timely fashion. If it is within your capabilities to apply, then you definitely should. The costs for visas and lawyers is worth it because in the end you will be able to make a higher salary and take advantage of the benefits that citizens and permanent residents have access to.