By marrying that person, you will make them a US Citizen by marriage.

WRONG!! that has nothing to do with the question. That if you want to get legalized by yourself. Marriage will keep your partner here AND grant them citizenship with some paper work.

I had gone through the same problem except that my girlfriend was from ecuador. I looked all over the internet for information on what to do and it was like taking a shot in the dark. Take my advice and don't take any advice from anyone over the internet. They don't know what they are talking about. You need to consult with an immigration attorney. That's the only way to find the true answer. When I talked to an attorney, he actually told me about how simple it is. The reason why most people don't do this is because an attorny costs around $300 per hour to talk to. The only thing that will be a problem are the fees for processing paperwork. But if you love someone, that's not a big deal. My friend got me involved in this membership plan where I can talk to an attorney for free any time I want about any legal matter including immigration and my new wife is happy and legal now. The lawyers also make phone calls and write letters on your behalf. You also get up to 75 hrs of time with a lawyer already paid for if you would ever need to go to court about this. The service is between $9.95-$26.95 per month. Well anyway my email address is: tml112584@yahoo.com. Email me if you have any questions. If you want to learn more about the service the website is : www.prepaidlegal.com/hub/tylermatthews

You follow the laws that are designed for this process. You apply for a fiance visa and have the "non-citizen" go through the process in his/her country of origin. Once the visa is approved, he/she can enter the country legally for the purpose of marriage. The laws are not set up to make it "easier" for those who have already chosen to break the laws.

I'm confused, are you the US citizen and he is not, or both of you are non-US citizens. If both of you are non-US citizens, and one of you has at least a green card, you would have to wait about 5yrs before you can bring that person over and live with him in the US (such as California).

With the proper visas for all involved non-US citizens.

If you are an american citizen, the fastest way for this to happen is to have your friend visit you where you live. He will be here on a tourist visa most likely. Get married in your state. You can submit paperwork to Homeland security by applying for permanent residency based on marriage which will extend his stay here. I just went through this process (my husband is from the US) It took about 12 months and $1300 in application fees. We did not have a lawyer. After all the paperwork was submitted we had a 'personal interview' in Fresno, Ca with homeland security. This is to verify you both do indeed know and love each other etc. This took 5 minutes for us. Now, I have permanent residency in the US and am married. If you choose a fiance visa route this can take years and you cannot travel to see each other during that time. These are the catches: It is illegal to come into the US with the intent on staying here/over staying a visa/getting married etc. They can and will deny you entry if you are not american and say you are entering to get married. With that knowledge they can assume you plan to stay illegally and deny you. If you come for a visit, end up getting married, and stay and file all the right paperwork, you'll have no problems.

If it is a legitimate relationship there should be nothing wrong with getting married while your BF/GF is visiting the US (i.e. California). He/She will not be allowed to stay here unless is ready to apply for a green card. If He/She is not ready, can't they just go back to their country and when ready, apply based on the marriage? I'm curious for my own situation.