Hi,

I have been working (paying taxes, making many regular charitable
contributions etc., even bought a house) in the US for 5 years now,
since June 2000 and unexpectedly was laid off due to the company
downsizing in December 2004.  My company WAS going through the
paperwork (albeit slowly!) to get my Green Card - but obviously this
has all been stopped.  My labour certification had not even been
approved by the time I was laid off.

I was on my 2nd H1-B visa (due to expire June 2005). Currently I am
receiving full severence pay (3 months), but am realising fast that
there are no possible alternative employment opportunuities locally -
and as I bought a house 2 years ago and have sunk a ton of money in it
I really don't wish to 1) move States even though other job
opportunities have been presented to me or 2) move back to Europe.

I am gay and sadly cannot legally marry my US partner and stay here -
so I have been offered by someone of the opposite sex (who is also
gay) a hand in marriage as a way to legally stay here.

My worry is that if I do this some past history I have might come back
to haunt me.  My ex-partner was a pyschopath and having robbed me of
$5000 in May 2002 filed an insane restraining order against me (due to
be dropped in May 2005) that has haunted me every time I have left the
US and returned (I travel a lot overseas for my profession).  I always
got taken into "secondary" at customs and asked about this business
then let go. Can the IRS/INS look into this? - and if they are to find
this information out would they get suspiscious into my sudden same
sex marriage, or could I just play the "I was experimenting" excuse!

Please help - obviously I do not wish to hurt the person that offered
me their hand in marriage in anyway! But I do so wish to stay here.

I was also thinking of changing my status to a Student or Tourist Visa
- but I have been advised if I do this I cannot then accept any offer
of work - as you are basically admitting that you would not try to
find work whilst in either of these status visa's.  Is this the case?

Thanks,
Trying to keep my happy home!