Q. If I marry my boyfriend, can he stay here till he can become a permanent resident. I plan to apply for U.S. citizenship. Someone told me that because I'm not yet a citizen, he'd have to return to the Caribbean until he can get his residence papers.

A. Your boyfriend can get his residence here if he entered legally, you marry him and if you become a U.S. citizen.

If he falls out of status before you naturalize, marrying won't protect him from deportation, but unless he commits a crime, he's unlikely to come to the attention of the INS.

Once you marry, you can petition for him and hopefully, the INS will approve the petition. Then, once you are naturalized, he can apply for residence.

If he entered unlawfully, he'll likely have to go home for his immigrant visa interview regardless of whether you get your citizenship.