Just marry an American. It's really that simple. :)<p>In all seriousness, if you _do_ marry an American, it is very likely that the US government/immigration service (now dba Dept. of Homeland Security) will forgive any extended but unauthorized stay in the US, AND give you a EAC (employment authorization card), followed immediately by a (SSN and) Green Card.<p>If you don't want to marry an American, you need to typically have some serious a) connections, b) money, c) credentials, and/or d) accomplishments under your belt.<p>In lieu of those, you need an attractive American employer who has one or more of the above-noted qualities. ;)<p>Please correct me if I am mistaken in any of these assertions...