Nancy Cooper's legal status in the United States would have been tied to her husband, immigration lawyers said Thursday. The couple had not yet received green cards or permanent resident status; Cisco Systems, Bradley Cooper's employer, had applied for a set for the couple, friend Brett Adam said.
If Nancy Cooper had left her husband, she might have jeopardized her standing in the U.S.
"Whatever status she had is dependent on his status and his willingness to include her," said Jack Pinnix, a Raleigh lawyer who specializes in immigration law but is not involved with the Coopers.
Nancy Cooper came to the United States on the coattails of her husband. He'd worked for Cisco in Calgary and accepted a transfer to their division at Research Triangle Park. The company secured Bradley Cooper a temporary work visa; Nancy Cooper's was attached to his.
To move to the U.S., Nancy Cooper shelved a budding career in the tech world and left a clothing boutique she ran in Calgary, her friends have said. Here, friends said, Nancy Cooper's visa didn't allow her to work, so she raised her daughters full-time.
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