I detest our immigration process

[Anonymous]

Hubby and I moved back to the States in October 2002. He came on H1-B and applied for his green card in January 2003.

8 years. 1 marriage. 2.5 kids later. Still waiting on the green card. His lawyer says we "should" have it by summer. I'll believe it when I see it. Lawyer ("Useless Bitch" as I refer to her) also advised us not to switch to a marriage application 3.5 years ago when we got married because he would just start the whole process over again. So I take her predictions with a grain of salt. Meanwhile my stepmom applied for her marriage greencard in January last year and had it by June. I finally got DH to ask again about switching to the marriage visa and UB said sure why not - he doesn't have to give up his spot in the employment green card line while the marriage application is going through. Um, not what she told us 3.5 years ago.

Seriously, why does it have to be so effed up? 8 years? We actually know a few people who came here illegally about the same time as my husband and they've had their green cards for a couple of years.

And now, it's really starting to intefere with our lives. We're trying to refinance and the banks have gotten really stringent on residency requirements. His visa has technically expired and he can't renew. He has the papers called "parole documents" that allow him to continue to work and live here until the green card is issued. But these papers and a letter from UB are not good enough for the lenders.

It's beyond aggravating.

[Anonymous]

I hear you! My DH is finally a citizen, after YEARS and THOUSANDS of dollars. We had to make so many changes and live in such a contorted way for so long (like you said, finances are messed up by this stuff, travel home to see his family was insanely stressful with advance parole docs, took over a year to get his conditional green card and he remained legal the whole time, his work permit took forever, so we had to go to one job while we waited for that).

Because of all this, I have ZERO COMPASSION for illegal immigrants. Basically, they make it so the system is punitive and terrible for those who follow the rules. I can't believe that they want to break the law and not follow the rules, and then get all the benefits my DH and I worked so hard for. Flame away, everyone. Unless you have been in our shoes (aka if you're married to a US citizen) you can't possibly understand.

[Anonymous]

Jill Velt was my and DH's immigration attorney, and she was great. Still took a while, but all the info she gave us was stellar.

If you want to switch, I highly recommend her.

[jdmiller]

I know, but people who marry citizens always come first. They prioritize their process and people get married everyday so this line is always in front of others.

Wrong, in my opinion but that is how it happens. Also, the country you come from might be one more thing to be a pain since the immigration has a limit of green card to give to people from certain countries.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I hear you! My DH is finally a citizen, after YEARS and THOUSANDS of dollars. We had to make so many changes and live in such a contorted way for so long (like you said, finances are messed up by this stuff, travel home to see his family was insanely stressful with advance parole docs, took over a year to get his conditional green card and he remained legal the whole time, his work permit took forever, so we had to go to one job while we waited for that).

Because of all this, I have ZERO COMPASSION for illegal immigrants. Basically, they make it so the system is punitive and terrible for those who follow the rules. I can't believe that they want to break the law and not follow the rules, and then get all the benefits my DH and I worked so hard for. Flame away, everyone. Unless you have been in our shoes (aka if you're married to a US citizen) you can't possibly understand.

Did you husband get his green card and citizenship through marriage to you (a US citizen)?

[Anonymous]

jdmiller wrote:I know, but people who marry citizens always come first. They prioritize their process and people get married everyday so this line is always in front of others.

Wrong, in my opinion but that is how it happens. Also, the country you come from might be one more thing to be a pain since the immigration has a limit of green card to give to people from certain countries.

Luckily he's not from a country with a limit. But he's not on the priority list either (China, India, DR, Mexico, Phillipines). So we wait. And wait. And wait.

All, according to UB, because there is such a backlog in running names through the background check database.

[Anonymous]

PP, you are right. Very few people know this. Illegal immigrants ruin it for everyone, but those who are naive and uninformed are so quick to defend them for no good reason. The sooner people realize and admit how illegal immigrants clog the system, the better for everyone. It seems the network of illegal immigrants grow, while people who play by the rules are left to suffer. In the end, everyone loses, but the illegal immigrants only care about themselves and whomever they are helping to come to the U.S. (often also illegally, BTW). Then they get caught, by crime or otherwise, and everyone else has to wait and pay (via time and/or money) for them. It exhausts money and time that could be spent on people trying to do things the right way. If everyone followed the rules (what a concept), it would be much easier for everyone, but no one wants to be efficient, just selfish. It is so easy to see how the U.S. will soon be a third world country, as that is how certain people treat it. They are truly ungrateful, and many resent Americans to begin with. So why are they even here, I ask? Sorry you had to go through this PP. I am very familiar, unfortunately.

[Anonymous]

I might get flamed for this - but this is why I really don't blame those who try to come over illegally.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hear you! My DH is finally a citizen, after YEARS and THOUSANDS of dollars. We had to make so many changes and live in such a contorted way for so long (like you said, finances are messed up by this stuff, travel home to see his family was insanely stressful with advance parole docs, took over a year to get his conditional green card and he remained legal the whole time, his work permit took forever, so we had to go to one job while we waited for that).

Because of all this, I have ZERO COMPASSION for illegal immigrants. Basically, they make it so the system is punitive and terrible for those who follow the rules. I can't believe that they want to break the law and not follow the rules, and then get all the benefits my DH and I worked so hard for. Flame away, everyone. Unless you have been in our shoes (aka if you're married to a US citizen) you can't possibly understand.

Did you husband get his green card and citizenship through marriage to you (a US citizen)?

Yes, this is the PP, and I am a born-in-the-USA US citizen (and have lived in the area all my life, even! Made the prior address portions easy...). And even then it was a ridiculous process. I pity people who don't get this "priority" (HA!) immigration path.

[Anonymous]

I don't mind if they charge a lot of money for the paperwork etc., but it is just the mindless incompetence of the bureaucracy that annoys me. This process literally drags on for year after year, leaving you in limbo, the rules are insanely complicated so even when you do everything right you still live in fear of having made some minor mistake that screws you. No one benefits from the pointless complication and waste of the system.

When we moved to the UK it took one day and 600 dollars to get my spouse a visa including work authorization.

[Anonymous]

"Unless you have been in our shoes (aka if you're married to a US citizen) you can't possibly understand."

Why should I?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I might get flamed for this - but this is why I really don't blame those who try to come over illegally.

Do you also not blame people who steal cars, because cars are expensive? Or shoplifters?

Please, the reason the process sucks is because of the non-law abiding folks. As one of the PPs said, if everyone followed the rules, the crazy shit (reporting any address change in 10 days, providing years of financial info to prove you won't get citizenship and go on welfare immediately, spouse not being able to work for months while waiting for work permit) wouldn't be necessary. Just like if there weren't car thiefs, car insurance would be cheaper, and if their weren't shoplifters, retail prices would be better. The responsible pay for the irresponsible, and it's never justifiable.

[Anonymous]

You assume risks when you marry a foreigner. How hard is that to understand?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hear you! My DH is finally a citizen, after YEARS and THOUSANDS of dollars. We had to make so many changes and live in such a contorted way for so long (like you said, finances are messed up by this stuff, travel home to see his family was insanely stressful with advance parole docs, took over a year to get his conditional green card and he remained legal the whole time, his work permit took forever, so we had to go to one job while we waited for that).

Because of all this, I have ZERO COMPASSION for illegal immigrants. Basically, they make it so the system is punitive and terrible for those who follow the rules. I can't believe that they want to break the law and not follow the rules, and then get all the benefits my DH and I worked so hard for. Flame away, everyone. Unless you have been in our shoes (aka if you're married to a US citizen) you can't possibly understand.

Did you husband get his green card and citizenship through marriage to you (a US citizen)?

Yes, this is the PP, and I am a born-in-the-USA US citizen (and have lived in the area all my life, even! Made the prior address portions easy...). And even then it was a ridiculous process. I pity people who don't get this "priority" (HA!) immigration path.

You asked for the flame, so here it is-

Your husband is not any more deserving of a green card than the people who come here illegally. He just happens to be married to an US citizen and they're not. That's not hard work. Of course immigration should be done the legal way, but it's not a ridiculous process. Just be grateful your husband was able to become legal through marriage (/not hard work!).

xoxo,
Someone who like you (natural-born US citizen married to a formerly-legal immmigrant/now citizen

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You assume risks when you marry a foreigner. How hard is that to understand?

Those risks are being inflated due to criminals, which is sad, and those criminals get support from clueless citizens. How hard is that to understand?