"It's Not Easy Being Green" is sometimes what I have as my Communicator (instant message) status at work but today I realized that it's really not easy being green as in getting a green card or any entry for that matter into the US. Seabass and I met with a lawyer today to start his green card process. The more I learn about entry/immigration to the US the more it makes me angry that our government makes it so difficult for anyone trying to follow the rules and system to get in and yet does nothing about people doing it illegally (unless you are a presidential candidate who doesn't even have to present a birth certificate to follow the rules of being elected to office like a 9 year old wanting to play pee-wee football is required to do).
The lawyer told us a story about a couple from Nigeria who were missionaries in the US and had to leave because their visa was up so they took a trip to Mexico only to find out that the US would not allow their visas to be renewed. Not only would they not renew the visas they wouldn't renew long enough to let them come back to get their belongings. Not only would they not renew it long enough to get their belongings but they wouldn't even give them a transit visa to stop in the US to get from Mexico back to Nigeria.
This week I heard a story where someone just went last week to the consulate in their country to try and get a visa. They paid the $130 fee and the consulate didn't even look at the required/supporting papers they had- it was a flat "No".
My dad was just telling me this week that when he traveled a few weeks ago back from Peru that they took all of the US citizens first through immigration and made all the non-US citizens wait until everyone was finished (it was not on first come first serve basis). Even as a US citizen this really angered him.
It's no wonder Disney World is thinking about bringing Disney to South America since it's so difficult to bring the South Americans to Disney. That's smart of our government- let's deter the tourists here for the right reasons AND send the revenue back with them.
I don't think Seabass and I will have a problem since we really do have a legitimate marriage, are close in age, and work as managers for a Fortune 500 company (at least that is what the lawyer is telling us) but it still makes me mad hearing these other stories, watching it personally, and experiencing our own difficulties when traveling. I hope the most difficult part of this process will be Seabass getting blood taken and getting shots (he HATES needles). I'll have to go with him next week to hold his hand :)
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Oh I wish you the best of luck with it all!!
ReplyDeleteI am scared of the day when we will start doing all this visa greencard stuff...again. We failed the first time.
UGH. We failed the first time too. Well actually we got approved, but apparently then our approval went into a giant black hole of damn government paperwork.
ReplyDeleteI wish the best of luck. May the gods of tramites be with you.
Like you, I know WAY too many people, who have totally legit marriages, even people born in the U.S., who grew up there, who are just as gringo as you and I, but because of their parents nationalities or their nationalities can't get in. It really scares me for when we start doing our visa stuff too if we someday decide we want to live in the U.S.
I know most countries will make it hard to do immigration paperwork, it's just a generally complicated process, but I just feel like the U.S. is in the business of denying people.
MAN, talking about this topic gets me down!
PS. Sorry for the extremely long comment.
ReplyDeletePSS. Good luck to Seabass with his shots. Maybe you should give him a few pisco sours beforehand :)
Shannon- Thanks!!
ReplyDeleteMC- We are using a lawyer she seems really good/knowledgeable and she has a pretty good success rate- maybe you should try her :) or perhaps she can give you some recos as she seems to have connections. Let me know.
Government sucks. Sometimes I wonder what would happen if countries like the US did away with all of the bureaucratic red tape and just opened the borders.
ReplyDeleteOh, and I like the idea of a disneyland here. It would have to be better that Euro disneyland which apparently went bust.