Application approved! Got my GC! Here is my story. (Long but might help someone)

[omar_b]

I wish I had found this website years ago, it would have been so helpful. Instead, I found it a few months ago and I just lurked for a bit. Now that my application was approved, I'm here to tell my story. My case had a few hiccups and it was really touch and go at times.

My entire family came (illegally) to the US back in 1988. My mom got married to a US citizen and got her GC through 245i. She got right under the deadline too. Here is where the problems began. Not for my mom but for me. My mom's immigration "lawyer" was not a lawyer at all, he was a notary public. However, my mom didn't find out until later on. Anyway, in my mom's i130 she never put me as a son. Just my brother. Why? Her "lawyer" told her that since I was over 21 at the time she was filling her work, I did not need to be in the form. My mom just went along. I wasn't around. I was living with my dad and going through college. My mom got her GC and I was SOL. If she had petition for me it would have been years and I could not get married.

In 1999 I met my girlfriend and now wife. In 2001 she got her GC through NACARA and in 2006 she became a US Citizen. We missed 245i by a couple of years and every single immigration lawyer we saw (paying $$$ for consultations) told us that there was absolutely nothing we could do. Nothing. Nada. Zip. We were absolutely crushed because lawyer after lawyer said that there was absolutely positevely no hope whatsoever for us. I did not want to marry her because I did not want to give her a burden. Even with my girlfriend being a USC the lawyers told us there was nothing we could do. They said we could do the i130/i485 and that I would leave the country and then pretty much never get back. Luckily though, love always prevails and we got married in 2006. My wife said come hell or high water we would be husband and wife.

That is when we found a great lawyer who was simply positive that if my mom had gotten her GC through 245i, than I was grandfathered in and could then apply under 245i and I would get my GC. This was the first immigration lawyer who seemed to actually have read the 245i law. Some of you probably picked on this by now. Problem was that I was never included in my mom's i130 as a son. My lawyer however, ever the optimist, said that he was sure that if he wrote a letter to this effect on my i130/i485 that he could make the case it was simply an oversight by a notary.

I am my mother's son. We included birth certificates and my mom's original documents with the immigration forms. Cut to the chase, I received my interview notice for Sept 21, 2007. We go to the interview. Everything is going well, then the interviewer gets to my mom's forms. We explain the problem and he says that it is in fact a problem. Of course, he has to talk to his supervisor and will get back to us in a couple of weeks. I must confess, my heart broke into a million pieces. The interviewer was just stone cold facts. This this and that. You'll hear from us soon. My lawyer didn't even look confident. On the way out we talked about alternate plans if my application was denied. I waited and waited and today I received my welcome letter! Years and years of waiting and it's all finally over.

I know some people might look at my case and say I never had anything to worry about, on the surface the case does not seem that complicated, but I spent almost 7 years with this on my head. What could I do? I went with what professional lawyers told me. I had to accept they knew more than I did on the subject. My lawyer was an angel sent from heaven. I'm positive of that. I guess if you take one thing from my story is to never lose hope and to get yourself a good lawyer. It sucks that my mom (and many other people do as well) got suckered by a notary public passing off as a true immigration lawyer. I wish good luck to everyone going through this. I'm still kind of in a haze. I have done nothing but worry about my legal status since high school (I'm 30 now). Every single day was "is today the day?" All the days without work, all the good news about immigration, all the bad news, all the panics, all the misinformation, all the temp jobs under the table that barely paid the rent. The best thing I did though, was go to College and get a degree and I have my dad to thank for that. Now I have a great job, health insurance, the most awesome wife and most importantly...a real future. I can't believe it, when I wake up tomorrow and go to work, it will be the first day in forever where I will not have a single worry about my legal status...tomorrow is literally the first day of the rest of my life....good luck to everyone and God bless you all.

[joya]

Congratulations on your approval!

I am looking for a good lawyer. Can you share your lawyer's name and contact information?

[constructus]

Congrats!!!

Very happy for you.

[bbqchickenrobot]

Congrats buddy!!! Welcome DOn't you just love "grandfather" clauses? lol

[Greencattle]

Very touching story. God bless you

[rnepal418]

Congrats!!! I am happy to hear your good news.

[PraetorianXI]

Congratulations Omar!

It does look like a miracle/angel sent from heaven or whatever you want to call it. I am glad it worked out.

Hopefully people who read your post and need a lawyer will ask them to show their license before they start getting advice from them. Why didn't you sue that fake lawyer? for all of the money your mom paid him and all of the money you paid this new lawyer of yours?

[trinigirl]

OMG, what a story to wake up to. It was beautifully told and couldn't wait to get to the next line. Well I'm sure this will give some of us hope who might be in the same situation, and yes tomorrow will be the first day of the rest of your life, not living in fear. Congrats to you and your wife and God does work in mysterious ways.

[omar_b]

Thanks everyone! I'm so happy I can't stop grinning like a fool! @ PraetorianXI - Yes, I learned the lesson from my mom and I did my research on this lawyer. Actually, the easiest thing to do is to simply search for them in your state's bar website. For california it's http://www.calbar.ca.gov/state/calba....jsp?cid=10114

Everything checked out about him and I was confident he could help me. As far as suing the fake lawyer, well, that was just not in my mind all this time. After my mom got her GC we all kind of dropped it. As far as I know, he is not around anymore. Not around here anyway. His office is gone and no one has seen him. Now I want to find a place where I can volunteer and help guide people to the right places and away from notary public who pass themselves off as immigration attorneys. I don't know how it is with other communities, but the hispanic community is plagued by these jerks charging $500 to simply fill out a form. It's ridiculous. They just fill out forms, send them and when something goes wrong they just tell you that you have to deal with it. Anyone know of a place I can volunteer my time and knowledge?

[Jojojolie]

What a touching story, it almost made me cry... Anyways, Congratulations, hope you can start living "normally" now as well as anybody who just received their Green Card.
Good Luck!!!

[trinigirl]

Right here is a start, people come here desperately looking for help all of the time. You will definitely be an asset around here. Just a couple of notes, have a disclaimer in your signature and remember where you came from and the fear you lived in, in saying that give the information in a tone as you would have wanted it given to you, with tender and respect. But do give the hard facts. That's all and welcome, looking to see what immigration knowledge you bring to the table.

[Danshikie]

Congratulations my man! I am very happy for you. Someday you will be able to tell story of your American Journey to your kids. Enjoy every moment of it cos you fought a good battle.

[joeie2000]

congrats to you omar_b, wao i was really moved by your story, God's blessings to you and family.

[omar_b]

Thanks again for all the well wishes! A question for those in the know, how do I go about referring people to my immigration attorney? I don't just want to post his info everywhere...or should I? I love this guy. He was always honest, on time for everything, super duper professional and honest. He would always tell me that he could not promise or guarantee anything but that he knew what he was doing. While in the waiting for my interview in the waiting room, I asked him why he became an immigration lawyer and he said "to help people". He liked law but he didn't want to be fighting with other lawyers. He just wanted to help people. Real upstanding guy...

[PraetorianXI]

Originally Posted by omar_b

Thanks again for all the well wishes! A question for those in the know, how do I go about referring people to my immigration attorney? I don't just want to post his info everywhere...or should I? I love this guy. He was always honest, on time for everything, super duper professional and honest. He would always tell me that he could not promise or guarantee anything but that he knew what he was doing. While in the waiting for my interview in the waiting room, I asked him why he became an immigration lawyer and he said "to help people". He liked law but he didn't want to be fighting with other lawyers. He just wanted to help people. Real upstanding guy...

stick around this forum and if you ever hear of someone asking for an immigration lawyer in your area, refer them through a private message.

[asPapi]

Congratulations

[joya]

Originally Posted by omar_b

Thanks again for all the well wishes! A question for those in the know, how do I go about referring people to my immigration attorney? I don't just want to post his info everywhere...or should I? I love this guy. He was always honest, on time for everything, super duper professional and honest. He would always tell me that he could not promise or guarantee anything but that he knew what he was doing. While in the waiting for my interview in the waiting room, I asked him why he became an immigration lawyer and he said "to help people". He liked law but he didn't want to be fighting with other lawyers. He just wanted to help people. Real upstanding guy...

If you don't want to share the attorney's name, can you send me a private message through this web site. Thanks. Good luck!

[pville85]

I can only imagine how you felt when you recieved that good news.It must have felt like you took a breath of fresh air for the first time in years.Big congratulations to you man,enjoy it!

[sethuganesh123]

Hi omar,
I am very happy for you ,finally your perserverance did pay off. Good luck with your future and stick around this forum for people who might need your encouragement.

[jasmine7103]

I don't know you but I am happy for you

Where did you mom find this 'lawyer'?

[omar_b]

Originally Posted by jasmine7103

I don't know you but I am happy for you

Where did you mom find this 'lawyer'?

Thanks again for the congratulations. We live in Los Angeles, CA and these "lawyers" are a dime a dozen around here. Specially in the hispanic heavy areas such as East Los Angeles. They are simply notary publics who charge fees such as $600 for immigration "help". All the help consists of is filling out the freely available forms and mailing them. You know how if you have an attorney who filled out the form for you they have to sign the forms as well? Well, they don't because as soon as they mail them out you are on your own. I can guarantee you that most of us here know more about real immigration laws than they do. They are predators who feed on the poor and uneducated.

[austriacus]

Congratulations Omar, thanks for sharing your story and I wish you the best of luck and success for your future! Maybe your experience would be helpful to give some guidance in this recent thread.

[Bella Blues]

Congratulations! So happy for you!