Susan,
Contact me if you think I have a story.
I am from China and came to US in 1998 for an MBA degree from first tier school in east coast. Started working in 2001 under H1b for a $20b+ California company. In Oct. 2002, I was asked by employer to travel back to China on business. My wife was 9 month pregnant then and delivery was due end of Nov.
For Chinese passport holder, I need to apply an H1b visa stamp at US Consulate in Shanghai. Thought it would be easy (it had been priorr to that since I have traveled that way before). Visa officer asked a few questions but apparently she had problem to understand what my job category was even after I explained to her twice. I was told a background check was needed on me before they can decide my visa application. I told her I lived in US for 3 years already, and I was only in China for a 1.5 week business travel and I lived on a suit case. Also, more importantly, our first child was to be born in a few weeks, and I did not have any relatives in US - just two of us.
She did not care. And she made the background check sounded like a 2 to 3 day thing. In hindsight, she knew it could take anywhere from several weeks to 1 year+. But she made it sounded like 2 to 3 days.
I left the consulate feeling the whole weight of the world on me. My wife gave birth to our daughter 3 weeks later (also 3 weeks premature) while I was still stuck, with the help of a couple of friends.
There was no status, no estimated time of background check completion, nothing from US Consulate Shanghai. The whole check was a broken process with no accountability among several US agencies.
My employer tried all the way we could, including asking help from company's government affairs team, SVP from HR, and even CEO and chairman. The nightmare was finally vover 70 days later, right around Christmas 2002. During the 70 days, I could never tell if it would take another hour to hear the completion, or a few more years, as there is absolutely no information regarding estimated time of completion or anything about my status. I developed physical headache daily during the ordeal, and was at a mental world that I could never imagine before.
When I was finally called back into US Consulate in Shanghai, I met the same person who put me in the process. She told me another person will handle my case. A male visa officer then talked to me with a brief verbal apology (he knew my case) - that was a big thing for me then after the longest 70 days in my life.
I hold my daughter for the first time the eve of Christmas 2002. She was 6 weeks old.
All these years I have always wanted somebody to answer me why a US legal resident, albeit not permanent resident, should be stopped from returning home for 70 days for a check that was not intent for US resident? And that a new mom had to give birth to first baby without dad president. I want to forget, and more important to forgive. It is getting better these years, but honestly I am still struggling about why.
QUOTE=susan ward;1670030]Hi
I have been contacted by a film production company regarding immigration to the USA
Would anyone be willing to share their story? Looking for compassionate cases such as where the main visa holder has passed, or children still aging out despite the enactment of the Child Status Protection act.
Have you been unfairly treated, denied a visa or denied entry to the USA.
Can fully understand why legal immigrants are reluctant to shre their stories due to fear of visa denial but need brave people to come forward
Please either post here, send me a private message or go to
www.expatsvoice.org and search Leopard films
Its about time the American people learn just what us legals go through, hurdles we have to climb , stress and hardship caused to us. Once we have the American people on our side then hopefully changes for the good can only come of it but to do that we need to raise awareness
