Where is my Green Card?

[mengke]

I married an American citizen in October, 2002.
After 11 months waiting, I came to this country in September,2003.
My husband hired a lawyer to handle my green card issue.
We had the interview in July 2004, the lawyer came with us and everything was fine, we passed the interview.
But we didn't get the green card, we were told FBI or CIA are still checking my background. My husband joked with me "Have you been to Afganistan?" Actually, Coming to the US was my first time to abroad.
Anyway, I enrolled in a local university began to study accounting and finance.Because I don't have a green card, I can't get the financial aid.My poor husband pay all my tuition and expenses. We got a work permit, which cost 300+ bucks. Every year I have to renew my driving licence, which is 25 bucks. And every time, the person who processed my licence would ask me"Would you like to donate 1 dollar for&*&@#$$%&*?" One dollar! come on! Who can say NO? So I always say "sure, I would love to." But to be honest, I felt I was mistreated. For American citizens or permenant residents, they only renew their driver license once 5 yrs, donate $1/5 years. For me, pay all the tuition, spend hundreds dollar for a work permit and donate $5/5 years. Is that fair?

I have been here 2 years 8 months and passed the interview 1 year and 10 months ago. If I want to visit my family who are in my native country, I would have to get a special permit to come back with my husband and my dog which would cost couple thousands dollars(according to the lawyer), we can't afford. If I go back to my native country, I wouldn't allowed to come back. The lawyer told us, we can sue but we are not trouble makers and we don't them to be anger with us

Maybe they are too busy to consider the illegal immigrant issue and forget the legal immigrants issue. Maybe we legal immigrant should gather together and take to the street too. while we just wait until they pass the "guest worker " thing. I will be more important to this country after I forget all my English and knowledge I learned in college.

 

[ari4u]

I married an American citizen in October, 2002.
After 11 months waiting, I came to this country in September,2003.
My husband hired a lawyer to handle my green card issue.
We had the interview in July 2004, the lawyer came with us and everything was fine, we passed the interview.
But we didn't get the green card, we were told FBI or CIA are still checking my background. My husband joked with me "Have you been to Afganistan?" Actually, Coming to the US was my first time to abroad.
Anyway, I enrolled in a local university began to study accounting and finance.Because I don't have a green card, I can't get the financial aid.My poor husband pay all my tuition and expenses. We got a work permit, which cost 300+ bucks. Every year I have to renew my driving licence, which is 25 bucks. And every time, the person who processed my licence would ask me"Would you like to donate 1 dollar for&*&@#$$%&*?" One dollar! come on! Who can say NO? So I always say "sure, I would love to." But to be honest, I felt I was mistreated. For American citizens or permenant residents, they only renew their driver license once 5 yrs, donate $1/5 years. For me, pay all the tuition, spend hundreds dollar for a work permit and donate $5/5 years. Is that fair?

I have been here 2 years 8 months and passed the interview 1 year and 10 months ago. If I want to visit my family who are in my native country, I would have to get a special permit to come back with my husband and my dog which would cost couple thousands dollars(according to the lawyer), we can't afford. If I go back to my native country, I wouldn't allowed to come back. The lawyer told us, we can sue but we are not trouble makers and we don't them to be anger with us

Maybe they are too busy to consider the illegal immigrant issue and forget the legal immigrants issue. Maybe we legal immigrant should gather together and take to the street too. while we just wait until they pass the "guest worker " thing. I will be more important to this country after I forget all my English and knowledge I learned in college.

1. How did you enter the US?
2. If you had entered US legally, never overstayed your visa, you can apply for I-131 (Advance parole) as long as your I-485 is pending. With an approved I-131 you can travel outside the US. The I-131 costs less than $200 and is valid for a year from the date of approval. Im not sure why your lawyer said it would cost thousands of $$$, is there any complication to your case you would like to tell us about?
3. You have been waiting for close to two years and i suggest you get in touch with your local congressman to push this case forward. They will tell you what they can do to help you.
4. If congressman route does not work, you can file a lawsuit againt USICS and it would not classify you as a troublemaker.

 

[mengke]

Thank you!
I entered the US with F-3 visa, which is valid for 2 yrs. expired and our lawyer said that didn't matter as long as my green card is in process. I have been here more than 2 years and we are married 3.5 years.
My case has nothing complicated, except I come from Communist China(as it is called by a famous CNN anchor ) and my husband is older than me.
We did think to contact the congressman, we didn't because we thought the congressman may not respond since a lot of people may email him.

 

[baltimore2006]

senators and congressmen are supposed to serve their district, as your hubby is usc/voter, they should help you.

BTW, your lawyer doesn't sound competent to me. As ari4u pointed out, you can file AP for travelling outside of the US. You always have to pay a filing fee, but I haven't seen a form that costs thousands of dollars.You may want to talk to a different immigration lawyer.

 

[ari4u]

Thank you!
I entered the US with F-3 visa, which is valid for 2 yrs. expired and our lawyer said that didn't matter as long as my green card is in process. I have been here more than 2 years and we are married 3.5 years.
My case has nothing complicated, except I come from Communist China(as it is called by a famous CNN anchor ) and my husband is older than me.
We did think to contact the congressman, we didn't because we thought the congressman may not respond since a lot of people may email him.

If you filed your AOS before your I-94 expiry date, you are in a good shape and you can travel using I-131. If you filed for AOS after your I-94 expiry date, you might have problems using I-131 to return back to US and depending on how long you overstayed, you might be subjected to a 3/10 year bar from entering the US.

 

[aniretake]

We got a work permit, which cost 300+ bucks. Every year I have to renew my driving licence, which is 25 bucks. And every time, the person who processed my licence would ask me"Would you like to donate 1 dollar for&*&@#$$%&*?" One dollar! come on! Who can say NO? So I always say "sure, I would love to." But to be honest, I felt I was mistreated. For American citizens or permenant residents, they only renew their driver license once 5 yrs, donate $1/5 years.

1) Work Permit costs $175 !!!
2) Nobody forces you to donate anything - you do it voluntarily.
3) If you have been waiting for Name check for too long, go and file Writ of Mandamus. Here in this forum they explain how to do that.

 

[mengke]

aniretake:
Work permit may cost $175 , but do you think my lawyer will help me get it for free?
Donation is voluntarily,that's true.But I spend $120/5 years for the license itself instead of $24 /5 years, is this fair?
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ari4u:
I filed my AOS far before my I-94 expired. Thank you.
My lawyer is one of two who handles immigrant issuess in this area. I have no choice.
what's I-131 form? My husband and I cannot find the form although a letter from the lawyer said we had filed it.

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aniretake:
Thank you . I've never doubted my lawyer's competence. Maybe I should re-consider it.

 

[aniretake]

Work permit may cost $175 , but do you think my lawyer will help me get it for free?
My lawyer is one of two who handles immigrant issuess in this area. I have no choice. what's I-131 form? My husband and I cannot find the form although a letter from the lawyer said we had filed it.

If you complain so much about lawyers fees - do filing yourself! It is easy and will save you some bucks.

 

[absrao]

I agree.. we should take it to streets or start a writing campaign to all lawmakers. After being in the country legally AND marrying a citizen, I waited for 4 (FOUR) YEARS to get my GC. Nothing helped. Not lawyers, Not congressman. I even went on a writing campaign with letters to Director of local District Office AND Office of ombusmen (not sure about spelling there). Finally I got my GC after 4 freaking years. Paid tons of money to INS in fees. I have to wait 3 more freaking years to get Citizenship. I used to have lot of respect to the system in US, compared to back home. But now, I feel that its same shit everwhere. Lawmakers worrying about their votes and worry about illegal immigrants and NOT ABOUT solving problems of legal immigrants.

 

[cherr1980]

aniretake:
Work permit may cost $175 , but do you think my lawyer will help me get it for free?
Donation is voluntarily,that's true.But I spend $120/5 years for the license itself instead of $24 /5 years, is this fair?
---------------------------------------------

Work permit cost $175 and you DO NOT NEED A LAWYER. Actually you don't need a lawyer at all for your entire Adjustment of status or green card process.
DL, is a pain everywhere,but well in part depends a lot what DMV you are going to. Many had their DL with the expiration date of their EAD, others were more fortunate and got the DL for 5 years. Probably you must go to another DMV office.

ari4u:
I filed my AOS far before my I-94 expired. Thank you.
My lawyer is one of two who handles immigrant issuess in this area. I have no choice.
what's I-131 form? My husband and I cannot find the form although a letter from the lawyer said we had filed it.

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You have no choice? Is somebody forcing you to use a lawyer? There is nothing written under the law that you must use a lawyer for immigration issues, who cares if is the last lawyer over the world dear you do not need him/her. If your case is easy as it looks then I don't know why you are wasting your time and money with a lawyer. Go to www.uscis.gov and you will see that everything you could do it by yourself and what s/he saying to you does not make any sense at all!! .

aniretake:
Thank you . I've never doubted my lawyer's competence. Maybe I should re-consider it.

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You should re-consider long time ago!!! Your lawyer sound like s/he is trying to keep you to give him/her money. Sorry but sound so fishy just to say to you that you won't be able to return and you must give thousand of dollars...that is not true at all.

 

[mengke]

If you complain so much about lawyers fees - do filing yourself! It is easy and will save you some bucks.

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You are a funny person. I don't understand why you are so hostile. You didn't believe what I said about the 300 bucks, so I was trying to tell you the lawyer won't do it for free. then you said I am complaining (How did I complain about the lawyer fee, I don't even know)and tell me to do it by myself. After I paid $3000 and got all the paper done and you told me to do it myself?! Please say something make sense. thank you.

 

[mengke]

____________________________________
You should re-consider long time ago!!! Your lawyer sound like s/he is trying to keep you to give him/her money. Sorry but sound so fishy just to say to you that you won't be able to return and you must give thousand of dollars...that is not true at all.

thanks for the information.

 

[mengke]

I agree.. we should take it to streets or start a writing campaign to all lawmakers. After being in the country legally AND marrying a citizen, I waited for 4 (FOUR) YEARS to get my GC. Nothing helped. Not lawyers, Not congressman. I even went on a writing campaign with letters to Director of local District Office AND Office of ombusmen (not sure about spelling there). Finally I got my GC after 4 freaking years. Paid tons of money to INS in fees. I have to wait 3 more freaking years to get Citizenship. I used to have lot of respect to the system in US, compared to back home. But now, I feel that its same shit everwhere. Lawmakers worrying about their votes and worry about illegal immigrants and NOT ABOUT solving problems of legal immigrants.

thanks for the reply. Are you from the same "home country" with me? I love China, always. But I have to say, I don't like the bureaucracy there. .

 

[mengke]

Maybe it was a wrong decision to hire a lawyer to handle it. But any comments about this are too late. He got 3000+ bucks and I am waiting here. I am glad that most people here are helpful and friendly. But unfortunately some people are hostile and distructive. I am here not to remorse for what had happened------nobody can change it. I am here to communicate with other people who have the similar experiences with me. Something ridiculous is happening, I feel funny, I feel upset, I feel hard to understand, I feel unfair, I feel limited, I feel want to say something...... I just write it down and share with your guys. that's it.