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Edited on Fri Jul-09-04 03:21 PM by NewJeffCT
My wife, who was born in China, & I got married in Nov of 2001. We filled out all the forms and everything over the next 2 months and submitted her green card application in January of 2002.
She went in to get her fingerprints in April of 2002. My wife also went in to INS to renew her work authorization. They only gave her a 9 month extension instead of the normal year, and they assured her that it was no problem since she would certainly have her green card by then. So, her work authorization would expire in Jan of 2003.
We had our interview with INS in Sept or Oct of 2002 and gave them a stack of evidence of an actual marital relationship - joint credit cards, insurance policies, bank accounts, etc - not to mention bringing photos of our wedding, etc.
Around this time, a friend of mine, also from China, got married to a US citizen. Same situation.
Jan 2003 rolls around, still no green card. So, we go in to INS to see what the story is. They say the only thing we can do is file an appeal. So, we file an appeal. Several weeks later, we get a form letter back from INS saying that "your request has been referred to the appropriate department."
Feb of 2003, my wife gives birth to our lovely daughter.
Months go by, and still no answer, despite repeated calls. We file another appeal (you're only allowed two) and get the same form letter back several weeks later.
Around this time - about 1 year ago, a Chinese friend of my wife's also marries a US citizen. I personally think it's a long term Chinese plot to send attractive, intelligent women here to win over the hearts & minds of US men... ;=)
Finally, we get fed up early this year with no green card. We write to our local congressman (John Larson in Hartford) and our senators (Chris Dodd & Joe Lieberman). Even they cannot get answers from INS regarding our situation, other than to say that she cleared her background check. 'it's in some a black hole' is how one woman put it. I must compliment Larson's office - I wrote to them on a Friday and they called us on Monday. However, nobody knows nothing, and the INS isn't telling us, or our congressman, anything.
Meanwhile, the woman that got married 10-11 months after us got her green card 2 months ago. The woman that got married about a year ago got some sort of stamp on her passport to indicate her green card was almost done being processed.
Meanwhile, my wife had to call INS today for a question on the Alien Change of Address form. She decided to ask what her case status was, expecting the normal answer of they're not allowed to talk about it.
However, this time, the woman actually gave my wife some information. Apparently, my wife's case has been approved as of December 2002 pending my wife getting her fingerprints again, which they had apparently lost! However, nobody informed my wife or me that they lost her fingerprints. Nobody!!! Not a word. None of those appeals amounted to jack... they couldn't write to us and say, "well, you have to get your fingerprints"... nothing, nada, zip. No answer. It was like talking to a wall.
It's not like this is a big deal - she could have gone in any time to get her fingerprints done again.
Meanwhile, terrorists can come & go as they please, it seems. While we've had to deal with the stress of a green card in a black hole.
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