My husband is originally from LaSalle Ontario Canada. We were wed in November of 2004. We have done everything possible to follow the immigration process to the letter and even retained a lawyer to help us make sure we have done everything right. During the first year of the process it was not financially feasible for David to stay here and not be able to LEGALLY work (it took a little over a year of waiting for the proper channels to run their course so that he could get permission to work in the U.S.) so after we wed he had to return to Canada and I maintained the fort here in NC.
He was finally able to enter the country to assume his residency in January of 2006. Since that time we have just done the normal things folks do...work hard, pay taxes and share much love. We have continued on our immigration journey doing everything just as we are supposed to and we are down to the last legs of the process where David goes from being a Conditional Resident to becoming a Legal Resident. (Eventually to becoming a Citizen!) We have been awaiting news of the approval of his I-751 petition for around 10 months now.
Imagine our surprise when we received a letter from our lawyer Saturday October 11th, 2008.
They have not approved our I-751 petition due to lack of evidence that we have a valid marriage.
(the I-751 changes David's status from a conditional resident - based on
marriage to a legal resident and makes his green card valid for 10 years)
They are requesting that we submit further evidence. Our lawyer asked for us to come in immediately to go over all this.
I spoke with our lawyer this morning, they are as dumbfounded by this as we are.
They can't see any reason why more evidence was requested based on what we
had previously submitted and said they have never recieved one of these requests before.
They say the only thing they can figure is that we were just one of the random selections.
I am livid. We submitted all kinds of documents showing joint responsibilities, bills, our mortgage, etc. in both our names and 10, TEN!, signed and notarized affidavits from friends
and family.
We are just two people who love each other and because we don't have a dozen credit cards in both our names they are questioning the validity of our vows?
We thought of a few more things we can add, our medical insurance showing both our names on the same policy, our life insurance policies showing each as the beneficiary,
and David's Canadian pension showing me as the beneficiary there too.
So we're going to submit those, request that they adjudicate with the previously submitted items too and hope that finishes it up.
But the kicker is we have to submit before November 20th and the lawyer requires more $$ to be applied to the trust in order to complete this additional work......errrrr
So we won't be taking the trip to Canada for Davids friends wedding in November and it looks like this will be our anniversary and Christmas presents too!
But no matter what, we will do WHATEVER it takes so that they don't deport him. I cannot imagine us ever having to be apart again. It was misery.
I am just so frustrated by this. You try to live right, be honest good citizens, play by the rules and this is what happens??? And yet there are THOUSANDS of folks walking the streets who are here illegally who people are wanting to protect???
I can tell you from my heart and my pocketbook..if you aren't here legally and honestly I wish you'd get the $#^& out.
I am also contacting my Congressman (Mel Watt- D) and Senator (Elizabeth Dole- R) over this.
We are both hard working tax paying members of their Districts and could use their help.
