Hello, its me again! I'm going to try to make as much sense as I can right now. I'm really sick with this awful cold and Chloe is catching it fast too. A few things have happened since my last post. I've talked to even more lawyers concerning our case. I was also lucky enough to have the Consulate in London contact us back, which was really amazing for us.
It's impossible to get solid information from our local office here in California. I've found out we have been misinformed about every single thing I've inquired about. I'm just really disappointed and saddened by this. That is one of the reasons for me writing this blog. I want to bring awareness to those out there regarding Immigration. No one can understand how hard and troubling it is until they go through it themselves. Obama is trying to fix things here and there and I really hope something is fixed in the near future.
Right now the system is very frustrating to families and loved ones who are separated. I feel as though we are just a receipt number to Immigration, not actual human being who are very hurt and struggling being apart for so long. I read so many stories on visajourney.com and talk to people who waited years to get things sorted out. I understand there are thousands of cases and it is a very time consuming process to get through the applications. But the way things are set up right now and the order of which things happen just don't make sense.
I was FINALLY told that Gary will be denied his visa during his interview in Dublin, whenever that may be. The Immigration Officer in Los Angeles had told me he wouldn't need a waiver. I even handed him the I-601 waiver and he flat out told me no, he won't need this waiver. Thanks to free consultations with various lawyers and many emails and a phone call from an angel named Sandra, I found out he will need the waiver. The London Office, luckily, confirmed the information. He will get have his interview in Dublin, Ireland where he will be denied his visa if he overstayed more than 180 days. He overstayed 234 days, so he will be denied, unfortunately.
He will then be told he need to file the I-601 waiver. The waiver will then be sent to the London Consulate, as the US Embassy in Dublin doesn't have authority to process these waivers. This waiver will be asking forgiveness for his overstay and explaining why it is a hardship on our family to not have him with us. It can't just be that we miss my husband and our daughters Daddy, that is not enough for them. No, they need documents and detailed explanations.
So this is what we will give them! I'm currently gathering documents and preparing this waiver. I was told we could submit the waiver at his interview, which will help save on time. We will also file for an expedite, again, as the processing time for the London office is 7-9 months. I'm hoping and praying we can have our case expedited. If not, I don't know what we'll do. We can't be away from Gary for that long, its just not realistic. Though if we were to go back to Ireland we'd have to get a new house, move again and sit and wait for an answer from Immigration. Back to Ireland where there is no work...and no sunshine! Where we'd get the money for plane tickets and travel is beyond me. We still have fees coming up for forms they'll require. The I-601 will be an extra $585. It's all about the money!
I'm thankful we finally got straight, honest answers. It only took three years for that to happen, but at least it finally happened. I mentioned an angel brought to us by the name of Sandra. She responded to one of my posts on visajourney.com and has been so gracious and helpful to my family. She has told us the whole process, the ins and outs and whats expected. It was so refreshing to finally get some real answers. My family is very grateful for her. I wrote to back to Gavin Newsom, telling him I was very disappointed in him and his staff for never responding. I understand if he doesn't cover Immigration issues, but some type of response would have been nice.
We still have Lois Capps fighting for us. She has contacted Immigration for us but was only able to tell us our status, which is still in initial review. I'm hoping she can work some magic and help our case. Yesterday I emailed Barbara Boxer asking for help or to just be heard. I still haven't heard from Ellen, which I'm somewhat surprised by. But I'm still keeping my fingers crossed! I'm in the works of contacting our First Lady, Michelle Obama too. From mother to mother and wife to wife, I hope she'll understand. This has become a full time job! I'll be an Immigration Lawyer by the end of it all! Keep us in your thoughts, prayers, your crossed fingers and toes and in your happy dances!
Candance & Chloe
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