This blog is looonnnggg overdue! I apologize for the delay. So much has happened over the past week; I've just been so busy. I started the certificate program for Addiction Treatment just last week. Its a summer course, so its all jammed into eight weeks. I love the class and the Professor. It's nice to have a distraction from whats been going on, as far as Immigration is concerned. So lets get down to the nitty gritty!
Last Monday I called the National Visa Center, expecting them to say the usual "we don't know where your petition is. Please wait another 15 days" and click. But no, the stars must had been alligned for us this time! The man starting spouting off information, our names, dates of birth, etc. I was shocked for a second. I was silent and thought "how does he know all of that?" Then I realize OUR PETITION MUST HAVE BEEN PROCESSED!! He said it had just arrived and they just assigned a case number. Heres the funny thing - it usually takes a week or two after processing to have a case number assigned.
So, in reality, this meant - your congreewoman lit a fire under our ass, we picked your petition through the stacks sitting in our office, processed it and assigned a case number. Nevertheless, I was sooo excited! I was jumping up and down and hugging Chloe and my mom.
He told me forms to be filled out would be sent in the mail. I, then, checked my email and saw two emails from Lois Capps. They were DETAILED emails about the next couple of steps we have to take, to the tee. The email had everything we needed to know, plus more. Did they send this email to me? No. Did they ever respond, personally, to my emails? No. Its the power of politics.
And I can almost promise you our petiton would still be sitting in their office, collecting dust, had we not gotten Lois Capps involved. Its also a good thing I asked about our addresses on our petition. I had sent in a change of address request for Gary months ago. As I thought, the address was never changed and they still had his old address on file. Trusty! I made sure they had our PO Box listed, as well. As, in the beginning, they had been sending information to our physical address. Even though I wrote out a letter explaining we had a PO BOX and cannot receive mail at our physical address.
I was over the moon and so excited Lois Capps had chosen to help us and stay with us, each step of the way. I'm pretty certain our I-130 was pushed through at a quicker rate because of her, as well. The NVC sent an email asking for fees, what a surprise! They're quick to respond when you owe more fees. And the details are laid out clearly, too. We paid the $88 fee for the next form they'll be sending us; the I-864. This is the form that includes all tax forms and finacial information. It's, basically, proving Gary will have financial support here while he finds a job to prevent him from claiming welfare.
Lois Capps office called me Thursday to make sure everything was going smoothly. Christina, the girl who has been helping us since the beginning, asked if we had received the forms in the mail yet. I said no. She said she'd call them to find out where the forms were and whats going on. She said if we haven't received the forms by Monday, to make sure to give her a call. She also said that the request for expedite was sent in and will be sent to the US Embassy in Dublin for review. Keep your fingers crossed! It's so nice to feel like someone has our back! Someone actually cares and is working towards helping us, not working against us. This whole process has been so testing and frustrating.
The NVC will be sending us two more forms, one asking where to send all future forms and fee requests, and another asking where Gary has lived over the past ten years. Which is very similar to another form we've had to send in twice now. The next fee we pay will be $230. Once these three forms are completed and two fees paid, the US Embassy in Dublin will schedule Gary an interview appointment and send out information regarding his medical. The medical will cost another pretty penny. There are a lot of pretty pennies required in this Immigration process. And if you don't have em, forget it! Some people hire lawyers, which costs thousands of dollars. We couldn't afford that, so we're goin it alone!
Once his medical is completed and he finally reaches his interview, he'll be denied. Thats why I've found myself sitting in Starbucks today, researching this waiver. I'm so nervous to even start writting it. Luckily www.immigrate2us.net has a big section on the I-601 waiver. I've been reading all of the links for it. Writing this waiver requires A LOT of information, arguments and, most importantly, evidence. I'm still not 100% sure if I should spend time explaining why Gary overstayed in the first place. I've been told they don't care, he broke the law and thats all they see. Its meant to be, at least, 10 pages long, excluding evidence. But I just need to sit down and write it. Just do it! And it needs to be soon! As the interview could, and hopefully will be, just around the corner!
I'm really hoping the next couple of steps will fly by! I'd really like my husband back. I constantly dream of hugging and kissing him. I dream of walking next to him, holding his hand and laughing. I even dream about us fighting, like any other couple. Yesterday Chloe was looking at pictures of him and fussing, saying she wanted her Daddy. She was laying on the floor going "daddy...dadddy!" It made me so sad. We haven't seen him in seven months and I've had it! Sometimes I think maybe I'll just hitch hike to LAX and throw us on a plane back to Gary. Some days are harder than others. I'm considering starting counseling soon to help cope with being apart from my husband for so long and the passing of my grandma.
I'll end on a good note. Cynthia Lambert from the Tribune has been in contact and checking in. She's definitely going to do the story, it's just a hard one to put into one article! Shes working on it and, hopefully, you'll be seeing us in the Tribune soon! I can't wait for the day when I get to update our blog saying GARYS HOME!! Until next time friends,
*Update - I just went on their website to make sure our payment went through. It said PROCESSING when we submitted the payment on Wednesday. Now its saying NOT PAID. Its supposed to say PAID! So frustrating. Now i have to wait til the morning to sit on hold for over an hour to ask what is going on. Im afraid to pay again, as it may have gone through and Ill be paying twice. Im sure getting a refund from these lovely people would be impossible. This sets us back, at least, six days. GREAT!
Candance & Chloe
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