Bye bye waiver

Day #299 -
   Well, where to begin. Our lawyer attempted to fight the fraud charge with the Consulate in Dublin. They just sent us the completed form, with both the fraud charge and the overstay charge, along with the box checked stating that we're eligible to file the I-601 waiver. They haven't responded to Lois Capps office, who has sent two inquiries now. I'm really frustrated but not surprised.
   I've talked to countless amounts of people who have said they were screwed over by a US Embassy. Even an Immigration Lawyer I talked to months ago had told me his wife, who is Canadian, was completely screwed over the US Embassy in Canada. He, and other people, say they just do whatever they please and do not follow the law. Or even know the law, for that matter. They have people working there who are not American, can't speak or understand a word of English and are not educated on US Immigration laws. And these are the people who decide who comes into our Country. That's really reassuring, isn't it! No wonder people are constantly sneaking across our boarders. As we've found out, you try to do things the honest way and you just get screwed over. I'm sick of it.

   So what can be done? I'm writing to anyone and everyone that will listen. This is a disgrace. I believe everything happens for a reason and maybe this is why. Someone needs to stand up to this messed up system. And not just someone, but anyone who cares about the American public.  This is one of the reasons why waivers are now adjudicated in the US. Not to say that USCIS here is perfect. You all know where I stand there. Oh, so many changes need to be made.

   This past week consisted of me running around like a maniac, what a surprise! I was fixing the waiver to address the fraud charge and sending things to our lawyer. I'd like to give a big THANK YOU to those at Bill Siennas Insurance in Arroyo Grand! They have been so supportive and amazing through this whole process! The staff is so caring, it really warms my heart. So if you need insurance, they're the people to call! Thanks to them, I've been able to print out about a million forms, make copies and scan documents to our lawyer. They really are fantastic there!

   I've been doing this while trying to carry 4 classes, caring for my dad and take care of Chloe. It hasn't been easy, I'll tell ya that. But I'm surviving. The Consulate finally emailed our lawyer the correct form on Friday. So I made all of the changes and mailed the waiver off Tuesday, to our lawyer. He was able to overnight our waiver on Wednesday to the Arizona lockbox. This is the place that receives the waivers. Then they forward them to Nebraska. Don't ask me why this is the process, but it is. Nothing they do makes sense, so I've stopped questioning their "system."

   And now we sit and wait...and wait. There is a spreadsheet on www.immigrate2us.net containing peoples submissions. Most people seem to be getting an answer within 30-45 days!! And every single waiver on this spreadsheet has been approved! YIPPPEEE!! My lawyer said since we now have the fraud charge, it might take a little longer to get an approval or denial. The processing time USCIS gives is 3 months. So the waiting game begins...again. It took about 6 months to properly prepare our I-601 waiver. So I highly encourage anyone who is beginning the journey to start as soon as possible. Its really a beast!

   To keep myself somewhat sane, I just keep telling myself that we'll see Gary by December. If we aredenied, I'd like to stay until December 11, when my classes end. I can't give up all of this hard work. And the classes I'm taking should be of help to getting into a Masters or Ph.D. program in Ireland. If we're approved, Gary will be on his way! And I'll continue my education here. This means coming up with more money for plane tickets. Oh the joy. I don't want to be completely devistated and heartbroken if we are denied. So I've been looking into programs in Galway. I need a plan, just in case. It's a hope for the best, prepare for the worst situation. There is no hope of work in Ireland. The economy has crashed and just keeps going down.

   My Birthday is Monday. I'm really sad to not be sharing it with my husband. Our anniversary is Oct 24. I think we'll be spending that apart, as well. It's very depressing. I hate it. Gary has also missed Chloes first day of pre school and getting to see her liking school and meeting her teachers. Each day hes missing so much. I understand that we need to know who is coming in and out of our Country. But I don't understand why the process keeps families apart for months, and sometimes years, apart. I've talked to people who haven't seen their families in years. I talked with one woman who can't be with her husband because he was charged with fraud too. And she has a child with another man, making it impossible for her to live in another Country. They've been fighting for years and keep getting denied. And his reason for overstay and "fraud" is something very mild. It's not drug trafficking or prostitution, as you would think it is. I know another girl whose husband keeps getting denied because he got a drunk in public years and years ago. I could go on for days with the stories I've been told. It just makes me sick to my stomach.

  We should be getting a receipt here soon with a number so we can begin tracking our waiver. Just like we were able to track our I-130 in the beginning. And I starred at the same first circle for 5 months before anything happened. Its pure torture. We could also get whats called a request for evidence (RFE). You'll see this a lot on Immigration websites. That's if they feel they don't have enough information to complete your case with a decision. Lets hope that doesn't happen. I only sent every single form and document you could think of along with this waiver. My declaration was 10 pages, Gary just had to write a page since its not him that they are concerned with. I also had my mom, dad and two close friends write letters for the waiver. This was to show we are good people and to show the pain and suffering I've been caused. And the rest is all of our documents and forms. So here's to hoping to a quick response and a YES!
Candance & Chloe