DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Tailgate Forum Who to contact about getting Wife's Green Card sooner???

This isn't an immigration debate, please don't hijack this thread because my newly-wed wife and I are in a serious situation.

We were court married in February, but won't be church married until late August. We were told by multiple sources that we didn't have to pay all the money to a lawyer, we could do it ourselves back in April by applying at the local DORA (some pilot program designed for quicker readjustment of immigration status).

Here is our main issue - while she is having her status adjusted from a Student to a Resident, she can't travel. If those documents don't come soon, we will have to make the decision of moving our wedding in August (financially impossible) or being open to the fact that once we leave for the wedding, she won't be able to return to the US after our honeymoon and probably won't be able to for 6+ months.

What stinks here is that we are 100% by the book on this. We got court married because we knew the process would take a while and we really were hoping for an income stream from her to be able to survive financially before and after the church marriage. She doesn't work on the side; nothing under the table, etc.

She could get someone else's SS# or even a fake one but we aren't. We could cheat the system but we won't put someone at risk or fines, even if they don't care. The problem is that we are doing the right thing and could get screwed.

Which politicans should I contact, what position, should it be a local rep, Senator, etc? We were told by immigration to start writing. If anyone knows the position of the people we should write and if we should write, email, call or whatever, please let me know...I can find the people's name and contact information but I just need to know what positions in the government people have that would see these plea's.

Thanks in advance guys. This is really putting a strain on a really strong relationship and what is frustrating is that we are doing the right thing and risk being penalized.

ANY SUGGESTIONS in contacting politicians or other means that we can expidite this process would be GREATLY appreciated.

Since immigration is pretty much a national issue, I wouldn't waste my time with state and local officials... the 3 people you need to focus on the most are your congressman and your 2 senators.. those are the ones most directly affected by your vote and your satisfaction....

Beyond that I'd start calling ICE...

And you know what, as a last resort, you might try calling some of those investigative reporting shows... they love stuff like this where it appears that the government is screwing the little guy who is trying his best to do things by the book... and they can get access to people you can't and they can get attention brought to it that your politicians will want to avoid...

So those are my 3 suggestions.

This any help? http://www.shusterman.com/marriage.html

Each year, over 400,000 citizens of the United States marry foreign-born persons and petition for them to obtain permanent residence in the U.S. Spouses of U.S. citizens are considered "immediate relatives" under the immigration laws, and are exempt from all numerical quota limitations. In other words, marriage to a U.S. citizen is the fast lane to a green card.

Alternately, marriage to a permanent resident is very problematical and often results in the recently-married spouses living apart for many years. A legislative solution to this problem is required.

Battered spouses and children of U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents are entitled to special benefits under the law.

It is also possible for a U.S. citizen to obtain a temporary visa for a fiancee and get married once he or she arrives in the U.S.

IF THE MARRIAGE OCCURS IN THE U.S.
Procedurally, the process works like this. The U.S. citizen must submit a visa petition (form I-130) to appropriate CIS Service Center to prove that the marriage is bona fide, that is, entered into for love rather than simply for the foreign-born spouse to obtain a green card. Attached to the visa petition are the following items: (1) Biographical forms (forms G-325A) for both the husband and the wife with photos attached; (2) Proof of the citizenship status of the petitioner. This can take the form of a U.S. Passport, a Certificate of Naturalization or Citizenship or a certified copy of the citizen's birth certificate; (3) A certified copy of the marriage certificate; (4) Certified copies of the documents that terminated any previous marriages of the husband or wife, including final divorce decrees, and certificates of annulment or death.

Simultaneously, the foreign-born spouse, assuming he or she entered the U.S. lawfully, should submit an application for adjustment of status (form I-485) which is an application for a green card. Items which generally accompany form I-485 include green card photographs, an affidavit of support from the spouse, an application for employment authorization, an application for a travel permit (known in CIS jargon as "advanced parole") - assuming the non-citizen spouse has not be present in the U.S. unlawfully for 180 days or more - and numerous other CIS forms.

And don't forget the CIS filing fees. The current filing fees for form I-130 (visa petition), I-485 (application for adjustment of status), I-765 (application for employment authorization document), I-131 (application for advance parole) and for fingerprinting are listed at

http://www.shusterman.com/cisfees05.html

The CIS will accept the applications, cash your check, and schedule an interview somewhere between six months and 12 months. If the wait for the interview exceeds 90 days, chances are that the work card and the travel permit will be issued in a matter of weeks or months. We list the CIS waiting times city-by-city.

The CIS provides advice to U.S. citizens and permanent residents who wish to obtain permanent residence in the U.S. for their foreign-born spouses.

That isn't good to hear.

How long was your process from application to green card?

The trouble is that we basicly can't reschedule our wedding for the August timeframe.

I realize I should write my senators, but which congressman - reps or what? That aspect I don't get.

Thanks for the advice, you are right, that isn't what I wanted to hear but knowing the reality will only make us more prepared.

Any other advice, please let me know.

THX!!!

Just throwing this out there, but you could contact the locals news stations, see if they would do a story on it. In several cases, that speeds up the process.

It took my brother in law 18 months from when he and my sister got married before he got his green card. (Married in March 05, got green card in September 06). Certainly not good news for you. But heed the above advice about her not leaving the country, they mean that stuff!

My bro-in-law debated about going to Poland to see his ailing father about 2 months before he got his green card. He was told he wouldn't be let back in the country for 10 years (he had a slightly different situation in that he was here on an expired visa). Plus, he still had to get a US Passport and he needed his green card for that and had to go to NYC to get it too!

His father got better, so he didn't go seem him until March of this year. With green card and US Passport in hand.