My husband and I got married in March. He is from France, I am American. He is currently in America doing research on J-1 non-immigrant visa. We went to France for our honeymoon and so I could meet his family, but when we went to update his passport, the Embassy said that he wasn't eligible for the J-1 non-immigrant visa anymore as he intends to apply for the Green Card sometime in the future to stay in the US with me and our little boy, which meant that he has to stay in France and I have to go back to the US. We managed to work something out with our work to get him a different visa, and H-1B, where he can come back to the US and be able to work in about a month. He might be able to come back to the US with me now (we are currently in Paris), so he doesn't miss our baby's first birthday, but then he has to go back to Paris to pick up his visa. The problem is that we absolutey cannot afford the airfare. We just have one credit card, which we used for our wedding, and neither his nor my family has any money to help us out. The round-trip fare is around $1600, and one-way is almost as much (if he can't come back to the US). I am totally freaking out. Does anyone have any idea about raising this much money in a few weeks? Thanks....
My husband was FINALLY able to come home last Saturday after being gone for 5 weeks. He missed our son`s first birthday. Our lawyer thinks he was racially profiled (he looks middle eastern, but his family is from Algeria) and was held by US immigration in Canada for questioning. Overall this was a hideous and horrible experince. We were SO fortunate to have an amazing lawyer and the help of Senator Herb Kohl, otherwise I don`t think he would have been able to come home. My heart goes out to families in similar situations who do not have the resources we had and are being seperated from their children and spouses for no good reason. I never have experienced racial profiling before, as I am as white as it gets, but this experince has really made me aware. I hope that this can remind other people to not judge anyone based on their ethnicity, especially people of Middle Eastern or North African descent as most of them are just human beings who want to work, love, and live.
My brother married a Romanian and had to jump through a lot of hoops as well. Now, 4 years later, she just became an American citizen. It takes a lot of persistence! I know a good immigration lawyer if you need one, just e-mail me and I'll give you his info.
Good luck!
M. -
Contact your elected officials. These are your Senators:
Senator Herb Kohl
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http://kohl.senate.gov/gen_contact.html
Senator Russell D. Feingold
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http://feingold.senate.gov/contact_opinion.html
And to find your Congress Person - go to this website and enter your Milwaukee address
http://itmdapps.ci.mil.wi.us/electedreps/electrep.jsp
These people will help you! Personally, I would contact all of them!
Good Luck and let us know how it goes!
D. kosarzycki
PS - get in touch when you are back in town - we'd love to have you and your son play with us this summer! ____@____.com
have you worked with an immigration attorney before? I can give you some names if not. Maybe they would have some ideas to avoid all the travel expense.
Oh man...you guys are in for a heck of a struggle. My brother and his wife went through this too. He married someone from Canada, and they ended up having to hire an imigration attorney in Minnesota, to work with on a constant basis. They started the process well before they were even married. They had an attorney in Canada on retainer so that when they traveled back and forth from Canada to the US, the attorney in Canada would help her get back into the US because the US would not let her back into the states. Border patrol was refusing her. The attorney really helps keep things clear. The INS department makes you jump through hoops and would tell her, "Fill this form out and send it in to get your traveling permit." So she would, and they would issue the permit...then, upon re-entry into the US, the border police would tell her that it wasn't the right form, even though she got it directly from the INS department. It seemed like they got different answers from everyone in the INS department, depending on who they talked to, everyone gave them different answers and different forms, claiming that they were for the same thing. The US INS department is a mess and no one that works there really knows what's going on there. An attorney will cost you alot, but the they will help keep things straight and they will understand the imigration laws and will be able to interperite the paperwork that the U.S. INS will give you. You will still have to jump through hoops in paperwork, and to prove that they are in-love. The US INS thinks everyone is a terrist, and if you're marrying someone not of this country, you must be one too. It's a terrible process. You're attorney will be your liasion for dealing with the US INS. My brother and his wife are still going through it and it's been over 2 years. Good luck.
And, about the money, I would open a credit card quickly...the ones you get offered in the mail. They are high interest, but...at least he will have his visa.
I think I would just open a new credit card if you or your hsuband has the credit rating to do so. From what I hear, credit card companies are fairly liberal with handing them out, especially if you only have one right now. Or maybe a family member could open the card for you. Good luck!
I would contact your congressman office to see if they can help you
Selling items on ebay, garage sales, taking out a small loan from the bank. Calling credit card company for higher line of credit, or opening up a new credit card (make sure you can earn freq. flier miles :) what about getting some $ from his and some from yours?? that way no one is giving you 1600$ total?
I also have a solution to making extra $ from home...it doesn't happen overnight, but if you are motivated, hardworking and dedicated...you could start making a nice income with in a few short months. It truely is about 10hrs/wk and from the comforts of your home. respond back to me if interested, but if not... good luck with raising the $ for the airfare
Could you take out a student loan or some sorts and use it? Your probaly not suppose to do that but with desperate times like this that may work.
Or go to your bank and ask for a personal loan?
