Monday, October 20, 2008

Visa apointment (Amanda)

We finally received the long awaited call from Katie, saying that Issac’s visa appointment had been scheduled. We were so excited. This was it. We knew that Issac would be turned down for the visa, but this was one more step that was necessary in order for me to file for a waiver to begin my case for “hardship on an American citizen”, which would allow me the chance to get my husband back into the country for the sake of our family.We now began the tedious online process of scheduling our waiver appointment. (From what I understand they randomly put the appointments up a few weeks in advance in order to prevent people from making the appointments and selling them.) This new process of having online registration is supposed to be making this whole thing smoother, but it actually made it more stressful. We had at least five or six people getting on at all hours of the night trying to get this appointment for us. I had my phone on day and night waiting on someone to call and say they got it. I finally got one about a week from his visa date. (There has to be a better way to do this.) When we got the visa date, Issac quit his job in Monclova and went to stay with a pastor in Juarez where the consulate is. We paid our fees and he got his shots, the medical checkup and the fingerprints that were all necessary for the appointment. (and were all expensive as well).My lawyer gave me the waiver packet to take with me, as I had planned to arrive in after Issac was done with this initial visa appointment. I was going to arrive just in time for the waiver appointment.Issac went to his visa appointment and went through hell. I wasn’t there so I’ll let him explain that in his part of this letter. I could hear the devastation and desperation in my husband’s voice when he called me 5 hours after the scheduled time for his appointment and said he was told to wait in a waiting room alone while the officer made his decisions. Now I was nervous. I called Katie and she said it was normal. Katie had previously expressed that she wished she could be there to help him but that lawyers are not allowed in the consulate.Issac called me about eight o’clock and said the officer told him he would have to come back on Monday for his decision. This was a Thursday.I don’t think I can explain the frustration, stress, unease, and plain fear I was feeling over that weekend. I cried and poured my heart out to our church explaining what had happened to Issac. They cried and poured their hearts out to God for my family.On that Monday Issac called me; his broken spirit evident in his voice. He told me that the officer not only denied Issac’s visa, but he also took away our right to apply for a waiver on the basis of “hardship on an American citizen.” I was crushed and dumbfounded.

1 comment:

  1. Amanda and Issac I'm so sorry. My heart goes out to you. We went through our "denial" at the immigration office together and it was hell. I'm crying lots of salty tears as I write this. I remember how broken we felt afterward, too. Broken is just the right word. I'm so glad you had a church community to support you. We only had my two parents and a couple of friends. Many "friends" and family just didn't/don't get it because they have never been squashed by such a cruel process and institution.

    You still have places to go and people to be with, though. Mexico is wonderful. For us, Canada later became a positive step, too. Some of our friends still wonder if we will come home, and even though President Obama makes me consider it, his first term will be almost up before we can even go kneel at the doorstep of immigration to pay them lots of money and ask permission to come back and I think we just won't. I'm trading my stars and stripes in for a maple leaf.

    Also, every day I thank God I lived in Mexico. I'm so much happier, have better priorities, and can connect with people so much better. I just worked at my first job in Canada (it was temporary) and EVERYONE in the office loved me. Why? Because in Mexico I learned how to connect with people and how to not let the little things get me down.

    IT THE UNITED STATES' LOSS TO HAVE BLOCKED YOUR VISA

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