Why Aliens Go Illegal

Update:  I called back and got the most helpful man in the world.  He not only figured out why our change of address didn’t go thru (they sent the notice to the wrong address) but why our visa was ‘misplaced’ in the first place.

From what I understand, after our last interview they somehow listed me as the applicant.  Mr. Smith is the applicant.  I guess they’ve been sitting around wondering why this American girl wanted a visa to her own country.  I have to laugh.

Many of you know that we’ve been waiting on Mr. Smith’s visa here in the states.  It has been a long, tedious and expensive process and he can’t legally work until his visa is approved.

Things moved along fine up until the last appointment.  That’s when our paperwork was apparently “mislaid”.  Last letter we got from them said to call customer service in six months if we still haven’t heard anything.

When we moved I changed our address within 10 days as instructed.  Concerned that I’d received no confirmation of our address change I called their fabled customer service to ask if our address change had gone thru.  I was told to call back in 30 days.  When I called back I was told that due to the Privacy Act they could not confirm that my address change went thru.

The representative advised me to wait until the six months was up and call customer service back.  I asked what if we were sent an approval notice and it went to the old address.  She told me I’d find out in November when I called back.  I could also make an appointment at the office 8 hours away.

In the meantime, my husband can’t work.  I’ve been struggling to support all of us.  Immigration is worried that my husband is coming to the US to take advantage of all our fabulous social and welfare programs.  I finally accepted Food Stamps a few months ago and we receive $55 a week to supplement.  If my husband could be allowed to work then we wouldn’t need Food Stamps at all.

I wish immigration could understand that while they are fiddling around with the $1400 plus dollars we sent them for this we are struggling to make it.  Sitting around waiting until November  makes the entire process over a year.  We have little faith in the system left at this point and are fully expecting that when we call customer service in mid November we will be told more delays.

I can fully understand why some immigrants choose to go illegal.  They save around $2,000 right off the bat.  They also have the privilege of working.  I am disappointed in this “customer service” system that can’t even confirm an address change.  Does that mean Amazon and a thousand other companies are breaking the Privacy Act by confirming my move?  Better lock up my electric company!

So I suppose that is our immigration update.  Our application is being “actively processed”.  In November we can find out the next step as well as celebrate our 1 year visa application anniversary.  My birthday is November 21st.  I hope I get to keep my husband as my present.