User:Caithe/Rant

My Immigration Rant...
This is the story of a Ukrainian girl who married her American College Sweetheart. Kind of a journal, kind of a venting spot for when I get too frustrated with it, and kind of a story for all those who think that marrying an American Citizen automatically makes you all your troubles disappear. Oh no, it's just the beginning of a long, grueling test of just how much you care about each other.


 * Forgive me if I suddenly abandon everything I was doing here, as I have a slightly more pressing problem on my hands... Namely, the USCIS is intent on kicking me out of the country by July 8th, 2008, for 15 months, despite the fact that I am legally married to a US citizen...  In order to follow me, my husband would have to lose his 58k 64k/yr job, lose our house as a result of non-payment, and follow me to a borderline third world country with no chance of ever getting a job there, as he speaks about 3 words in that language.  Plus, a US education would give me zero advantage in finding a job in an already non-existend job market...  So, anyway, don't tell anyone, I think I'm gonna go plant a bomb in D.C. and go out with a "bang" if nothing else... :( (No, this is NOT an official threat to the United States... >_<) RoseOfKali 6 June 2008


 * A small update, for what it's worth. They haven't kicked me out yet, but I'm legally not allowed to work, and they won't renew my driver's license (because I don't have a job... O_O talk about an oxymoron... >_<).  There's also no public transportation in the area, and the nearest thing other than residential housing is about 5 miles away...  Yay for banging my head on the wall for the next 6 months, which is their promise date for a response to my family union application, which has an estimated 0.1% chance of success... RoseOfKali 11 July 2008


 * Yay, I got my work authorization (albeit temporary), and thus a driver's license. Still can't get an engineering job because the work auth. is only temp and I can't get a security clearance...  RoseOfKali 6 September 2008


 * Got a notice for an interview on November 21st... Keep your fingers crossed.  RoseOfKali 20 October 2008


 * So, anyway, the interview was a load of bull... They approved our marriage as "bona fide." But they said that they can't approve the Green Card until they check on my J-1 history, and that can go either way. "It takes longer to process denials than approvals, so if you don't get anything by about Christmas, it's probably not gonna be good news." Great... 2 weeks have already passed. It's gonna be an awesome Christmas this year... Can't wait. >_<' RoseOfKali 6 December 2008


 * Well, it's getting harder and harder to check the mail. I think I'm starting to accept what's going to happen, I'm even starting to think about what I'm going to take with me...  The scary part?  Russia has cut off gas supplies to Ukraine, and my house was gas heated, with a gas stove.  We'll see what the corrupted-up-the-ass government does about that, if anything...  The last thing I want is to arrive on the brink of a war to fulfill some stupid immigration requirement.  RoseOfKali [[Image:RoseOfKaliSIG.png]] 19:06, 7 January 2009 (UTC)


 * Still no news... It's my birthday tomorrow, and I was hoping to get something by then, but hey, I guess 10 weeks isn't enough for a reply from the USCIS. Heh, I should've known to give them somewhere closer to 6 months, as always. >_< RoseOfKali [[Image:RoseOfKaliSIG.png]] 19:59, 4 February 2009 (UTC)


 * Well, I called them. Was told to expect something in the next 30 days, or call them again.  Maybe I should be excited, but I'm not, I just want this over with, and at the same time I don't ever want to get that envelope, because I know what's going to be in it.  RoseOfKali [[Image:RoseOfKaliSIG.png]] 22:45, 23 February 2009 (UTC)


 * Called them again a couple weeks ago. "I'm sorry, it does appear that your case is outside of our normal processing times.  We will submit a review request to the local office and you should hear something from them within 45 days."  SOMETHING? 45 DAYS? *turns red and begins to look rather scary...*  RoseOfKali [[Image:RoseOfKaliSIG.png]] 21:15, 2 April 2009 (UTC)


 * Funny that I posted that today. Just got a letter from them acknowledging the review request and saying that I should receive something from them (not necessarily an answer to the petition, just something) in the next 6 months.  I got married to a Citizen of this country, legally, 11 months ago.  10 months ago we submitted the petition, and had our interview almost 6 months later.  It's been almost a year, and now they're saying that the next time I hear SOMETHING will be in the next 6 months?  I'm beginning to wonder if they're enjoying this...  >_<  RoseOfKali [[Image:RoseOfKaliSIG.png]] 03:08, 3 April 2009 (UTC)


 * Well, it's finally done and over... I got the "something," and it's not what we wanted it to be. Got a letter requesting a waiver of the foreign residency requirement to be submitted within 3 months, after which a decision will be made regardless.  I already know, from others' experience that those waivers never work, because the Ukrainian government is a bunch of dipshits who give you the wrong "no-objection letter" and then tell you that's all they can give you.  But I was going to give it a last ditched effort, anyway, what the hell, went this far, might as well finish it and see what happens, right?  But oh, guess what, the waiver case initiation through the U.S. Dept. of State requires information from documents that were either destroyed by Ukraine (my juvie passport), lost by the U.S. Department of State (my IAP-66 record of entry), or did not even exist at the time of the program in 2000 (the SEVIS system number).  Now whom do I shoot?  (yes, still kidding...)  So anyway, looks like I'll be going to Ukraine for at least 15 months, plus whatever it takes to process the applications after that.  Now I just hope they have internet better than dial-up over there, which is doubtful, as web came on the scene only like 2 years ago, and I still only know of 2 people that have a computer and "internet" over there.  The only friend I'm still in touch with is married, about to have a kid, and lives 3 hours away.  The only family that's in contact and isn't dead yet are my sick grandmother and my dad, who has a new family and a job in Moscow, where he stays for months on end.  I haven't been there for 7 years, I don't know anything about the "life" there anymore, as I was still a teenager when I left.  The economy sucks enough that it's guaranteed I won't have a job or anything else to do other than sit at home and deteriorate my vision further.  Any education there would be worthless here, and you have to bribe half the university to even get in, so that's moot.  Yay...  I think I'd rather be in prison here, eating shitty microwaved hamburgers, but close to my family.  Too bad that wouldn't count for "doing my 15 months."  RoseOfKali [[Image:RoseOfKaliSIG.png]] 21:32, 6 May 2009 (UTC)


 * For what it's worth, I did submit the waiver application, finally. The people who wrote the instructions and the online application script itself were remarkable idiots...  Regardless, all of the above still applies.  There's no way I would get the waiver before the end of my 3 months (takes 6 months to a year), so the tiiiiiiny chance that I actually have to get it can only serve to shorten my stay by a few months.  RoseOfKali [[Image:RoseOfKaliSIG.png]] 19:48, 15 May 2009 (UTC)


 * So, here's the final nail in the coffin, so to speak. I sent the no-objection statement request to Ukraine via E-mail 7 days ago (funny enough, down to the hour...), and asked for a confirmation of receipt of the said E-mail.  Never got it, so I called them today to confirm.  A snotty annoyed voice answered, confirmed that she was the person I needed, immediately recognized what E-mail I was talking about, and stated that they have stopped issuing those statements about a year and a half ago.  Yeah, thanks for the reply, bitch...  The Consulate website still lists her as the point of contact for these requests, instead of stating that they no longer issue the statements at all, and they directed me to her when I called them a few months ago.  Bastards...  So, the tiiiiiiny chance I had of not having to spend 15+ months in Ukraine just vanished, and I'm going to try to get a stop-payment on my $215 money order as a fee for the application, before it's too late.  Might as well take that money with me, instead of throwing it away, like the other $2,200+ worth of application fees.  Oh, and I also 99% confirmed that I will be living with nothing more than dial-up over there.  Joy...  Now just to figure out when I leave, and what other bullshit bureaucracy to please, to make sure I don't shoot myself in the foot by not filing some piece of crap form to make the 15 months count.  RoseOfKali [[Image:RoseOfKaliSIG.png]] 07:47, 18 May 2009 (UTC)


 * Well, I didn't get my money back, so that was a waste. Still waiting...  My driver's license is about to expire on August 15th, and I can't renew it, so yay, fun times ahead.  RoseOfKali [[Image:RoseOfKaliSIG.png]] 20:03, 20 July 2009 (UTC)


 * So, finally we got a denial letter. What's great about it is that it says absolutely nothing about how much time I have to get ready and leave, or pretty much anything useful at all, just that my application to adjust status was denied and that my work authorization is hereby revoked.  Oh really?  Haha...  Funny...  It expired today, anyway.  >_<  Can't find anything useful online other than some people suggesting that you get a separate letter telling you your remaining time before deportation proceedings start, but knowing them, I'll get the letter after the deadline...  Doesn't help that I got it Friday night, either, as I have to wait till Monday before I can call someone and find out more information, maybe, possibly...  Hooray to a great weekend.
 * Oh yeah, and that Congressman inquiry we filed? Well, they called last week and said they can't show "favoritism," whatever the fuck that's supposed to mean, considering they allowed my father in law to get back into the Airforce after initiating the application to leave, which is supposed to be irreversible.  RoseOfKali [[Image:RoseOfKaliSIG.png]] 19:08, 15 August 2009 (UTC)


 * Well, it's time to say goodbye for a while, guys. I called USCIS and the Border Patrol, and they all have one thing to say:
 * "Maam, you need to leave EY ESS EY PEE."
 * "Ok, I understand I need to leave, but how much time do I have to get ready? 24 hours? 48 hours? What does 'asap' mean?  I don't even have a plane ticket purchased yet."
 * "Maam, you need to buy a ticket and leave ASAP."
 * "Gotcha... So there's no regulation or anything like that saying how soon you need to leave before they start the deportation proceedings?"
 * "Nope, maam. You need to leave A... S... A... P..."
 * "Yeah, I heard you... fucking parrot..."
 * '''WELL WHAT THE BLOODY FUCK?!!! is all I have to say to this...
 * Anyway, I'll miss you guys. I'll get back on once I have internet set up over there.  RoseOfKali [[Image:RoseOfKaliSIG.png]] 18:04, 17 August 2009 (UTC)


 * I got my tickets and I'm leaving this Saturday, August 29th. I'm not looking forward to spending 22+ hours in airplanes and airports...  Assuming I don't leave Ukraine after my arrival, the required residency time will be completed on November 17th, 2010.  I should be able to return within about two months of that date.  Yipee...  RoseOfKali [[Image:RoseOfKaliSIG.png]] 06:19, 25 August 2009 (UTC)


 * It's Christmas and I'm 25% done with my time here. Moving along at snail speed. Already went through my culture shock for the most part (who would have thought, I was raised here...), but that doesn't make me any more comfortable, especially with elections coming up. I just want to go home, which is not where my passport is from, as it turns out. :/ RoseOfKali [[Image:RoseOfKaliSIG.png]] 16:13, December 24, 2009 (UTC)


 * Almost 40% down. Got through elections ok, though they still can't appoint the president. O_o Go figure... Google it if you're curious, though frankly, I don't think anyone has a clue about what's going on. Now I'm trying to get my name changed to my married name on both my national ID passport and international travel passport. Wow, they really do make it a pain in the ass. Everyone complains about how bad the US gvt is with paperwork, heh, that's just cus you haven't tried to get a document from Ukraine. It's easier to pull your own teeth... >_< On top of that, the government is withholding payments from the printing company, so there aren't any passport blanks with some 30,000 people waiting to get one. Let's see how this turns out! RoseOfKali [[Image:RoseOfKaliSIG.png]] 00:18, February 19, 2010 (UTC)


 * 50% down, not sure if the second half will be easier or harder, as now we'll have to start back up with the paperwork again. But I'm all excited now, my husband is coming to visit me on May 16th! Makes me giddy every time I think about it. :D Still trying to get my name changed. It's even more ridiculous than I thought it could ever get. Apparently, my American Marriage Certificate doesn't specifically state that I chose to change my name (even though I got a new Social Security Card and Driver's License in under a week), so they cannot acknowledge it here, because you know, it's unacceptable that foreign certificates look somewhat different than prettied up ex-USSR templates. So now I have to submit a standard name change (read: just like all the female illegal immigrants who got deported from Italy and go to change their names to try again >_<). Still waiting on that, might take a while, then I gotta submit for a new "internal" passport, then once I get that, I can finally submit for a new "international" passport, which is the only thing I need out of this whole mess. Uuuugh... Why did I have to be born in this place? :/ RoseOfKali [[Image:RoseOfKaliSIG.png]] 22:04, April 12, 2010 (UTC)

Oh yeah, and my name change is still pending. It's been over 3 months since I submitted it, and I'm about to go bite someone's head off. They're lucky they were closed this whole week for whatever fucking reason, again. RoseOfKali 20:43, June 4, 2010 (UTC)
 * 63% down. My husband just visited me for 2 weeks. I had no idea just how much I needed to see him until I did, although it felt as if we were never apart. In September it'll be 7 years since we've known each other, almost a third of our lives, and I can hardly remember being single now. Of course, it sucks now that he's gone again. It's funny how it's so hard to find motivation to do anything when he's not around.


 * So I'm almost there, just a few weeks from the end of my required stay in Ukraine, but the nightmare is apparently far from over. We've submitted an application to forward our approved family petition to the National Visa Center for further processing, so that it can finally move on to the Consulate in Kiev and I can get my visa to come home. 2 weeks later, it comes back with a note saying something along the lines of "place one check mark in section 2 of the application." There were 6 options there, and it was filled out in Adobe, with one big fat ass X in one of the boxes there... Furthermore, their note named section 2 something different from what it's titled on the application. So again, another one of the now countless WTF?s. Seriously. WTF? We looked into getting a lawyer, and it would be a $2580 deposit for this, plus another $900 or so for the actual application fee. We decided to try submitting this ourselves one more time. Printed it out without any PDF X's in the boxes, and actually put a "check mark" in there, with a pen (Adobe puts an X into those boxes, no choice on that one). Seriously, if their gripe was about it being a printed X versus a handwritten [[Image:Yes.png|18px]], I have lost all faith in humanity. Otherwise, I've no clue what their problem is judging by that note, and we've just lost another 2 weeks and gonna have to pay up a good chunk of cash. :/ I wanna go home. :( RoseOfKali [[Image:RoseOfKaliSIG.png]] 16:19, October 4, 2010 (UTC)
 * P.S. I do finally have my passport. Took them exactly 6 months since I first set my foot in the passport office... RoseOfKali [[Image:RoseOfKaliSIG.png]] 16:27, October 4, 2010 (UTC)


 * They took the application the second time, after we changed the X to a handwritten [[Image:Yes.png|18px]]. /facepalm Unbelievable... <_< But I have good news, for what it's worth. It's been approved and is now being forwarded to the National Visa Center 2 months before the expected processing time. Wow, they threw me a cookie?! O_O No, no, it still doesn't even come close to making up what they put me through. I'll reconsider once I have that shiny Visa in hand. RoseOfKali [[Image:RoseOfKaliSIG.png]] 00:48, November 10, 2010 (UTC)


 * So the process is going very smoothly through the National Visa Center. These people actually give useful answers on the phone, know what the hell they're doing, and even CC my husband when they Email me! O_O A very pleasant change from the USCIS and their "I don't know, just go hire a lawyer" or "who cares if Adobe puts an X there? We want a V!"
 * About to submit my last application before the whole thing is forwarded to the Consulate in Ukraine, and I get called for a Visa interview. Too bad Ukrainian postal service sucks, takes them 2 weeks to mail anything, and there isn't an expedite option. <_< Furthermore, sending it certified would double the time, so I sent normal mail and am holding my fingers crossed that it actually gets there, these guys have a rich history of 'losing' mail that has "USA" anywhere in the address. Rose Of Kali [[Image:Rose Of Kali SIG.png]] 16:47, 13 December 2010 (UTC)


 * Things are moving along, although it feels like snail speed. Both primary applications were accepted, but I got a "Request for Evidence" for information about my exchange program back in 2000-2001, since apparently USCIS did not forward it to the Visa Center. Just sent that out yesterday, hopefully that'll be the last of it. Now just awaiting to have all this stuff forwarded to the Consulate in Kiev, get my interview notice, and 30 days later to finally hold my Visa in hand. Wish me luck! Rose Of Kali [[Image:Rose Of Kali SIG.png]] 14:40, 1 February 2011 (UTC)


 * /sigh Well, good and bad news. They completed my case at the Visa Center, all I need now is the interview in Kiev. They tried to make an appointment, but the Embassy in Kiev is apparently too small, and booked all through March. Sometime mid-March I will find out if I got an April interview. FML... >_< Rose Of Kali [[Image:Rose Of Kali SIG.png]] 21:12, 23 February 2011 (UTC)


 * Had my interview on Tuesday, and going to pick up my Visa tomorrow. YAAAAAAAYYY!!! I'll be on the plane by the time they find Nick on Monday. So, this is what it feels like to be high on happiness... Rose Of Kali [[Image:Rose Of Kali SIG.png]] 12:26, 14 April 2011 (UTC)