I would like to greet our avid readers a very Merry Christmas. I hope that in this yuletide season, you and your families find peace, joy, and hope.
At this time, let us reflect on the many blessings we have received this year. For me, I’m very happy to be part of the immigration journeys of all my clients who now lives in the US peacefully and free from imminent danger.
Take the case of Ramia, an older woman from Afghanistan who at first refused to be petitioned by her US citizen son. As you all know, the security situation in Afghanistan is deteriorating and he was concerned for her safety. As I listened to his description of how the Taliban brutally murdered their neighbors, it became apparent having the petition approved is of paramount priority. However, USCIS asked us to establish that they were related. It asked for records, documents, and affidavits from Afghanistan which were impossible to obtain. They also asked for a DNA exam, which turned out to be a blessing in disguise since it makes their relationship easier to prove. The only other problem is that for the DNA test to be processed, Ramia had to take a perilous 12-hour ride from Kandahar province to the US Embassy in Kabul. The roads were laden with trap bombs. If terrorists found out she was going to the US Embassy, she would risk being viewed as a spy and killed. But this didn’t deter her. As expected, we had a positive DNA result, the petition was approved and she arrived in the US as a greencard holder.
There is also the case of Amy, a registered nurse who worked in the Middle East for almost ten years. As a single mother, she relied on her aging parents to care for her six-year-old daughter. Amy could only come home to the Philippines once a year. She has missed a lot of milestones as her daughter grew up and this was tough on her. What kept her going was her belief that someday they will live in the US. She passed the NCLEX, aced her English exams, and was certified in her specialty area. She was also petitioned by a prestigious New York hospital. Her pending employment application in the US slowly took shape as her priority date got closer to the published date on the monthly visa bulletin. Finally, her petition was approved and she and her daughter went to the US. Her parents were also approved for a tourist visa, a very unexpected but welcome bonus!
I choose these two cases to illustrate that there’s no adversity that should come in between you and your desire to come to the US. Regardless of the hurdles, be it bombs along the way (literally) in the case of Ramia. Or the homesickness and the pain of separation suffered by Amy, these challenges are to be taken as necessary sacrifices if the goal is to realize the American dream.
For some of us, we should also feel grateful we haven’t experienced the kind of hardships that Amy and Ramia had. All the more we should safeguard the visas we have and not abuse or disregard them.