Danny and I are so happy to announce that he recently received his green card! We filed for his permanent residency with USCIS back in October of 2015 and received an approval June 22, 2016. So many doors have opened up for us now that Danny has his green card, and the last few weeks have been full of planning. Now that we’re out of limbo we can officially start planning for our future.
Because Danny was in the United States on an F-1 visa, it was an easy process to adjust his status and apply for his green card. Our case wasn’t complicated, but we decided to go with a lawyer for these reasons:
- We were afraid of making a mistake on our application that would cause us to wait longer for approval. We tried to fill out the paperwork ourselves, but we felt overwhelmed. Our lawyer answered all our questions and we left his office feeling reassured that everything was filed correctly.
- At the time we filed I was seventeen years old, and I wasn’t sure if I could even petition for my husband until I was eighteen. I don’t know what I was so worried for. This didn’t even turn out to be an issue.
Our decision to hire a lawyer paid off. The entire process took seven months from the date we filed to the day we were approved. The amount of money it took to pay for all this pales in comparison to how joyful and secure we feel. It’s a wonderful feeling knowing my husband has the same opportunities that are available to me. I am so grateful our experience applying for Danny’s green card went smoothly. I know that’s not the case for everyone.
A few months after we filed Danny received his employment permit in the mail. With this employment permit he was able to get a job and a social security number. He still wasn’t considered a permanent resident, but it was a sign everything was going in the right direction.
The actual interview with the immigration officer who reviewed our case took about ten minutes. I was prepared to answer questions like,
How many windows are in your home? What color is the carpet in your bedroom?
She didn’t ask any questions like that, but I think that’s because she could see that we were a real couple. She asked us why we were married in New York City, who attended our wedding, and where we’ve gone on vacation. She also asked us what each of our birth dates were, and what day we were married.
If you came across this blog post because you are going through a similar experience I want to assure you that the immigration interview shouldn’t be a problem. If you came into the United States legally, married for the right reasons, and did everything the way you were supposed to, you’re golden! If you didn’t, well, I’m not sure what to tell you.
Surprisingly I was the one who felt relaxed and my husband was a little nervous. We found out we were approved the day after the interview. What a happy day that was!
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