Below is an article I wrote for our church newsletter. Many who read it thought it was good and recommended I re-print it somewhere. So I'm re-printing it here.
The president of the church had asked for an informative 'blurb' about what all Edith has gone through to get her green card. I started writing and realized there was just too much information to condense down into a paragraph. As I wrote it, it became a full article.
After I submitted it to Jill with instructions to edit as needed, she suggested that she print the whole article. It appeared in the September issue of the church newsletter. I wrote it from a third person point of view. The article in it's entirety is below...
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When Edith arrived in the USA about 15 years ago on a work visa she began the process to get a green card. This meant paperwork and much of it! Each year she had to renew the work visa so each year she was paying to be here. Eleven years ago she had her paperwork ready and she filed for the green card. However each year she still had to keep her work visa updated, which costs hundreds of dollars. The USA Immigration system is slow and she continued to wait hearing now and then that it may be soon or it may take longer. Last year we heard it could take another 4 years for Immigration to get to the paperwork she filed in 2005.
In August of 2011 she received an email indicating that her card was being processed. She almost deleted it thinking it was spam! A few days later official word, in the form of a letter from Immigration came, indicating her card was being printed. At first Edith was unsure and didn't want to tell anyone until she actually had the card in her hands. In the past she had received word from Immigration that seemed to indicate the process was moving along faster, only to find out there would be another delay.
Edith received her card in the third week of August 2011! During this process for over 11 years she had paid more than thirty thousand dollars into the system. This included lawyer fees, visa fees, money paid by her employer who sponsored her and medical tests. It's been a long and trying time but as a result she now knows the Immigration system inside and out. Edith and Michael married in March of 2010 and at that time she continued to monitor her progress toward the green card. By the beginning of 2011 she had decided to refile as an immigrant married to a resident. Michael and Edith started working on collecting all the paperwork to re-start the process and were days away from filing her immigration status again when the news came via the email she almost deleted.
Getting her green card was something Edith wanted to do on her own. She had begun this journey back in the 1990's and though applying as a immigrant married to a resident might be faster, it would mean she had to give up all the time and money she had paid in thus far. Michael felt that even if it took longer she should keep going and let the process play out, so when she finally received the card it would be from her own efforts and not because she married a USA citizen. "I felt it would mean more to her if she became a resident on her own, there is a stigma attached to immigrants who marry an American and get a green card. " Michael said, " For some it's an easy way out. Though in reality it would mean more money and starting over. Luckily before we could file, her green card came in."
"There are no words to express the pride and love I have for Edith, she has worked hard to get this far and it's a testament to her character. Edith has probably done more for the USA and her community than most citizens who have lived here all their lives!", Michael continued, "With her work visa she was like an indentured servant, allowed to only work where the visa permitted. Now she can enjoy all the liberty we take for granted in our country."
For some this may be just another immigrant who got a green card and many USA citizens think this is a simple process. Most Americans are uninformed about the difficulties involved. However those of us who know the system are well aware of the achievement Edith has made.
This is a major milestone for Edith! And she looks forward to the day she can become a USA citizen, in about 5 years. As a holder of a "green card" she is a permanent resident. With the card she is considered a resident of the USA, but not a citizen. She cannot vote nor can she receive social security. She will continue to pay taxes and enjoy life in the USA however she is still one step away from being an "American." She can now work at any job she chooses.
All the green card does is establish her as a person who resides in the USA. However she has more freedoms and is less likely to be hassled about her residency. Now that she has the card she will become eligible to apply for citizenship. She no longer has to pay fees to reside here. Though she has always been here "legally" the card is an easier and more acceptable form of identification for her. Edith's nationality is Mexican, something no one can take away from her. She still calls Mexico home and her family is there. Today she is on a journey to become a citizen of the United States Of America.
That will be yet another milestone for her, so the journey continues...
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