Immigrating to the U.S.

Immigration. My husband and I just successfully finished going through the whole process. But it wasn't without a few big bumps in the road. We hired and fired an immigration lawyer, wrote numerous checks, went to many appointments, but alas we are official in the eyes of the law!

I am an American citizen and had no idea prior to this experience how challenging it is to figure out what to do in this situation. I decided to write this note in case anyone else is going through it or thinking of going through this so you have a better idea of what to expect.

When we married, I thought we'd fill out some paperwork and be done with it! Nope. The Proposal with Sandra Bullock is a cute comedy I recommend but nothing like the actual process!

First of all, our interview (once we got it) was shorter than our wait time in the lobby. I was asked my husband's birthday, how we met, his family's name and we were official a few minutes after he answered similar questions. Now, this is due to the face we were not red flagged so it's not guaranteed but only what happened to us. Of course, I'm starting from the end.

At first, we had to submit tons of information. Tons. I recommend you keep a copy of EVERYTHING. Even if you think it is silly, it's not. We had to resubmit one portion we already mailed in, but thankfully we had copies ready so it was no hassle. Also when you receive your certified official marriage license, go ahead and get another copy because they don't tell you until the end, you need two and this can only be accessed at the court house you applied for the certificate.

Start early. I recommend before you get married, start getting paperwork and documents in order. The site www.uscis.gov offers necessary paperwork and instructions. Calling their toll-free number takes time but agents were able to answer our questions. If you get someone rude on the phone, I would tell them "thanks and good bye" and redial. You are always connected with someone new and usually 2 out of every 3 are helpful. It's better to call than guess. Our understandings were sometimes wrong but agents were able to clear things up.

If you feel you need a lawyer, get testimony from others that he/she is a good immigration lawyer. We made the mistake of going off our lawyer's website where of course he made it look like he was well-versed in this process. However he ended up delaying our paperwork, making mistakes, costing us money and finally we fired him and took up this project on our own. We hired him for peace of mind, but instead were under constant turmoil with his screw-ups. If you take the time to read through the USCIS site and instructions, I believe you can figure it out on your own. But it does take a lot of time, so if you decide to go with the lawyer to save time and effort, be smart about it and always remember you have the right to terminate the contract if he/she does not come through on the terms.

Every case is different, but be prepared to prove you can support your husband/wife by showing the last three tax years. Unfortunately, I was in graduate school for two of the years required so I was not able to prove support. Luckily others, such as family, can elect to support the immigrant so I was able to prove support via my family. His salary could not be used although he supported us and worked legally in the U.S.

In the end, don't give up! It takes a lot of patience. If you have questions, feel free to comment and I'll do my best to answer. The green card came 2 months after we submitted all documents but this does not indicate your time frame. It only serves as an example.