• Jaded Alien
• He Said, She Said
• Asides
• Aliens
• Colophon

Saturday, November 10, 2007

A recent post in an immigration forum I read highlighted what J and I have long thought - that the biggest cause for illegal immigration is that it’s a simpler and faster way for families.

Take Jake’s case. She entered the US in 2004 on the Visa Waiver Program, married her American boyfriend and didn’t bother returning to the UK after her 3 month visa was up. In July of this year, Jake finally applied for legal status and she had her Green Card in hand by the end of October. She overstayed by 3 years, and was granted permanent resident status within 4 months of finally applying for it, with no penalty. There was no forced separation, no fine, no nothing.

Unfortunately, her story is not that unusual. Even if she had been caught, there are so many waivers and appeals that can be filed, it would take years to wade through it without the US government being able to deport her. She would’ve stayed in the US with her husband until eventually, she would have the same end result, legal permanent residency.*

Now look at my case. Going the legal route, J and I have been living in different countries for 11 months. Odds are good that we’ll remain separated when our 9 year wedding anniversary rolls around on November 30th, and it’s highly likely we’ll be spending Christmas apart. There is no end in sight for us, no telling when we’ll finally be together. We are completely at the mercy of the NVC (National Visa Center), and it’s taking a huge toll on our marriage.

I ask you - if you were looking at ways to get your ‘alien’ spouse in to the USA quickly and without much fuss, which story would be more appealing to you?

* This assumes that the ‘alien’ has entered the country legally and has become illegal by overstaying. The same options are not available to those who entered without inspection and are undocumented.

Not Quite An Alien ...

Welcome to Jaded Alien, the personal weblog of a Kiwi girl and her whanau running the gamut of US immigration in an attempt to move from a sleepy New Zealand town to the hustle and bustle of Sin City.

If you're an existing member, please log in below or consider registering.

Username:

Password:

Auto-login on future visits
Show my name in the online users list

Forgot your password?

Breaking News!

There are 0 days and 0 hours until the Aliens land!

Tag Cloud

immigration house hunting kiwi moving family life new zealand music pms comedian sick maori lazy sin city vegas blogging expressionengine illegal immigration stuff rugby revenge teen angst