Third Time’s The Charm; Hopefully (O:

Please scroll down to the end of this post to see the updates on my green card interview.

In case you are wondering what I have been up to here in the last 4-5 days; let me tell ya, I haven’t been able to focus on this blog at all because I am real busy with the preparation for my green card interview.

All that running around, gathering documents, countless visits to lawyers, endless emails to immigration office and many other preparations for this interview is finally coming to an end in 4 days. Hopefully (O:

I started the initial steps in applying for my green card through my marriage almost 4 years ago and it has been a hell of a ride from the gecko. In my first interview way back in 2009; USCIS misplaced my papers and my case was kept on hold for months. It is not right when you have to suffer even though none of it is your fault. Ya know what I mean?

After 7 months of the initial interview; I got a letter from US immigration stating that I was supposed to submit a document a month earlier and had passed the deadline. What sucks is that neither me nor my lawyer was given any kind of a deadline or any correspondence to submit the document that was supposedly missing…

I had to come up with 2,600 dollars (lawyer fees included), within 15 days, to reapply or else they were going to cancel my process. Shit! Ya know, all that stress took a toll not only on me but also on my better half.

After I got everything ready again, for the second interview; it was bad luck or should I say the worst luck I ever had. Yup! I got accused of selling alcohol to a minor at a store where I am still employed. I knew it from the start that something fishy was going on when 3 Grand prairie police officer showed up to the store at about 8:00pm, accusing me of selling alcohol to a minor; a 16 year old female. One of the officers wrote me a ticket saying that I had to turn myself in at GP police department in 15 days time.

The very next day, me and my boss repeatedly checked the store cameras only to find out that I had sold beer to only 13 females the previous day I was at work. And none of them fit the description of the minor the police gave me. As a matter of fact, all thirteen of them were regular customers that come in the store on a daily basis.

So it turns out, what I believed in from the start was true. They had no proof to pin me for selling alcohol to a minor because, it didn’t ever happen. I had the video to prove it and they knew it.

I had a strong faith in myself and believed that everything was going to be all right. To tell ya the truth; Faith and support from the family were the only 2 things that stopped me from going insane during that time.

It took them 2 years to actually drop the alcohol case – by Texas law if they don’t file a case within 2 years of committing a crime, they can’t pursue the case any longer.

But the sad thing is, I got screwed again because of that incident. My green card interview was again delayed for over 2 years, till the result of the alcohol case was finalized.

Long story short;

During these four years since I first started working on my green card, I wrote numerous emails and letters to courts, lawyers, US immigration and other government agencies for all the issues that I was having and why I was having those issues. And guess what; they had no reply for it. Period! They would just send me here and there and back to the same place where I initially started, again and again. They had me going in circles.

The thing about this is if the immigration department had done its job right in the first place, things could have turned out to be a lot different (O:

On the flip side, I know that shit happens when they are not supposed to. There are good times and then there are bad times in life. It is part of life!

Anyways; it’s all good for this time around. My life changing moment is finally here; again. Four days ago, I received a letter from the United States immigration stating that my new interview date is set for 10:00 on March 30th 2010.

Yippie Ki-Yay!

I ain’t gonna lie; I am very very excited and totally nervous at the same time!

This is my third interview and they say THIRD TIME’S THE CHARM. Right!

This is a keystone incident for me so I am making sure everything goes as smoothly as planned.

Wish me luck (O:

UPDATES:

03/30/2011:

Interview went good. Didn’t end up with a green card but did make some headway!

Come to find out, my fingerprints were expired and I had to do another one. Honestly, I didn’t even know fingerprints ever expired (O:

Anyways, I got an appointment for fingerprints sometime next week. I don’t know exactly when but I will keep you updated right here. So, stay tuned!

04/02/2011:

Today, I received a letter for my biometrics – fingerprints – which is scheduled for 04/26/2011 at 11:00 am. Can’t wait to get it done (O:

04/26/2011:

Lady Luck was on my side today – I got to do the fingerprint without having a valid ID. I was afraid that I wouldn’t be able to do it because all my ID’s were expired. I can’t renew anything till I get my green card; not even my driver license…Funny how the system works (O: Everything is good now but more than anything else I hope I don’t have to go to another interview…I just hate the interview…they ask too many personal questions…sometimes way too personal!

05/11/2011:

Green card baby!

Today, as I opened the letter from USCIS, my eyes landed first on the bold headline right on the middle of the page;

WELCOME TO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

The letter was sent to congratulate me on my permanent residency status. After years and years of running around, headaches and heartaches this chapter is finally closed…or should I say just begun (O:

I will be receiving the actual card within three weeks.

05/13/2011:

I received my Green card today. Here is me holding the card:

A new chapter in my life has just begun…(O:

Before you go... Subscribe to our Newsletter to get timely tips and advice for your successful online endeavor! Subscribe to the RSS feed to read the blog posts in the feed reader! Follow me on Twitter Connect with me in Facebook