I want to share my 16 year experience so far...

[eddy__ 0]

It all started in March of 1995. I was three years old and living in Mexico with my mom while my dad was legally in the U.S. working and coming home for the holidays. Well in March my parents made the decision of finally reuniting for good and my mom and I crossed without inspection into the U.S. Shortly after my dad filed a petition for my mom and I and it got approved right away with a priority day in fall of 1995, now all we had to do was wait for our priority date to become current. Unfortunately enough, my dad passed away two years later at the age of 31 :/ So our petition died with him as my dad only being a permanent resident. If he had been a USC, the petition could have gone on. Well me and my stayed illegally in the U.S. thereafter. In winter of 2009 we heard rumors from friends that congress had passed a new widows immigration law and in it was some benefits for beneficiaries of Legal Permanent residents. It stated that now if a LPR died, the petition could go on with a new sponsor. and it was retroactive for 2 years so families who were victims of this could have a chance to reopen their case. IDK why it took us so long to ask around, the law was passed in Oct of 2009 and we contacted a lawyer in Jan of 2011. but when we went with the lawyer, she didn't know what she was talking about!! she was saying that this law had always been in act, and that we had 2 years from the time that my dad passed away to reopen the case. but i knew she was wrong!! so then 4 months later we contacted one of the best immigration attorneys in san diego to ask for her council. she agreed with us and said that we had until oct of 2011 to reopen the case since this was a new law and it was retroactive for 2 years only. well unfortunately she couldn't do anything for my mom because she had an issue with the BCP. so our lawyer told me that i was the only one to possibly benefit from this. but she wasn't sure if i could file since my mother was the person in the petition and i was a beneficiary. so she told me to wait while she met with IO's and shared my case with them and ask for their opinion. well it turns out that the IO's didn't even know much about the law because they didn't know it was retroactive. but once they fully read the addition to the law they agreed that i was able to file as a beneficiary of a petition and apply for AOS. so i was all happy. BUT then she told me that i needed a new sponsor who was either a parent, grandparent, child, grandchild, sibling, or brother or sister in-law as the law stated. my dad passed away so that only leaves my mom who doesn't qualify. only have on grandparent who resides in mexico. dont have siblings, and certainly dont have kids non the less grandkids. i told her i had neither but she said that we could go ahead and file with just another relative and hope that its okay for them. so FINALLY we filed in mid september. I wanna add that i was working illegally too with a company, but unfortunately ICE came in and audited the companys i-9s and they gave me a chance to provide proper documents or else they would terminate my employment, but they ended up terminating my employment. so now we filed in mid sept, paid $2,070 to file. $1,000 fine. the reason i am able to AOS in the U.S. is because i am protected under the L.I.F.E. act that was in act until sept of 2001 which i dont get punish for entering without inspection into the U.S. and also for working without INS authorization. since my priority date is from '95.

I received my NOA notices in early october followed by my biometric appt for the end of oct. I did a walk-in for my biometrics without a problem, they didn't even care nor ask question. i went on a wednesday afternoon and there was only 3 people ahead of me. took about 25 mins. there was only one employee operating the fingerprint and picture machine, there was 2 at lunch.

the company that i was working with offered me my job back as soon as i fixed everything. so as soon as i did my biometrics i contacted USCIS and asked them to expedite my EAD due to financial loss. they told me that they will get back at me in about 5 days. they NEVER did!! so a week later i contacted my congressmans office. asked them if they could help me expedite my EAD because i had a financial loss and i had a job offer, so i included all my NOA copies along with my stamped biometric notice and an employment offer letter that i asked my employer to type so i could show my congressmans office. i dropped off the necessary papers and the next day the sent me a letter saying that they had contacted USCIS and asked them to expedite my EAD and as soon as they got a reply they would contact me and also thanking me for counting on them to help me out with my issue. 4 business days later after i dropped off the papers, i got a call from the congressmans office saying that they had gotten a reply and that the previous day they had approved my EAD and started production on it and i should receive it in about 7-14 days. I was soooooo happy!!! finally after 16 years i will be legally in the U.S.!!! and i can have my job back! so now i am patiently waiting for my EAD in the mail.

and hope for the best that i qualify to Adjust my status without any problems.

but thats my story so far =D

I want to thank everyone on this wonderful website for all their friendly inputs on everything! its because of you guys that i did a successful early walk-in for my biometrics and also that i was able to know that i could contact my congressman for help on expediting my EAD due to a employment offer and knew how to handle it due to your guys experiences that you guys post on here!

[TBoneTX 49,665]

Congratulations, si man!

[jameugiekaxavilon 25]

Congratulations!! :)