writting your extream hardship lett...er

[MariiAlv 0]

Hello everybody, well i wanted to ask if anybody can help me. I went to speak to my lawyeron fridayshe gave me a list of some intructions to wriiting my letter she said to take my timei have till march 4th, But she kinda just said (writte a letter from the bottom of your heart, with reall feallings, how you would suffer ect...) well i get that but she never told me if it had to be in any special format....do i just grab a pencil and paper and start expressing my feelings or what? because am guessing they are the ones that puts it together rigt? If not why are we paying for lawyers? Please help me guys......Thanxxxx!

[Loverules 0]

I agree with you

[VanessaTony 3,567]

Nope you're the one that writes it. They can't write it. It's YOUR statement. If they wrote it it wouldn't be your statement. They might tell you what needs to be edited, but unless you do something really wrong they're unlikely to change it.

You are writing a letter that explains why being apart would be an extreme hardship for you and your spouse/family. Basically, you've just had an officer ask you "Why should we approve your waiver? how would you suffer?" and THAT is the question you are answering with your letter.

Personally i would start with something like:

"My name is _____ and I have been married to _____ since _____. I have known her since _____ and we have been together since ______.

I am writing to request your approval of my waiver for _______ (illegal presence or whatever).

_____ and I have been apart since ______. [then go on to explain how this separation makes you feel, how it affects your life]."

Remember this is YOUR letter. You can mention your spouse being upset or whatever but it's just hearsay. That would be in her statement (she's writing one right?). Mention financial hardship (if that applies), emotional distress, how your life is better together... etc etc.

[dwheels76 5,462]

Hello everybody, well i wanted to ask if anybody can help me. I went to speak to my lawyeron fridayshe gave me a list of some intructions to wriiting my letter she said to take my timei have till march 4th, But she kinda just said (writte a letter from the bottom of your heart, with reall feallings, how you would suffer ect...) well i get that but she never told me if it had to be in any special format....do i just grab a pencil and paper and start expressing my feelings or what? because am guessing they are the ones that puts it together rigt? If not why are we paying for lawyers? Please help me guys......Thanxxxx!

And you are paying this person? Goodness I would go to the I-601 Waiver forum here on VJ http://www.visajourn...processes-221g/ and research.

And also go to http://immigrate2us.net they specialize in waivers and hardships.

Fire the lawyer I say. Goodness that's just lazy or they are just dumb.

Edited January 7, 2013 by dwheels76

[mrs behappy 0]

U can also got a good helt at immigrate2us there are a lot of people dealing with waiver doubts http://immigrate2us.net/forum/showthread.php?111516-Examples-of-Approved-Waivers-HSL-through-Lockbox Good luck!!!

[MariiAlv 0]

Thnx guys....onother thing is that why when i search approved extream hardship letters: the results show a packet that is very thick from paper is that how much i have to write?.. (worried)

[Penguin_ie 5,986]

*** Moving from CR- to Waivers forum for more answers ****

The letter should be just one page heartfelt, explaining why it is a EXTREME hardship and you need the waiver (remember it needs to be extreme hardship, not just a little annoyance).

The rest of the packet is documentation- doctors letters if you have a medical reason, documentation that you could not get a job in his home country, print outs from the Dept of State website saying it is dangerous for Americans there etc. Whatever you can supply. The waiver is NOT just a letter, it is much more, ie documentation.

[canadian_wife 1,791]

Your hardship letter is a minor part of the waiver packet

Simply explaining why you need your spouse back isn't enough. The remaining parts of the packet ar documentation of your hardship

good luck

[together4evr 360]

Here is an axample from immigrate2us.net

To Whom it may concern,

My name is XXXXXX XXXXXX I am a United States Citizen. (See Cert) I am a registered voter ID number XXXXXX. The purpose of this letter is to explain the best way I can the extreme hardship that I am enduring due to the absence of my Fiance XXXXXX XXXXX. I XXXX XXXXX declare under penalty of perjury, under the laws of the United States, that the foregoing is true and correct. Thank you for taking the time to give my case consideration.

Background.

Fiance and I met in 2006 in a grocery store where he and I worked and became friends. In August 2007 Fiance’s brother who was 15 years of age was diagnosed with terminal cancer. His family and mine had close relations and therefore my family and I spent long hours at Children’s Memorial Hospital in XXXXXX where Fiance’s brother XXXX was hospitalized, to support Fiance’s family during this painful time. Spending long hours together through the extreme mental suffering Fiance and I became very close and a powerful and special bond developed between us. We found comfort in each-other at a time when comfort was in short supply.

In October 2007 Fiance and his family took the decision to move back to Cyprus so that XXXXX could see his relatives one last time and be able to pass at his place of birth. XXXXX passed away on the 20th of XXXXXX 2007. Although at the time my separation with fiancé was extremely painful, we both understood that he had to leave and face a long and difficult period where he, at the age of 20 was forced to abandon his promising college education to find employment to support his severely depressed parents while coping his own severe depression, coupled with the pain of relocation away from not only me but his closest friends and the people he had grown up with for the last, near 7 years in Chicago.

From the time fiancé left Chicago we have kept close contact. We tried over the years to reunite but due to that he was barred from re-entering the United States (due to visa overstay) and that my parents would not allow me to travel alone before the age of 20, our reunion became impossible until I was finally allowed in June of 2011. Having only been reunited for about a month after three and a half years apart, we both knew that we wanted to spend the rest of our lives together.

In April of 2012, anticipating Fiance’s University graduation in the coming July, we applied for a I-129F Fiance visa. In August we were approved and Alien after gathering the necessary evidence appeared for an interview at the Nicosia Consulate. There, we were referred to the I-601 waiver process due to that he had overstayed the tourist visa he came on as a child.

About Fiance

Fiance comes from a good family which highly values education. Since starting school he was sent to private schools in Cyprus his entire life up until the time he came to the United States. His parents decided to move to the United States on the 7th of August 2001 to seek better prospects for the future of their children after some unfortunate circumstances made life extremely difficult for them in Cyprus. Although the family arrived legally with intent to become permanent residents, this never came to fruition resulting in a visa overstay.

When Fiance and his younger brother XXXXXX were brought to the United States, Fiance had only just turned 14 years of age. At the time of the family’s voluntary departure from the United States in October of 2007, fiancé had had reached the age of 20 only two months earlier.

During his time in the United States Fiance graduated from XXXXXXX High School in XXXX and went on to attend XXXXXX College and maintained an impressive 3.4 GPA for his freshman year(SEE Exhibit #). Shortly after starting his sophomore year in college Fiance decided to withdraw from college to spend the little time he had left with his terminally ill brother in the hospital.

After returning to Cyprus, Fiance, having abandoned his college education, started working to support his severely depressed parents after the passing of XXXXX. When his parents had sufficiently recovered, Fiance decided to return to college and study law. After one successful year at the XXXXXX College in Nicosia, Cyprus, he transferred to the University of XXXXXX, School of Law in XXXXXX, UK. There, among other things he participated in the Law Society, lead a volunteer pro-bono group and graduated with an award and honors, ranking 6th out of the 73 in his class (SEE Exhibit #). Alien has recently been registered as trainee lawyer (SEE Exhibit #) in Cyprus which requires good moral character. Alien has a clean police record from Cyprus and the UK.

The only minor blemish present on Fiance’s United States police record is a misdemeanor conviction for “failure to present a driver’s license” at the age of 19. Despite it not being on record, fiancé has also mentioned an arrest which he was subject to at the age of approximately 14-16 for possessing a smoking pipe which allegedly may have been used to smoke a controlled substance. That arrest resulted in no monetary fine, no court hearing or even any mention on his police or court records. Fiance was at the time released to his father without any obvious legal consequences other than an apparent warning. While he admits having had a smoking pipe he has always denied that it was used to smoke a controlled substance (See exibit for more information). For the pipe arrest, regardless of being very young and only trying to impress what he now knows to have been the wrong, older crowd in high school, Fiance is extremely regretful and feels very ashamed. Similarly, he is very remorseful for his last arrest at the age of 19 which concerned the traffic misdemeanor.

Today, no longer a naïve teenager but instead a responsible adult employed by a reputable law firm in Cyprus and, having worked exceptionally hard for his academic achievements, Alien would not contemplate breaking the law in any way. The high expectation of good moral conduct expected from lawyers is permanently at the forefront of his conscience.

Hardship

Honorable adjudicator I present you the most fundamental reasons why departing from the United States to Join Fiance in Cyprus and continue building our lives together would present the utter and most extreme hardship. Although my love and need for him is paramount, I fear for my parents’ safety, health and wellbeing in the United States without me and Alien by their side. Contemplating a choice between Fiance and my family has had and continues to have a profoundly negative effect on both my mental and physical health. For the reasons I set below, I implore you to consider our case in the brightest light so that Fiance and I can be re-united in the United States to raise our family and contribute our skills and labor to the society of our Great Nation.

1) Family Hardships

My family has always been very close, and especially since we moved to the United States where we needed to rely on each-other to adjust. We still maintain as close a family bond as and support system as ever. Recent developments with my father’s health have made my role in the family more important than ever before for both his health and the family’s finances as a whole. I explain below in great detail why relocating to Cyprus to live with Fiance would be an extremely immoral choice to make to my family’s severe detriment and why it is in the best interest of my family, myself and (in my view) society to allow Fiance to return to The United States.

a) Father’s Severe Medical Condition

My father suffers from a debilitating mental condition which his doctors believe to be a severe form of Bipolar Disorder with some speculation about Schizophrenia. The development of the disorder which has rapidly progressed since 2009 and requires year round close monitoring, consistent medication and constant interaction, all of which I am responsible for, in addition to reporting to his doctors. The symptoms which with the help of medication are relatively manageable and mild throughout most of the year become severe and debilitating and dangerous during the spring months. This past spring of 2012, we experienced for the first time the extreme and unmanageable form of the disorder called ‘Mania.’ It is highly likely that this coming spring season, the anticipated onset will render him unemployed/able and requiring institutionalization which were both narrowly avoided this past spring of 2012. Below I describes in great detail the experience my family has had thus far with my father’s illness and also why my responsibility as not only his family but also as his primary caregiver through my education and training makes me vital to his stability and in turn that of my family, making it prohibitively immoral for me to abandon him in a time of need and chose my own life together with fiancé overseas.

Bipolar Disorder presents itself in two forms, one being the more manageable form which is depression, and the second, a severe and dangerous form which is characterized by manic episodes.

In 2009 my father first showed signs of depression for which I made appointments with our family doctor. Doctor Michael S. XXXXX (SEE Exhibit #) prescribed medication which helped suppress the symptoms and after taking 5 weeks off from work my father was able to return to work.

In 2010 and 2011 the same, albeit slightly more severe depressions took hold of him resulting in many weeks off from work. This year however (2012) he and our family as a whole experienced for the first time a much more severe form of Bipolar Disorder characterized by manic episodes which have fundamentally changed our health, safety and financial concerns for the future.

The symptoms were extreme and threatened his life and that of others. They included erratic and often alarming and dangerous behavior towards himself and others, mainly my mother.

He underwent phases of paranoid delusions (which are symptoms of the most severe form of Bipolar Disorder and potentially of a more severe mental disorder called schizophrenia) believing that people were pursuing him on the road and this led him to drive very dangerously through traffic to escape his imaginary pursuers, placing in great danger other members of my family in the car and the general public. On one such occasion he had ordered my mother to jump out of his moving vehicle so that “she could get away”.

He did not sleep at night but paced back and forth in the family’s residence keeping us all awake in fear of what he may do to himself or us.

He spent much time in the garage, for no apparent reason disassembling all sorts of objects down to every bolt along with other item which where around him.

He also believed that the neighbor was after him. Communication with him was next to impossible.

The situation had deteriorated to such an uncertain and unpredictably level that it was almost necessary for him to be institutionalized for his own safety and that of others. His extreme mood swings, rage and inability to communicate successfully combined with his unpredictability were most terrifying seeing that bipolar has the highest rate of suicides compared to other psychiatric illnesses, (SEE Exhibit #). Our family doctor Dr. Michael XXXXXX and our psychiatrist Dr. Ann XXXXXXX both of who I maintain close contact with insisted that we contact a mental institution for help. Following the doctors’ orders we went to XXXXXX Lakeshore Hospital where we were told to bring him in.

After visiting the referred mental hospital with my mother and talking to the staff about our situation, we decided that we would try our hardest to see him through this phase for a bit longer before resorting to such a drastic and potentially final measure. The reasons for this decision were both economic and emotional. My father is my family’s main provider and we would not be able to cope financially without him. We were also not prepared for such a step as a family as it could damage our relationship with him permanently for institutionalizing him.

Initially and after my father’s mental state had deteriorated substantially he refused to acknowledge that something was even wrong with him and also refused to see a psychiatrist. He eventually after very gentle and subtle persuasion from me agreed to meet the Psychiatrist Dr. Ann XXXXXX (SEE Exhibit #).

I have from the start, been the one to communicate with my father’s psychiatrist and receive instructions on specifically how his medication is to be administered which was a difficult task in itself. My father does not take the medication on his own and has to be reminded every time about its necessity, he often reacts with frustration and aggravation therefore requiring a special approach which only I have been able to provide effectively.

There is nobody else around my father capable of providing the necessary care and monitoring. My mother, besides not having any training, does not speak English which makes it impossible for her to communicate with his doctors. Further, when my father is in a manic state she cannot react appropriately because she cannot adjust to the situation and instead becomes emotional or aggravated with him, further exacerbating his condition. On the other hand, when my father is in a manic state or even during depression, he is most aggressive towards my mother. These factors make it impossible for them to effectively communicate and help each other. My brother, works long hours and when he is not at work he prefers to leave the house for as long as possible, refuses to discuss the matter and pretends that our father is not facing any such mental problems.

I am the only person in my family capable of effectively managing my father’s condition. As an individual who, has already completed several medical courses, and has much experience with patient care I am most capable of providing the care and monitoring which my father’s doctors prescribe. I have completed Practical Licensed Nursing Program in 2010 (SEE Exhibit #) and attended the 26th Annual Mood Disorder Research/Education Symposium in Baltimore MD at John Hopkins Medical Center on the 24th of May 2012 (SEE Exhibit #) which is considered the second in the country for medical research. My attendance at the symposium educated me how to monitor and deal with the disorder, recognize even the slightest change in behavior and refer to his doctors for measures in order to avoid severe episodes when possible. I am also currently enrolled in a pre-med and psychology degree and expecting to continue into studying medicine after I graduate in 2014.

Similar to the responsibility of making sure my father takes his medication, it has also been my task to spend long hours every day interacting with him in order to keep his mental condition stable. Maintaining a stable and consistent environment is equally important to treating individuals suffering from Bipolar Disorder as medication.

If I took what I consider to be an absolutely immoral choice of leaving my father to join fiancé in Cyprus, it is absolutely certain that my absence will destabilize and exacerbate my father’s condition to the point of institutionalization, pushing my remaining family in the States in need of government aid and severe distress. If Fiance were allowed to return to The United States, I could continue to care for my father without jeopardizing, the security of my family as a whole and the stability of my father’s mental health.

b) Financial Hardship

If this yearly trend continues and my father relapses into another seasonal phase this coming spring, which is almost certain to happen, there is a great probability that he will no longer be able to work and be our primary provider. During the latest phase, my mother and I managed to convince my father’s manager to keep him employed despite his long absence of 6 weeks and antisocial behavior with other employees. Since 2009 my father has taken increasingly more time off from work around the spring season to face his health concerns. It is understood that his manager would not be able to provide this generous flexibility in the next such episode. From a financial perspective his loss of income would devastate our family’s ability to survive for reasons I will explain below.

I am currently a full time University student in the junior (3rd of 4) year of my Bachelors in Psychology/ Pre-Med degree, and dependent on my parents. In my family my father is the primary provider with an average yearly income of $XX,XXX (SEE Exhibit #) with my mother only making $X,XXX(See income Tax) with her home cleaning services. Our annual family expenses are approximately $XX,XXX (SEE Exhibit #) which my brother helps cover after he has paid his own bills.

My mother is reliant on me for her employment in order to gain new clients due to that she cannot speak English. I accompany her to interviews so that I can translate both to her and the potential clients any agreements and arrangements for work to be done. I am also responsible for scheduling and managing her weekly appointments.

The estimated $4,500 which I pay for my annual University education, after scholarships and grants has always been paid by me because in previous years, before my father experienced a manic episode I was able to work alongside my education. While I have been able to meet my expenses for this academic year, it is difficult to predict if this will be possible next year. If, my father loses his job and is not able to work after another manic or even depressive episode I would have no choice but to set aside my ambitions to become a mental health doctor which I have worked my entire school life for and look for employment which does not require a university degree. This employment would be necessary in order to help meet family’s expenses while also providing the care my father requires.

I have already taken precautions for that possibility by selling my car for $7,500 and resorting to public transportation so that I could have some money on the side to allow my family to best adjust to our primary loss of income until I can find a job.

If Fiance was allowed to re-enter the United States I would not need to set aside my education to provide for my parents and could go on to become a mental health doctor to help people like my father. Fiance would be an invaluable and necessary contributor to the wellbeing of my family in the occasion that my father is no longer able to work.

2) Personal Health Hardship

While the brunt of my father’s care and treatment has fallen on my shoulders, I do not blame my family for not being able to help because I also feel the immense psychological suffering and unyielding pain from seeing my father who has always been by my side growing up, deteriorate into such a heartbreakingly debilitating mental state.

The only reason why I have had the strength this far, to push on with his treatment while fighting my own psychological state, is because of the strength that Alien gives me. Having suffered a much worse tragedy with the death of his 15 year old brother, he knows and understands the upheaval of a sudden illness and tragedy in the family and the impact it bears on everyone, making some family members unable to cope and respond to the badly developing situation. He would spend long hours away from his final semester study at law school to comfort me and give me strength, from The UK.

The ongoing health and family concerns from my father’s most recent Bipolar Manic phase, combined with the stress of Fiance’s absence are increasingly affecting my health and wellbeing. The effects of the current situation are also evident my ability to keep up in school and socially. I feel that my father’s health and my fiancés absence are tearing me apart and I greatly fear for my own mental health in the immediate future due to the hereditary nature of Bipolar Disorder and the way which an early onset of the irreversible condition could be triggered through prolonged stress periods. The above is scientifically supported in research on mood disorders and in my case specifically confirmed in a letter report by Dr. Katherine XXXXX who is a clinical psychologist and a professor at XXXXXXX XXXXXX.

Being a pre-med student with some understanding of psychology, I am aware that sudden, reoccurring and prolonged separation from a loved one can lead a person, such as in my case to a form of depression. While this depression is to be expected and to some people harmless to some degree, this is not the instance with my own health. My case is complicated dangerously by the following factors.

First, in addition to the separation stress and anxiety from Fiance, I am personally facing the extremely mentally taxing issue of my father’s health and the uncertainty of an abrupt relapse into another dangerous manic stage and also the pressure to maintain my grades to a standard allowing me to enter medical school. The sum of stress factors is becoming increasingly more than I can handle. Bipolar Disorder develops from a combination of biological (hereditary) and environmental factors. Research suggests that “mental, emotional and environmental issues, stressful life events are thought to be the main element in the development of bipolar disorder. These can range from a death in the family to the loss of a job, from the birth of a child to a move.” (SEE Exhibit #) In my case the factors are multiple and therefore significantly intensified.

Secondly, I am genetically predisposed to the same incurable and debilitating condition which could be triggered at any moment by the previously mentioned factors. “In families of persons with bipolar disorder, first-degree relatives (parents, children, siblings) are more likely to have a mood disorder than the relatives of those who do not have bipolar disorder.” (SEE Exhibit #)

My father’s father, (my grandfather) we now strongly believe also suffered from Bipolar Disorder which was not diagnosed in those days in his native Poland as psychiatric medicine was not advanced at the time. My grandfather while normally a pleasant individual would unexplainably turn violent and abusive, consistent with occurrence very similar to those of my father’s manic episodes. Research has found that “risks for family members of developing bipolar disorder increase with the number of affected relatives and their degree of relatedness”. (SEE Exhibit #)

I live with the fear every day that I may too after much negative mental pressure and depression develop irreversible Bipolar disorder. Knowing this, it is extremely important to avoid the prolonged stress factors and if and when possible to engage in activities and interaction of a positive nature to counterbalance and alleviate stress. For me, the most effective way of reducing stress, maintaining a mental balance and generally feeling like myself has been through spending time with FIANCE.

After my father had become stable in late May 2012 and the manic phase had subsided, I flew to Europe to meet Alien because I desperately needed to be with him after my father’s taxing ordeal. After we spent time together I felt mentally alleviated and physically reinvigorated, having found support from Alien to face my family’s situation with renewed strength.

I left Fiance in Cyprus on the 15th of August and returned there on December 27th again to spend what time I had during the holidays. Every time we are together I regain my mental strength and stability only to have them wane again considerably as soon as we part. I my life has become a dangerous, emotional rollercoaster throughout the year. I consider myself a strong woman but as much as I hate to admit it, the sum of negative contributors in my life is starting to increasingly take its toll on me. I have lost interest in any kind of social life that I previously had. I have lost interest in food and my appetite to a point where I have to remind myself to eat when a meal is due in order to stay physically healthy but even that is proving to be difficult and most likely the reason for losing around 15 pounds since September from my already thin build. My female health cycle has also become very erratic and abnormal which is often associated with increased stress. I am finding it increasingly harder to concentrate with my university work and I am unable to fall asleep at night despite being exhausted. Many times, the next day, as much as I try to resist it, I fall asleep on the train which takes me to my University. When that happens I become especially frightened of what my happen to me while asleep, especially when returning at night. I can honestly yet reluctantly say that my father’s most recent developments combined with Fiance not being at my side to support me in all this, has derailed any prospects and expectations of safety and stability that I felt.

If (God forbid) I was to develop Bipolar Disorder, it would be highly unlikely that I could continue to care for my father due to my own unstable condition, in fact my onset of bipolar is certain to further destabilize him as he will certainly notice my suffering. Further, I would not be able to continue the demanding education to become a doctor. The situation even has the potential to degrade to a state where my mother would have to take care of both my father and me and with her extremely low income and inability to communicate in English this would be an impossible challenge. If the former were to happen, it would become necessary to rely on government and/or other welfare to survive.

If alien were allowed to return to the US, I could escape the current mentally suffocating cycle between my father’s condition and Fiance’s absence. I implore you, honorable adjudicator to consider my health and how Alien’s mentally damaging absence to me would be transformed to a force of support for myself and my parents for a sound mental and financial future.

3) Travel Hardship

Since our reunion in June of 2011, I travel twice a year to meet Alien in Europe, once around summer and then during the Christmas Holidays. The most recent trip for the 2012-2013 winter break is costing us $1216.00 USD for the flight alone and includes eighteen hours travel in each direction. On one other instance during my return to the United States in mid-August of 2011 I spent about 35 hours in airports before reaching home in order to get on the least expensive combination of flights. As a young couple with little to no income, Alien and I have nearly depleted our savings to be able to spend time and travel together. If Alien were allowed to re-enter the United States we could save a substantial amount of money each year to build our future and I would be less worried about my father’s health while away being with Alien.

4) Political and Social Hardships of relocating in Cyprus

For the reasons I set forth in this part I consider the past and current political climate and also several significantly worrying cultural factors to amount to an extreme hardship for moving to Cyprus to live with Alien and eventually raise a family there.

a) Political Conflict and Foreign Threats

As you may be aware, since the invasion of Cyprus in 1974 by Turkey, the Island has been divided and The United Nations peace keepers are present to maintain peace between the Turkish Cypriot community and the Greek Cypriot community. The clashes and instances of violence and even deaths (SEE Exhibit #) have nevertheless continued despite the efforts of the UN ever since the invasion. The some of the more recent threats of military action have come in September of 2011 when Turkey threatened to attack Cyprus and deployed warships in the region stating “It is for this reason that we built our army and trained our soldiers,” (SEE Exhibit #). These recent threats are due to the discovery of large natural gas reserves in the continental waters of the Republic of Cyprus which Turkey disputes. It is a known fact that many conflicts around the world are sparked or reignited by hydrocarbon reserves in disputed borders. One similar recent example is the chain of disputed, gas-rich Islands which both Japan and China claim in the South China Sea which is very heated and remains unsettled (SEE Exhibit #).

In addition to the constant tension and threats from Turkey, there are two large British military bases in Cyprus. Aside from that Cyprus is located in one of the most volatile regions on the planet, recent developments regarding Iran’s nuclear program which may be used to produce nuclear weapons, the British bases in Cyprus which NATO uses along with the rest of the Island’s population could be in grave danger. Iran already possesses missiles which place Cyprus well within its range even without having nuclear capability and may contemplate attacking British forces, should a war break out between NATO allies and Iran in the very near future (SEE Exhibit #).

While spending time with Alien in Cyprus I have seen the effects of the continuing conflict between the Republic of Cyprus and Turkey in the divided capital of Nicosia where Alien lives. Walking around the city center it is hard to ignore the blockaded roads, barbwire, heavily armed soldiers in their guard posts and bullet riddled buildings. This very negative and frightening environment caused me great anxiety and a sense of insecurity and fear. I do not feel safe while in Cyprus and could not imagine raising a family there, considering not only the turbulent past but also an uncertain future with very real foreign threats. If Alien were allowed to return to the US we could raise our family in a safe environment away from the fear of a war in our home.

b) Language and Employment Hardships

As a major point, I do not speak Greek which would make living in Cyprus and working exceptionally hard. Employment would be particularly hard to find since the youth unemployment rate in Cyprus is a staggering 29.3% and the overall 12.2% for the month of September (SEE Exhibit #) in contrast the unemployment rate in Illinoi is significantly lower at 8.8% for September and October (SEE Exhibit #).

Cyprus, like Greece is currently negotiating austerity measures in order to receive an EU backed bailout due to its exposure to Greek debt which has crippled the domestic banks. For the next several years the economy is projected to shrink causing more mass unemployment and social upheaval much like in other EU states undergoing a serious crisis. The United States economy on the other hand is gradually improving.

c) Xenophobia and Racism

The current financial crisis in Cyprus has exacerbated xenophobia in many people who blame “foreigners” such as myself for ruining the economy (SEE Exhibit #). In the last several years a new far right, nationalist group called ELAM, similar to that the fascist Golden Dawn Party in Greece has emerged and is gaining popularity (SEE Exhibit #). The group preaches racism and hate for foreigners in Cyprus and there have even been violent incidents of hate crime. (SEE Exhibit #) The fact that far right, racist groups are considered socially acceptable and gather enough support to gain seats in government is cause for even further concern and persistent anxiety.

d) Human Trafficking

Cyprus is notorious for human trafficking for prostitution. The United States has ranked Cyprus together with Afghanistan and Liberia on human trafficking and sex exploitation and slave like conditions for women and children. Cyprus is the only EU member state to make the US State Department tier 2 watch-list, for a second year in a row (SEE Exhibit #). These facts give me particular cause for concern and anxiety when thinking about having children in the future.

e) Religion

Moving to Cyprus would cause religious hardship by making the practice of my religion as an important and routine part of my life extremely difficult.

My family and I have always been very devout Catholics. Since moving to Chicago in 2002 we have been part of the Polish Catholic community. We go to Church every single Sunday as a family. In the past I have been part of the choir at our church. The Polish Catholic community is very important to me as it has been part of my spiritual upbringing since the day I was born. Cyprus, where ALIEN lives, while having some sparsely scattered Catholic churches does not provide the Polish Catholic community which my family and I have been longtime members of.

More specifically the City of Nicosia where Fiance resides does not have a Polish mass. I have attended mass in English and other languages in the past and it is not the same for me. My whole life I have learned the prayers in Polish and being able to participate at mass is what makes my attendance spiritual. The feeling of spirituality cannot be achieved at a non-Polish Catholic Mass. The only option for me to attend Polish mass would be to travel to other cities which could be one and a half to over two hours away in each direction on Sunday evenings making an extreme hardship for my devoutly religious way of life. (SEE Exhibit #)

If Alien were allowed to return to the US, I could continue to practice my faith the way I always have, with my family around me.

f) Education Hardship

While I have always wanted to become a doctor, my father’s condition has turned my attention towards mental disorders. As stated before I am currently studying to become a doctor specialized in the area of mental illness and psychology. The reasons I set below explain why this would become extremely difficult if I were to remain in the United States without Alien or were to relocate to Cyprus to be with Fiance.

I am currently a junior year Pre-Med student at the University of XXXXXX. I have this academic year starting in the fall semester of 2012 decided to abandon my scholarships at the private Catholic XXXXXXX University in order to attend to join The University of XXXXXXX which conducts more research into medicine which interests me. Also, this Semester I am volunteering at XXXXXX Hospital (SEE Exhibit #), have time to monitor my father more closely and study to achieve a 3.7+ GPA in order to be able to have a good chance of entering a good medical school in the XXXXXXX area, where I can be near my family.

Currently my ability to continue my education is being jeopardized because, since my father’s last manic episode, I have abandoned my job and undertaken the responsibility for his care, observation and reporting to his doctors. The aforementioned, makes it impossible to gain a part time job, so that I can pay for my university education like I have thus far. If alien were allowed to return to the United States, he could help me pay for my education.

If I were to relocate to Cyprus, my chances of becoming a doctor would become even less plausible. Cyprus currently does not have a domestic medical school. The only medical program partially offered on the island is one by St George’s University of London which requires two years of the program to be completed in Cyprus and the other two to be completed in Chicago or in Tel Aviv, Israel. Such a program would have an effect of separating me and Fiance and defeating the purpose for the already immoral choice of leaving my family in XXXXXX. (SEE Exhibit #)

The program costs €25,000 Euros or approximately $34,000 USD annually plus the cost of living in the locations which the education is available. To this day I have been able to pay for my University education which is now only costing me $4,500 USD annually, since a great amount is covered by scholarships and government programs and the remainder paid through my own employment funds which I no longer earn to focus on my father’s health and studies.

Furthermore, entry into this medical program in Cyprus requires an undergraduate degree which I am not expected to have at least until summer 2014, something which would most certainly not be possible if another severe Bipolar episode develops in this coming spring and results in unemployment for my father.

g) Citizenship

The proudest day of my life was on DATE when I received United States Citizenship. Another proud moment for me was the first time I voted in the presidential elections of 2012. My family abandoned their work, extended family and home to come to the United States to offer my brother and I a better life and the American Dream and I believe few people my age can truly appreciate the rights freedom and opportunity we have as Americans. My family came from Poland which is a former member of the Soviet Union, at a time the country was still very corrupt and personal freedoms, meant little to nothing in practice. Poverty and destitution were and still are very widespread. Coming to the United States has offered me the opportunity to work hard in school, gain scholarships and advance to where I am today, only a year and a half from graduation and medical school. This has all given me a great deal of pride and sense of dignity. Leaving the United States would be an extreme hardship for that dignity and way of life which my family and I have dedicated over a decade of our lives to thus far.

Public Interest

Alien has a Law Degree from The University of XXXXXXX in XXXXXX, UK. He graduated in July 2012 in the top 10% of his class (SEE Exhibit #) and has written an award winning dissertation on corporate responsibility towards citizens and the environment which he is passionate about((SEE Exhibit #).

It is perhaps also noteworthy that Fiance has studied ‘Cyberlaw’ with great success and is greatly knowledgeable about the legal challenges presented by the internet in the areas of online piracy, hacking, cyber-warfare and online fraud to mention a few (SEE Exhibit #). These attributes are certainly of great public benefit to the United States, as it has become evident in the last decade that the United States along with the rest of the world is faced with great legal and political challenges borne from the new internet age. (SEE Exhibit #)

[together4evr 360]

There is a whole section on people who post their waivers for others to help them edit it.

Check out this site http://immigrate2us.net/forum/forumdisplay.php?66-HSL-Review

Heres another one to help guide you

Dear Sir/Madam,

I, XXX, a citizen of the United States of America (Exhibit A1) am writing this letter to you as a wife, daughter, and United States citizen to show and to prove to you that I will suffer extreme hardships if my husband, XXX is not granted this waiver to join me safely back in the United States to make something of the life we have dreamed of and have put on hold for close to two years. We are seeking an approval to this waiver so that we can continue to pursue and accomplish our dreams together and to keep the promises that we made to each other.

My husband came here at an early age and obviously did not come by choice, as he was underage and in the care of his parents. He had no control over coming here in the first place. XXX has completely adapted to our culture and way of life here in The United States. It is the only place he knows and calls home, this is where he belongs. My husband is very grateful for all the opportunities he has had in The United States and will have if he gets the opportunity to come back, he is destined to be great. My husband has also went through school and graduated in The United States (Exhibit A2), he has worked hard and has done what many citizens of this country don't even do, which is work and graduate from high school.

Mexico is his place of birth, but the United States is where he calls home and the only place for him.

XXX knows nothing about Mexico, it's a dangerous place. A week before Christmas 2011, he was in a very bad accident, he was hit by a public bus. Mexico is a dangerous place and my husband does not know how to adapt himself to living there from being in a place as safe as The United States. He had brain aneurysms, multiple cuts and bruises, nerve damage in his leg and has had to get half of his cranium removed. They gave him a small chance to live. He still can not move one of his eyebrows because the muscle has been damaged so bad. (Exhibit A3)

I am waiting for my husband to come back so he can get the proper medical care he needs, Mexico has not given him proper care at all. I fear if he doesnt get proper physical and mental therapy he is going to be suffering from this accident for the rest of his life. (Exhibit A4), I do not want that for my husband, it brings me to tears thinking that he has to go through this.

I understand and respect that your time is valuable but I have outlined the points that I feel need to be made as to why I absolutely CANNOT move to Mexico and why I need XXX with me.

Health

-Migraines

I suffer from severe migraines and do not know what has been causing them. It has progressively gotten worse throughout the last year. I often miss work due to sharp pain throughout my head, dizzyness, nauseu, and blurred vision. (Exhibit B1)

I need to get proper treatment for this before it turns into something worse and there is no way I would be able to go to a descent doctor in Mexico, as I do not know the language, good doctors, or would be able to get health insurance in a country where I am not even a citizen (Exhibit B2). Not only would there be a language barrier, but a lack of trust in the patient and physician relationship, the healthcare would be very different than what I'm used to.

When taking my husband to the doctor after his accident, after he had been released from the hospital, we had to wait outside around at least one hundred people for our name to be called. It was horrible, my husband could barely stand, there was no seats, my husband had to lean against me to even stay standing, it is sad how people have to live that can't afford good healthcare because they don't make enough money.

-Depression

Due to my husband/best friend being away from me I have suffered from depression. In July 2011, a month after my husband went to Mexico I had an emotional breakdown and was hospitalized. (Exhibit B3) I had abused alcohol in attempt to cover up my loneliness and almost lost my life. It has been very hard for me to deal with living thousands of miles away from my partner. The doctors at the hospital suggest for me to seek counseling to deal with my issue.

It has been a struggle for me to cope with not seeing my husband everyday. Things have not gotten easier either. As I previously stated above, my husband was in a terrible accident and it has not made my depression any easier to cope with, now not only do I have to deal with being away from my husband, I have had to deal with not being there with him while he recovers from such a horrble accident, this experience has been very difficult to say the least.

It's very hard to deal with only being able to text and video chat with my own husband. (Exhibit B4)

My husband is the most supportive person in my life. He has made my life worth living and has made sure all my needs are met. He always goes out of his way to cheer me up when I am down, and now I don't physically have him here to help me emotionally. XXX keeps me grounded and makes everything better, and when i look at him I know everything in my life will be ok. If XXX waiver does not get approved I will be put in a very difficult situation, to leave the life we both know to live in a dangerous foreign place we both might not be able to adapt to and I can't bare the thought of that.

I have cried myself to sleep, fearing for his safety and outcome of these events. My emotions are all over the place and I force myself to get out of bed everyday. My concentration on work has deteriorated, and the social life with friends I once had is at a stand still. Having XXX here with me was all the support that I needed for a healthy, emotional state of mind and a happy life. Because depression is an ongoing battle, I fear that I will fall into major depression without XXX here and possibly being placed in a position where I have to make a choice to leave my family. If my husband is allowed to return to the United States I will no longer suffer from the overwhelming and constant fear and anxiety I have each day. Tearing us and our family apart is not an option. Without the reassurance of his permanent and safe return to the United States, I fear only for the worst.

Education

-Education Opportunites

Furthering my education and going to cosmetology school has always been a dream of mine. I however, have been working to pay off bills and have not been able to yet. Now my finances go to my husbands medical bills in Mexico. Furthering my education at a speciality school would help with our families income and help us in the future when we decide to extend our family and have children. However, I can not work a full time job and go to a cosmetology school five days a week and pay for it (Exhibit C1) I need my husband here to help with the finances that come along with going to school. If my husband is not here with me I will not have the money nor the support to ever live out my dream, and I need his support more than anything, that is what keeps me going.

In Mexico I would never be able to get into a cosmetology school. I do not know the language and the culture is completely different, I would never be able to succeed and become a makeup artist like I have always wanted to do. In Mexico they live in poverty, no one has the money to get their makeup done. (Exhibit C2) Me and my husband would struggle to try to find a career, and never have the opportunity to further our education and be succesful.

Financial Consideration

I am the only provider of income for our family. I make enough for us to get by, but I need my husband here to provide income as well. It is very hard to save money. My husband and I were living with his family until we could save up for a place of our own but since my husband is gone, I have had to move in with my parents, which is 45 minutes away from my job, and with gas prices as high as they are, has taken a huge toll on my finances. (Exhibit D1)

I have my car loan I am paying on and also I have my monthly phone bill added on to that. (Exhibit D2) Along with the additional cost that comes along with being a car owner, oil, windshield whipers, tires, etc.

I work a full time job at Capital One Auto Finance (Exhibit D3) working as a Sales Associate and striving to get a promotion to help with the income. Since I am new to this job, I am making $11.00/hr. Right now my income is less than what I was making at my previous job. I had to leave my last job to take out my 401k money to pay for my husbands surgery to get two plates put in his head since his accident was so bad, he had to get a majority of one side of his cranium removed, which was $4000.00 (USD) (Exhibit D4)

I need my husband here to help me financially. There has been so much extra cost that it is almost impossible for me to save money alone. Without my husband I am literally "living paycheck to paycheck." at 24 years old, we are doing everything we can to get by being seperated.

Along with the cost above, plane tickets to see my husband have been extremely pricey.

It would be very difficult to find a job for myself in Mexico. XXX would have to be our only source of income, I highly doubt he would be able to find a job good enough to support both of us. If Sergio was the only sole provider for our family, I would never be able to visit my family that I would have to leave The United States. That would be the most devestating thing in the world, to have to move to a foreign country, not only to me, but my husband as well and us never getting to see or spend time with all our family as well as not being able to afford to even start a family of our own.

Personal Considerations

Family Ties-

I am very close to my grandfather and unfortunately he does not have very long to live. I want to be here for him. His health is slowly decreasing, he is 83 years old, with a pace maker keeping him alive. He has battled cancer and his doctor in the last year has found signs of new cancer forming. If I'm in Mexico, I will not have money to travel to see him, or even go to his funeral, if god forbid anything happens to him. That would devistate me, and I would go into a deep depression.

My grandfather, though old and very set in his ways, is very supportive of me and my husband, though we are in an interacial relationship. My grandpa has done so much for me I owe it to him to be here.

I do not know what I would do without my family here, my blood family and XXX family, who I am very close with as well. It is hard enough for all of us to deal with my husband being away, if I had to leave too, that would be another loss to our family.

It's very expensive and timely to go to Guadalajara, especially our families who don't have passports, plus the cost of plane tickets and going through security with children. (Exhibit D5) Also Mexico is a very dangerous country and our family would not be able to drive down to see us in fear of their own safety.

I am very close to my family and I would really miss them. The close relationship I have with my mom would come to a halt. These thoughts are very devastating. Please don't make my family go through any more hardship.

We should be able to spend time and cherish the moments we have with our families, not have them ripped apart because someone was born in another country. (reference letters)

Friends-

Me and my husband have the same group of friends. They are the reason we met in the first place. Our friends are like family to us. (Reference letter)

Living in another country, where the culture is different than we are used to would make it even harder for us to make friends. Everyone needs somewhat of a social life, and in Mexico I find it scary to even try to go out anywhere to even make new friends, plus me, not knowing Spanish, makes it almost impossible for us to have a healthy social life at all.

The friends we have in Oklahoma are very supportive and caring, it would be horrible for the both of us to leave them behind. We would be forced to leave everything we have and are comfortable with behind to start a new, dangerous life in a foreign country. We are good people and we shouldn't be forced to do that.

Safety

Since my husband left the country, June 16, 2011 (Exhibit E1) I have visited Mexico three times to see him. You get a very uncomfortable feeling when you are walking the streets, it is a completely different atmosphere than it is here in Oklahoma. Me and my husband both were constantly being stared at and it was a very scary thing. I stick out a lot, especially since I am a blonde hair, green eyed, caucasian girl, my husband, has tattoos and dresses nice, so I feel like that makes both of us a target for robbery. One day while walking to get food, we witnessed two men in a fist fight in broad daylight on the street.

Another example of how scary things are in Mexico, while my husband was in the hospital, the family car we were borrowing to get back and forth from the hospital was stolen...at the hospital.

I know that if me and my husband had to live there, neither one of us would make it out alive, my husband has already had a close call, in less than a year of living there. I am terrified for my husbands life, and for me, I would not be able to walk the streets or go anywhere alone for fear of my life.

The Cartel in the last year has been really bad in Guadalajara (Exhibit E2) it would not be safe for me and my husband to raise a family, this country and city is a scary place and is knowhere as safe as Oklahoma where crime rates are very low (Exhibit E3) and you hardly ever hear about drug related crimes. XXX and I should not have to be in fear of living our every day lives.

The U.S. Department of State issued travel warnings for going to Mexico. Americans have also been informed about the extremely high crime rates, killings, kidnappings, and security issues in Mexico. (Exhibit E4) Americans have became victims of harassment, mistreatment, and extortion by Mexican law enforcement and other officials. This country is not safe for anyone! I can only imagine how my family in The United States would feel if I had to live in a place like this, it would tear my family apart, more than it already has with my husband being gone.

How can anyone get used to living in a place where policemen even have to drive around with machine gun and bullet proof vest on? (Exhibit E5) Even while staying with my husband in the hospital, there were guards walking up and down the halls with machine guns. Everyday I pray nothing more happens to my husband in this terrible, violent country. As shocking as it sounds, so many people every year get hit by buses in Mexico, such a terrible thing. (Exhibit E6)

Living in Oklahoma, I know me and my husband would be safe. We would not have to worry about each others safety constantly. As a citizen of The United Staes, I deserve to have my husband safely here with me, and protected and out of harms way in a place that he belongs. I dream of having a peaceful mind, and not worrying everyday if I am going to wakeup with another phone call that my husband has been hurt or even worse, killed.

Language

I do not know Spanish, I have tried to learn but with work and other neccesary things in my daily life I need to do, I have not been able to learn the language. It would take me many years to be able to communicate with people in Mexico (Exhibit F1) I would not be able to have friends or socialize at all.

I would never be able to do anything, read books, go to the grocery store, because of the language barrier. (Exhibit F2) It would be very depressing and I would feel isolated from the world. Me husband isnt very good at understanding directions and such in Spanish, so it would be very difficult for me and him to even go anywhere for fear of us getting lost somewhere. My husband speaks and understands English better than he does Spanish, so it would not only be difficult for me but for him too, and he is already having to deal with that difficulty.

Summary

My husband, XXX was brought to the United States at an early age. He understands that the decision his parents made was wrong, but this country is the only thing he knows. My husband is very smart and has the potentional to do great things, we just need the support of The United States. I love my husband very much, and I miss him, it gets harder every day to live my life without him. We have plans and dreams for our future life together that we have had to place on hold, we haven't been able to enjoy being a married couple or little every day things we used to do (Exhibit G1). We want to be together and we deserve to be together.

I need him here to get proper medical treatment and therapy that he can not get in Mexico. We will be living in poverty if we have to live our lives there. There is no way we will even have a chance to succeed in Mexico.

I have attached a few photographs at the end of this letter. I hope these pictures show you the love me and my husband have for each other. Our relationship can not be broken.

I hope you consider all the facts and documents I have attatched. My husband deserves a visa, he is the strongest person I know for what he has had to do and for fighting through all the obsticles this journey has brought us through. Please allow my husband to come back to The United States, he has made an impact on so many people's lives, he deserves to be back with his wife, friends and the rest of our family.