Urgent time-critical Humanitarian Crisis

[wazzujoel 60]

I submitted an i-134a case on January 6th. My background - No criminal record, hold a Masters degree in Engineering, working for prestigious fortune 500 company, no debt, own my own home. My application should take 5 minutes for a USCIS approval.

 

My beneficiary - Cuban dentist, fluent in English, no criminal record, and she is my fiancée.  We applied for K1 on Oct 18th 2021, and have yet to receive NOA2. K1 no longer matters. 

 

There are been several news outlets that are reporting that Cuba has law that is in the process of being passed. This law will prevent all medical personal from leaving the country. This includes Dentist, Doctors, Nurses, technicians, and anyone working at the hospitals or medical places. I have called USCIS for the last 3 days trying to get some sort of urgency. Every agent I have spoken too has been very sympathetic and has done everything within their power to get some help. I was placed in a queue to speak to a Tier 2 agent and my spot in line was marked URGENT. It's now been 72 hours and I have not received a call. My application(s) still sit there with no movement. 

 

I don't know what to do. I am fearful that my fiancée is going to be locked in this country. Please! does anyone know any ways of getting immediate action from USCIS. This is super time sensitive and this could be happening any day now. Please help. I am desperate. 

[Timona 3,969]

Unfortunately, I don't see your case getting immediate attention. 

[Lemonslice 4,583]

3 minutes ago, Timona said:

Unfortunately, I don't see your case getting immediate attention. 

To put this in perspective, most immigrants in active war zones do not get expedited treatment of their application.  

I sincerely hope your fiancée will be able to leave Cuba.  Otherwise, have you looked in how feasible it is for you to relocate there? 

[wazzujoel 60]

6 minutes ago, Timona said:

Unfortunately, I don't see your case getting immediate attention. 

😞 I am looking for direct flights out of the country to one of the few places she can go. If I can get her out, then the law to keep her there can't affect her. Never thought I would be considering leaving my kids to live abroad with my fiancée, but this is the sort of situations uscis is forcing on people. tearing families apart because what do they care. 

[wazzujoel 60]

9 minutes ago, Lemonslice said:

To put this in perspective, most immigrants in active war zones do not get expedited treatment of their application.  

I sincerely hope your fiancée will be able to leave Cuba.  Otherwise, have you looked in how feasible it is for you to relocate there? 

 

I am not allowed to immigrate to cuba, nor would I ever consider it. The regime has destroyed that country. I never had any problem waiting my fair turn in line knowing that my fiancée would eventually be able to be reunited with me, however I am in the situation where when USCIS finally decides approved on my very obvious application, the Cuban government will no longer allow her to leave. She will have papers from the USA saying she can leave, then their Customs officers will not allow her to leave because the government has barred it. 

 

Not everyone in Cuba will be subject to this law. It only targets people working in the medical field. If we had expediated immigration for people living in a warzone, and there was a known list of people that are actively being searched for to be murdered, those people on that list should have some priority. Everyone in cuba who has a sponsor will have their chance to leave... Unless you are in the medical field and then the criminal cuban regime will prevent that. Knowing what I know... Any Cuban working in the medical field should instantly be moved to the front for immediate (like hours) sort of processing. 

Edited February 4, 2023 by wazzujoel

[TBoneTX 43,405]

If you're able to evacuate her in a hurry, have her do everything she can to bring along her important "life" documents -- birth certificate, divorce certificates if applicable, immunization records, university transcripts, et al. -- especially any that would be difficult/expensive/impossible to obtain from afar.  Multiple copies would be optimal.

[wazzujoel 60]

1 minute ago, TBoneTX said:

If you're able to evacuate her in a hurry, have her do everything she can to bring along her important "life" documents -- birth certificate, divorce certificates if applicable, immunization records, university transcripts, et al. -- especially any that would be difficult/expensive/impossible to obtain from afar.  Multiple copies would be optimal.

 

Thank you for the tips. I am doing the best I can right now to try and find airfare that might work... It's harder than it seems. I will call a travel agent in the morning. If we forget things, I can always return to retrieve it. It's only she that wont be able to return to cuba for a long time. Maybe not even ever with the cuban law coming. 

[TBoneTX 43,405]

Thoughts:

 

1.  Can she resign from her job and state that she's giving up dentistry?

 

2.  Have you involved your Congressman's office yet?  See if their "release waiver" (permission to handle your case) is online; if so, fill it out in advance.  Next, phone the Congressman's Washington, DC office tomorrow and ask for the immigration liaison.  Have the release waiver ready to fax or e-mail.

 

Let us know.

Edited February 4, 2023 by TBoneTX

[TBoneTX 43,405]

3 minutes ago, wazzujoel said:

I will call a travel agent in the morning.

For planning, see here:

https://visaguide.world/visa-free-countries/cuban-passport/

[wazzujoel 60]

1 minute ago, TBoneTX said:

Thoughts:

 

1.  Can she resign from her job and state that she's giving up dentistry?

 

2.  Have you involved your Congressman's office yet?  See if their "release waiver" (permission to handle your case) is online; if so, fill it out in advance.  Next, phone the Washington, DC office and ask for the immigration liaison.  Have the release waiver ready to fax or e-mail.

 

Let us know.

 

Awesome great tips! 

 

1. Yes she resigned from her job in January, hasn't worked since then, but technically her last pay was in Feb, so she believes she wont be removed from the payroll system until March 4th or something. Because of this if the law happens before March 4th then it will catch her, and there is no way that we know of to get her out of the system now. Maybe this law doesn't happen before then but it's causing me a lot of anxiety. The director of dentistry in Havana told her this law is coming and he wasn't sure if it will catch her or not. Additionally her mom knows a lawyer and the lawyer had some contacts and told them that the law is real, it's finished, but they haven't implemented it yet because they are still considering the ramifications of it. Long story short - It's real, it might prevent her from ever coming to the US, or maybe she will escape it. For me it's causing massive stress and anxiety. We've already been in this K1 process planning a life together for the last 2 years and waiting in K1 process for 16 months.... It's scary that all we have built might be torn away from us by this stupid regime. 

 

I have been in contact with my congressman's office, and I have already signed the release waiver. I have been so busy trying to get USCIS to help though I haven't asked him for help. I will send a email tonight. Thank you! 

5 minutes ago, TBoneTX said:

For planning, see here:

https://visaguide.world/visa-free-countries/cuban-passport/

WOw! another awesome link! thank you a lot! 

[Lemonslice 4,583]

11 minutes ago, wazzujoel said:

 

I am not allowed to immigrate to cuba, nor would I ever consider it. The regime has destroyed that country. I never had any problem waiting my fair turn in line knowing that my fiancée would eventually be able to be reunited with me, however I am in the situation where when USCIS finally decides approved on my very obvious application, the Cuban government will no longer allow her to leave. She will have papers from the USA saying she can leave, then their Customs officers will not allow her to leave because the government has barred it. 

 

Not everyone in Cuba will be subject to this law. It only targets people working in the medical field. If we had expediated immigration for people living in a warzone, and there was a known list of people that are actively being searched for to be murdered, those people on that list should have some priority. Everyone in cuba who has a sponsor will have their chance to leave... Unless you are in the medical field and then the criminal cuban regime will prevent that. Knowing what I know... Any Cuban working in the medical field should instantly be moved to the front for immediate (like hours) sort of processing. 

I met Americans in Cuba, some were students, others I do not know their status.  How far we would go to be with our loved ones is a very personal matter, and not a competition; same goes for the misery of living in a war zone, a developing country, or under an oppressive regime. 

Best of luck with your escape plan. 

[TBoneTX 43,405]

On the personal side, some respectful recommendations:

 

-- Avoid trying to do other people's jobs (Congressional liaison, travel agent), but stay on them.

-- Where there's a will, there's a way.

-- Yes, anxiety and stress, but you're way ahead of the game in having an engineer's mind and logic.

[TBoneTX 43,405]

3 minutes ago, wazzujoel said:

technically her last pay was in Feb, so she believes she wont be removed from the payroll system until March 4th or something

That may be your opportunity.  Find out who the chief financial officer (and the chief data guy) are at her former place of employment, and con$ider what influence$ or inducement$ might prompt her early removal from Payroll.  (Dumb keyboard of mine with cat hair jamming a key here... will try to fix...)

[wazzujoel 60]

2 minutes ago, TBoneTX said:

That may be your opportunity.  Find out who the chief financial officer (and the chief data guy) are at her former place of employment, and con$ider what influence$ or inducement$ might prompt her early removal from Payroll.  (Dumb keyboard of mine with cat hair jamming a key here... will try to fix...)

Message received, and yes, it's something we will be working towards. You're right that finding the right contact who is in a po$ition to help could resolve that issue... but sometimes finding those people and making those contact$ are easier said then done. Thanks again... This is something we are perusing. 

[TBoneTX 43,405]

All it would take would be one data-operator.

It might help, too, if your fiancée were to find a new job now, completely out of her medical area -- e.g., retail.

 

Ah -- found a can of air -- will apply to keyboard now.