laila

A happy ending to my story

Hi every one.

I am here to post just one more time.

I still remember the day almost 2 years ago when I had posted my story here and sought advice from you people. The response I had recieved was overwhelming. I got so much support as well as advice from so many people here.

phatamadame81, john_and_marlene, Emo, shirlj831, meauxna, boiler, sweetgirl and many many more who spent their time in reading my post and giving me good suggestions as well as strong emotional support. Thank you so very much.

So as you can guess from the title of my post, that my case had a happy ending. A few days ago we, i.e. my daughter and myself recieved notice from USCIS that our petition for removal of condiitons has been approved and our green cards have been ordered.

Here is the time line:

- July 2006 - returned from home country to USA after many months. Our 2 year green cards were valid until June 2007

- May 2007 - filed 1-751 , self petiton to remove conditions

- July 2007 - recieved notice for biometrics

- May 2008 - received notice of approval of 10 year green cards

We were not called for interview, and we were not asked for any additional evidence.

Allah has been so kind to us.

I wish all of you good luck in your cases.

Laila

For what it's worth, Leila, I think you have a chance and I'm glad you made it through POE without any problems.

Don't let VJ be soured for you by one or two people. There are plenty in this thread alone who have supported you.

Thanks clmarsh.

I so appreciate the support and warmth shown to me on this forum. Someone who has been in a situation similar to mine can understand as well as appreciate the worth of those words of sincere advice, kind encouragement, thoughtful concern, and loads of moral support. They mean so much.

Thanks every one.

I hope you guys all will remember me and my daughter in your good wishes and prayers ( if you believe in a God).

Hi Laila,

I really feel sorry for your situation. Sometimes, other people just don't understand how difficult it is to go through such severe physical and emotional frustration unless they put themselves in the exact same situation. Please don't spend time arguing with Dmartmar who would never understand you because he painfully pitty himself as a victim of a "cheated marriage". He was spreading his anger over to other innocent people for his own failure.

I believe you are strong enough to take this challenge in your life and should be ready to fight for it. Unless you try it, you will never know about the result. Even it turns out to be bad, you won't be regret as you have tried your best.

I also believe in the fairness in the American Justice system. If not for immigration, you should also fight for your rights and your dignity while you were living here. I hope there's a lawyer who can help you sue your ex-husband who abused you and made your life miserable. It is absolutely not fair to accept evey consequence on your own. How could an Abuser just walk away like this??

I never had this kind experience. But through my search of immigration cases and what I heard from others, abusing alien wife happens quite often. The immigration law does help the abusee to obtain legal rights in some way. However, they don't help procecute the abusers. And, the marriage based immigration law basically protects US citizens, which offers the opportunities to those system abusers to target innocent aliens as weak victims.

Also, some US citizens do have bias on aliens who are obtaining legal rights through a very right way. It's the same as discrimination, endless debating. At this moment, you should focus on what you need to do to have the last try. Writing down a statement and consulting with the lawyer and FIGHT! Ignoring those curses or blames. I'm sure you will get you what you deserve for.

Best wishes!

Thanks a lot JudeT. The reason I had stopped posting here was the negative criticism and assumptions of one or two posters here.

I have consulted an immigration lawyer. And I and my daughter arrived in USA a couple of days ago because we had to reach before the one year stay limit for my daughter ran out. The immigration at our POE was a breeze.

Please keep me and my daughter in your good wishes. I have a long road ahead of me and a lot of struggle. But now my daughter and I have the peace of mind and and we are no longer facing the sitgmatization we were in our home country.

Laila,

Ok, so my questions are:

1. Where did you get the money to send your daughter back home?

2. Where did you get the money to bring your daughter back to the US?

3. Where did you get the money to send yourself back home?

4. Legal Aides DO NOT charge individuals for their services. Legal Aides get paid by the Agency they work for and don't get paid $1,500 for a divorce case. Hell, why are you even complaining about the retainer fee, when it wasn't even you who paid it? How do you even know this, when it is confidential info?

5. What do you mean you paid a heavy price in terms of monetary loss, if you had no money?

Yes, I DO understand this. I was in your husband's shoes about 8 mos. ago, also with an Argentinian MD who had the same plans you currently have. Matter of fact, you and her must be siblings. She did the exact same things you're doing and saying.

To answer your questions briefly:

1. I sold some of my jewellary at desi jewellary store to get money for our one way ticket back to our country when things got very bad. If you know desi culture you would know that we women are given 22- K gold jewellary by our family at the time of our marriage which has good resale value.

At that time we had not reached the stage of divorce but I was sick of his abusive and humiliating behaviour, his son's drug use, and his mother and sister-in-law's efforts to destroy our marriage.

My husband then asked me to come back, to patch things up. I had told him at that time that I would just sign the papers if he would mail them to me. But he wanted me to come back. So I went back alone. Hoping things will improve. For my return ticket he sent me that much amount.

2. Things did not improve, they became worse. For going back home again after signing the divorce papers two months later, I borrowed money from a friend here.

3. The legal fee was no confidential matter. The contract was signed b/w me and the lawyer and it mentioned clearly that the NGO was paying the retainer. Why am I complaining about the lousiness of the lawyer? Because she was supposed to help me. At the time that my husband was trying to pull the very earth from under me she did nothing. Did not file a single petition. did not return my calls for days. Did not give me good advice. I know nothing about the legal system of USA. And I did not know what to do. I knew that my ex-husband was adept at using and abusing the system, judging from his past court battles, of which I knew nothing at the time of our marriage.

4. The heavy price I paid? Is money the only language you understand? I paid a heavy price in putting myself and my daughter in such an environment which nearly drove me insane. which took all my confidence away . All my self esteem too. And which caused me so much ridicule upon return to my country. Is that not a heavy price?

As for my studying for USMLE. That was my ex-husband's idea. Not mine. He forced me to do that, because he wanted the future earnings of a doctor here. And for that he was willing to make the investment in terms of USMLE fee.

If you have really been in my ex-husband's shoes then I feel true sympathy for your ex-wife.

This is the first case I've ever heard of where the abuser, not the abused, walks out of the marriage and files for divorce.

Yes I should have been the one to walk out on him. But I did not want a second divorce. And I wanted us to work on our marriage so that it would be a happy marriage.

It is very hard for an outsider to understand the dynamics of a couple's relationship, and what goes on within a house and why. There is a lot more I don't want to reveal. But it was me who walked out after I found that his family who lives here , specially his mother and his sister-in-law are way too involved and interfering and want him to divorce me. Like they had want him to divorce his previous wives. He had been threatening to throw me out of the house. He kept telling me that he plays dirty. So I just told him that I don't play dirty, and I won't stoop to his level. And I saught help from an NGO and walked out. The reason I did not file for divorce was that I did not have money to do so. The reason I did not fight him in the court was that I had heard from his family and himself, how he had made his ex-wife number two suffer in the court. I did not want any of that.

Dmartmar, you will not understand this. So please go on with your staunch belief that I married my ex-husband for green card. And that I used him.

I don't have the energy or even the reason or rationale it to explain it to you. Be happy!

i have a question. if u have a child from a previous marriege why didnt they harass u after that divorse but they are now?

I had to face the stigma and isolation before too, after my first divorce. But it was not so strong because:

-my father was alive then and he was my support. And did not let any one within the family say or do any thing negative to me or my daughter.

- my daughter was very young then, so she did not face or suffer from the stigma.

-that marriage was arranged by my family, and over the years my family could see for themselves how much I wa s going through. So my family did not blame me for it not being a success. They blamed themselves.

In case of my second marriage and divorce, I had so much more problems because:

- It was my choice. And honestly I had known him for 3 months only prior to marriage, and he was long distance, living in USA.

- My daughter is now much grown up and feels every slight and every slurr very very much.

- My father (God bless his soul) is no longer here to protect us.

- Second divorce ( even though I did not ask for it nor file for it) is , according to my family and others I know is the worst thing that can happen to a woman. They think since I chose to marry this man, so I must be at fault, and must be condemned.

As for marrying him first and then applying for K-1 visa. That decision was not mine. It was my ex-husband's. I did not know any thing about US Immigration laws at that time. So whatever he said I believed and agreed to.

I am sorry that he got burned. But it is not healthy or fair to become suspicious of every one else on account of one person.

I am suspicious of you on your account, just based on the below info. YOU posted:

my time line is:

-got married in April 2003 in my country.

-ex-husband applied for K-1 visa in May 2003

-got K-1 and K-2 Visas in June 2004.

-came to USA in Oct 2004

-got conditional green cards in June 2005

-my daughter was sent back home because of the unsafe environment in July 2005

-divorce filed by husband, as I did not have filing fees in Oct 2005.

-I signed the divorce papers in Nov 2005 and came back to my country.

-divorce decree awarded by court in Jan 2006, my lawyer represented me at the court.

No. I think you are misunderstanding me. Probably because of the missing information.

We got here in Oct 2004. At that time it was just me , my daughter and my then husband.

His son got back from UK end of January 2005. For the first couple of months he did not get into any drugs or porno stuff and his friends were nice boys.

Then he made friends with junkies, got into drugs and pornogrpahy, breaking in the house with his friends in early morning hours and other stuff. That started happening around April/ May. And things went bad pretty quickly. That was when I really felt that my daughter was not safe there.

You say his son got back home at the end of Jan. '05 and didn't start doing drugs and/or watching porno until April or May of that same year. So basically, you and your daughter stayed in that "unsafe" environment throughout the whole month of June, which coincidentally is the month you got your GCs in, then exactly a month later (July) you sent your daughter back home, but already with a GC in hand.

If it was so "unsafe" and "dangerous" to live in the same household before you both got your GCs; why did you then wait until AFTER you got your GCs to leave?

You are welcome to be as suspicious of me as you wish to be. You don't have the whole picture of all that went wrong and why. And how much I suffered and lost because of that mariage. And I am not going to waste my time or your time trying to explain my self to you.

I did not marry my ex husband for the green card. If that is what you are implying at. If I had, I would have not returned to my country even before my divorce decree was awarded.

But YOU DID return to your country AFTER you got the green card!

Getting that two year green card and returning to my country did not at all mean that I could benefit from that green card in any way. And had I and my daughter not to face any stigmatization I would not have been thinking about getting back to USA.

Why do you find it so hard to understand?

Because he got burned and has lost any objective perspective.

I am sorry that he got burned. But it is not healthy or fair to become suspicious of every one else on account of one person.

I did not marry my ex husband for the green card. If that is what you are implying at. If I had, I would have not returned to my country even before my divorce decree was awarded.

But YOU DID return to your country AFTER you got the green card!

Getting that two year green card and returning to my country did not at all mean that I could benefit from that green card in any way. And had I and my daughter not to face any stigmatization I would not have been thinking about getting back to USA.

Why do you find it so hard to understand?

have asked the social worker for the NGO which helped me during those difficult times to consult a US immigration attorney on my behalf and let me know what he thinks of my case. I hope I hear from them very soon. Because if I am to get to USA I better do it before mid July as that would make a year for my daughter's stay outside of USA. I had to bring her back to my home country as the situation over there was getting worse and worse with my ex-husband's teenaged son's involvement in drugs and watching porno movies with his male friends at home. I did not feel it to be a safe environment for my daughter.

diadromous mermaid,

my time line is:

- got married in April 2003 in my country.

-Ex husband applied for K-1 visa in May 2003

-Got K-1 and K-2 Visas in June 2004.

-Came to USA in Oct 2004

-Got conditional green cards in June 2005

- My daughter was sent back home because of the unsafe environment in July 2005

- Divorce filed by husband, as I did not have filing fees in Oct 2005.

-I signed the divorce papers in Nov 2005 and came back to my country.

-Divorce decree awarded by court in Jan 2006, my lawyer represented me at the court.

But according to your timeline, apparently the environment was "safe" enough for you and your daughter to hold out until you got your GCs, then moved out the month after you got them.

No. I think you are misunderstanding me. Probably because of the missing information.

We got here in Oct 2004. At that time it was just me , my daughter and my then husband.

His son got back from UK end of January 2005. For the first couple of months he did not get into any drugs or porno stuff and his friends were nice boys.

Then he made friends with junkies, got into drugs and pornogrpahy, breaking in the house with his friends in early morning hours and other stuff. That started happening around April/ May. And things went bad pretty quickly. That was when I really felt that my daughter was not safe there.

I did not marry my ex husband for the green card. If that is what you are implying at. If I had I would have not returned to my country even before my divorce decree was awarded.

An update:

I had emailed to the lawyer Psoft told me about. The lawyer emailed me back soon. Basically what he said was that I had better get to USA ASAP before my daughter's stay outside USA exceeds one year. And most likely I won't have any problems in re-entrying. Though I may be asked why I stay away for so long and do I still have some proof of residence in USA.

HI Laila!

You can re-entry any U.S port of entry you would like it doesent matter.

I would suggest to you to go to the place where your friend is located and you can share rent with your firend. I think that this would be a better idea for you right now as you at least have a friend there.

There might be some month -to -month rents available i am sure ,if you are looking for the Rents in Houston.

You should try the www.google.com ,where you can indicate what are u looking for.

Also go to the www.rent.com its a good website.

I dont know what kind of questions you re gonna be asked excactly ,but i am assuming that they defenetely gonna ask something like... Why you were absent from the U.S for a such a long time?

Or Why you didnt obtain the re-entry permit? Whats your adress in U.S? Are you still married? Where is your husband? and etc....

They might ask or might not ask anything at all and just say Welcome home you know....

My Best wishes.

Sincerely.

Thanks Sweetgirl,

I think if they ask me about why I stayed outside USA for so long I would be able to answer that satisfactorily. But if they ask me about my marriage and husband and my current address, I would have a hard time coming up with an answer which is not a lie and which does not compromise my case. I just hope they won't ask any questions at all and would just wish me good luck. Oh how I wish it would be as easy and as simple as that.

laila, good on you for doing the research to help you speak more thoughtfully with a lawyer! I immediately thought of the following thread when I read your thread today.

http://britishexpats.com/forum/showpost.ph...amp;postcount=2

" do note that the regulations DO guarantee an Immigration Judge hearing to any person who claims to be a returning lawful permanent resident alien as long as CBP confirms that the person has EVER been admitted to LPR."

Read the rest of the post and the thread for context, but this suggests to me that you would not be turned away at the border---they *must* let you in for a judge to decide if you've abandoned or not. I know that the author of that quote says that he is one of the FEW immigration lawyers in the US who has seriously studied abandonment. He wouldn't answer a Q like yours online, but you can contact him for a consultation. He's a decent fellow and won't blow smoke at you.

Thanks meauxna for that link. It is early morning here and I need a cup of tea badly to get my brain cells working

Again like I said to Boiler, I hope it never comes to that. That my and my daughter's good luck spares us all this trouble.

I have one more question to ask. Must we re-enter via the same port of entry we left from? I came to Houston and that is where my paper work was processed and now I am thinking of going to JFK there in the city one of my friend has an apartment and she would let me share it ( for rent ofcourse). So I have been thinking would going to a new place after a long stay away be a problem and would that raise some eyebrows and questions from the immigration officers?

I iwsh I could return to Houston, I know the city well and it is a lot cheaper than NYC or NJ, but I would need a place to live right way and without a job, with no credit histroy, and with no close friends I won't be able to find an apartment to rent.

Do you or any one else know of cheaper and still safre ways of staying at a place like YWCA while doing an apartment serach?

Or better still does any one know of safe apartment complexes in Houston which give apartments on monthly rent instead of a lease? And which don't aks for a job or salary stubbs?

I would really really appreciate helpful information in this matter.

Hi Again Laila!

I suggest to you to get a plain tickets to the U.S as soon as possible! Even if you didnt obtain a re-entry permit you might still be allowed to the U.S . You should be ready for a different questions might be asked at the U.S airport upon your arrival. Just be prepared for what to say if they ask.

If the thing as coming back to the U.S is the most important thing for you right now and your future and the future of your daughter will depend on it , if i were you i would defenetely get the plain tickets to the U.S and try this chance.

Who knows,they might not even gonna interigate you at the airport ,it will depend.

You should consult with the immigration atttorney on the phone before to fly over to the U.S if possible, so he or she might give you some ideas about if the possible questioning occur at the airport.

Even if you dont hire an immigration attorney right now,you will be able to hire one after you come back to the U.S.

I dont know,why did you leave the U.S in the first place even after the divorce? As your American husband signed the I-865 Alien of Sponsorship form and basically he is going to be reponsible for you until you become a Citizen. Your husband had no right to kick you out from the house and even if he did you could go to the Shelter and complain on him. Especially if he was so abusive as you say,you might of get a lots of benefits upon the Court Order as he must financially support you here.

Anyways,get a plain tickets and come back as soon as possible,you should take that risk and be mentaly prepared fro the possible questioning.Everything might turn out to the positive and not so horrible ,you know..

Please let us know how everything went through.

My Best wishes.

Good luck!

Sincerely.

Thanks for your well wishes.

Why I came back to my country after the divorce? It is a long story. But like I said before at that time my daughter had to already rturn to Pkaistan because of the unhealthy and infact dangerous enviornment at home there. And I could not arrange to send for her to join me in US after my divorce.

As for my husband's abusive behaviour and lousy treament. I had to call the plocie twice. He was careful not to hit my for he said if I do that ( that is if he hits me) that would be held against him. But all the other abuse could not be seen or proved so that was ok.

As for the divorce proceedings, I got nothing, one reason was that my lawyer was lousy, all she did for a 1500 $ retainer ( paid by the NGO) was to make a few phone calls to my ex husband's lawyer, and to answer a few calls of mine, and once to fax me a document and once to go to court for the final hearing in Jnauary 2006 when I was no longer in US.

Second reason was that when our seperation and divorce started my ex husband 's attitude became all the more threatening and intimidating, he used to tell me all the time that " when he fights, he fights to win" and that " he plays dirty". He knew very well that I was all alone in USA. And he used it to his advantage. He had done the same with his ex wife # 2, some thing I learned much later on. I may be in a very difficult situation, even a life or death situation but I can not ever play dirty.

So I paid the heavy price in terms of monetrey loss, mental torture, emotional truama and now social stigmatization in my country.

I am wondering what kind of questions the immigration people might ask me and my daughter at the airport?

So I can prepare my self to answer them honestly but at the same time without sabotaging my self.

Right now my main concern is being denied re-entry because of staying outside of USA so many months- specially in case of my daughter, that is why I want to return to US before her one year of stay outside USA is over.

laila, good on you for doing the research to help you speak more thoughtfully with a lawyer! I immediately thought of the following thread when I read your thread today.

http://britishexpats.com/forum/showpost.ph...amp;postcount=2

" do note that the regulations DO guarantee an Immigration Judge hearing to any person who claims to be a returning lawful permanent resident alien as long as CBP confirms that the person has EVER been admitted to LPR."

Read the rest of the post and the thread for context, but this suggests to me that you would not be turned away at the border---they *must* let you in for a judge to decide if you've abandoned or not. I know that the author of that quote says that he is one of the FEW immigration lawyers in the US who has seriously studied abandonment. He wouldn't answer a Q like yours online, but you can contact him for a consultation. He's a decent fellow and won't blow smoke at you.

I would second the above.

Thanks Boiler for the link. I have read it .And frankly I am just hoping that I am spared all the questioning at the airport or any where else. So probably I am hoping for a miracle. But I do beleive in them.

Right now my state of mind is on the lines of que sera sera. what will be will be.

Please do wish me well.

OK, there are a couple of items that are missing from your timeline. What date were you married in the USA? Were you interviewed for AOS, and if so when? I gather that if you were interviewed that you provided documentation to support the bona fide marriage, what period of time did you present as evidence? Did you present evidence of the marriage/wedding ceremony conducted in the USA?

As far as gaining re-entry to the USA. On a conditional green card, you are free to travel on your CGC for up to one year without the need of a re-entry permit. That must be secured prior to leaving, but it is no guarantee of admission, it only serves to demonstrate that there are reasons for a temporary departure from the USA. In order to preserve status, you should maintain ties to the USA in your absence. Given that you were going through a divorce for 2 months of your 8 month absence, it would be logical to suggest that you had ties to the country (USA) during at least those 2 months in terms of joint possessions, bank statements etc that had not yet been distributed or separated legally by the Court until the final divorce decree was issued in January 2006. It's worth mentioning this to your attorney, as it is logical, but not necessary obvious. Then you are dealing only with the term of time from January 2006 to July 2006, in so far as establishing that you have not abandoned your permanent residency.

As far as petitioning for removal of conditions, you can do that by way of a waiver as soon as a divorce is final. So, I'd ask the immigration attorney if submitting that could immediately demonstrate an interest in preserving your status. And the waiver can be submitted from outside the country. There are other things you can do from outside the country to preserve your residency, renewal of driver's licenses, enrollment of children in schools, reactivating a bank account in the USA (you should have a SSN still, correct?); what about work, did you while you were in the USA? If not, how about attempting to secure a position, even temporary through colleagues you may have in the USA, while you are still where you are?

Anyway, let no time elapse before attending to this. I would present all of these issues to an immigration attorney right away, and some, if I am not mistaken can be done without taking the money and risking it to be turned away at the POE. If I were in your shoes, I'd

1. get a good immigration attorney on Monday of next week

2. Ask about some of these processes to re-establish your ties in the USA, right away

3. Ask about submission of the I-751 from overseas right away

4. Look into gaining a flight back to the USA one you've investigated these matters, but before November 2006.

Good luck.

We were married in USA in late Oct, 2004.

During the AOS interview we presented the wedding album, the wedding documents, and joint bank account and other joint holdings.

As for ties in USA, I still have my bank account in USA. I did not hold a job there because my ex-husband did not allow me to, but I was studying for my USMLE exams and had enrolled in Kaplan course there and had filed the fee for the exam with ECFMG, and have all the paper work related to that.

I also have affadavits from the NGO which helps victims of domestic abuse and which helped me through out the period of my divorce from the time my husband turned me out of the house till I returned to my country.

Right now my main concern is being denied re-entry because of staying outside of USA so many months- specially in case of my daughter, that is why I want to return to US before her one year of stay outside USA is over.

Thanks for your detailed response. It was very helpful. I intend to copy it to use while discussing my case with a lawyer.

Laila,

I think you must first communicate to the lawyer prior to proceeds in this regard. As you mentioned in your profile you are from Pakistan, in my opinion it would be a great if you talk to ‘DESI’ lawyer because ‘DESI’ lawyer must have a better understanding of your case as compare to others due to some cultural influences & differences. By chance I know a very good Pakistani dedicated, energetic, young Pakistani professional. If you really interested I will send you his e.mail address or URL of his law firm, you can briefly explain him your case. I hope things will workout for you.

Yes please do. I will appreciate that.

Thanks every one for your sincere wishes. But it does seem like a hopeless situation for me and my daughter. I haven't yet heard from the social worker of the NGO I had written to about seeking advice on this matter from an immigration attorney. And time is running out.

God this is difficult. If I spend my meagre savings on the air fare, only to be denied entry and to be turned back that would be horrible for me and my daughter.

I really am at a loss as to what to do. Should I take that risk or abondon the idea completely. And if I abondon the idea of coming back to USA then I am left to face the tough time I have been facing since my return to my country. I wish there was some no man's land here on this earth where I could just disappear and be at peace. Sartre had once said that "Hell is other people". And I know exactly what that means. Here in my country it is a very difficult life for a divorced woman.

diadromous mermaid,

my time line is:

- got married in April 2003 in my country.

-Ex husband applied for K-1 visa in May 2003

-Got K-1 and K-2 Visas in June 2004.

-Came to USA in Oct 2004

-Got conditional green cards in June 2005

- My daughter was sent back home because of the unsafe environment in July 2005

- Divorce filed by husband, as I did not have filing fees in Oct 2005.

-I signed the divorce papers in Nov 2005 and came back to my country.

-Divorce decree awarded by court in Jan 2006, my lawyer represented me at the court.

John_and_marlene,

I have asked the social worker for the NGO which helped me during those difficult times to consult a US immigration attorney on my behalf and let me know what he thinks of my case. I hope I hear from them very soon. Because if I am to get to USA I better do it before mid July as that would make a year for my daughter's stay outside of USA. I had to bring her back to my home country as the situation over there was getting worse and worse with my ex-husband's teenaged son's involvement in drugs and watching porno movies with his male friends at home. I did not feel it to be a safe environment for my daughter.

Thanks for your advice and sincere wishes.

To answer your questions:

1. No I did not take any job or employment in my country. I was home trying to heal from this traumatic experience and I just did not have it in me to face the outside world given their general behaviour.

2. As for income tax for 2005, I had no income in 2005 in USA or any where else. While married I was a stay at home wife as per my ex-husband's orders. And I did not file any income tax returns. I had come back to my country in late Novemeber 2005. Year before that, in 2004, my ex husband had filed our joint income tax returns as head of household.

3. As for establishing residency in my country, no I did not do that . I was and am living with my mother. When I left USA I had to vacate my apartment and so I do not have a residence there either.

Here is my brief story. I got married to a US citizen after a whirlwind romance in my country.

Although we were legally married he applied for a K-1 visa for me and a K-2 daughter from previous marriage saying it would take less time for us to get to USA.

So we got to USA. Got married there again. And then our marriage which was entered in good faith started getting sour because of his abusive behaviour and ended about a year and half after I got to USA. In the mean time we had gotten our conditional green cards. After the divorce, since I had no support system in USA, and since I was heart broken, I decided to return to my home country.

Living here in my country I had to face a lot of stigmatization because of my divorce. I and my daughter had to face a lot of nasty comments, slurs and were isolated from the family because divorce is really frowned upon in my culture and it is considered a woman's duty alone to somehow make the marriage work.

So I have been trying to readjust among all this stigmatization but it is not happening. It is affecting my daughter too. I think women who are from South Asia ( India, Pkistan, Bangladesh) would be better able to understand the kind of stigmatization a woman has to face because of divorce.

And now I am forced to thinking of moving back to USA.

Our green cards are valid until June 2007. I have heard from a couple of women in the same predicament as I that when their green cards were up for removal of conditions, they were given a one year extention to proove their case.

In my case I have the documents of our living together for the period of our marriage. I have the wedding photographs and wedding papers which took place in my country, And I have the affadavits from the NGO which helps women suffering from domestic abuse. That NGO had my case and helped me a lot in my difficult days.

Now my question is if I go back to USA, with my daughter ( our stay outside of USA has been less than a year). Will I stand a good chance of getting my permenant green card when I self petition?

My now ex husband had said to me at the time of divorce that he has already written to USCIS that our marriage was a fraud. Which it definetly was not.

I know you guys are not immigration lawyers, but you certainly are more knowledgeable than me and can help me with good advice.

Should I come back to USA and then hire an immigration attorney and self petition or is it all a wild goose chase and I will loose any way?

Please please give me your sincere advice based on your knowledge/ experience. I am going through a very tough time here and if there is a chance that I can get back to USA with my daughter and start my life fresh I would like to avail that chance. Life is not very good here in my country for divorced women like me because of the attitudes of people.

Thanks

Laila