BobFourtyone

----- thank you Boiler-----

You are correct in your comment it was pre 9-11

"Appalled but not surprise, there are a lot of low life lawyers and as everybody says it is a broken system.

But generalisations without knowing the details make it tricky to answer."

Actually it was not considered a terrorist act there was an article in a magazine regarding his victory for these applicants and he was applauded by the immogration advocate community also it occured pre 9-11. My point is that I understand that every case is different but if your problem is a simple tatoo and this attorney can get people with criminal records that have proven they are no threat to this great Nation approved then maybe I would think your case regarding a simple tattoo would be an out of the park homerun for a telented attorney like this, it wouldnt hurt to at least give him a call, he is amazing and returned everyone of my calls within the hour.

Listen I was in a gang when I was younger and had an extensive criminal record, I would call attorneys and non would take my case. they said they didnt want me to get deported and take my money. I have been in public service for decades loyally serving my community and I have not associated with any gangs for over 25 years i finally said Im tired i have everything here I have been in the US since my mother died when i was a year old. I dont know anyone in the country i was born in and I was even Adopted by my US born father @ 15 years old and my adoptive mother got her citizenship when i was 19 and no one would take my case one attorney got so mad at me he said i was trying to thread a toothpick through a needle because I had a 20+ year old drug charge conviction that if i even tried to apply i would fall into automatic removal proceedings so he referred me to an attorney in LA that specializes in Criminal immigration cases. This attorney filled out my application and went with me to my interview Im happy to say I took my oath last week and after 40+ years of being in The US and 25 years as a LPR I can happily say with much relief that I am a Citizen of the only Country I have ever known and loved, this great experiment called America. i walked into his office almost in tears and he reassured me you are a good man that was raised in a bad environment, he could see how nervous i was he put his arm on my shoulder and said let me show you something he took me into his trophy room where he had news clippings of people he got approved for citizenship. he's amazing he told me of the countless cases he represented even a couple of guys who bombed an embassy and he got them approved for Citizenship..!!!

I just completed my N-400 and completed my oath ceremony yesterday after 20 yrs as an LPR, i was also adopted in 1985when i was 15 by my US born Father my mom was an LPR and naturailzed in 1989 as a result I was not able to claim automatic citizenship if she would have gotten her citizenship 2 years earlier i would have automatically been a citizen, but instead i had to do it on my own I recieved my LPR in 1990 through amnesty when my attorney filled out my application he put down adopted by US Born father and mother became a citizen when i was 19 y/o i had my interview on Thursday and my oath ceremony the following Tuesday 5 days later total processing time 4 mo's hope that helps

Today i am finally applying for my N400 after being an LPR for 20+years, I received a copy of my FBI background self check and have 2 dismissed cases on file one in 1989 and another in March of 1990, one was for possession of a controlled substance that was expunged and then reduced to a conviction for disorderly conduct drunk in public. The other arrest was in March 1990 I was charged with possession of stolen property and false identification to a police officer both charges were dismissed. The only other issues is that i have 2 speeding tickets about 3 years apart in the last 10 years. I need advice as to wether or not i should spend my time worrying about the first 2 dismissed cases since they occurred over 20 years ago and prior to the November 29th 1990 statute..?

Again thank you for reading my posts and for all your advice

Just an update, I want to thank everyone on this site for your prayers and support God bless you all in your quest for US citizenship and thank you visa journey for giving me a place to discuss my issues with the Mexican Consulate, through all your good advice and direction I have come to the conclusion that applying for my USC is my best course of action. Thank you again for All your prayers and good advice, My expedite I-131 was approved I have my biometrics appointment less than a week after sending in my express mailed application so again thank you and God bless...

Hi GlobeHoppermama. No I have not spoken to a Mexican immigration lawyer I honestly do not see a pint in that, The Mexican Counsulate is being exrremely disifficult and my Adoptive Father passed away over 10 years ago ( he was a wonderful mAn, may he rest in peace..) I don't see any Mexican court approving my US adoption when I am now over 40 years old and my adoptive father is deceased. My only option is to apply for my USC, I have been here since I was 2 years old went to school here and feel like this is my home so iud I am going to pay a Mexican lawyer, I would rather pay A lawyer here to get my USC.

My apologies for the confusion life journey, and your facts are correct. I am just trying to make sense of this mess it seems Mexico is being very difficult, My adoptive father could not get me USC because the law prior to 2001 required both my adoptive parents to be USC. I cannot get a Mexican passport because my last name changed after the adoption I have no government ID's that have my mexican birth name just my US adopted name( only my last name changed), So Mexico says that I cannot prove that the BC that I have is mine even though I have a US delayed registration of birth notarized by the Mexican Secretary of the Exterior that reflects the name change. Mexico says they will not accept a US delayed registration of birth, they don't care who notarized it...??? So these are circumstances beyond my control because Mexico said that they would issue me a passport, so I paid for the trip. If the Mexican embassy would have said I was going to have problems when I called them to make my appt. that they scheduled a month before my trip starts, I would not have paid for the non-refundable trip I read the guidelines for severe financial hardship as it applies to an individuals expedited request (but ultimately it is up to the discretion of the department supervisor and it is apparently not based on a monetary number) The USCIS considers severe economic hardship to be situations that are unforeseen and beyond a persons control and that situation can lead to a significant financial loss. I am a prudent responsible person I would not have ever booked a trip Had Mexico said they would not give me a passport, after all I had a Mexican passport before, I don't understand and neither does the USCIS understand why Mexico won't honor my Adoption, or give me a passport they won't even issue one with my birth name to match my Mexican BC..?? I hope I have explained this well

I can get an 1-131 I was told I do qualify and they will issue me one, it is also for LPR like myself who cannot get a passport from our birth country so per USCIS I absolutely qualify, the problem is that I need it expedited that is the dilemma and not because I want to travel I wanted to travel when I thot I would be given a Mexican passport now I just don't want to lose all that money. Per the USCIS documents can be expedited for only 7 specific reasons and one of those reasons is Financial loos or hardship, that is my question does Mexico guaranteeing me a passport then paying thousands for my trip once I was assured I can get my passport then being denied a passport puting thousands of dollars at risk qualify as severe financial loos and hardship because I will tell you losing several thousand dollars wud cause more than 1/2 the American population financial hardship in our current economy so that is my question does my situation fall under Financial loss and hardship..??

My adoption was finalized when I was 14, my adoptive father was Born in the US my mom was a permanent resident she became a US citizen in 1989 one year after my 18th birthday.in 2001 the law changed in US prior to that both your parents had to be citizens in an adoption to qualify for an I-600 automatic citizenship by parents.. After 2001 if just one of your parents is a US citizen and you are adopted you automatically qualify for an I-600. technically from what I understand because my parents are now both US citizens I cannot be deported and even then if the US tried to deport me to Mexico they would not allow me entry BC because by Mexican Law I am not a Mexican citizen, in most countries around the world if you are adopted and at least one parent is a citizen of that adoptive country then u are automatically a citizen of that county try but the US did not change the law till after 2001, so I'm in a Gray area because for me to qualify for an I-600 I would have to have been under 18 prior to 2001 or both my parents had to be citizens prior to becoming 18

I went to the the Mexican Embassy they said I am not a Mexican citizen, my last name changed because I was adopted in the US so I had to show them my US delayed registration of birth (adoption decree) to show why my last name does not match my Mexican birth certificate and when they saw that they Started getting upset saying Iam not a Mexican Citizen. I went back and told them I am according to the UUS. They said Mexican law says I'm a US citizen, regardless of what IS says..??$

I spoke to two USCIS agents in person at two different offices because I wanted to make sure there was no Misunderstanding on my part or theirs. Both agents spoke to their supervisors and both of them said the same thing----- I do not need a passport to go to where I am going or to return to the country, my GC or LPR is enough. the problem is the travel agency I am traveling with requires me to have a passport, so it is a company policy not a U.S. one, all travel agency's, airlines, cruise ships etc.. require you to have a passport since 2001. If you are traveling abroad. They will not let anyone Board a plane or a ship or even a Bus without one. Just before I hung up with the travel agency they said " you have paid for travel insurance, but make sure you can get all your travel documents because no insurance company will refund your money if you cant secure documents" makes sense why would you book a trip if you don't have any documents??. I have traveled before many times all over the world with this same agency, using my Mexican passport, but it expired in 2008 abt the same time I went through a divorce. So I have not needed a passport till now. Before I paid for my trip because of what the travel agency said I called the Mexican consulate about renewing my passport and they said I would have no problem getting one I told them I was adopted they said " No problem". So after they said that I paid for my trip. They scheduled my appt. a month before my trip departs..!!! I was very concerned they said to not worry I will get my passport the same day at the Consulate. I went to the consulate and they refused to give me a passport. They said it was against Mexican law for them to have ever given me a passport because I am not a Mexican Citizen. They said the only way to become a Mexican citizen is to start the adoption process all over again in Mexico. They Do not recognize a US adoption decree. I am over 40 years old and my Dad is deceased ( may he rest in peace, he was a wonderful man). I can't start a Mexican adoption at 40 years old if my adoptive Father is dead, that is Mexican law also. I contacted USCIS and they were very surprised that mexico will not accept my adoption, they said they recognize Mexican adoptions and were very understanding they also know it is the policy of all travel agencies to require a passport after 9/11, there is no way around it. They told me to apply for my I-131 ASAP. That is my Original question. I did everything right. I called the Mexican consulate first and I was basically guaranteed a passport by the Embassy over the phone. then I paid for my trip and went to my appointment to get my passport and they said No passport for you. I stand to loose thousands of dollars. I can get an expedited I-131 a "US passport" for permanent residents, refugees, and persons whose country won't issue them a passport, under certain emergent situations. One of those reasons is severe financial loss, my question is Does losing several thousand dollars because of circumstances out of my control justify a severe financial loss..??? Especially in this economy...??? Has anyone in this forum ever had this similar situation and if so what was the outcome??? Has anyone been approved for an expedited I-131 under the same circumstances..??

Thank you for your reply Globehopper mama you motivated me to do some research and here is the answer regarding this issue directly from Department of homeland Security.... ICE, Us Customs and Border patrol, and Capitol immigration law group, I even included Cruise ships, so I hope this helps someone who may run into similar problems like the one I am having....

For all forms of travel Air land or sea

Most cruises beginning and ending in the U.S. are considered "Closed Loop," meaning they begin and end at the same port in the U.S. For instance, if you board a cruise ship at Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and after visiting at least one foreign port of call, such as Bermuda, or Cancun, return back to Fort Lauderdale, you have taken a closed loop cruise.

U.S. Citizens on closed-loop cruises will be able to enter or depart the country on the cruise with proof of citizenship, such as an original or copy of his or her birth certificate (issued by the Vital Records Department in the state where he or she was born) and, if 16 or older, a government issued photo ID. If the child is a newborn and the actual birth certificate has not arrived from the Vital Records Department, we will accept a Hospital issued birth certificate. The United States does not require you to have a passport. (A Consular report of Birth Abroad issued by the Department of State or a Certificate of Naturalization is also acceptable.)

If you are a Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR) of the U.S., the U.S. government does not require you to have a passport for any travel, including air, land or sea travel, however, you are even more likely to be required by your destination country to have one. A Caribbean island that does not require a U.S. Citizen to have a passport may require a U.S. LPR to have one, and a visa as well.If you are not a U.S. citizen or a U.S. LPR, you will need a passport for any type of cruise, closed loop or not. If you are traveling under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP), your I-94W (immigration stamp) that you were issued when you first entered the U.S. can be used for reentering the U.S. at the end of your cruise - as long as the cruise ends before your 90 day admission period has expired and you did not travel beyond adjacent islands or contiguous territory, and you were not outside the U.S. for more than 90 days

And this is directly from the USCIS website:

A Reentry Permit I-131 is issued to Green Card holders who want to travel outside the United States, but cannot get a national passport from their country of nationality. A Reentry Permit is valid for two years. And is accepted in lieu of a passport---- For more information, see Green Card & Travel Outside the US: Documents and Issues for US Reentry.

This is from the Capitol Immigration law Group:

Many countries throughout the world allow you to use a reentry permit (USCIS I-131) much like you would use a passport – placing necessary visas, and entry and exit stamps in the permit – so you may use it as your main travel document AKA Passport. But it so your responsibility to verify with the consulate of the country you are traveling to and verify they accept the I-131 in lieu of a passport.

The country I am traveling to accepts my LPR ( Geencard) I don't even need a passport to travel to where I am going the problem is that I need the I-131 to present to The travel agency I am using in order to travel and I'm sure the department of homeland security will require " A travel document to allow me ----Back Home"

per US customs and border patrol as of June 1, 2009

*Lawful permanent residents (LPRs), refugees, and asylees (of the United States) will continue to be able to use their Alien Registration Card (Form I-551), issued by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), or the Travel Document issued to those with refugee or asylee status to apply for entry to the United States. LPR's may still need to present a passport for entry into a foreign destination. For this reason airlines may deny bourding to LPR's traveling without a passport. NOTE: You may want to contact the airlines prior to traveling to confirm their documentation requirements. ---------- Sound advise------------ so I contacted my travel agent and they will accept an I-131 as a passport and they also advised me that an I-131 is accepted by many countries around the world as a passport ( except those that are hostile to the U.S. but my travel agency does not offer vacation packages to those countries--- Thank God...!!!! )

Like My Elementary school teacher used to say---- It pays to do your homework, Again I hope this helps someone else besides me, and if you have any questions contact the Embassy of the country you are traveling to before you leave this great country to make sure you too ------can get back Home------, God bless and thank you for all your great advice...!!

Thank you for your sound advice.

Ok - apparently it works this way - sorry - was not aware of that - are you sure country you are traveling to will accept it ?

Yes it does accept it, per USCIS it is accepted almost world wide and it is usually issued to people who need to leave country for extended period of time and also as a passport to permanent residents whose country no longer exists... There are different forms of I-131 though, I need mine as a travel document passport.. Oh and thank you for your reply...

So you want to travel outside US and have no passport ? Then your I-131 is irrelevant, you still need passport to travel and looks like you neither can get Mexican passport nor American one.

I was told by two different USCIS officers at different offices in person that I can use the I-131 as a travel document the i-131 Re-entry permit, it looks and functions just like a US passport but does not list me as an American citizen.

I have a major dilemma. I stand to lose several thousands of dollars. I purchased a vacation package with trip cancellation insurance but it doesn't cover " No travel documents " . I called the Mexican Embassy before I paid for the trip to make sure there would be no problems.I told them when I called that My birth certificate doesn't match my ID, I was abandoned as a child and was later adopted but i have all the adoption papers to prove why my last name changed. they reassured me and said oh no need to worry, you will get your passport that same day." So I paid for my trip after being re-assured I would have no problems. my trip starts in a month!!!. I looked all over for my Expired Mexican passport and when I couldn't find it anywhere I finally asked My EX and she admitted she threw my passport and birth certificate away during our divorce. I went to the Mexican embassy last Week with my permanent resident card, adoption papers and another certified copy of my Mexican birth certificate. They told me that I am no longer a Mexican citizen because I was adopted by my American born Father as a Minor. Naturally I asked to speak to a supervisor who said Mexican law states I am no longer a Mexican citizen so under no circumstances can they issue me a passport, so I talked to the Director of that consulate office, and I told him that this same office issued me a Mexican passport in 2001 with no problems and they told me over the phone when I made the appointment that I would have no problems. he became very upset and said " We should have never issued you a passport!!! " I went to the USCIS office and they advised me I do not qualify for adoption based citizenship because only my adoptive Father was a US citizen my mother was a permanent resident until after I became an adult. The USCIS office was very compassionate and understanding and said to send a request for an Expedited I-131. I expressed mailed a copy of my adoption papers a copy of my non-refundable tickets, and 2 SASE express mailers along with copies of other required documents for an expedited I-131 but when I called the USCIS office they were not so understanding. I am so stressed, I have read the horror stories of the expedited i-131 process on these forums and I pray to God every day that they approve my expedited I-131. I have been a permanent resident for 25 years. I should add that I have not applied for my citizenship because I was a troubled young adult in a Gang infested area. As a child I was constantly harassed, threatened, and jumped. when I finally joined a gang it all stopped . I haven't done any major time in jail, and as soon as I was old enough I left the gang, I moved for away, haven't ever looked back and turned my life around. unfortunately I do have a misdemeanor drug conviction that was expunged over 20 years ago and a robbery I wasn't ever convicted of but it's still on my arrest record. I am now in the medical field and volunteer my services in underprivileged communities as a way to payback for all the blessings God has granted me. I have been a model Tax payer for over 2 decades. I just don't know what else to do. I even went to a different Mexican embassy over 100 miles away and they said they couldn't help me because I am not in their jurisdiction or a Mexican citizen!!. I stand to lose thousands of dollars, not to mention 2 weeks of unpaid leave at work because I was already approved for the time off which only adds to my financial windfall, in this economy that amount would bankrupt me, affecting myself my household budget and of course my children. Any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated along with your prayers. Thank you for reading this long winded post and God bless you for making this country founded by immigrants like myself the country of opportunity we call home.

I have a major dilemma. I stand to lose several thousands of dollars. I purchased a vacation package with trip cancellation insurance but it doesn't cover " No travel documents " . I called the Mexican Embassy before I paid for the trip to make sure there would be no problems.I told them when I called that My birth certificate doesn't match my ID because i was adopted but i have all the adoption papers to prove why my last name changed. they reassured me and said oh no need to worry, you will get your passport that same day." So I paid for my trip after being re-assured I would have no problems. my trip starts in a month!!!. I looked all over for my Expired Mexican passport and when I couldn't find it anywhere I finally asked My EX and she admitted she threw my passport and birth certificate away during our divorce. I went to the Mexican embassy last Week with my permanent resident card, adoption papers and another certified copy of my Mexican birth certificate. They told me that I am no longer a Mexican citizen because I was adopted by my American born Father as a Minor. Naturally I asked to speak to a supervisor who said Mexican law states I am no longer a Mexican citizen so under no circumstances can they issue me a passport, so I talked to the Director of that consulate office, and I told him that this same office issued me a Mexican passport in 2001 with no problems and they told me over the phone when I made the appointment that I would have no problems. he became very upset and said " We should have never issued you a passport!!! " I went to the USCIS office and they advised me I do not qualify for adoption based citizenship because only my adoptive Father was a US citizen my mother was a permanent resident until I turned 19. The USCIS office was very compassionate and understanding and said to send a request for an Expedited I-131. I expressed mailed a copy of my adoption papers a copy of my non-refundable tickets, and 2 SASE express mailers along with copies of other required documents for an expedited I-131. I am so stressed, I have read the horror stories of the expedited i-131 process on these forums and I pray to god every day that they approve my expedited I-131. I have been a permanent resident for 25 years. Ish plus also Manitoba that have not applied for my citizenship because I have an extensive arrest record as a juvenile and young adult. I haven't done any major time in jail, just about a week total in county detentin but that was over 2 decades ago. I was a very angry juvenile and I do have a drug conviction that was expunged over 20 years ago. unfortunately I was a very angry inner city Juvenile and ran with the wrong crowd. I have been a model Tax payer for over 2 decades. I just don't know what else to do. I even went to a different Mexican embassy over 100 miles away and they said they couldn't help me because I am not in their jurisdiction or a Mexican citizen!!. I stand to lose thousands of dollars, not to mention 2 weeks of unpaid leave at work because I was already approved for the time off which only adds to my financial windfall, in this economy that amount would bankrupt me, affecting myself my household budget and of course my children. Any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated along with your prayers. Thank you for reading this long winded post and God bless you for making this country founded by immigrants like myself the country of opportunity we call home.