NickD

What can you do with a corrupt government, still have a son stuck down there with two grandsons, extremely dangerous for me to go down with a US passport and now a visa is required. Wife was able do visit about five years ago, but flew to Bogota first, than to Caracas, but she has a Colombian passport. Now its no longer safe almost as bad as traveling to Germany in 1942 with a Jewish last name. We were able to give her son a US credit card so her son can buy food for our two young grandsons, US credit cards are like gold down there. And we just prayer that crooked socialistic government will come to end. Can get 15 million bucks if you capture Maduro and turn him in. But with no 2nd amendments rights in Venezuela only will have a water gun against AK-47's.

Wife needs to travel back to her home country to take care of some financial affairs and see that flights are available. But the thought of getting on a plane where the air is constantly recirculated is not a very welcomed thought unless the airlines are doing something to curtail the contaminating effects of this virus. Not only the USA and Colombia has this problem, but the entire world. Probably best to wait until a solution is found.

Bit more negative memories, wife hasn't seen her mother in over three years and just received a brand US Passport. I had no problem entering Colombia, but would not let my wife in, he place of birth was listed in Colombia. After an hours worth of discussion they finally let her in, we were not aware of the agreement our state department made with Colombia, and the state department does not like to call this dual citizenship, but dual nationality, the only way my wife could get a Colombian passport was to be in Colombia. Unlike the US where we could fill out the forms our self, Colombia made us hire an attorney, wife had to renew her Colombian citizenship, form was simple enough and fortunately her mom had a copy of her birth certificate. The attorney charged us $1,000.00 for this, they love US dollars. Than another couple of hundred dollars for the passport. Now she can enter Colombia with her Colombian passport, but she can't leave Colombia because she doesn't have a US tourist visa. But she has to show her US Passport as well so she can leave. I questioned our state department about this, at all oath ceremony had to cut her ties with her former country. "I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty, of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen;" What the State Department states completely contradicts what the USCIS states.

Back then the N-400 form was 10 pages long, today it 20 pages, would have to read through all the instructions. From the time I petitioned for my wife and stepdaughter with acknowledgement from the USCIS it took 13 months and some days to our very first appointment. We applied for the N-400 at the earliest time, because of huge delays in the I-751 process. At that time, my stepdaughter was 18 years and 10 days old, she could not receive her citizenship with her mom, if they only received their two year green cards about two weeks earlier. But we had to wait another two years, another 3,500 miles of driving, and I think the fee back then was another $600.00. All this deals with is fraud, this was around 17 years ago, we are still very happily married, the best part of getting US citizenship is getting free of the USCIS, was like a chain around our necks. My wife and daughter actually received their 10 year green cards three months after my wife received her citizenship. While the state of Wisconsin was placing fines of $16,800.00 dollars for hiring undocumented immigrants. Another hardship, wife's and daughters two year green cards were expired, had to carry a sheet of paper extending their cards that also expired. We had to make more trips to get their foreign passports stamped by the USCIS, but later learned about bringing a passport photo for an I-94. Daughter was applying for college at that time with an expired green card, and nobody had no idea of what a stamp in their foreign passports were as with my wife. Two years on a green card, two years on your first driver's license, another problem with the DVM, what in the "hell" is a stamp in their foreign passports? That's the word they used. For us all history.

Wonder if that covers the cost of the USCIS I-693, "REPORT OF MEDICAL EXAMINATION AND VACCINATION RECORD". Not even my health insurance would cover that, strictly cash out of your pocket and had to find a USCIS approved doctor. Plenty of expensive lab test to prove they didn't have this or that disease plus a personal examination with xrays. And since my wife had a daughter, that was the double the price. Yes, we had to be married first and for communicable I questioned why I didn't have to be tested, ha, already a US citizen, born that way. Back then the I-693 was a two page form, I could fill in all the required non-medical information and print that out to save on any errors in the form, one error, the form is no good. just opened the new I-693, see its now 14 pages long. Care to share your experiences. I called many USCIS approved doctors, prices were all over the place, was worth it for us to travel 400 miles to save several thousand dollars.

Natural born US citizen, wife was born in Colombia and immigrated to Venezuela, then to here, a real sweet heart of a person. Do not have a brain for languages, try me on complex engineering projects. Not asking for charity, just a place where we can ship goods to our lovely little grandsons. I did give my stepson a US credit card, but its worthless if there isn't anything on the shelves to buy. Wife did put in her 25 years in Venezuela, eligible for their SS payments, assigned those over to her son, but not even enough to buy a full chicken that would have to last a month. My heart goes out to people depending on their SS, this is terrible and criminal what they are doing to their people. Since my wife is a naturalized citizen of Venezuela, they would not renew her passport, she is not allowed to enter. If I went down like other US citizens, would end up in their prisons. They are not very clean. Seems like we have our hands tied whatever we try to do.

Google Translation: "Hi, I do not understand. Do you want to send from the United States or from Colombia? In the United States there are many companies that transport food and food to Venezuela, if you are in Florida NEXT DAY CARGO does it, they are responsible and take it to your family member's home. I hope it helps you." We were shipping to Miami, but since the sanctions started, no longer shipping, our government forced them to stop. Yes, we have relatives in Colombia, but just about ready to start a war between Venezuela and Colombia. Inconsiderate Maduro using a nicer word is blocking that border. As a Matter of fact, my wife's relatives in Colombia sent her money that we could use here to send goods to them because they couldn't do so. In regards to asylum what difference does it make if you are being persecuted or simply lack food and medication you need to stay alive!! Never in my long history did we ever have a worse congress, more interested in hurting Trump than people that really need help. People in Venezuela do not have second amendment rights sticks and stones are no match against an AK-47 and we do have politicians that want to take our rights away. Same in Iran, the people are suffering but care about my own family members. Maduro has full support from the Russians, Chinese, and Cubans, he is not suffering!!!! But our grandsons are.

Last dealing with FedEx was in 2007, brought a computer for our son in person. When times were good that same computer costs 3 times as much down there as here, Chevaz needed that money for God knows what. Well it failed in six months, and cost him $60.00 equivalent to send it to us via FedEx, I did get it repaired under warranty, but to ship it back to him via FedEx wanted $480.00!!! One of my wife's friends was traveling down there, she took it back for him. Besides FedEx outrageous prices, this was a 7 pound laptop, they are honoring President Trump's sanctions against Venezuela, no more shipments, I have written to my senator, congressman, and the president regarding these sanctions, in no way are they affecting the dictators, never did, never will, but are sure hurting the common people. Also looked into asylums, have to be in the US first, sure causing a lot of stress with two lovely grandsons. If Obama was not elected, our son would have been here a long time ago. Middle East came first followed by Africa, anything for over 21 year old children was limited to 2,500 people per year from the Mexican border clear down to Peru. 16 years went by already, can't expect a young man to stay single, did get married, two children, petitioned for all of them, but not sure. Do have connections in Colombia, but his wife does not want to leave her family. Really can't blame her. We just want to send food, my one daughter-in-law is a gynecologist was able to get all medical supplies for her, step-daughter-in-law required a C section, without this, she would be dead. Now if this happened today, she would be dead, what a way to go!!!!

Anybody have any suggestions, food, baby needs, off the counter medications. Institutions that will deliver your package to specified people. We were using one, but they were banned by our government. And can 100% guarantee were not going to their government, but to our grandsons so they won't starve to death. We did petition for the entire family, but a long wait, they can only apply for asylum in the USA, but need passport with tourist visas to leave Venezuela. Have the passports, but no US consulates to issue the visas. We do not want to deal with the cartel.