One Last Flaming Hoop!
The records of this Service indicate that you entered the United States as a conditional permanent resident on 12/18/2007. In accordance with Section 216 of the Immigration and Nationality Act you must file Form I-751, Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence. Failure to do so may result in the automatic termination of your Status. You can obtain Form I-751, as well as filing information and fees, from www.uscis.gov or call 1-800-375-5283.
With this tersely worded letter, the final part of my immigration to the United States has begun. It's hard to believe that something that was set in motion back in 2006 will finally come to an end at the end of 2009 (or, more likely, some way into 2010 if the usual processing speed of the USCIS comes into play).
Because I entered the US on a fiance Visa, then got married to claim residency, the US Government basically doesn't trust me an inch. They've seen every single marriage trick and scam in the book, and in their eyes, we're all suspicious until proven otherwise. The first Green Card you get when you enter the country is only valid for two years instead of the usual ten (because they don't trust you), and you must start to renew it within 90 days of its expiration, or you get booted unceremoniously from the US.
To renew it, we have to send in yet more evidence that our relationship is a bona fide marriage – joint bank account statements, lease notices, photos, notarised affidavits from friends, that kind of stuff. Oh, and another $500-odd for the processing fee and yet another set of fingerprints... this'll be the third time! But really, it's one of the simpler tasks we've had to complete on this long road, so I can't foresee too many problems. And then... freedom!
Posted in: chaosboy, immigration, united states on August 30, 2009 at at 9:24:00 PM