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Hello,
I just want to share my experience just in case someone else is going through a similar situation than the one I was living one month ago.
I am in the middle of the process of my residence, l submitted my forms for AOE on May 2018, I also applied for EA and travel permit. I came to this country 13 years ago with student visa, for personal reasons l decided to stay, my visa expired and I overstayed illegally all these years. 4 years ago I met my current husband, he was resident by then and now a citizen.
At the beginning of December my mom, who lived in Colombia, was diagnosed with cancer stage 4 with metastasis, my world fell apart and l decided to go back and see her. I was very afraid of losing the opportunity to fix my status here after all these years and not to see my husband anymore but, since l had applied to travel permit and it has been approved, I decided to go and use that only chance to go back despite all the risk that implies, besides l didnt have a date for my interview yet and i cannot wait any longer to see her, i was her only child.
I asked a lawyer, l read forums, experiences, and never found a negative experience, the only thing that the lawyer told me was not to travel for too too long, I got my tickets for a 3 week trip and I left home wondering if I was coming back or not but I have my mom in my mind all the time. I landed in Colombia after 13 years, everything felt like a movie, so unreal, many things that would take me too long to describe.
My mom passed away 5 days after l arrived, these have been the saddest days of my life but I'm grateful l had the chance to see her and be with her during her last days, she just to come here every year but last year she didn't .
I spend another 2 weeks in Colombia, and yesterday was the date to come back. My husband had traveled to Colombia to be with me and come back together. We flew to Miami and we made customs there. It was nerve wrecking experience added to all the sadness and stress of the previous days. when we landed my heart was pounding so fast and l got very nervous but at the same time l was prepared for any possible question. First we passed to one of the windows, the officer took my fingerprints and then gave my passport to another officer who took me and my husband to a 2nd inspection room, my husband was all the time with me. We waited for 30 minutes and all kind of thoughts would come to my mind, positive and negative, besides l was emotionally and physically exhausted. They called my name, it was a nice guy, he said good morning, sorry to make you wait but the system was down, he stamped my passport and asked me if the 1st officer gave me my EA card back, l said yes, he said ok go to your right, at that point l got confused because i thought l had to go somewhere else or so, so l asked if that's all and he said yes have a good day. He didnt ask me any single thing, nothing at all.
I hope my experience can help someone, love is powerful and I can say if I hadnt gone back to see my mom getting a green card would be meaningless to me, I am happy that life gave me the chance to go back and stay in this country. I came back yesterday and my interview was scheduled yesterday after months. I wish my mom was alive for the day that l get my green card, that was very important for her , but I know she is my angel and she will always be with me.
I just want to share my experience just in case someone else is going through a similar situation than the one I was living one month ago.
I am in the middle of the process of my residence, l submitted my forms for AOE on May 2018, I also applied for EA and travel permit. I came to this country 13 years ago with student visa, for personal reasons l decided to stay, my visa expired and I overstayed illegally all these years. 4 years ago I met my current husband, he was resident by then and now a citizen.
At the beginning of December my mom, who lived in Colombia, was diagnosed with cancer stage 4 with metastasis, my world fell apart and l decided to go back and see her. I was very afraid of losing the opportunity to fix my status here after all these years and not to see my husband anymore but, since l had applied to travel permit and it has been approved, I decided to go and use that only chance to go back despite all the risk that implies, besides l didnt have a date for my interview yet and i cannot wait any longer to see her, i was her only child.
I asked a lawyer, l read forums, experiences, and never found a negative experience, the only thing that the lawyer told me was not to travel for too too long, I got my tickets for a 3 week trip and I left home wondering if I was coming back or not but I have my mom in my mind all the time. I landed in Colombia after 13 years, everything felt like a movie, so unreal, many things that would take me too long to describe.
My mom passed away 5 days after l arrived, these have been the saddest days of my life but I'm grateful l had the chance to see her and be with her during her last days, she just to come here every year but last year she didn't .
I spend another 2 weeks in Colombia, and yesterday was the date to come back. My husband had traveled to Colombia to be with me and come back together. We flew to Miami and we made customs there. It was nerve wrecking experience added to all the sadness and stress of the previous days. when we landed my heart was pounding so fast and l got very nervous but at the same time l was prepared for any possible question. First we passed to one of the windows, the officer took my fingerprints and then gave my passport to another officer who took me and my husband to a 2nd inspection room, my husband was all the time with me. We waited for 30 minutes and all kind of thoughts would come to my mind, positive and negative, besides l was emotionally and physically exhausted. They called my name, it was a nice guy, he said good morning, sorry to make you wait but the system was down, he stamped my passport and asked me if the 1st officer gave me my EA card back, l said yes, he said ok go to your right, at that point l got confused because i thought l had to go somewhere else or so, so l asked if that's all and he said yes have a good day. He didnt ask me any single thing, nothing at all.
I hope my experience can help someone, love is powerful and I can say if I hadnt gone back to see my mom getting a green card would be meaningless to me, I am happy that life gave me the chance to go back and stay in this country. I came back yesterday and my interview was scheduled yesterday after months. I wish my mom was alive for the day that l get my green card, that was very important for her , but I know she is my angel and she will always be with me.
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