There are countless people from countries throughout the world who dream of coming to the United States because of this country’s freedoms and opportunities. A recent client of Reeves Immigration Law Group, who we will refer to as “Rafael” to protect his privacy, was one of those people. Rafael did not have a way of lawfully immigrating to the U.S., but that did not stop him. He came anyways and began to make a life for himself while also supporting family back home in Mexico.
After years of residing in the U.S. without valid immigration status, Rafael finally decided to do something about it. He knew that being married to a U.S. citizen could potentially help him obtain permanent resident status (green card), but he did not have any idea how the process worked, or even where to start.
Rafael and his wife finally decided to consult with Reeves Immigration Law Group. They met with Attorney Devin Connolly, the firm’s Managing Partner. Attorney Connolly explained to Rafael and his wife that for Rafael to obtain a green card, he would have to leave the U.S. and return to a Mexico for an interview at the U.S. Embassy in Ciudad Juarez. However, when Rafael left the U.S. for that interview, he would be triggering a 10-year bar from returning because he had lived in the U.S. without lawful immigration status for such a long time.
Rafael and his wife were, not surprisingly, unwilling for Rafael to spend the next 10 years outside of the U.S. Fortunately for them though, Attorney Connolly had a solution to this problem. Attorney Connolly told them that Rafael was eligible to apply for a Provisional Unlawful Presence Waiver. This type of waiver is commonly referred to as an I-601A Waiver. Attorney Connolly said that after Rafael’s waiver is granted, he would no longer be barred from returning to the U.S. for 10 years.
Attorney Connolly and Rafael and his family immediately began working on proving that Rafael’s U.S. citizen wife would suffer an extreme hardship if his waiver was not granted. They submitted heartfelt personal statements from Rafael and his wife discussing their relationship, their childhoods together, and their deep love and commitment to each other.
Reeves Immigration Law Group is now pleased to announce that Rafael’s waiver was granted and he has received his green card. It was a long and difficult journey, but Rafael and his wife are extremely excited that Rafael can now live in the U.S. without the fear of being deported.
