On August 26, 2011 the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) granted lawful permanent resident status to “Ms. Santos.” Out of respect for our client’s right of privacy we are using a fictitious name. Ms. Santos was granted permanent resident status after 20 years of trying to become a lawful resident (green card holder).
Ms. Santos is a native and citizen of the Philippines. She entered the U.S. on a visitor’s visa in 1991. However, like many Filipinos, her initial application for a tourist visa was denied. Ms. Santos was desperate to come to the U.S., so she decided to file another application for a tourist visa under an assumed name. Her application was granted and she entered the U.S.
After residing in the U.S. for several years Ms. Santos met and fell in love with her current husband. She was very happy with her life in the U.S., and she dreamed of a joyous future with her husband and their children. As a U.S. citizen, her husband was eligible to file a visa petition for his wife. Ms. Santos knew she wanted to remain in the U.S., but she did not know if that was possible because of her prior misrepresentation. While it was possible for her to be granted permanent resident status based on her marriage to a U.S. citizen, but she needed a waiver for her prior misrepresentation.
Ms. Santos’ application for a waiver would only be granted if she could prove that her husband would suffer extreme hardship if she was denied and had to leave the U.S. After living in the shadows for nearly 20 years, Ms. Santos and her husband retained Reeves & Associates (R&A) to represent her for a waiver. They were represented by one of the partners of the firm, Attorney Devin Connolly. He worked tirelessly with Ms. Santos and her husband to develop the evidence to support the extreme emotional and financial hardships that Mr. Santos would suffer if his wife was not granted permanent resident status and deported.
R&A is now pleased to announce that the USCIS has granted a waiver for Ms. Santos and adjusted her status to a green card holder. As a lawful permanent resident of the U.S., she no longer lives in fear that she will be deported because of her prior misrepresentation and be separated from her loving husband. The granting of Ms. Santos’ permanent resident status was the culmination of her long struggle to obtain lawful immigration status in the U.S. We at Reeves & Associates are pleased that Ms. Santos was granted relief, and we are proud of our record of success in obtaining waivers for clients with similar problems.
