U.S. Immigration Costly and Complicated

"Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free" exclaims the inscription on the Statue of Liberty. Yet as inviting as this monumental statement may be it does not remain true to current United States Immigration policy. In fact foreigners seeking residency or citizenship may be in for an unexpected surprise as they trudge through the complicated paperwork, excessive processing periods, and costly fees.

I, being an ardent Patriot and combat Veteran in the Army Reserve, was astonished when starting the Naturalization process for my wife about three-and-a-half years ago. Shortly after our marriage in 2001 my wife (a Brazilian National) and I began the tedious and complicated process of gaining permanent residency. Three months later after compiling all of the paperwork, completing the medical and immunization screenings, and acquiring the four-hundred and ninety dollars in fees we finally filed. Three weeks later we received the work permit and a letter informing us that residency processing would take about a year after which we would be called back for an interview with a case-worker at Immigration and Naturalization Services (INS), now called the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS). During the first year we returned to the INS building for unexpected fingerprinting.

In October 2002 we finally had our interview, almost a year-and-a-half after applying. The case-worker asked us a series of questions about our relationship in an interrogation like manner. Upon answering all of the questions and establishing that we were in fact living together under normal marital conditions she was granted residency, but on a temporary basis because we had not yet been married for three years. During our two year interim for permanent residency the INS made my wife feel really welcome by sending her not one, but three letters welcoming her to the United States. To this day I have yet to determine whether that was anything more than a clerical error.

Two years later in October 2004 we called back to schedule a second interview as our case-worker instructed us to do at our previous interview. However, what the case-worker failed to tell us was that we needed to file a "Petition to Remove Temporary Conditions on Residence" ninety days prior. After a two-hundred dollar fee and a late filing explanation letter we took care of our unexpected surprise. We are now waiting the minimum six month processing period before our second interview. If all goes well at the upcoming interview and my wife is finally granted permanent residency it will be yet another year before she is eligible to apply for citizenship, of course with accompanying three-hundred-and-twenty dollar fee and minimum processing period. After which another interview and a stringent test assessing English language skills as well as American History knowledge become the determining factor.

I love America and the freedom and liberty that our great nation stands for and I am grateful that my wife will also be able to enjoy the benefit of these principles someday. Yet looking back at our past experiences with CIS the whole process seems frustrating and discouraging. I by no means question the security threats that we as a nation face today, but there has to be a better and more efficient way to deal with the legitimate Naturalization of immigrants. Otherwise "give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free" may as well be replaced by "we give you a tired and poor huddled mass yearning to breathe free."