I had been attacking for many years being live in my own personal country with my Canadian spouse, although Coverage off Relationship Work (DOMA) is actually blocking me regarding my directly to follow happiness inside way. Even with composing emails every single senator and every presidential applicant two times around and you can famous famous people, instance Ellen DeGeneres, contacting immigration lawyers therefore the ACLU, together with talking to whoever manage listen, they checked you to definitely my personal dream was zero closer to being a beneficial facts. Which is up to when all of a sudden DOMA dropped, shortly after becoming announced unconstitutional. Mindy and i also known inside heart which have tens and thousands of other bi-national gay people global only looking forward to the straightforward to get home. The thing is a pile away from documents.
Step one – Submitting the I-130 Petition
I’d to travel from our house in the Chiang Mai, Thailand down seriously to Bangkok so you’re able to document the brand new petition so you’re able to recruit Mindy because Western Consulate from inside the Chiang Mai cannot handle immigration says. Myself around the from the Western embassy ’s the Homeland Defense office. Apart from paying the $420 processing fee in the American Embassy, the entire petition processes taken place for the 15th floor away from Tower Two of the Sindhorn Strengthening State-of-the-art.
Immediately following submiting this new petition form in addition to help papers, paying the submitting payment and you may repairing a blunder I had made whenever filling out the design (I became maybe not born regarding the 1800’s), I found myself questioned basically you are going to stay a tiny longer as brand new “officer desires to consult me”. Unsure exactly what which intended, We waited patiently which have the required time in advance of my go back flight so you can Chiang Mai.
Contained in this ten full minutes I became summoned on screen and you can expected to raise my personal right hand and you will swear to tell the truth. Just after gazing in admiration on a massive purple “approved” stamp from the glass once i verified the important points of one’s function below oath, I found myself informed you to my petition got recognized. In surprise and you will appreciation the manager got turned just what generally speaking takes thirty day period to the a few minutes, We thanked their unique for expediting the procedure. She tested me personally rectangular on the eyes and told you, “You have waited for a lengthy period”. I almost cried right there in the Homeland Security place of work as the this is the very first time you to definitely my personal wedding is acknowledged from the my own bodies and my personal battle is validated. We leftover work with my acceptance letter at your fingertips and you can my hands kept chock-full of achievement.
Step two – Package 3
Our glee decreased regardless if after looking forward to a couple months rather than hearing one thing. We fundamentally inquired at the Job Office from inside the Bangkok about our next step only to understand that they had delivered aside an instruction letter singular few days just after my petition had already been recognized however, we never ever gotten it. Really!
However, about we had been straight back on course. It turned out that step two of applying for an excellent eco-friendly cards was to over Packet step three, and this inside it an online portion (Form internationalwomen.net regardez ce que j’ai trouvГ© DS 260) and the filling in out-of a keen Affidavit (Mode We-864) for my situation, proving (and you will swearing) that i you may financially assistance Mindy. There had been lots of supporting records you’ll need for so it, including taxation information, proof of domicile, evidence of a position etc. Mindy in addition to required a back ground check for all the country she had stayed in once the sixteen years of age. It suggested i needed criminal background checks having Canada, Germany and Thailand and additionally the latter a couple of would need to be commercially interpreted to your English.