Immigration Reform

*sigh* My wife has been waiting for over a year, and we are only in the middle of the visa process. She has been unable to see my hometown, missed my grandmother's funeral, and continues to miss out on family gatherings and the opportunity to see things and people that mean so much to me.

I ask that you take a moment and send a revised copy of this letter to your senators and representatives, on my behalf, and on behalf of all those American citizens who are stuck waiting for permission to bring their spouse home. Please send this letter on to those that you know so they can send a copy too. Let's bring this issue to the forefront of American politics!

To contact your senator, go to this page: http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm


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Honorable Senator :

I am writing this letter to call to your attention the issue of immigration reform for American citizens who marry foreigners. This process is marred with inefficient procedures, a severe shortage of staff, and a large backlog of cases. It is my hopes that after reading this letter you will take the appropriate action, and raise this issue to the forefront on behalf of all the American citizens you serve.

Consider the example of Peter and Julie Schott (NVC Reference #: SDO2006705033):

Their paperwork arrived at the National Visa Center in August. They had to then wait six to eight weeks for the paperwork to arrive. Much of this information was redundant, and had already been given to the US government on previous paperwork. Several months after the NVC received the paperwork, Peter and Julie were notified that they required more information. The NVC would not tell them what this information was over the phone, fax, or e-mail! They were required to wait another six weeks to receive this information package!

Senator, the way American citizens and their foreign spouses are treated by this system is disgraceful. It disgusts me to think that American citizens should be required to wait several years before his/her spouse can travel to the USA. Recent attention has been given to countless Americans whose travel plans have been affected by the new passport requirements. However, Peter's wife recently missed his grandmother's funeral because she was unable to travel. Many of Peter's friends and family have yet to meet their newborn child, because his wife cannot travel to the USA.

Senator, I ask you to consider this for a moment. Imagine your wife was not able to leave her home state because she was waiting over a year for permission. Put yourself in those shoes and ask yourself if you would be outraged, and what you would do about it. Then I beg you to take those same actions on behalf of myself, the countless other American citizens who are wading through this hopeless and degrading system. Take this issue to the forefront, call for action in the following areas:
1. Improvement in the application process.
2. Decreased waiting times for completion.
3. Increased staffing levels to end the case backlog.

I appreciate your work as my state Senator. Your record reflects a commitment to the values of our state and a listening ear to its residents. Thank you for your attention to this letter.

Sincerely,