I was in Mexico City for three weeks and I must say that I had no desire to return to Monterrey. But opposite to what I would have loved to do, I got on a plane and now I'm back in the boring and scary city of Monterrey. While in mexico city I spent my time relaxing and preparing myself for the last three weeks I have to be in Monterrey. Three more weeks and I am free and never to step foot back in this city.
Being back in Mexico city was nice. After being in Monterrey for three months and finally getting out of there, I realized how unhappy I am in Monterrey. Mexico City is definitely better than Monterrey but does not compare to Healdsburg. I am more than ready to be back home and finally be able to se my family and friends. I visited Coyoacan many times while I was back in Mexico City because it is one of the only places in Mexico where I feel somewhat comfortable. I was able relax in Mexico city, as crazy as that sounds, but even with 20 million people around me, it is less stressful than being in Monterrey. In Coyoacan and in Condesa (Anna's area) I was able to go on walks when I need to clear my mind without having to worry about my safety. Just that alone was really helpful after I was robbed. It helped me relax and remind me that I don't have to be worried about my safety 24/7. Physically I am doing much better. My ribs are the only thing that bother me now. Its been 3 weeks since I was attacked so the pain is not as bad but definitely still there. The bruising on my ribs and face are gone along with the scratches I had on my cheek, arm, and neck. I am really glad Emma insisted I go down to Mexico City because now I feel much better emotionally and can feel I can power through the last of my time in Monterrey . I do not know how I would have done if I had stayed in Monterrey. Like Emma said, I would have probably beeen a basket case.
After I was robbed and beaten, our lawyer sent in a request for an expedited waiver appointment. She was told that the consulate was not going to send a request for an expedited appointment to the USCIS because request for expedited appointments are only considered for active duty military applicants or for serious medical illnesses. I guess being robbed at knife point, a fractured rib, and a concussion don't count.
The waiver appointment will be on June 7th like planned. Right now I am working on updating and making our hardship letter as strong as possible. We will have 15-20 minutes to convince the USCIS officer reviewing out case that Emma needs me home so this letter and the supporting documents are my number one priority from now to June 7th.
-Jose
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Saturday, April 9, 2011
I Got a Beating
I have been staying at Anna's apartment in Mexico City for the past week, after being mugged in Monterrey while buying tacos in the evening. I am fine now, but it was an eye opening experience. After living in Mexico for almost two years and seeing and hearing violence, but never being the recipient of it, it was a shock to be attacked.
Last Saturday, I was walking a few blocks from my house when a guy came up from behind me and shoved me to the ground. He held a knife to the back of my ear and demanded everything in my pockets. I only had about 250 pesos, or 20 dollars, and a really cheap cell phone. I gave up my money and cell phone without a fight, but the robber got angry with how little I had and didn't believe that that was it. He kneed me in the ribs a few times and demanded more. Once he realized I actually did not have anything more on me, he cut my shoulder with his knife, just for good measure, and left. Also for good measure, he threatened to find me and kill me if I told anyone.
After going home and calling Emma (yes, crying) and letting her know what happened, I went to the closest clinic to get checked out. I hit my head pretty hard on the pavement and got a minor concussion, a bump on my eyebrow, a fractured rib, a gash on my shoulder, and a couple of scratches here and there. Nothing is really bothering me anymore except the rib, but that is hurting enough to make me curse the robber multiple times a day. After being checked out at the clinic I went to campus to report the incident, and the campus security along with 2 police officers assigned to the Tec area were there within minutes. I told them what happened, and they said that this is becoming common in the area.
I was freaked and and in a lot of pain, so the next day I flew to Mexico City and am now staying with Anna and Benjamin. My professors are letting me take my exams after Semana Santa, the Mexican Spring break, so I'll be in Mexico City until April 24th. By the time I get back to Monterrey, there will only be three weeks until the semester is over and I am out of there for good. Being beaten up sucked, but it is nice to have an unexpected few weeks in Mexico City.
I am taking some anti-anxiety medicine that lets me relax and sleep. I've been surprised by how much this got to me mentally. I felt angry, scared, sad, and confused for a few days after and wasn't acting like myself at all. When I got jumped in Healdsburg a few years ago I wasn't nearly as bothered as I was this time, and that was surprisingly similar to this attack, down to the knife cuts and hurt ribs. A lot of people have been making comments, usually joking, about what good are my muscles if they don't even keep me from being beaten up. But put a knife to my neck any day and I won't even consider fighting back.
Whenever I tell people in Monterrey that I lived in Mexico City they think I am crazy because they say it is so dangerous. Even when I say that nothing happened to any of us (except that one time Emma got groped a little on the metro), Mexico City is clearly, in their opinion, a lawless wasteland. I don't understand how people in live Monterrey where they see and hear gun battles and corpses on the street, and where random attacks and kidnappings are common, and they think that Mexico City is too dangerous to visit. I have always felt safe in Mexico City, and I do even more now that I compare it to all the danger and crime in Monterrey.
Our lawyer is trying to get my waiver appointment expedited on the basis of extreme hardship for Emma because she has to choose between being with me and giving up school or staying in school and being so stressed out she isn't able to do well. It is not very likely that it will happen, but its worth a shot. She sent out the request yesterday and it takes about a week to get a response.
-Jose
Last Saturday, I was walking a few blocks from my house when a guy came up from behind me and shoved me to the ground. He held a knife to the back of my ear and demanded everything in my pockets. I only had about 250 pesos, or 20 dollars, and a really cheap cell phone. I gave up my money and cell phone without a fight, but the robber got angry with how little I had and didn't believe that that was it. He kneed me in the ribs a few times and demanded more. Once he realized I actually did not have anything more on me, he cut my shoulder with his knife, just for good measure, and left. Also for good measure, he threatened to find me and kill me if I told anyone.
After going home and calling Emma (yes, crying) and letting her know what happened, I went to the closest clinic to get checked out. I hit my head pretty hard on the pavement and got a minor concussion, a bump on my eyebrow, a fractured rib, a gash on my shoulder, and a couple of scratches here and there. Nothing is really bothering me anymore except the rib, but that is hurting enough to make me curse the robber multiple times a day. After being checked out at the clinic I went to campus to report the incident, and the campus security along with 2 police officers assigned to the Tec area were there within minutes. I told them what happened, and they said that this is becoming common in the area.
I was freaked and and in a lot of pain, so the next day I flew to Mexico City and am now staying with Anna and Benjamin. My professors are letting me take my exams after Semana Santa, the Mexican Spring break, so I'll be in Mexico City until April 24th. By the time I get back to Monterrey, there will only be three weeks until the semester is over and I am out of there for good. Being beaten up sucked, but it is nice to have an unexpected few weeks in Mexico City.
I am taking some anti-anxiety medicine that lets me relax and sleep. I've been surprised by how much this got to me mentally. I felt angry, scared, sad, and confused for a few days after and wasn't acting like myself at all. When I got jumped in Healdsburg a few years ago I wasn't nearly as bothered as I was this time, and that was surprisingly similar to this attack, down to the knife cuts and hurt ribs. A lot of people have been making comments, usually joking, about what good are my muscles if they don't even keep me from being beaten up. But put a knife to my neck any day and I won't even consider fighting back.
Whenever I tell people in Monterrey that I lived in Mexico City they think I am crazy because they say it is so dangerous. Even when I say that nothing happened to any of us (except that one time Emma got groped a little on the metro), Mexico City is clearly, in their opinion, a lawless wasteland. I don't understand how people in live Monterrey where they see and hear gun battles and corpses on the street, and where random attacks and kidnappings are common, and they think that Mexico City is too dangerous to visit. I have always felt safe in Mexico City, and I do even more now that I compare it to all the danger and crime in Monterrey.
Our lawyer is trying to get my waiver appointment expedited on the basis of extreme hardship for Emma because she has to choose between being with me and giving up school or staying in school and being so stressed out she isn't able to do well. It is not very likely that it will happen, but its worth a shot. She sent out the request yesterday and it takes about a week to get a response.
-Jose
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Waiver Appointment
I received an email from our lawyer today letting us know that they were able to schedule a waiver appointment. The appointment will be on June 7th at 8:00 am. The date is a little later than we were hoping for but I am just as excited because it is one step closer to coming home.
If all goes well at this appointment and they determine that Emma will suffer extreme hardship if she were to have to live without me or move to Mexico to be with me, I will receive my visa within 2 weeks of June 7th. My birthday is June 19th and being able to come home would be the best present I could wish for.
The next step is updating our waiver packet and making it as strong as possible so I can come home in June.
-Jose
If all goes well at this appointment and they determine that Emma will suffer extreme hardship if she were to have to live without me or move to Mexico to be with me, I will receive my visa within 2 weeks of June 7th. My birthday is June 19th and being able to come home would be the best present I could wish for.
The next step is updating our waiver packet and making it as strong as possible so I can come home in June.
-Jose
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
First Appointment Success
I had my first appointment today and I got some great news. I was approved for the waiver appointment! I am now officially closer to being home than the first time around in 2009. I was approved at the appointment in 2009, but a few weeks later got a letter saying that I was approved by mistake and had to wait three years. It took 2 tries and a year and a half, but I got through it and can start on the next step now.
The appointment was very short and to the point. I was only asked when I came to the US (1991), how I got there (my parents carried me accross the river), and when I returned to Mexico (2009). The officer asked if I had tried to cross back since I was denied in 2009 and I said no. She asked me if I have been using drugs, and I said no and the drug tests from the medical exam were clean so that was all. I am guessing that I was not asked about my marriage and relationship since I had been interviewed once before and she had all the answers. I had a big packet of proof of our relationship that we had been collecting over the last few weeks, but she didn't want any of it. It is weird that I only have that appointment because I am married to Emma, but she wasn't brought up once so it was like she isn't a part of the application.
After the consular officer was done asking me questions, she told me I have a 10 year bar from unlawfully being in the United States and informed me that I qualified for a waiver to the bar. Until recently, I would have been given a form right then to schedule my waiver appointment, but since the immigration process is going through some changes, I have to wait until it is mailed to me before I can schedule the appointment. We don't know how long it will take for the letter to arrive at the office in Monterrey. Luckily, our lawyer informed me that she has been successful in scheduling some waiver appointments without having to wait until the form is sent. She will try to schedule an appointment as soon as possible and let us know what she finds out. The waiver appointment is usually around 8 weeks from when the appointment is scheduled. At this next appointment I will be submitting a hardship packet that will be used to determine if my visa is approved within a couple of weeks and I get to go home, or if I will have to wait for 8-10 moths from the waiver appointment before I get my visa.
-Jose
The appointment was very short and to the point. I was only asked when I came to the US (1991), how I got there (my parents carried me accross the river), and when I returned to Mexico (2009). The officer asked if I had tried to cross back since I was denied in 2009 and I said no. She asked me if I have been using drugs, and I said no and the drug tests from the medical exam were clean so that was all. I am guessing that I was not asked about my marriage and relationship since I had been interviewed once before and she had all the answers. I had a big packet of proof of our relationship that we had been collecting over the last few weeks, but she didn't want any of it. It is weird that I only have that appointment because I am married to Emma, but she wasn't brought up once so it was like she isn't a part of the application.
After the consular officer was done asking me questions, she told me I have a 10 year bar from unlawfully being in the United States and informed me that I qualified for a waiver to the bar. Until recently, I would have been given a form right then to schedule my waiver appointment, but since the immigration process is going through some changes, I have to wait until it is mailed to me before I can schedule the appointment. We don't know how long it will take for the letter to arrive at the office in Monterrey. Luckily, our lawyer informed me that she has been successful in scheduling some waiver appointments without having to wait until the form is sent. She will try to schedule an appointment as soon as possible and let us know what she finds out. The waiver appointment is usually around 8 weeks from when the appointment is scheduled. At this next appointment I will be submitting a hardship packet that will be used to determine if my visa is approved within a couple of weeks and I get to go home, or if I will have to wait for 8-10 moths from the waiver appointment before I get my visa.
-Jose
Friday, March 25, 2011
First Appointment Packet
I received the packet for my first appointment in the mail from the attorney. At the appointment on Tuesday, I am going to present my medical exam results and the packet. The consular official will ask me about myself, Emma, our relationship, and go over the documents. She will then decide if I qualify for the second appointment on the spot. If she approves me for the waiver appointment, it would allow me to submit the hardship packet that determines when I get to go home. The appointment I have on Tuesday is the same appointment where I was given the three year bar in 2009, so I'm really nervous. I'm so close to already being farther along in the process than I got last time.
The packet has all the documents we collected proving that Emma and I have a bona fide marriage. We have copies of joint bank account statements, joint magazine subscriptions, e-mails dating back from 2005 (those are kind of embarrassing), cell phone records, Emma's ID showing she took my last name, IDs showing the same home address, mail addressed to both of us, apartment leases with both our names, pictures, and our wedding invitation. It makes us look pretty bona fide, but I have always known we are, so my opinion might not count for much. The hope is that our packet and my correct answers to the official's questions about how and when we met, got engaged, and married will be enough to prove to her that I should be able to qualify for the second appointment.
I have a phone appointment with the attorney on Monday to go over everything before the appointment on Tuesday. Since the policy changed so recently, none of know what to expect. It is possible that the consulate has changed their policies but not their actions, but its also possible that they changed their policies and are going to approve a lot of people. I sure as hell hope the consulate is following the policy changes, but actions speak louder than words. It all comes down to the outcome on Tuesday.
Jose
The packet has all the documents we collected proving that Emma and I have a bona fide marriage. We have copies of joint bank account statements, joint magazine subscriptions, e-mails dating back from 2005 (those are kind of embarrassing), cell phone records, Emma's ID showing she took my last name, IDs showing the same home address, mail addressed to both of us, apartment leases with both our names, pictures, and our wedding invitation. It makes us look pretty bona fide, but I have always known we are, so my opinion might not count for much. The hope is that our packet and my correct answers to the official's questions about how and when we met, got engaged, and married will be enough to prove to her that I should be able to qualify for the second appointment.
I have a phone appointment with the attorney on Monday to go over everything before the appointment on Tuesday. Since the policy changed so recently, none of know what to expect. It is possible that the consulate has changed their policies but not their actions, but its also possible that they changed their policies and are going to approve a lot of people. I sure as hell hope the consulate is following the policy changes, but actions speak louder than words. It all comes down to the outcome on Tuesday.
Jose
Black Bag
I went back to the clinic this morning and got the sealed black bag with my medical exam results. Just that I got the bag is promising. They usually don't give the bag to people when there is a problem or the panel physician decides that someone isn't eligible. I won't know what the panel physician decided until my appointment on Tuesday, but I feel good enough about it to relax until then.
Jose
Jose
Medical Exam
I had my medical exam today. In 2009, they were much nicer to me than they were this time. When I went to see the psychologist, she was rude to me from the very beginning, starting with giving me a hard time because I look a lot different than I did at my last exam. Then she kept trying to have me admit to using cocaine by slipping it in random sentences and asking me about it over and over again. She even asked how my wife feels about my cocaine usage, after I had said three or four times that I have never used cocaine. She asked me about why I wasn't in school until this January, what my friends in Mexico City were like, and what we did together. I'm not really sure how that fit into the medical exam. To be honest, I don't know why the entire exam went the way it did. I've heard horror stories about how mean they can be and how they try to trick people, but I wasn't prepared for how inhumane it felt.
The consulate doesn't actually do the medical exams. There are two private clinics next to it that contract with the consulate or something to provide the medical exams. I think that lets them get away with treating people worse, because they don't have to even pretend to uphold American values. No one even speaks English there, so I spent my entire exam trying to explain things in Spanish that were too medical and complex for my Spanish, but I could have done immediately in English. I don't understand why I can't speak English at my appointments for immigrating to the United States. It would make more sense for everything to be in English than in Spanish.
I pick up my results from the medical exam tomorrow morning. I think that if I get the black bag with the results I am good to go to my appointment on Tuesday. If I don't get the black bag, it might mean that they tagged me as having some issue. Apparently it happens pretty often. I don't think I would have even been worried about getting my results if I hadn't been treated so badly in the exam today. Just a few more hours, and hopefully this small part of the process will be behind me.
Jose
The consulate doesn't actually do the medical exams. There are two private clinics next to it that contract with the consulate or something to provide the medical exams. I think that lets them get away with treating people worse, because they don't have to even pretend to uphold American values. No one even speaks English there, so I spent my entire exam trying to explain things in Spanish that were too medical and complex for my Spanish, but I could have done immediately in English. I don't understand why I can't speak English at my appointments for immigrating to the United States. It would make more sense for everything to be in English than in Spanish.
I pick up my results from the medical exam tomorrow morning. I think that if I get the black bag with the results I am good to go to my appointment on Tuesday. If I don't get the black bag, it might mean that they tagged me as having some issue. Apparently it happens pretty often. I don't think I would have even been worried about getting my results if I hadn't been treated so badly in the exam today. Just a few more hours, and hopefully this small part of the process will be behind me.
Jose
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)