I have some very dear friends from Ghana. They've lived in the US for around 15 years. He has a PhD. She has a Master's degree and runs a charitable organization. They have three beautiful kids who were all born here. The oldest is my god-daughter. They've followed all the laws pertaining to their status as LEGAL immigrants. They've jumped through every hoop. They've contributed positively to every community where they've lived. Since the husband doesn't have tenure they've moved a couple of times as he has been in positions cut due to budget woes. For years they have been working through the process to gain US citizenship. Our government has thrown up roadblocks at every turn....you know, because we don't want stable families of educated, law-abiding, self-sufficient, make a positive difference kind of people in this country.
My friends became fed up with the process. They want stability for their family. They applied for residency in Canada, a country they've only visited a couple of times. Canada granted it quite readily. Congratulations, Canada. You're gaining a family you deserve because American INS wouldn't do right by them. I'm going to miss my friends dearly and part of me wants to say, "Be sure to take good care of them," but somehow it seems a superfluous request. You're already doing a better job than we did.
14 comments:
Michelle, I'm sorry you're losing your friends. It sounds like they're our gain for sure. It's easier for them to get citizenship in another Commonwealth country, I suppose. I hope you'll have opportunity to visit one another at some point.
WV is loses. :/
Yeah, I know. . .
Just adds confirmation to the notion that anything the government does, it does poorly. . .
(*sigh*)
He has a PhD. She has a Master's degree...
We lose a couple of highly educated, hard working people but we have to keep Snooki and her friends, there is no justice.
your tax dollars at work...the thought of moving out of the US has crossed my mind more than once. i'm sorry your friends will not be closer. on the other hand you now have an excuse to go to Canada on a frequent basis.
btw...has anybody read Atlas Shrugged???
We're quite glad to help them out. Do you know where they'll be living?
- Jazz
I've never understood why it's so hard to gain citizenship when we make it so easy for everyone to come here for a college education?
It seems ass backwards. Let's give them a fine education and then get rid of them. Huh?
Did you know that last year we attempted to sponsor a very good friend from India to come over and stay for 3 months?
The poor dude had to go to Mumbai on a train, which took 18 hours, then see the immigration people who called him into the room three times, insults hurled, and finally accused him of having false documents which were every private and financial bit of information that we have! It took us a month to do all the paperwork, reveal ALL our info, and then have it notarized. Then to have him accused of stealing the documents and then tossed out by the AMERICAN CONSULATE who was looking at MY documents which are not fake...
then on the way home, his train broke down. He was stuck for 24 hours with no food or water until a new train came to pick everyone up.
When this friend wanted to go to England, he got a visa immediately.
"Our government has thrown up roadblocks at every turn....you know, because we don't want stable families of educated, law-abiding, self-sufficient, make a positive difference kind of people in this country."...translated means:
If you have brown skin, we dont want you.
Well thankfully, you can visit your friends because Canada is nearby! I am happy they found a homeland that welcomed them with open arms. We could learn a lot from Canada.
PS I also noticed those that do get here, are in the medical profession. Why? Because we need as many nurses and doctors as we can get to take care of our McDonalds eating fat selves!
PS Coopernicus, if I could just get past the part about the lady and her nylons, I might one day actually read that book....
I know exactly what you mean. I have had friends in the same situation. It is ridiculous and shameful.
I am so sorry you are loosing your friends. :(
Gah. Where is the sense in that.
I met a cousin at a family reunion who was an INS officer and he was a filthy mouthed racist, which is ironic because he married one of the Mexican illelgal immigrants he should have deported (gotta wonder what happens in that household behind closed doors.)
O Canada, you are a cold but wise country.
Grrrrr.
(Can't) Blame Canada.
(Can) blame xenophobic right-wing nuts.
Government is broken. Can't do anything right. Elect us and we'll go to Washington and prove it! And don't forget folks, Jesus was a blonde-haired, blue-eyed, registered Republican.
fuck them all,,,love canada!
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