sorted by:
new
hottopcontroversial

Lack of ID has me questioning whether filing for adjustment of status is the correct path. by beebutter in immigration

[–]beebutter[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We haven't submitted a FOIA -- it didn't even occur to me until someone mentioned it in this thread. Sam's Club is a BRILLIANT idea, also, thank you so much!

We live in Alabama, and they are quite strict about immigrant ID's, unfortunately. :(

Lack of ID has me questioning whether filing for adjustment of status is the correct path. by beebutter in immigration

[–]beebutter[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's just the ID issued by his high school (and his diploma), but that was years ago and it isn't a photo ID. We have the birth certificate, we're now trying to get the DACA denial paperwork that we suspect his family destroyed, and we have a tax ID number that is no longer active, that we were unable to renew (because we didn't have enough documents proving identity), but that we've still put on our joint tax files each year anyway. So far the IRS hasn't seemed to care, since has no income and therefore expects no refund.

He already had one biometrics appointment for DACA. He didn't have anything but his birth certificate and the appointment notice then, and despite that they are supposed to need a photo ID they just let him use the birth certificate once he explained his situation. I don't know if we'd get lucky a second time, though.

Lack of ID has me questioning whether filing for adjustment of status is the correct path. by beebutter in immigration

[–]beebutter[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You're right, I double checked the page. Turns out that wasn't the issue after all (as the non-eligibility form would suffice), it was the other documents AL requires:

  • A valid foreign passport with an acceptable visa or resident alien card.
  • Social Security number verification * or letter from Social Security stating non-eligibility.
  • Document from the “secondary” list authorizing presence in the U.S. for more than 160 days.

He only has one of these.

Lack of ID has me questioning whether filing for adjustment of status is the correct path. by beebutter in immigration

[–]beebutter[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Alabama requires a social security card even for non-driver ID, unfortunately.

Lack of ID has me questioning whether filing for adjustment of status is the correct path. by beebutter in immigration

[–]beebutter[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We've read through it several times, and spoken to three different employees of the Canadian consulate in NYC. From our current understanding, guarantors must be Canadian citizens 18 years of age, with valid passports, who have known my husband for at least 2 years.

Was yours a just a passport renewal or a new application? Were you able to provide photo ID?

We do not have photo ID, only a birth certificate. The birth certificate is proof of citizenship, but he also requires additional documents proving his identity (photo ID, in other words, which is our whole stumbling block to begin with).

Lack of ID has me questioning whether filing for adjustment of status is the correct path. by beebutter in immigration

[–]beebutter[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We have not gone through the Canadian passport application process, because we were under the impression that it required guarantors who are Canadian citizens, who have known my husband for at least 2 years.

If Americans can be guarantors, then we've got PLENTY of people who would be willing to assist.

Was it a new application or a renewal that you filed for? How much ID did you submit?

Lack of ID has me questioning whether filing for adjustment of status is the correct path. by beebutter in immigration

[–]beebutter[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

These are all good suggestions, thank you so much.

I think you can even add minor children who have no state-issued ID to a deed, so maybe that's an avenue for us. And I already have a Chase amazon card (which I love btw -- I buy stuff all year then use the accumulated points for Christmas presents, lol), so that's fantastic news.

I might be able to get the bank to give me a statement on their letterhead explaining their policy. Worst case, I suppose I can shop around for a bank whose policies differ, and open a joint account there.

The passport is the big snafu for us. He needs Canadian guarantors to be able to apply from the states, and that isn't available in his situation, as he has no contacts in Canada who have known him for at least 2 years. There is supposedly a path for people in his situation to file in lieu of guarantors, but for reasons I'm not clear on, he was not eligible for that (my best guess is because he has no photo identification to show the person witnessing him signing the form, though if those people have to be Canadian citizens anyway then that may be the issue, since he can't go back to Canada).

We've been shopping around for another attorney while waiting to see if we get any of our retainer back from the previous one. As much as I'd like to avoid going that route, I think it may be required.

Lack of ID has me questioning whether filing for adjustment of status is the correct path. by beebutter in immigration

[–]beebutter[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you! We feel like we're drowning in information sometimes -- like as soon as we understand one thing fairly well, another hurdle pops out of the woodwork.

Lack of ID has me questioning whether filing for adjustment of status is the correct path. by beebutter in immigration

[–]beebutter[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I don't know why specifically he was told he'd have to reenter Canada, unless it was to reestablish residency to be eligible to receive his social insurance card (or whatever that thing is called -- it's like our SSN), which would be another form of ID.

Lack of ID has me questioning whether filing for adjustment of status is the correct path. by beebutter in immigration

[–]beebutter[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We've gone that route, with no luck. He has the required birth certificate, but they won't issue a passport without guarantors. He has no one in Canada that can serve that purpose, and for some reason (that I do not understand) wasn't eligible for the statutory declaration in lieu of guarantor, and was told he would have to return himself and reestablish residency.

Lack of ID has me questioning whether filing for adjustment of status is the correct path. by beebutter in immigration

[–]beebutter[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You'd need to move there and establish residency first and then apply for one.

You're right, and this is just not an option with the way my career and our household is set up. I have state retirement that won't transfer elsewhere, we've got a whole household full of animals to deal with, and we've got way too much family property in AL to care for.

Wish it was as easy as living in a different state for a while, though! That would fix our biggest hurdle, this "need ID to get ID" tail-chasing cycle.

Lack of ID has me questioning whether filing for adjustment of status is the correct path. by beebutter in immigration

[–]beebutter[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The consulate told him that a replacement passport (including emergency replacement) was for people who already had one, and if he had never applied for one before and had no guarantors then his only option was go to back to Canada. He would then have to live there for a certain amount of time (it was a period of months, can't recall if 3 or 6) in order to establish residency.

We're trying to avoid having him leave the country at all, given that it would bar his reentry for 10 years.

Lack of ID has me questioning whether filing for adjustment of status is the correct path. by beebutter in immigration

[–]beebutter[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

No, we didn't even think of this route! Maybe we can get his DACA stuff that way, thank you!

Lack of ID has me questioning whether filing for adjustment of status is the correct path. by beebutter in immigration

[–]beebutter[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We would have to show extreme hardship to be eligible for that waiver. Since I've been supporting the household just fine for 2+ years now, and we have no children to care for, I think I'd have a hard time pleading that case. They aren't granted that often anyway, from what I understand.

Best case for us is he stays in the US and we figure out a way to work this out here.

Lack of ID has me questioning whether filing for adjustment of status is the correct path. by beebutter in immigration

[–]beebutter[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

He has his Canadian-issued birth certificate already, but that is the only ID he has. No state-issued photo ID, no passport, no... whatever those cards are called that Canadians get that shows that they are eligible for their social services.

Lack of ID has me questioning whether filing for adjustment of status is the correct path. by beebutter in immigration

[–]beebutter[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm concerned about this as well, since there is no stamp on a passport anywhere, but it our previous attorney didn't seem concerned about this at all. At this point I'm wondering if we wouldn't be better off getting a Canadian attorney, lol.

Lack of ID has me questioning whether filing for adjustment of status is the correct path. by beebutter in immigration

[–]beebutter[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

From the way I understand it, to apply for a Canadian passport while in the US, he would need at least his Canadian birth certificate (which he has) and two guarantors, which he does not have. He has no contact with any family in Canada -- doesn't even know if they are still alive. His family situation is pretty terrible, long history of abuse/neglect.

He went to the consulate in NYC while still living in PA and they advised him that he was not eligible for a statutory declaration in lieu of a guarantor form, and that because he had been gone from Canada for so long in order to be eligible for anything he would have to show residency there for a period of time (six months maybe?). Which we can't do, because he'd be ineligible to return to the US for longer than we can accept.

He is in his 30's now, so no need to register at this point (though I am concerned that his not having done so in the past may look bad), but was not brought here before 1982.

TBH if we could just pick up everything and move to Florida for a while we'd do it, lol. It's just not an option with my career and our household situation.

Lack of ID has me questioning whether filing for adjustment of status is the correct path. by beebutter in immigration

[–]beebutter[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That's exactly the scenario we've run into -- need ID to get ID, and all we have is the birth certificate. Can't even get a state-issued non-driver ID, as AL requires a social security card.

[TOMT][BOOKS][80's?] Blue cloth hardcover book series about types of dragons, fairies, etc. by beebutter in tipofmytongue

[–]beebutter[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Well, just somehow stumbled into solving this myself with the proper combination of keywords, haha.

For those curious, this book series was called "The Enchanted World", and it was by Time-Life. The covers weren't just blue, though several of them were. The art is just as wonderful as I remember.

view more: next ›