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One of the only things we have true control over is our response. Most of us live under the assumption that certain things we have are constants. For example, when people talk about their “forever homes,” they assume that this house will be there for them throughout their lives. Understandably, several different things could happen in the interim. You could lose your job, struggle to pay your mortgage, or a tree could fall on the house. Very few things are entirely under our control, as much as we wish they could be.
Why are we talking about homes and control on a blog that is about immigration? Because when we are confronted with something that we view as outside of our sphere of power and influence, it can be unsettling. One example is when you are waiting for your immigration journey to end. At ZafiroLaw, we work with many clients working through an adjustment of status by marriage and eagerly awaiting to become legal permanent residents. Due to how closely we work with them, we wanted to explain why the process takes as long as it does and what we do to mitigate it.
The Reasons for Delays
Your processing time may take longer than anticipated because of what you are trying to obtain, or it could be rooted in the Trump-era/Covid-19 backlog. Although we don’t need to dive into political discussions because we need to focus on what is in our circle of control, the pandemic caused massive delays. Due to how many agencies were shut down or not working at total capacity, there are backlogged visas in the millions. This may seem like something out of a movie, but at one point, the government stored millions of immigration files in an underground cave in Missouri. Why? Because family-based visas are one of the most common, and these were entirely written on paper.
How ZafiroLaw Supports You
To continue with the theme of focusing on what you can control to impact an outcome, we spend an incredible amount of time ensuring your application is solid and loophole-free. When we first work with you, we will ask you for a lot of information and documents. Many people will question the value of our requests, but we ask you to trust us. If you are new to this process, we want to show you how robust the application process is. You can visit the U.S. Citizenship and & Immigration Services’ website to appreciate it.
If you go to the website, you will notice that Step #6 is an interview. USCIS will ask you questions, which you will answer under oath. Additionally, you will have to bring a series of original documents with you. Recently, our clients have bypassed this step and gotten their lawful permanent resident status approved. And what comes after it? Sometimes the USCIS requests additional evidence, and then they will decide. Our clients have been able to skip both because of how thorough we are with your paperwork. (One of the applications we submitted weighed three pounds!) We have shortened the process for some of our clients by taking advantage of what we can control by taking advantage of what we can control.
Ironically, as attorneys, we are just as eager for your immigration journey to conclude positively. This is a life-changing moment for many people, and we love participating in it. It’s why many immigration attorneys began practicing. Remember, we understand how difficult it is to wait and live with the stress of uncertainty. During that time, ZafiroLaw will do everything we can to support you and your journey. If you want to speak with an attorney, contact us and schedule your consultation.
