Thread: I want my money back

My wife immigrated from the Philippines three years ago. It cost me 135$ dollars to file the form to petition her to come over on a fiance visa. I think it cost 200$ to file that document now. Befor she got here we both had to submit lots of paperwork. She had to have a certificate of no marriage, {proving she wan't already married}, physical, police criminal backround search, birth certificate, attend a seminar, go through an interveiw, and many other things that all cost money. When she got here, I had to file an avidavit of support saying that I was responsible for any welfare bills etc . She had to be fingerprinted 90$, [currently about 150$] shots from an INS appoved doctor 200$[probably more now} . Apply for" temperary" permanent residence 245$ ,{ I think it's 290$ now}. 2 years later she had to file to get the temperary permanent residence changed to permanent residence at a cost of almost 300$. Now she getting ready to become a citizen and they want 500$ for that! >>> The government has dogged us every step of the way for money. My wifes passport and visa were not good enough for the DMV , they had to have yet another form of ID so she could get her drivers license. All the while, Illegal Aliens are driving all over the place! how did they do it!!! . All I can say is that my wife and I should get our money back that the government squeezed out of us at every twist and turn.

You are right it isn't fair. which is one more reason why we are fighting all of this. This Illegal immigration affects us in so many ways. Be proud of the fact that you and your wife have gone about it the right way. Because it gives you both the right to stand up and object to what is going on as well.

And Welcome to the forum.

Welcome Maxwell.
Some good information, and not surprising.
I wonder when an anchor baby brings in his family do they each have to go through this too? Does anybody know ? Or do they just get to glide over everything and come in virtually for nothing. Are there any background checks, health checks etc?

I want to bring this post back to the front. I am so mad over all the money my wife and I had to spend for immigration filing fees. I want to bring up another point that most people don't realize. People in other countries have to go to the US embassy to start the immigration process. Most countries have one embassy and not everyone lives close to it. Most people are to poor to even feed their families. They have no way of even getting to an embassy that is hundereds of miles away. I had to send my wife money to fly to Mailla from the island she lives on. She needed money for hotel, food, bribes etc. Its not like the USA, in those third world countries a person doesn't just walk in and get a birth certificate at the local couthouse. In the Philippines, a person has to go to the capital.{Manilla} apply and it takes 30 days for them to mail it. These governments got ways of getting their chop off the people trying to get to the USA. My wife had to make 3 trips to Manilla. Average wage in the Philippines is 1500$ year. By the time my wife was done with her paper work, it was equal to 2 years wages in that country. No way that most people could ever get that kind of money without a sponser. >>> let me ask you guys this, have you ever seen poor people from Afrika in the USA??? The kind of people you see on world vision TV who are eating grass and tree bark???? No!!! all you see is uppity Nigerians who come from wealthy families. It's that way all over the world!! Poor people and I mean really poor people don't have a chance to get here. They will starve to death and I really mean starve to death from lack of food. Mexico is not a poor country by world standards. There is food there. You don't see kids with puffed out stomachs dying on a filthy blanket with flies all over them. Mexico has the resouces and everything to take care of there own people. There are countries who don't have any way of even feeding their people!!!! If we are going to feel sorry for anyone, it should be the real poor people of this world. The ones who are dying. I would gladly pay these fees so that starving people could have a chance get here.

I agree some have paid 10,000 to obtain citizenship legally they should all get their money back if there is an amnesty. It really sends the wrong message to even think about granting full amnesty to criminals that are in our country illegally.

You have every right to be angry!

It's too bad that there isn't some way that Legal Immigrants can't get together and somehow go before congress,and speak your minds about how unfair this whole illegal alien invasion is to those of you, and your families who have came here legally.

here! here!

I grew up in Africa, the American son of an oil man. I can imagine what you are thinking...no palaces... no harems... just your regular people who lived amongst some of the poorest and most abused people on God's troubled Earth. I guess most Americans shield themselves from the truth...pansies!... we didnt live on a compound...refused! I thank my parents for every day too. I know that the Latin Americans need to wake up and smell furor building against their smug demands. I too would spend more on lettuce, and coffee, everything, if I thought that it would help alleviate actual world suffering. If it would help these true third worlders get here... I say blanket amnesty for every Sudanese threatened with genocide and starvation. These Latina/os just got caught with their finger in the pie and they think it tasted good and believe they deserve a slice. No way Jose! Youre confusing your socialist "utopia" of Mexico with the real world. Here you don't get something for nothing. Only the truly downtrodden get amnesty here, only the truly oppressed. If they were as oppressed as they are in Sudan I imagine we wouldn't see quite as many piece of crap Mexican rags I mean flags when they demand rights as invaders. Whew! I feel better now thanks for listening!

I have felt sympathy for the third world countries all along that do not border America....although I oppose illegal immigration. I mean those people surviving genocide in Darfur could sure use another place to go to, and are we giving a percentage of legal immigration to them? It is so unfair to grant this so called "path to citizenship"....we already have a path (legal immigration) and they did not follow it, so why should we change any laws for these illegal aliens?

I'm really tired of hearing from these illegals how they are hard-working taxpayers. I think any immigrant would be to have a chance to become an American citizen. Fair is fair, and they broke our laws, should not be here AT ALL. I agree that legal immigrants should raise hell and try to sue or demand something be done because of the time and money they put into becoming law abiding Americans.

Another excellent point. If illegals receive amnesty, all of the legal immigrants deserve refunds for money spent in the legalization process.

This issue really has me torn. My Cherokee ancestors were forced to register as American citizens even though they were born in this country. Now I see beautiful land once occupied by my ancestors being taken over by illegals who do not respect our country or our way of life. I will never look at this group of people the same as I did before May 1st protesting. I am angry.