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Walter Romero became a permanent resident, but for some reason the other family members were not included in his application. That omission was unfortunate, because a petition to get permanent residency for relatives can take five years of processing time when filed by not by a citizen, but by a permanent resident.
The family consulted the same Boston lawyer who had earlier handled Walter Romero's permanent residency paperwork. This lawyer's recommendation? Submit their applications through the Nicaraguan Adjustment and Central American Relief Act (NACARA) program. Paid an attorney's fee of $6,000, the lawyer submitted Miriam's, Leidy's and Willington's applications to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) in May 2002. These three were granted work authorization permits that October.
The wife and children were happy to finally be legal. But then started the long wait for gaining permanent residency status.
The cold weather in Boston did not agree with the Romero children, so in 2005 the family moved to Richmond, Virginia.
The wife and children's work authorization permits needed to be renewed every year. These family members endured the hardships and expenses of taking time off from work to travel hundreds of miles between Richmond and Boston. Why? Their Boston lawyer told them that their work permit renewals had to be processed through him in the city were the applications were originally submitted -- counsel which is absolutely not true.
In June 2006 the Romero wife and children were called to their permanent residency interview. To the dismay of the family, the judge denied them green cards. The reason they were denied was that they simply did not qualify for the NACARA program at that time. Their work permits were revoked. The judge, however, did not initiate deportation procedures. He said they would not be deported because he recognized they were the victims of lawyer malpractice.
Disheartened, they came back home to Virginia. They consulted an attorney in Richmond and another one in Arlington. They were told they would have to wait until 2009 to re-apply, and each case would cost $3,500, plus honorariums.
Then, through Boy Scouts of America, Miriam Romero made a fortunate contact. She met Refugee and Community Services (RIS) community liaison Maria Hernandez. Maria is RIS' face in the community. She represents this office in the most positive way and is an invaluable asset to the organization. Upon learning about the family's frustrating reversals and financial difficulties, Maria referred Miriam Romero to the RIS immigration program.
RIS offers immigration assistance to those unable to pay high attorney fees. The Romero's had exhausted all their savings and were living on one limited income. The family sat down for a consultation with senior immigration counselor Ofelia Robaina, a professional who has thirteen years of experience and is certified by the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA).
Ofelia recommended to the father, Walter Romero, that he first become an American citizen. This strategy would shorten the waiting period for the rest of the family's applications. Ofelia processed the father's citizenship application, and because the son was about to turn 21, Ofelia helped him and his sister apply immediately for green cards.
Six months later, Walter Romero took the Pledge of Allegiance. He became an American citizen.
After the father gained citizenship, I, Elsa Álvarez, RIS' new counselor in training, submitted adjustment-of-status applications for the Romero wife and children. This was in November 2007. The son's and daughter's applications took high priority, and the petitions were quickly approved by the USCIS. They got appointments for biometric photos. In another few weeks they got work authorization permits. In less than four months -- and for less than one-third of what lawyers would charge -- they received green cards in the mail.
The family was ecstatic. They were in complete disbelief of not only the fast process but the fantastic results. Over and over, the Romero family has expressed their gratitude to the Catholic Diocese of Richmond for its wonderful program. They have expressed gratitude to Ofelia Robaina, who gave them wise and honest recommendations as well as new hope for their case. They have said they are grateful to me, Elsa Álvarez, for processing the endless amount of supporting documents and bringing the case to completion in a timely manner.
Ofelia and I thrive for these kinds of results. We try to go out our way to accommodate the clients' needs, and in every case we also share the joy of the results. The success rate for approval of petitions we help file is 98%; the remaining 2% is due to errors in client information or lack of supporting documents.
I will never forget the day of the Romeros' interview in Norfolk, the moment when the daughter, Leidy, called to tell me the results. I can still hear her loud jubilant scream. What a wonderful feeling of pride and happiness for them!
Elsa Álvarez is Immigration Case Manager, Refugee and Immigration Services, Catholic Diocese of Richmond
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