A Breach of Security
The visa saga continues. We got our visa papers back from the Department of Homeland Security. It turns out that the paperwork we sent in over two months ago was missing some information. So I filled it out and resent it. Now they’ve returned the paperwork to us once again because in the last month or so they’ve hiked application prices. Big time. They’ve raised almost all application fees about 66 percent.
Let’s talk about what this means for a minute. This is, after all, the place for burning passions and burning opinions. I am an American citizen. I should be able to fall in love with and marry whomever I choose. I should then be able to make a life with this person in my own country.
I understand that there are people who make a business of getting married to get American visas. With every freedom there are also risks. It is infuriating that I have to pay so much money, invest so much time in paperwork and worksheets, and send photos of my pregnancy and other personal details just to prove that I am not married to this person as part of a visa business scheme. We are not terrorists. We are not criminals. We are just a family trying to go about this the legal way.
According to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), it is all part of their plan to “build an immigration service for the 21st century.” They go on to say that they are raising visa application fees for security reasons. I can’t tell you how tired I am of hearing that word: security. In the name of security we slowly chip away at our freedoms and rights. In the name of security we allow our government to do as it chooses. In the name of security we isolate ourselves from the international community and create more enemies than we do friends. In the name of security we alienate our own citizens and their respective families.
It reminds me of the computer I bought in Costco. When we were leaving, a man stopped us at the door to compare our purchase with our receipt. I saw a large sign above me explaining that they do it for security reasons. It’s for the consumers’ safety, so that you don’t walk out the door with more than you paid for. There you have it- alienating those who support you.
The saddest part is that I’ll pay the visa fees. I’ll do this because I want to share my home with the people who are closest to me. I want to share my language, environment and lifestyle with my husband and children. I just wish they didn’t make us feel like potential criminals, like a security breach, for doing so.
Source: Cooperative Research