Background
Victoria came to the United States from Moscow at 18 on a student visa. She was juggling college classes, ESL classes, and late-night jobs just to get by. After four years, she graduated with honors in accounting and landed a full-time position at a mid-sized firm in New Jersey. Through her job, she became a lawful permanent resident and eventually, a U.S. citizen.
Yet, despite all her achievements in the U.S., something was still missing. With her first baby on the way, she wanted her parents, Yelena and Viktor, close. As her father’s health began to decline from complications related to diabetes, Victoria knew she wanted her parents closer to her.
This is when Victoria reached out to our office to begin the same green card process to sponsor her parents.
Case: Immigration from Russia
Victoria’s petition was straightforward, and we filed the petition. Some clients are concerned with filing petitions from Russia. However, USCIS has been processing immediate relative petitions. The only difference is that consular cases have been routed to a nearby U.S. embassy for visa processing. In this case, Warsaw was the nearest embassy. Within the case, Victoria was the sole sponsor, and even though she had been steadily employed for two years, her hours were unexpectedly reduced during a company-wide restructuring after we filed. Her salary dipped just below the federal poverty guideline required to sponsor two parents.
Issue
USCIS responded with a Request for Evidence (RFE) questioning her financial eligibility. The RFE gave her just under 90 days to prove that she had the means to support her parents, or risk denial. Her father’s health was not doing well, and then her mom also lost her job, and they were relying on Victoria to assist with finances. Luckily, Victoria’s husband was able to step in and help with the finances.
Our team responded to the RFE by using Victoria’s husband as a joint sponsor and providing his income. We worked quickly to explain what happened in Victoria’s previous job transition, including an offer letter, pay stubs, and a signed employment verification, as well as her husband’s pay stubs as the joint sponsor.
Interview
The night before the visa interview, Victoria mentioned that her parents would need a certified translator. Her parents’ English was not the best. We helped in securing a translator at the last minute. During the interview, Victoria asked if she could translate for her parents, as the interpreter was not fully familiar with their case. The officer denied the request, explaining that a petitioner cannot act as a translator due to her interest in the outcome of the interview. During the interview, the officer raised concerns about a discrepancy in the spelling of her parents’ last names on her birth certificate. The officer questioned whether different names had been used intentionally, and Victoria had to clarify that it was a simple translation error on the translated documents. After reviewing basic details, where the parents would be living, their employment history, and reviewing the application, the officer concluded the interview.
Verdict
One and a half months after the RFE response was submitted, Victoria’s parents’ petitions had been approved.
How VisaNation Can Help You
Victoria’s story is more than a successful immigration case, it’s a reminder that family reunification matters. This case is also a perfect example of why it’s important to have a translator in the room with you if English is not your first language. If the translator had not been there to translate, this case could have ended very badly. Today, Victoria is raising her newborn baby with her parents by her side, while her dad is getting his health checked out. All of this was possible by going through the parent green card process.
Contact Us
As VisaNation, we serve our clients through every stage of the process. We can help reunite your family as well. Contact us today for a free assessment of your family case.