I'm Now a Lawful Permanent US Resident! :).

First and foremost is my big thanks to Him up there who continues to answers our prayers and constantly gives us more than enough blessings with our lives daily. Thank you Lord!

When I came here in the US to finally join my husband, I was granted a conditional permanent residence for 2 years. Of course, we still consider paper works as hassles since we keep on submitting the same documents, forms, etc...and yet the payments continue to increase! Plus, we can't just imagine long months of waits before we could finally get a result...well, in this case where you don't have any choice but to follow the law is a tough hurdle. But in the end of each final step of struggle, it is all worth it.

Dealing with the US immigration involves a lot of paperworks, not to mention some interviews...I consider this as a battle - just like fighting for my marriage and relationship with my husband, which is really the focus, anyway.

It took me 9 months to wait before I received a letter of approval last week (March 11) from the USCIS congratulating me about being a permanent US resident, and will be a green card holder for 10 years! But on the other hand, the wait is not yet over until I have the 10-yrs green card in hand. (letter says I have to wait within 60 days).

Of course, the approval is as well an automatic eligibility to take the US citizenship or Naturalization test. So, in this case, one more final step to get that test and I'm done. This means, it's one more step of doing the same routines..fingerprinting, submitting paperworks and forms, etc..., wait another several months, before getting the final result! {{sigh}}....it's one more FINAL step of long waits but I wouldn't be minding it since it would be the final hurdle with USCIS! :).

By the way, I will be eligible for citizenship on August 30, 2009 onwards :). Isn't that cool?  (Yay).