marivladi
06-07-2008, 12:50 AM
I, US C, being first duly sworn, depose and say as follows:
1. I am a U.S. Citizen through naturalization, born in xxx, Russia on date.
2. For the reasons set forth below, I, as a U.S. Citizen spouse and two of my minor U.S. Citizen children will experience an extreme emotional, physical and financial hardship if my husband and their father, name, is not allowed admission to the United States due him being subject to a 10-year bar on admission:
a. Immigration Case Summary
I met my husband, name, in April of 2004 online. We instantly felt that special bond, which two lonely people may have. As we got to know each other more we fell deeply in love and name moved from City, Ohio to start a family with me. We had a beautiful wedding ceremony in our church on June 4, 2005 with a nice reception for 200 guests after the ceremony. The following year we welcomed our first child, our daughter . We felt very blessed, unconditionally happy and complete. But when she was only 2 months old name was picked up by U.S. Customs and Enforcement and transported to the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma, Washington due to an overstay on his J-1 exchange visitor visa. Now, name and I have a second child, our baby boy name born on date, 2008. My husband is more than just a husband to me, he is my best friend, my soul mate, my constant support and a breadwinner for our family. If name is not granted an I-601 Application for Waiver of Grounds of Inadmissibility, my children and I would suffer an extreme hardship based on the reasons set forth below.
b. Physical and Mental Health
1. Physiological State
When my husband was taken away by U.S. Customs and Enforcement I was absolutely devastated and was very worried about what was going to happen to him, and as a result, to our family. name was detained at the Northwest Detention Center for a period of four months, and during that time I would drive for almost 3 hours each direction with our small child every single week just to see him and talk on the phone to him through the glass. I have endured an extreme amount of stress living with this daily fear of wondering if my child and I will be separated from my husband and her father. I have been extremely depressed, I would cry for hours every single day, had no interest in anything at all but my family. When name got deported I followed him to Belarus and stayed there for 6 months. It was nice to be together again but I was very upset because I was missing my mother and my brother who live in City with me. I don’t have anybody in Belarus except for my parents-in-law. My entire family is in the United States. After six months I decided to go back to the United States because I found out I was pregnant with our second child. name and I were very happy that our family was growing but I was also very worried that my ongoing stress and depression could harm the baby or result in pre-term delivery. Additionally, my stress level increased because of my husband not being able to be with me and support me during the last months of my pregnancy, the labor and delivery of our child. This separation anxiety has caused me a tremendous amount of emotional pain and pushed me into even greater state of depression.
2. Hypothyroidism Medical Condition
I also suffer from thyroid disorder called hypothyroidism. Hypothyroidism is a medical condition where the human’s body lacks sufficient thyroid hormone. Some of the symptoms of hypothyroid are muscle aches, weakness, swelling of joints, slow metabolism, depression, forgetfulness. If this condition is not treated promptly the signs and symptoms can gradually become more severe. I currently take Levoxyl 100ml every day. Since this is a hormonal medication I will have to take the pills for the rest of my life. As my primary care physician indicated severe stress can aggravate the symptoms of hypothyroid (please see the letter from Dr. name). After the separation with my husband I was severely depressed so my TSH level went up to >150 with the normal range being of <5, and as the result it was hard to control the condition even with the medication. If Aliaksei’s waiver application is denied I would be forced to move to Belarus to be with my husband because we are compelled by our legal and emotional marital bond to remain united. During the recent years, the fastest growth rates of incidence of radiation induced thyroid cancer are prevalent in Belarus. Please refer to the following research: http://www.corechernobyl.org/eng/projects/topicalprojects/healthprotection/rehabilitation_patients/. Because my mother and I have thyroid medical problems, my children are at a higher risk to develop a thyroid disorder. Therefore, if we were to move to Belarus that would put our children even at a greater risk of developing this disorder. Besides the high levels of radiation in Belarus region it takes a while to choose a right dose of medication for hypothyroid because the blood tests have to be administered every 4 to 6 weeks. If I am forced to move to Belarus to be with my husband I will have to find a new physician and get readjusted to the new thyroid medications that may be harmful to my health. The general concerns for my health and health of my children would cause me even more severe anxiety and stress than what I am already currently going through.
3. Pregnancy Complications
With both of my pregnancies I had to undergo a C-section due to multiple complications. I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes that can lead to Type II diabetes over time. Additionally, my hemoglobin level was extremely low and I had to be treated for anemia. Belarus’ health care system is very limited and underdeveloped to meet the needs of the population, as is common for the former republics of the Soviet Union. When Aliaksei and I have more children and I am forced to deliver them in Belarus I would not receive the proper health care as I would in the United States. The infant mortality rate in Belarus in 2000 was 11 per every 1,000 live births and the overall death rate for the country was 14 per 1,000. The maternal mortality was estimated at 28 per 100,000 live births in 1998.
4. Our Daughter’s Ongoing Medical Treatment
Our first child, name, was born with a club foot on the right side. We began her treatment the first week of her life. She had to have a long leg cast for 6 months that had to be changed every week. Thereafter she had to undergo an extensive surgery on her right foot (please see Sophia’s enclosed medical records). After the surgery name had to wear the customized shoes with a metal bar in between. However, in Belarus the physicians do not use the so- called “Ponseti” method for treatment. Please see the following information: www.biomech.com/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=171204060. When we lived in Belarus during those six months we were unable to obtain and have someone make this customized pair of shoes for name. Now that we are back in the United States name will continue to be treated by her local physician.
b) Financial Hardship
When my husband was taken away from our home in January 31, 2007, I was left with a 2-month old child with no income, no job and a number of monthly bills: rent, car payments, student loan, credit cards and utilities. Additionally, I had to pay for the immigration legal bills and I had to send money to my husband so that he could call me from the Detention Center. It was extremely overwhelmed financially and emotionally. After name got deported in May, 2007 I had to purchase an airplane tickets to fly overseas to be with my husband. Now that I am back in the United States I am not employed because I had our second child a couple of weeks ago and I am a stay at home mom who has to also take care of our second child. Even when I had a job it was almost impossible to make the ends meet because I only made $9.75 per hour at my job. When name was deported I was forced to go onto welfare, which I never imagined I would have to do. I struggle financially and emotionally on a daily basis without my husband by my side. My children and I have been forced to move in with my mother and my brother into a two-bedroom apartment because I cannot afford to rent an apartment on the $500 that I receive monthly from the government, in addition to my other monthly payments. If it were not for my family’s financial and emotional support I would be on the streets with my two small children. This financial hardship has had an adverse affect on my credit history and my reputation as an accountable and a responsible citizen that I always have been.
c) Personal Considerations
I cannot express in words how much I miss my husband and the family we are just beginning. I love and miss name tremendously and so do our children. Our daughter had a very special bond with her father. Her first word was “Daddy’ when she just began talking. She would always smile when she saw him even when she saw him through a glass at the Detention Center she would recognize him and would start smiling. name also gets very excited when she hears his voice on the phone. Our baby son has not even seen his father. It will break my heart to see my son grow without that special son-father relationship if my husband is not permitted to return back to the United States. It is definitely extremely difficult to raise my children alone, to fall asleep by myself every night and not know when we can all be together again and when name and I can finally stop crying on the both ends of the telephone. I do not know what would happen to me without the support of my family. I have very strong ties with my mother, brother, my uncles, aunts, cousins and my grandmother. We all attend the same church and live in the same area within 15 minutes from each other, hence I see all of them very often and we are very close. When I stayed in Belarus for six months I missed my family, my friends and my church unconditionally. I cannot imagine being forced to relocate away from them and not to have a close contact with them. I have never lived in Belarus before. I do not have any friends or relatives there except for my parents-in-law. My mother has a number of severe medical conditions. She has hyperthyroid, hypertension and fibromyalgia. I am her only daughter and when I stayed in Belarus she began suffering from a severe depression. It got so bad at one point that she stayed in bed for 15 days without being able to get up and go to work or even eat. My aunt had to take care of her. I was devastated because I could not do anything about it. Now she is finally back to normal and enjoys daily contact with her grandchildren. If I would have to move to Belarus the contact with my relatives would be very limited as trips to the United States would be rare due to the financial costs involved with travel.
d) name Good Moral Character
My husband, name, is a family oriented, Christian man with high moral standards. What serves as the proof of that is the fact that he has gained an unconditional love, trust and respect of my family and our church. name has no criminal record and has never been involved in any kind of criminal activity. He comes from a well respected family in Belarus. He is extremely sorry for the pain and suffering that his unlawful presence in the United States has caused me, our children and the rest of the family. He knows that his overstay was overly prolonged and makes no excuses for his actions. If granted a second chance name will respect all laws of the United States. He has paid the U.S. taxes since the very first day he moved to this country. He presents no danger to the society of the United States, as he is a caring, responsible and decent human being.
e) Special Factors for Consideration
My entire family and all of my relatives moved to the United States as religious refugees. The political situation in Belarus is still unstable. Even after March 2006 presidential elections, Belarus remains the last dictatorship in Europe. “The Constitution provides for freedom of religion; however, the Government restricts this right in practice. President Alexandr Lukashenko has pursued a deliberate policy of favoring the Russian Orthodox Church as the country's main religion and the Government has increased harassment of some nontraditional or minority religions. Some of these, including many Protestant denominations, the Belarusian Orthodox Autocephalous Church (BOAC), and some eastern religions, repeatedly have been denied registration by the Government. Without registration, many of these groups find it difficult, if not impossible, to rent or purchase property to conduct religious services.” http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2005/51542.htm.
We belong to the Pentecostal Church, which is not recognized by the Belarus Government and has often been called a “sect” since the Soviet Union times. Please see the following link that describes the potential risks to U.S. Citizens in Belarus: http://minsk.usembassy.gov. Our hope is to raise our children and watch them grow up in a safe environment. I know that the United States can provide that for my family where we may freely practice our religious beliefs.
3. My marriage to name is a blessing, and I truly treasure every moment that we spend together. name has been there for me in every aspect of my life. Whenever I am with him I feel cared for, happy and fulfilled. His love and devotion to me as well as mine to him is what makes our love and our marriage so strong. Being away from each other is devastating for both of us and especially for our two small children. I make this affidavit of my own knowledge and in support of an I-601 Application for Waiver of Grounds of Inadmissibility of name.
1. I am a U.S. Citizen through naturalization, born in xxx, Russia on date.
2. For the reasons set forth below, I, as a U.S. Citizen spouse and two of my minor U.S. Citizen children will experience an extreme emotional, physical and financial hardship if my husband and their father, name, is not allowed admission to the United States due him being subject to a 10-year bar on admission:
a. Immigration Case Summary
I met my husband, name, in April of 2004 online. We instantly felt that special bond, which two lonely people may have. As we got to know each other more we fell deeply in love and name moved from City, Ohio to start a family with me. We had a beautiful wedding ceremony in our church on June 4, 2005 with a nice reception for 200 guests after the ceremony. The following year we welcomed our first child, our daughter . We felt very blessed, unconditionally happy and complete. But when she was only 2 months old name was picked up by U.S. Customs and Enforcement and transported to the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma, Washington due to an overstay on his J-1 exchange visitor visa. Now, name and I have a second child, our baby boy name born on date, 2008. My husband is more than just a husband to me, he is my best friend, my soul mate, my constant support and a breadwinner for our family. If name is not granted an I-601 Application for Waiver of Grounds of Inadmissibility, my children and I would suffer an extreme hardship based on the reasons set forth below.
b. Physical and Mental Health
1. Physiological State
When my husband was taken away by U.S. Customs and Enforcement I was absolutely devastated and was very worried about what was going to happen to him, and as a result, to our family. name was detained at the Northwest Detention Center for a period of four months, and during that time I would drive for almost 3 hours each direction with our small child every single week just to see him and talk on the phone to him through the glass. I have endured an extreme amount of stress living with this daily fear of wondering if my child and I will be separated from my husband and her father. I have been extremely depressed, I would cry for hours every single day, had no interest in anything at all but my family. When name got deported I followed him to Belarus and stayed there for 6 months. It was nice to be together again but I was very upset because I was missing my mother and my brother who live in City with me. I don’t have anybody in Belarus except for my parents-in-law. My entire family is in the United States. After six months I decided to go back to the United States because I found out I was pregnant with our second child. name and I were very happy that our family was growing but I was also very worried that my ongoing stress and depression could harm the baby or result in pre-term delivery. Additionally, my stress level increased because of my husband not being able to be with me and support me during the last months of my pregnancy, the labor and delivery of our child. This separation anxiety has caused me a tremendous amount of emotional pain and pushed me into even greater state of depression.
2. Hypothyroidism Medical Condition
I also suffer from thyroid disorder called hypothyroidism. Hypothyroidism is a medical condition where the human’s body lacks sufficient thyroid hormone. Some of the symptoms of hypothyroid are muscle aches, weakness, swelling of joints, slow metabolism, depression, forgetfulness. If this condition is not treated promptly the signs and symptoms can gradually become more severe. I currently take Levoxyl 100ml every day. Since this is a hormonal medication I will have to take the pills for the rest of my life. As my primary care physician indicated severe stress can aggravate the symptoms of hypothyroid (please see the letter from Dr. name). After the separation with my husband I was severely depressed so my TSH level went up to >150 with the normal range being of <5, and as the result it was hard to control the condition even with the medication. If Aliaksei’s waiver application is denied I would be forced to move to Belarus to be with my husband because we are compelled by our legal and emotional marital bond to remain united. During the recent years, the fastest growth rates of incidence of radiation induced thyroid cancer are prevalent in Belarus. Please refer to the following research: http://www.corechernobyl.org/eng/projects/topicalprojects/healthprotection/rehabilitation_patients/. Because my mother and I have thyroid medical problems, my children are at a higher risk to develop a thyroid disorder. Therefore, if we were to move to Belarus that would put our children even at a greater risk of developing this disorder. Besides the high levels of radiation in Belarus region it takes a while to choose a right dose of medication for hypothyroid because the blood tests have to be administered every 4 to 6 weeks. If I am forced to move to Belarus to be with my husband I will have to find a new physician and get readjusted to the new thyroid medications that may be harmful to my health. The general concerns for my health and health of my children would cause me even more severe anxiety and stress than what I am already currently going through.
3. Pregnancy Complications
With both of my pregnancies I had to undergo a C-section due to multiple complications. I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes that can lead to Type II diabetes over time. Additionally, my hemoglobin level was extremely low and I had to be treated for anemia. Belarus’ health care system is very limited and underdeveloped to meet the needs of the population, as is common for the former republics of the Soviet Union. When Aliaksei and I have more children and I am forced to deliver them in Belarus I would not receive the proper health care as I would in the United States. The infant mortality rate in Belarus in 2000 was 11 per every 1,000 live births and the overall death rate for the country was 14 per 1,000. The maternal mortality was estimated at 28 per 100,000 live births in 1998.
4. Our Daughter’s Ongoing Medical Treatment
Our first child, name, was born with a club foot on the right side. We began her treatment the first week of her life. She had to have a long leg cast for 6 months that had to be changed every week. Thereafter she had to undergo an extensive surgery on her right foot (please see Sophia’s enclosed medical records). After the surgery name had to wear the customized shoes with a metal bar in between. However, in Belarus the physicians do not use the so- called “Ponseti” method for treatment. Please see the following information: www.biomech.com/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=171204060. When we lived in Belarus during those six months we were unable to obtain and have someone make this customized pair of shoes for name. Now that we are back in the United States name will continue to be treated by her local physician.
b) Financial Hardship
When my husband was taken away from our home in January 31, 2007, I was left with a 2-month old child with no income, no job and a number of monthly bills: rent, car payments, student loan, credit cards and utilities. Additionally, I had to pay for the immigration legal bills and I had to send money to my husband so that he could call me from the Detention Center. It was extremely overwhelmed financially and emotionally. After name got deported in May, 2007 I had to purchase an airplane tickets to fly overseas to be with my husband. Now that I am back in the United States I am not employed because I had our second child a couple of weeks ago and I am a stay at home mom who has to also take care of our second child. Even when I had a job it was almost impossible to make the ends meet because I only made $9.75 per hour at my job. When name was deported I was forced to go onto welfare, which I never imagined I would have to do. I struggle financially and emotionally on a daily basis without my husband by my side. My children and I have been forced to move in with my mother and my brother into a two-bedroom apartment because I cannot afford to rent an apartment on the $500 that I receive monthly from the government, in addition to my other monthly payments. If it were not for my family’s financial and emotional support I would be on the streets with my two small children. This financial hardship has had an adverse affect on my credit history and my reputation as an accountable and a responsible citizen that I always have been.
c) Personal Considerations
I cannot express in words how much I miss my husband and the family we are just beginning. I love and miss name tremendously and so do our children. Our daughter had a very special bond with her father. Her first word was “Daddy’ when she just began talking. She would always smile when she saw him even when she saw him through a glass at the Detention Center she would recognize him and would start smiling. name also gets very excited when she hears his voice on the phone. Our baby son has not even seen his father. It will break my heart to see my son grow without that special son-father relationship if my husband is not permitted to return back to the United States. It is definitely extremely difficult to raise my children alone, to fall asleep by myself every night and not know when we can all be together again and when name and I can finally stop crying on the both ends of the telephone. I do not know what would happen to me without the support of my family. I have very strong ties with my mother, brother, my uncles, aunts, cousins and my grandmother. We all attend the same church and live in the same area within 15 minutes from each other, hence I see all of them very often and we are very close. When I stayed in Belarus for six months I missed my family, my friends and my church unconditionally. I cannot imagine being forced to relocate away from them and not to have a close contact with them. I have never lived in Belarus before. I do not have any friends or relatives there except for my parents-in-law. My mother has a number of severe medical conditions. She has hyperthyroid, hypertension and fibromyalgia. I am her only daughter and when I stayed in Belarus she began suffering from a severe depression. It got so bad at one point that she stayed in bed for 15 days without being able to get up and go to work or even eat. My aunt had to take care of her. I was devastated because I could not do anything about it. Now she is finally back to normal and enjoys daily contact with her grandchildren. If I would have to move to Belarus the contact with my relatives would be very limited as trips to the United States would be rare due to the financial costs involved with travel.
d) name Good Moral Character
My husband, name, is a family oriented, Christian man with high moral standards. What serves as the proof of that is the fact that he has gained an unconditional love, trust and respect of my family and our church. name has no criminal record and has never been involved in any kind of criminal activity. He comes from a well respected family in Belarus. He is extremely sorry for the pain and suffering that his unlawful presence in the United States has caused me, our children and the rest of the family. He knows that his overstay was overly prolonged and makes no excuses for his actions. If granted a second chance name will respect all laws of the United States. He has paid the U.S. taxes since the very first day he moved to this country. He presents no danger to the society of the United States, as he is a caring, responsible and decent human being.
e) Special Factors for Consideration
My entire family and all of my relatives moved to the United States as religious refugees. The political situation in Belarus is still unstable. Even after March 2006 presidential elections, Belarus remains the last dictatorship in Europe. “The Constitution provides for freedom of religion; however, the Government restricts this right in practice. President Alexandr Lukashenko has pursued a deliberate policy of favoring the Russian Orthodox Church as the country's main religion and the Government has increased harassment of some nontraditional or minority religions. Some of these, including many Protestant denominations, the Belarusian Orthodox Autocephalous Church (BOAC), and some eastern religions, repeatedly have been denied registration by the Government. Without registration, many of these groups find it difficult, if not impossible, to rent or purchase property to conduct religious services.” http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2005/51542.htm.
We belong to the Pentecostal Church, which is not recognized by the Belarus Government and has often been called a “sect” since the Soviet Union times. Please see the following link that describes the potential risks to U.S. Citizens in Belarus: http://minsk.usembassy.gov. Our hope is to raise our children and watch them grow up in a safe environment. I know that the United States can provide that for my family where we may freely practice our religious beliefs.
3. My marriage to name is a blessing, and I truly treasure every moment that we spend together. name has been there for me in every aspect of my life. Whenever I am with him I feel cared for, happy and fulfilled. His love and devotion to me as well as mine to him is what makes our love and our marriage so strong. Being away from each other is devastating for both of us and especially for our two small children. I make this affidavit of my own knowledge and in support of an I-601 Application for Waiver of Grounds of Inadmissibility of name.