Hi,

My friend posted this for me because I am not sure what to do.

After 8 years of marriage living together I still don't have a green card. It really prevents me from doing all the things I'd like to do.

My husband helped me to apply for a green card back in 2004. We paid a lawyer $1600 to get things underway and hopefully to complete the process. I was given a temporary work visa and social security card. The California ID from the DMV was to soon follow in 2005.

My husband says the lawyer never completed what he was suppose to do.

The Identification card never came. It was mailed to the wrong address. We had no idea, thinking perhaps it was revoked / not granted. My husband became frustrated and really did not follow up to see what had happened. I would have checked myself, but my English is just okay and I really had no idea how to navigate through the process.

I only found out about all that transpired with my ID this week. The really unfortunate thing is that the period to request a duplicate had long expired leaving me with no green card, no ID and no current work visa.

All I want is to be legally here in the U.S. and have the work opportunities I am suppose to have as an American citizen-for myself and for my family. I have two children ages 5 and 7 years old that are both American citizens and they as much as I need to have all the according benefits afforded by the government. We need this as a family.

My marriage is not a sham marriage. I married out of love, but my husband has become completely frustrated and unfortunately does not have the same seeming drive nor financial stability he had when we married. As a result things have deteriorated greatly in our relationship. He says "wait until President Bush is out of office", but I know that is not the answer. In the meantime I live life on a day to day basis like an indentured servant more than a wife. He's become quite inept at the husbandly duties.

The possibilities that I may have to become self sufficient are quite apparent, but what can I do? I am from Indonesia and my knowledge is limited as well as my English speaking ability.

I heard that there are an unlimited number of green cards for immigrants that marry American citizens. We were supposedly 90% through the process of achieving green card status, but somewhere things got snagged and I'm not sure why.

I came to America after escaping from my employers in Saudi Arabia because I was being physically abused. When they took me to America on a trip I escaped to find the promise that America is suppose to represent. Still I am walking in shadows unsure if the light of freedom will ever reach me because I cannot afford it. I went through proper channels before and after marrying my husband.

I have most of the documents to show who I am and of my established presence here in America: A temporary passport from Indonesia (my Saudi Passport was destroyed by my employers) ,my marriage certificate, issued social security number, and of course the birth certificates of my 2 children.

Does anyone have an idea of what I should do at this point to achieve green card status through marriage or where to start?

Sincerely,

Bigheartfromindonesia

P.S. I'm sure you'll agree going back to Indonesia is out of the question, especially with two fully Americanized kids that the father would never allow to leave nor would I realistically think about.

With a social security card and your passport you can get an ID card from the DMV and you can find work. That is all you need to show an employer. If you have the original receipt letter from USCIS there is already an alien # which was probably used to get the social security card and which can be used on an employment application. If the original case was closed you should file another I-130 to open another case. Since your husband does not have the finance to get another crooked lawyer, file the I-130 first and when that is approved you would have to file an adjustment of status application. The process should only take 6-8 months. I filed all of my forms myself. Good luck