Foreign Born US Citizen Visits Home in Lebanon, Discovers Love, Weds in USA During COVID, Sponsors Wife for Green Card

| Apr 14, 2022 | Firm News, Success Stories

[Please note: The Client’s name and case key details may have been altered to preserve the identity of the client. This Success Story is not intended to be an offer of service or case plan. Every case is unique. The Success Story is presented for information purposes only.]

On a trip to his homeland of Lebanon in 2017, Faisal, now a naturalized U.S. citizen and successful businessperson living in Northeast Ohio, met Johara, a graphic designer, living in Beirut. For sure the attraction was immediate and mutual, so the couple spent the next three years getting to know each other by taking trips together throughout Europe and the United States.

In the beginning of 2020, Johara decided to take Faisal up on his offer to visit him for an extended period and meet all his friends and family living nearby. Along these lines, for the sake of honor and propriety, Johara resided at the home of Malak, Faisal’s beloved aunt.

This did not hinder Johara’s work schedule at all because she was able to perform all her duties online as well as take part in zoom meetings. In fact, when the Covid-19 pandemic begin, she set an example for others.

Regarding Covid-19, just before the shutdowns were imposed, Faisal and Johara decided that, whatever happened pandemic-wise, they wanted to go through it together because they loved each other. Thus, a wedding was hastily arranged by Malak and the select few who attended wore masks and had a wonderful time guessing each other’s identity.

At the reception’s conclusion, everyone cheered as Faisal and Johara loaded all her belongings into her new car and the two of the departed to Faisal’s home where they would live until they found just the right home for themselves and for the children that they looked forward to having.

A few days later, Faisal arranged a zoom meeting with the Margaret W. Wong & Associates, LLC. Wong team to see about gaining legal permanent residency for his bride who told us with a smile that she had brought most of the necessary documentation with her from Beirut because she sensed that a wedding just might happen.

Subsequently, our team was able to file a package for Johara no later than July when governmental offices that previously had been closed were re-opened. Among the forms we included was the newly imposed I-944 (Declaration of Self-Sufficiency) which Johara found rather humorous because, professionally, she was near the top of her field and earning a terrific amount of money.

In fact, after Johara viewed Ms. Wong’s collection of photos of her posing with such dignitaries as former President Barack Obama whose aunt she helped obtain a green card and the late SCOTUS justice, Antonin Scalia, Johara said with a laugh that if any of us knew President Trump, we were to tell him that she DID NOT come to the United States intending to go on public assistance.

In January of 2021, Johara reported to USCIS where fingerprints were taken and, shortly thereafter, the couple received notice that Johara’s interview would take place in the middle of February. Subsequently, our team prepped Faisal and Johara at the beginning of February and her interview, itself, went smoothly because, the couple had taken our advice and established several joint accounts and insurance policies.

They also had array of photos that evidenced the progression of their relationship over the past several years which proved, beyond much question, that Johara was not an opportunist using Faisal to establish residence in the United States. Plus, Johara was so successful and resourceful that it was obvious that she could and would find a way to live almost anywhere that she liked without having to resort to marriage to do it.

To be sure, the Margaret W. Wong team always felt quite positive about Johara’s case, but our legal representative knew that she was a slam dunk for a green card, if not citizenship in three years, when she said to the ISO, with great confidence, that “I do not have to live here, but I have decided that I want to live with my husband in this great country.”