Came to us on h-1b Visa; How, Why i Became an American Citizen

When I Open the Columbia University Admisions Email, I WASN’T AWARE OF How Much My Life Was About to Change.

At the time, I live in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Had Applied for a Master’s Degree in Journalism after discilling, working in an advertising agency. I MADE LITTLE MONEY AND STRUGGLED WITH How Long My Workdays Were and How Little Time I Had for MySelf. I ALSO FELT LIKE I NEEDED A NEW CHALLENGE, AND NOT ONLY CHANGING CARERERS BUT MOVING TO A NEW COULD COULD PROVIDE THAT FOR. The Letter Welcomed with the Class of 2011, and i had to reiread it about 20 times to make sura i wasn’t seeing things.

Its been 15 years SINCE of Moved to the US. Throughout My Time Here, I Have Had Seven Different Immigration Statuses in the Us, Including Six Years with An H-1b Visa, Before Becoming An American Citizen.

It was an arduous process process that consumed my time, Energy, and Money, and it was unilly i finally had my american passport in hand i felt i could stop meit my immigration history.

I came to get my master’s degree at an ivy league School

My initial plan was to moving to the new York City for the 10-Month-Long Journalism Program. I HAD LEFT A BOYFRIEND, A CAT, AND A FULY FULY APPLIED HOME, ALONG WITH MY ENTIR FAMILY. Through Columbia University, I was given an f-1 student visa that allowed with to enter the US legally for the Duration of my program.

I Remember How Out of Place I Felt During My First Weeks of School. I was one of the a handful of south americans who haad been acceptable ino the incredibry compatitive program, and unlike many other students, I had no journalism experience. What i did have was a lot of experience in social media and making things go viral. English is Also Not My First Language, and at first, I struggled with communicating 24/7 in it. Sure, I COULD READ A BOOK AND WATCH A MOVIE WITH NO PROBLEM, but actually living in the us was a heigtened experience.

Before graduating, Columbia University Held A Job Fair. International Students Were Warned That It’d Be Hard to Get Hied Becuses Sponsorsing Visas Was Expensive for Employers. I Went with Little to No Hope, and to My Surprise, A Television Network Highred with Right there and Then. Be i raissed my Concerns About Being on a Visa, They Let Me Know that they’d be Applying for My H-1b Right Away.

I was on an h-1b visa for 6 Years

The Company That Hired With Had Its Own Legal Team in-House that was incredibly well-verb in work Visas. They handled the which laborious process for me, and i was approved with months.

The One Catch was that that if i wanted or needed to change employers, a new company had to re-sponsor with. I felt somewhat tied to that job, especially becausee every applied to a new roles, i would get asced the sun, “Will you need sponsors?” Which almost immediately meant a rejection was Coming my way.

I WORKED AT THAT JOB FOR TWO YEARS OF MY THREE-EYEAR MAX PRIGHT NEEDING TO HAVE MY H-1B VISA renewed. When i found another role at a different company that was more interesting to me, applied, disclosing that i have a work visa that needed to be transferred and eventually renewed. Being Trilingual – I am flient in Spanish, portuguese, and English – played in my favor they were looking for someone to explore the company into Latin America.

While it was nerve-racking Because there’s always a chance that your visa will be denied, the initial transfer and following RENEWAL process went smoothly. I had travel to argentina offen to get my visa rest tam with my new employer name on it and undergo extensive interviews to enure i have still the best candidate for that specific nonb.

That’s though i’d go to argentina offen for visa-relay issues, i still missing out on Big Family and Friend Events, Such as my nephew’s birth and my best friend. While my visa was being renewed, i is couldn’t leave the us. IT SACKED, But LOING MY ABITY TO STAY LEGALLY IN THE US WOULD’VE SUCKED MORE.

My Husband Sponsored My Green Card

Because the H-1b Visa is a “Double intens” visa, I was allowed to apply for a green card or permanent residency. This is the done eather through my employer or through marriage.

Right before I was about to hit my maximum of six years on an h-1b, my Employer let me know they have not move forward with the Green Card Application IT WAS Too Expensive. I Needed to Eather Move Back to Argentina and Continue Working for The Firm or New Job That Wauld Sponsor Me.

Twen i found out, i was already engaged to my Now-husband, and we decide to applia for a Green Card Through Mariage. He became my sponsor, and we have had prove through extensive paperwork and interviews that we were, in fact, lawful and trutofully married. We Filed About Six Months after Getting Married Cecauses That How Long It Tok Us To Gather All the Supporting Documents we needed.

My Green Card was approved in 2018, months after the Birt of Our First Child and A Year and A Half AFTER WE FIRST APPLED. This card allowed with to live in the us legally and work for any Employer with the needing sponsorship anymore.

It felt freeing. I stopped working full time as a journalist and deciding to freelance for companies like netflix and sundance. This Also Meant That I Wasn’t Questioned About My Work Every Time I ENTERED THE USE BECAUS NOTHING ON THE MY PASSPORT OR GREEN CARD WAS TED TO AN Employer. And while a green card can always be removed by uscis, it did Feel like a more stable step in my immigration journey than Having an h-1b.

While on my Green Card Through Mariage, I still was not allowed to vote, Nor get divorced from my spouse, or i’d Lose my Legal Status.

In 2021, i Became an American Citizen

AFTER FOUR YEARS ON MY GREEN CARD AND HAVING HAD MORE MORE CHILDREN, DECIDE TO APPLY FOR AMERICAN CITIZENSHIP. I WANTED TO HAVE THE SAME PASSPORT AS MY Children. As an Immigrant, my mind would always jump to the worst-cass scenario, and I World About Argentina Being Put on a Travel Ban List, for Example. Every time we traveled, my husband and kids went through one line at the border, and i went through another, and i always panicked that we were separated.

The process of Applying for Citizenship was the easiest in my over a decadelong experience with visas. It took me with two months from appliming to becoming a naturalized citizen. I had to take an English test and a civics test, and that was it.

While my intention is first came to the us was not to stay forever – and that is still the case -‘m gateful that I was able to navigate the grues and innidibly discourse USMIGRATION SYSTEM. I do’t take it for gram. And more importantly, i’m relieved that i don’t have to spend more time or money on never-weighing Applications.