Change of Status
I left my native country of Peru in 2004 to finish my degree in computer science in the United States. At first, I thought that I would study and then return to my country to pursue a better future. But all that has changed now; my future is here.
I came to Western Kentucky University because I had a Peruvian friend who was a student here. I arrived without any English skills, so I was required to study in the English as a Second Language program for one year. After I began taking regular classes, I realized how much I wanted to study photojournalism and changed my major, making computer science my minor. This forced me to stay in the U.S. a little longer for my studies, but it all worked out well: During that time, I met the woman who is now my wife.
I met Torrey at the Baptist Campus Ministry. She majored in Spanish, so the language was not a barrier between us, and she has helped me to improve my English a lot. We dated for two and a half years, and we finally married on December 13, 2008.
After meeting my wife, I knew that it was necessary that we stay here to become more economically stable and to provide opportunity for our children in the future. My wife is from Louisville, Ky., and when we went to Peru to meet my family, she loved the food and the people. But we realized that Peru is not an option for us right now. With the decision to stay in the U.S. came many legal formalities.
I have been without a job for the last six months. Not because I didn’t want to work, but because I didn’t have permission to work. My student visa allowed me to work on campus only if I was taking classes full-time, and my course load had dropped to part-time. I also couldn’t work off-campus, because the visa didn’t allow it. I was trying to survive, buying just what was necessary. No phone calls to Peru, no more going to the movie theater, no more eating ice cream out with my wife, no more new clothes, no more Applebee’s or Red Lobster. I began to cook at home and send more e-mails to Peru rather than calling.
We had to wait approximately four months after applying for me to receive my work permission. While that time may not seem very long, the process was cumbersome, and at times, we were concerned. We were worried even though we had no reason to be worried. Although my wife is an American citizen, we feared that if we missed one small rule or detail in the papers, my request for a change of status would be denied.
I had to complete many steps to get my work permission. For example, getting my birth certificate was challenging. I am from Cajamarca, a small town in the Andes mountains of Peru. It took a month to obtain my birth certificate from there. Then, I had to send it to Lima, the capital of Peru, for translation. That took a couple of weeks. Then I had to take it to the office of International Relations in Lima for certification. That took a couple of days.
I also had to have an overall health examination with about eight required vaccinations. I am sure that I received some of these vaccinations growing up, but I had no record here to prove that. I also had to drive to the closest Immigration and Customs Enforcement office in Louisville so that Homeland Security could fingerprint me. Throughout this process, I spent approximately $2,000.
I am thankful that my wife is well-organized and worked so hard to insure that each detail was taken care of and that the necessary documents were sent.
When I finally received my work permission, I felt so relieved. It meant that everything we had worked for had come to fruition. I am happy that I don’t see my wife stressed and crying anymore because of this documentation process. It could have been easier if we had paid a lawyer, but we don’t have the money and we were blessed to have friends that have gone through the same experience with immigration. They helped us a lot. We still have a long journey ahead of us, but at least we began the process well and are beginning to understand the legal structure better.
The next step is for me to become a permanent resident. Permanent residents have all the privileges of U.S. citizens, but they cannot vote.
After this interview, I will receive a new green card that will expire 10 years later. I also have the option of applying for citizenship after my wife and I have been married for three years. I have heard that the citizenship process is similar to that for permanent residency. There is an additional test about the history of the United States, and I will also have to prove that my English is proficient enough to be called a citizen of this country.
Although there have been times during this process that I wished it could be easier, I remember that there are benefits to being in this country and that it is a blessing. I realize that if it were not set up this way, everyone would be allowed to enter and overpopulation would be a major problem. It really is a great experience to be here with my wife and be able to look to the future and know that it is bright. Even with all the economic problems, the United States is much more advanced than Peru. I would say it is 80 years ahead of my home country. I appreciate the opportunity that this country has to offer, which is that anything is possible in America.