My recent quests to stay in the US……

My recent quests to stay in the US……

Thanks to the "one bad apple" that spoiled the "whole bunch baby", I have recently experienced a challenging time proving my legal status to work in the United States. Who would have thought this would happen to a 50 year old woman who has paid taxes and lived quietly here for over 45 years????
Here is a summary of my recent events:

1. Got offered a great job with my current employer. On first day of the "new hiring" on boarding process, I had to fill out a bunch of forms. One of which was to prove my I-9 status to work in the US legally. This is standard procedure for all full time employment jobs.
2. For employment, I had to provide a Driver's License, which I had, and a SSN card or Passport or a choice of a whole bunch of other "legal alien" possibilities. The new process within the last few monnths, does not allow an expired passport to be submitted. 
3. My passport expired a little over a year ago. No worries, no plans for me and Chloe to go overseas anytime soon J so using a passport was not an option.  However, could not use this as proof. 
   
4. After searching high and low, and in everyone drawer and purse I own, I cannot find my SSN card. I remember seeing this couple of years ago, and never have lost it before, but cannot find it ANYWHERE now. So I do not have a valid passport OR an SSN card. 
5. My employer hired me on July 6, but told me to go immediately to the SSN department and request a replacement card. This began my real journey.
   
6. On July 7^th, I went to the SSN dept to get a replacement. Lesson Learned = DO NOT EVER lose your card…the penalty of taking a number and waiting your turn for 2 hours to get to a window to plead your case is not fun way to spend an afternoon!!!! Please, I beg you – frame it and place it in a fireproof place while you still have time!
   
7. Replacement Process - Somehow I thought this would be a simple reprint, or a minimal of few days and I would a new card in the mail. Since I was adapted from Spain and a Naturalized Citizen to the US, I thought I was doing well by taking my Citizenship papers, along with all of my adoption papers,(which are in spainish),  Spanish birth certificate, etc. to help speed the process along. HA!
   
8. Step one when I was called up to the window after a 1.5 hour wait, (take a number system), the first question they ask me was my SSN number. I told them, they called me up in the SSN system immediately and asked for my driver's license. Ok, this should prove it was me ,and at some point in time I was proven worthy to be given a number in their system.
   
9. I politely told them my passport was expired, and is why I also brought all other documents with me. They logged all of this in, put in a request and gave me a temporary letter to present to my employer which basically stated I did have an SSN, but this letter did not prove I was a legal resident and they had submitted a request for that to be processed. The letter said it would take 2 – 6 weeks to process.
   
10. As of August 27^th, almost 2 months later, I had not received a replacement SSN card in the mail. My employer's HR dept is calling me checking on my "proof" and I explained the status. They suggest I go back to SSN ASAP and ask for a reason for the delay. (They have to have this proof on file, which I completely understand).
    
11. I painfully go back to the SSN dept…..take a number, and wait again. When I actually get up to the window, they ask me first for my SSN number, which I give, and then ask me for a Drivers License to prove it is actually me. They are ok with all of this….again.
    
12. Then they check my replacement card status in the system. My "replacement" card has to go all the way back thru immigration's in Seville Spain to prove my US citizenship is "legal" why? Because they SSN system now feeds off of the Department of Homeland security system to validate who is a legal citizen.
    
13. Well guess what? My citizenship and immigration papers have the name of Deborah Ann Busby; therefore Homeland Security system does not have a legal citizenship for Deborah Ann Ingram. AND there is not an easy process to change your name due to a marriage with DHS.  Therefore, Deborah Ann Ingram is not legal to DHS.  Somehow filing a change of name due to proof of marriage license with the DHS was not on the checklist "back in the day". Oh, now I remember why….DHS DID NOT EXIST!
    
14. Ok, so I thought I could go to the DHS government website and download a form to file out to begin the process of registering my marriage and change of name from. (By the way, I was lucky enough to find my original marriage license which I had not looked at in 20+ years). Result....No form is available to fill out a name change, address change – yes, no name change. So how does this work???
    
15. You have to go to DHS with a pre-scheduled meeting. The earliest on their calendar was mid September. AND it is in Atlanta!!!! Needless to say, I needed this done faster. I guess I had one other option, and that was to begin the long process of changing back to my maiden name on all of my "other" documents.  That would work, since both SSN and DHS know who Deborah Busby is.  But that process would also take too much time. 
    
16. So now I am going the route of trying to get my passport renewed. Expedited, expressed mailed, and 150.00 later it is off on its way. My destiny waits once again. Oh, I also had it blessed!
    
17. As of Saturday, September 5^th, I am now a proud owner of a RENEWED PASSPORT. (I guess their system is not linked into DHS-go figure).
    
18. I am now very happy, my employer is happy, and I have my passport ready to jump on a plane anytime and visit my birthplace – Seville, Spain, which is on my list to do. I am just glad I was not forced on a plane to be returned…….
    
19. On this Labor Day, I am thankfully for my country, my passport, my citizenship, and my God who blesses me!
    
    
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