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that greencard better be green
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My Green Card Journey: A Testimony of Faith, Hope, and Resilience 💚🙏🏽 I'm from one of the ban countries 🇭🇹
My Green Card Journey: A Testimony of Faith, Hope, and Resilience 💚🙏🏽 I can finally say the words I have prayed, cried, fought, and waited nearly eight years to say: MY GREEN CARD HAS BEEN APPROVED. 😭💚 On September 4, 2026, I opened my USCIS account and saw “Case Approved.” I stared at those words because, after everything I have been through, they almost did not feel real. This journey was not easy. It included one immigration interview, eleven Requests for Evidence (RFEs), three Notices of Intent to Deny (NOIDs), four I-485 denials, three I-601 waiver denials, motions to reopen, congressional inquiries, expedite requests, an Ombudsman request, an intent-to-sue letter, and finally a federal mandamus lawsuit. There were moments when I cried until I had no more tears. There were moments when I was angry, exhausted, discouraged, and wondered why it seemed like everyone else's case was moving except mine. But somehow, I kept going. Where My Journey Began I got married in 2018 and began my immigration process in 2019, filing my I-130 and I-485 through the West Palm Beach Field Office. My I-130 was eventually approved, establishing my marriage-based petition. But instead of my adjustment of status being straightforward, my immigration journey became incredibly complicated. During the process, USCIS determined that I needed an I-601 waiver because of a statement I had made during a visa interview approximately a decade earlier. I had said that I did not have relatives in the United States. In reality, my father and sisters were alive, but I had no relationship or contact with them and did not know their addresses or information. That issue followed me years later and became one of the biggest obstacles in my immigration case. I submitted a waiver, received requests for additional evidence, and eventually experienced denials that affected my adjustment case. But I refused to quit. Then Came the Waiver Nightmare I reapplied. At one point, I submitted two separate I-601 waiver applications connected to two different immigration matters—one involving TPS and another involving adjustment of status. They had separate receipt numbers, and USCIS accepted the filing fees. However, USCIS treated the adjustment-related waiver as though it were a duplicate associated with TPS. That mistake became incredibly costly—not only financially, but emotionally and in terms of years of my life. I kept asking myself: If USCIS believed these applications were duplicates, why accept both applications, issue separate receipt numbers, and cash both checks? Eventually, another officer recognized the problem. Rather than simply ending my case, I was advised through my attorney that a new I-601 needed to be filed to correct what had happened. So I did it again. More forms. More evidence. More fees. More waiting. Then came additional RFEs and a NOID concerning my adjustment case. At one point, I even had to respond to information suggesting that I was receiving government assistance, which I disputed, and I was asked again to provide evidence concerning my lawful entry into the United States. My attorney responded with the requested documentation. And then we waited. Again. Life Didn't Stop While USCIS Was Making Me Wait During all of this, my husband and I lost our jobs. For approximately three months, we were unemployed while still having children to support, a mortgage, household bills, immigration expenses, and another waiver application to deal with. My lawyer saw what we were going through and did not charge me for some of the additional work. Only God knows how we survived that period. Then 2025 brought another kind of pain. I experienced devastating losses in my family. I lost seven family members, including my father, uncle, grandmother, aunt, and cousins. My father was a U.S. citizen. After years of distance between us, he had finally reached out to me when he saw that I was building my life without him. Then I lost him. As if grief wasn't enough, I also nearly lost my daughter after she choked at school. At times, immigration almost seemed small compared with everything else happening around me—but at the same time, the uncertainty surrounding my status was always there. I was tired. Very tired. But I continued praying. I Started Fighting the Delay From Every Direction When my case continued sitting without a final decision, I stopped simply waiting. I submitted expedite requests. I contacted my congressional representative for assistance. I sought help from the CIS Ombudsman. I made inquiries with USCIS. I documented the history of my case and the errors that had occurred. Still, there was no final decision. Eventually, I reached the point where I decided I had done everything reasonably possible through the normal administrative process. So on August 18, 2026, I prepared an Intent to Sue / Notice of Intent to File a Writ of Mandamus and APA action because of the continued delay in my I-485. I sent my notice to USCIS officials explaining my history, the hardship, the previous errors, the length of the delay, and everything I had already done trying to obtain a decision. USCIS acknowledged my inquiry and told me to allow additional time. After almost eight years of this journey, I decided I had waited long enough. So I Took USCIS to Federal Court This was something I never imagined myself doing. I am not an attorney. But I researched. I read. I asked questions. I organized my documents. I learned about federal court procedures and service requirements. And I prayed. On August 27, 2026, I filed my federal Writ of Mandamus lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida, West Palm Beach Division. My case was officially opened: Then I began serving the required government parties. At that point, I wasn't asking the judge to automatically give me a green card. I was asking the government to finally make a decision. After years of waiting, I wanted an answer. Approval or denial—just DO YOUR JOB AND DECIDE MY CASE. Eight Days Later... On September 4, 2026, something changed. I was checking my USCIS information when I saw new activity in the backend of my case. Two new events appeared. H008. Not once. TWICE. After spending so much time watching my case, I knew this was different. My heart started racing. Minutes later, I checked USCIS. And there it was. CASE APPROVED. 😭😭😭😭😭 I cannot explain that feeling. After almost eight years. After all the RFEs. After all the NOIDs. After the denials. After the waiver nightmare. After having to refile things because of mistakes that were not mine. After losing jobs. After struggling financially. After losing family members. After nearly losing my daughter. After congressional inquiries. After expedite requests. After the Ombudsman. After my Intent to Sue. After finally walking into federal court on my own behalf... CASE APPROVED. Eight days after I filed my mandamus lawsuit. God, You Heard Me. 🙏🏽 There were nights when my prayer was simply: “God, please give me my green card.” Today, that prayer has changed. “God, THANK YOU for my green card.” This journey changed me. It taught me that faith does not mean sitting down and doing nothing. Sometimes faith means praying while you fill out another form. Praying while you make another phone call. Praying while you gather another piece of evidence. Praying while you advocate for yourself. And sometimes faith means saying: I have waited long enough. Now I am going to fight. I fought, but I never stopped believing that God had the final word. To Everyone Still Waiting... Please don't look at my approval and think my journey was easy. It wasn't. There were times I felt hopeless. There were times this process affected me emotionally more than I want to admit. There were nights I barely slept because I was checking my case and wondering whether tomorrow would finally be the day. If you're still waiting, I see you. Educate yourself about your case. Keep copies of everything. Document your timeline. Ask questions. Follow up. Advocate for yourself. And when appropriate, learn what legal options are available to you. Most importantly, don't let somebody else's fast approval make you believe that God has forgotten about you. Some journeys take longer. Mine took almost eight years. But my day finally came. September 4, 2026. A date I will never forget. I used to look at other people's approval posts and wonder when I would finally be able to write mine. Today, I'm the one writing it. 😭💚 And to every person still waiting, I pray that one day very soon you will open your account and see the same two beautiful words: CASE APPROVED. 💚🙏🏽🇺🇸 “They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.” — Psalm 126:5 I sowed plenty of tears. Today, I am reaping my joy. 💚
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