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We are thrilled to announce Jorge Martinez and Christopher Gallo as our July 2016 Clients of the Month.  Jorge is a permanent resident who just returned from Honduras where he obtained his immigrant visa after being approved for an I-601A provisional waiver for hardship to his U.S. citizen husband, Chris. Jorge returned to Honduras after being gone for more than 20 years and was able to hug his mother again and reunite with his extended family.  While we love when our clients return to the U.S., I think my favorite part of the I-601A provisional waiver process is seeing photos of the reunions when the client returns home knowing that he can safely and legally return to the U.S.

Jorge and Chris took a long hard road to his residence.  First, they needed a Supreme Court decision, Windsor, to allow their marriage in DC to be recognized by the federal government.  We also needed to convince Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) to reopen removal proceedings against Jorge from many years ago. ICE agreed. We sought the provisional waiver based upon the incredible violence and danger in Honduras, especially against LGBT individuals, the fact that their marriage would not be recognized there, and Chris’ career and family ties to the U.S..  And the CIS, unbelievably, denied it.  So, we filed it again.  Bulked it up with pages and pages of evidence.  After we replied to a monstrous request for evidence, the CIS approved the waiver.  After that, it was smooth sailing to schedule an interview in Honduras.

Chris and Jorge are two of the kindest and gentlest people we know.  We shed tears of joy when Jorge posted pictures of seeing his mother after 20+ years and we were thrilled when Chris went to Honduras to bring his husband home.  Congratulations to a wonderful American couple.