Vawa part3

[Sandra G. 5,047]

keep in mind there is a huge possibility that USCIS will put it on hold Vawa cases because the reauthorization legislation failed to pass, but we have to wait and see ok . Pray people..pray.

[gabrielvawa 2]

Hi Sandra Happy new year !!!! please can you tell me how to change my adress on my vawa case???plsssss

[Sandra G. 5,047]

GABRIELVAWA if you have a lawyer ask him to change the address for you.If you dont have a lawyer then write a notarized letter changing your address and submit to Vawa Unit.Write down vawa unit in the up right side of the envelope with BIG LETTERS and file online form AR11 as well.

[K.MENENDEZ 1]

Hey my friends.

Just want to say Hi to you all and as everyone here knows that my journey with VAWA ends with me leaving the USA, but I want to let you guys Know that My attorney just send me an Email saying that the work permit renew that I applied when I was in the US was granted and he have it at his office. It don't change anything for me anyway because i left the country, but maybe a miracle will happen that they could send the green card without interview and than i could return to the US and my Husband would never know that I m living there with my baby daughter.

Its only a dream now, lets wait and see .

hugs to all of you guys and good luck with approvals this year.

Edited January 4, 2013 by K.MENENDEZ

[optimisticchic 7]

Hey my friends.

Just want to say Hi to you all and as everyone here knows that my journey with VAWA ends with me leaving the USA, but I want to let you guys Know that My attorney just send me an Email saying that the work permit renew that I applied when I was in the US was granted and he have it at his office. It don't change anything for me anyway because i left the country, but maybe a miracle will happen that they could send the green card without interview and than i could return to the US and my Husband would never know that I m living there with my baby daughter.

Its only a dream now, lets wait and see .

hugs to all of you guys and good luck with approvals this year.

K. Mendez, I am so sorry you had to leave the country. I have heard pple file for vawa outside the country and get approved. Did you have a valid visa before you left? I am glad things a looking up for you concerning the work permit. Things will be great in the end. God never ends in a negative.

[missymd 5]

Sandranj am trying to understand this vawa bill that was denied.to my knowledge it says that the only part that was denied was the additional extra bill for LGBT individuals,undocumented immigrants and native american women....does that mean the original vawa is still in effect? If l dont fall under any of this categories does it mean they will still adjudicate my case? Just curious,is the native american women americans?why do they have to apply for vawa?

[K.MENENDEZ 1]

K. Mendez, I am so sorry you had to leave the country. I have heard pple file for vawa outside the country and get approved. Did you have a valid visa before you left? I am glad things a looking up for you concerning the work permit. Things will be great in the end. God never ends in a negative.

no, i didnt hAve a valid visa. i was in the USA illegally for almost 10 years. I left because my husband found out that i applied for vawa after Vermont Service Center sent a letter to my house instead of my attorney. So I was afraid of him and don't want to put my friends and baby in danger , so i accepted the deal with him to leave the country and he would sign the paper for me to take our baby with me.

[K.MENENDEZ 1]

Sandranj am trying to understand this vawa bill that was denied.to my knowledge it says that the only part that was denied was the additional extra bill for LGBT individuals,undocumented immigrants and native american women....does that mean the original vawa is still in effect? If l dont fall under any of this categories does it mean they will still adjudicate my case? Just curious,is the native american women americans?why do they have to apply for vawa?

I emailed by attorney back and asked him, if i was in the USA waiting for my pending VAWA how this House GOP BLOCK would affect my case , and He said that it will affect only new cases. The cases that is pending with USCIS will NOT be affected by the BLOCK.

That's what he said, I don't know if its true.

[Sandra G. 5,047]

Missynd the HOuse said the bill was to supportive of immigrants and LGbT community and then they let the Vawa Law expired rather then approve the changes proposed.We don't know yet how Uscis will proceed regarding all vawa cases filed.There are proponents already working to revive the law including Senator Murray.They have to count on the new congress to approve tho, but they have to start from scratch.Uscis maybe will put it on hold vawa cases waiting a new law,so far we can't confirm anything because Uscis is still silent regarding this matter.

[survivor2012 7]

Hi guys,

I'm the new girl here. I've been reading every single post here for at least 3 months now. I filed my VAWA, along with I-765 and I-485 in the beginning of November and got my work permit on December 10th, and biometrics done December 12th. They sent an RFE for Good Moral Character (I sent city's police clearance on initial application, they asked for state-wide clearance). I sent a reply on December 19th, they received it December 20th, and now it's all waiting game. It's so exhausting. I'm lucky enough to have a job (I had to quit my previous job for 2 months due to the fact that I had to quit school because of the abuse, but then when I got the work permit my boss was very nice to have me back).

I know my journey just started, and the wait will be long and exhausting. I've been undergoing post traumatic disorder, depression and anxiety for at least 6 months, and it's not going away. Sometimes I felt like I'm going crazy. My husband cheated on me, sold my car, took all my money, and then he would beat me up, poured hot oil on me for no reason. He would accuse me of adultery with some random guys, and would stalk me at work and at school until I had to leave. At first, I still loved him and wanted my relationship to work out. But one day my roommate called the police on my husband because he brought his friends and his mistress home and tried to beat me up and kill me. His mistress was illegal immigrant and wanted me to divorce him so she could marry him for the green card. When the police came, they all ran away. The police took pictures of wounds, bloods on the ground and such. The report said the incident was domestic. I then had to reside in a shelter because I was scared he'd come back and kill me. The shelter advocate helped me file a restraint order. My husband showed up on court date, still tried to harass me. He made up stories about me using him for the green card and all, but the judge saw through his lies because we never filed for green card. I showed them my horrible scar when he poured hot oil on me. I got the order of protection for 10 years. Peace at Home shelter helped me look for a good lawyer, filed my VAWA. I was so thankful for my roommate on that day when he called the police, and things were escalated to the point that I was forced to leave my home and had to seek mental treatment. The psychiatrists who treated me were very understanding.

Everything was great except there was no police cooperation. My husband and his mistress for some reason convinced them that they only came over to my house and had some violent moments because I owe them money (I do not. He actually was the one who always forced me to work 2 jobs so he could leach off me). The police dismissed the case, overlooked my effort to press charge, and even wrote on their final report that the incident was over monetary issue, not domestic violence (even though my husband was the one who hit me). I was so angry I thought I'd sue them for such blatant incompetent. My lawyer said the police in my county was racist and couldn't care less about aliens (I live in Arkansas, where the KKK was found, just so you have an idea).

So yeah, I filed my VAWA along with 4 testimonies (from all the roommates who have resided with us, my mom, my neighbor), all notarized. Psychiatrist, shelter advocates, and counsellor's professional statements, diagnosis, timeline of when I came in to seek for help, and treatments since then. I also attached the order of protection, joint lease, mails, joint bank account, joint car insurance policy, joint phone bills, marriage certificate, pictures, and his copy of passport (obtained from his ex-girlfriend who had 2 kids with him. She refused to testify even though she went through abuse from him. She's still afraid of him I think).

Do you guys think I have a good chance?

[survivor2012 7]

Also, here's the information on VAWA reauthorization, quoted from 4vawa.org.

The 113th Congress must pass VAWA immediately.

We wish you a safe and happy new year! Over the holidays, we have had time to pause to reflect on our progress in authorizing a strong and responsive VAWA. Now, as 2013 begins, we know that we cannot lose momentum. Join with us in 2013 to ensure early passage of this essential legislation.

Thanks to the tireless efforts of you, the countless advocates and supporters, we made critical advancements in educating Congress and the general public on the real needs of all victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. And Congress responded to our efforts, engaging in serious conversation over that language needed to complete a safe and comprehensive VAWA.

While we came very close, time ran out. We were all deeply disappointed that a final bill was not reached in the 112th Congress. The U.S. House of Representatives continued to voice strong opposition to offering basic protections to certain vulnerable populations.

Our anger is at the missed opportunity in 2012 to enact all the important improvements that we all worked so hard to add to the bill – housing, campus and sexual assault provisions and enhanced services and explicit programs for communities of color, immigrant, tribal and LGBT victims and survivors. However, we also will not have the harmful provisions added by the Senate Judiciary Committee and the House Republicans in the 2012 version of the bill.

It is very important that we celebrate our past three years of awareness and advocacy even as we mourn VAWA 2012’s failure to pass. While the reauthorization bill is “dead,” VAWA itself is very much alive and will continue in its 2005 version.

Programs and services will not close because we didn’t reauthorize VAWA but they are certainly threatened because the budget crises at the local, state and national levels are always looming. While the deal on the “fiscal cliff” delayed harmful across-the-board cuts to federal programs until early March, our analysis shows nearly 200,000 victims of violence would lose services if another agreement is not made. With your help, we can build on the work we’ve done in 2012 to pass VAWA in 2013 and stop these destructive budget cuts.

Today, the 113th Congress will be sworn in. There is no time to waste in addressing the needs of victims. We call on the 113th Congress to act immediately on VAWA this month and pass a bill that safely and effectively meets the needs of all victims.

Onward together!

So I think we are fine as VAWA petitioner. The bill which didn't get authorized was for the extended victims. If you aren't in those categories, you're good.

To explain better about tribal, Native Americans' questions: The tribe has their own judicial system and court within their own reservations. However, if white men came in and rape Native American women, the tribal court do not have jurisdiction to prosecute the white men, and he would go unscathed, which, a lot of cases like that have happened. VAWA reauthorization wanted to include that if the Native American woman was raped by a white man, then the tribal court has jurisdiction to prosecute the white man. Boehner has some problems with this. Maybe he has a fetish for Native American women and don't want to lose that privilege? What a bunch of sickos.

[Sandra G. 5,047]

("...On January 2, 2013, the Senate's 2012 reauthorization of VAWA was not brought up for a vote in the House; effectively ending the Bill after 18 years in effect")

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Violence_Against_Women_Act

("...After nearly 20 years in action, with plans to extend its benefits, it is baffling that VAWA died in the House).

http://ivn.us/2013/01/03/violence-against-women-act-reauthorization-dies-in-house-hands/

("...Violence Against Women Act Dies in House ... This is the first time that the bill failed to be reauthorized since it was signed in 1994).

("...VAWA is dead. It suffered the stroke of 2013, when without congressional re-approval, the massive behemoth of legislation that funded the largest feminist bureaucracy and system of corrupt, unconstitutional governance in American history since Jim Crow, it simply expired).

http://www.avoiceformen.com/feminism/government-tyranny/vawa-dies-quietly-for-now).

[survivor2012 7]

Sandranj:

You're quoting blogs and wikipedia. Those aren't reliable sources. Some media sources are misleading in their statements. I work in the media field, I know how things could get misinterpreted. 4vawa.org, though, is a different source. They are legislators, lawyers who support VAWA and understand VAWA. I would assume that if VAWA just dies, then all the pending applications, all the VAWA service centers, domestic violence shelters would be doomed. My lawyer also said that VAWA will continue its 2005's legislature. There is no change.

[Sandra G. 5,047]

It's not the House didn't approve the new proposal, the bill expired! When Uscis adjudicates next Vawa case then we will know right.

[survivor2012 7]

The bill has been expired for 2 years. Well, in those 2 years people still got approved, didn't they? And yesterday, 113th Congress was sworn in, I'm sure they'll start bringing this up. In the mean time, please don't say things without careful thoughts. Every little word could make people here loses hope. You don't want to be liable for that. We are here to support each other, not to take away hope, aren't we?