Immigration Fail 🛃😔 A Devastating Setback For My Family
Yesterday I received some very disappointing news from the United States Citizenship & Immigration Services, and now it is sure that this family will have to separate.
The Nightmare That Never Ends
I hardly feel like posting today, but since Hive is our economic lifeline, I felt the need to both share some bad news with you all, vent my frustrations a little, and hopefully earn enough crypto compensate for today's living expenses. In short we were unable to legally marry in Cambodia, so my family and I left three years ago to Ecuador to get a legal marriage abroad, meet some American family members, and return to Cambodia.
Fast forward to now, where we are stranded in Suriname due to COVID-19 after our Ecuadorian immigration lawyer screwed us, we have been seeking to relocate to anywhere that is not Suriname since we were finally legally married after two years of red tape and bureaucratic hold-ups.
Unable to return to Cambodia due to new COVID visa regulations, we attempted US immigration, and we were in the final stages, hoping to receive an interview date, but only received notifications that my wife's birth certificate and Cambodian criminal check are invalid. To even begin to find out why these documents were refused, we have to place a public inquiry and wait 6 weeks for a response.
Our youngest daughter's passport expires in June of next year, and most countries will not allow transiting of airports with any less than 6 months left on a passport. This ultimately means we had to be in the USA or Cambodia before December, and now it's clear there's no chance for this, and we will have to separate.
A Glimmer Of Hope
I will likely return to the USA to regroup and start fighting the systems that are preventing my family and I from having basic rights like the ability to earn an income and be together. My wife was born in a refugee camp in Thailand, so we both assume this is the source of the refusal. Even worse is the American government seems to think my domicile isn't legit because I've lived outside the USA too long, even though we have an abandoned house on the family farm that I am registered to vote from, receive bank statements to, and even have filed taxes with this address.
A quick study online says people in this situation need to lawyer up and prepare for a lengthy legal fight. For me, I never wanted to take my family to a country that doesn't want them anyways, so perhaps we are dodging a bullet. Rumor has it Cambodia will reopen for tourism in October to vaccinated travelers, so this could be my/our chance to be reunited. Words can't express how angry I am that bureaucrats are ripping us apart, but at least it looks like we'll be able to possibly be together again in Cambodia.
Even though neither Cambodia or the USA wants us, we can't blast off to another universe, so Cambodia wins by being the least non-welcoming legal system on Earth to this family. For now I can't even wrap my head around the though of putting them on a plane, but this will become a reality very soon, whether we like it or not.
CLICK HERE TO JOIN HIVE AND START EARNING CRYPTO LIKE US
 |  | 🙏 GIVE THANKS 🙏 |  |  |
|---|
▶️ 3Speak
Omg that is horrible 😣 The whole system sucks. It's almost like they care more about papers than people's feelings. I am so sorry for you and your family.😔
It's been a bad experience, and I must say our experience here in Suriname has not been a good one either. We'll find a space to rest our heads one day or die trying, but there is definitely no future for us here in Suriname.
I can understand. The whole situation in this country is mehh. But I hope that everything will eventually work out for you and your family. Don't give up.💚🌻
Yeah, I think things would be much easier for us to struggle here if it was our native country, but things are tough in Suriname now, and Surinamers are looking out for each other and family, a picture we don't fit into.
Even the other immigrant communities here have support networks because they have large communities, like the Brazilians, Haitians, Cubans, and Guyanese. For us, it has really felt like us 4 against the world since day one in Suriname. We've only made one close friend in the 2+ years we've been here, and I've never been anywhere in the world with such closed and tight social circles.
Anyhow, hope we might meet one day before our time is over here.
Ooh not all Surinamers are looking out for each other. Trust me, there are a bunch of kind people, but the others just don't care. The economy in the country made things worse.
I hope we can meet yes! Due to Corona I don't visit people these days, I still have to meet @faustofraser in person 😭 But I would like to meet you all for sure. Hopefully very soon ❤😅
Congratulations @justinparke! You have completed the following achievement on the Hive blockchain and have been rewarded with new badge(s) :
Your next target is to reach 8500 replies.
You can view your badges on your board and compare yourself to others in the Ranking
If you no longer want to receive notifications, reply to this comment with the word
STOPCheck out the last post from @hivebuzz:
bureaucrats being bureaucrats. you'll get through this
It's time like these that make us wish we lived in times before the whole Earth was divided up by imaginary lines. If this continues another 10 years, we'll likely take to the seas and become pirates 🏴☠️.
My heart is broken for you and your family…
Sorry about the situation you find yourself in. Keep fighting never give up.
We will keep fighting indeed, thanks for the encouragement. I hope brighter days are on the horizon for this family.
I am sure there are brighter days ahead for your family. I will keep you all in my prayers. Take care don't lose heart.
Sorry to hear about the bureaucrats hassle.
Nothing much I can help from here other than praying for the best for your family. I will include you and your family in my prayer. Stay strong, and I am confident that you'll get through this
No worries, your prayers are well-received my friend. Thank you for your kind words, hoping for a better future.
I feel your pain buddy. It would be so bored and devastating to separate or part ways with people (the family) you have found so much love with. I hope the little manifests to reality.
It looks like there is no choice now, world governments and their bureaucracy have failed this little family, but then again bureaucracies were never designed to serve people like us, so can accept this situation. I just have to avoid talking politics with Americans, especially when it concerns anything to with immigration. Give thanks for the vibes bro.
All right. Stay strong, friend.
Stay strong Bredda, maybe Suriname ain't that bad for y'all...?
Build something there & stay 1 Family??
Please stay away from the Covid19-vaccines...look here:
https://www.vaxlonghaulers.com/
https://vaccineimpact.com/
Suriname is about as bad as things can get, there's little to build in an economy in freefall, and from what I hear, things are much better in Venezuela, especially in terms of food security. It's easy enough to be anti-vaxxer when you're in your home country and you have no reason to leave, but that is not our situation.
We are tired of foraging for food, tired of looking at the same 3 rotten eggplants at the market, tired of smuggling cash into the country in boxes. I wish I could say Suriname ain't that bad, but if you're following international news, you'd know the Haitians crossing into Texas are fleeing the conditions here in Suriname.
I can't place not getting a vaccination of greater importance than my family reuniting again one day. At this point I'd consider drinking a glass of uranium if it could get my family back to the life we once had. We're plagued by so many problems much bigger than COVID-19 right now that we haven't even had the luxury to be pro or anti-vax. I do hope to someday get to a point where we can begin to worry about COVID instead of food security and access to cash, that will be a joyous day.
My heart is hurting and sad I do not have feelings do everything, I just hope I can leave here soon, maybe my feelings is better than here 😔. I miss my home.
I know Pov, my heart is broken for you and our daughters too. I will do whatever it takes to give you back the life you had before we left Cambodia. Even if I can't go with you, I will make sure you have a happy and healthy life back in Cambodia, and we will meet again in the future, perhaps after I've strangled every politician in Suriname, the USA, and Cambodia.
For we are still together, so let's enjoy these last few weeks before separation becomes a reality.
Keep fighting never give up.
!PIZZA
@justinparke! I sent you a slice of $PIZZA on behalf of @naythan.
Learn more about $PIZZA Token at hive.pizza (6/10)
Oh noooo! I feel so bad for you! Although I tend to look at bureaucracy with general skepticism, I was actually hoping for a pleasant surprise, maybe just in this one case of your family. I'm sorry that it didn't happen.
What makes things worse is the utter bullshit of reasons behind it: SreyPov's birth certificate, for being born in a refugee camp? And your domicile in the States? Both sound like the typical cases that you could explain to a human being in under a minute, and they would have to be reasonable about it. Only some pre-AI algorithm would ditch it automatically, for not being able to make heads or tails of it. So sad!
The only silver lining at the moment may be that your waiting in limbo has come to an end. I really hope that you'll be able to figure out a decent solution, and find a good place where all of you can be together and make a living. Once you are allowed to go to Cambodia, wouldn't your marriage be valid there, letting you stay and work? Otherwise, I really wish some other country will let you in. Is Albania still an option? Maybe some other Balkan nation, like Macedonia or Montenegro?
Albania is the only country a Cambodian citizen has a remote chance at immigrating to in all of Europe. The other countries are hard even for me to meet the requirements. Albania would require them to enter on and e-visa and then later leave the country to elsewhere with or without me while I arrange a family reunification visa.
It's not impossible, but definitely inconvenient and expensive because no nearby countries would take a Cambodian tourist for a few months during this pandemic. Now with many documents beginning to expire that we can only obtain in person back in Cambodia, the choice is a tough but easy one, they must return with or without me.
We did some asking around of Cambodian citizens in the USA, and all of them born in Site Two Refugee Camp, Thailand, paid bribes in Cambodia to have new birth certificates, and in some cases totally new identities created by local authorities for them. Apparently it's almost impossible to be born in Site Two, have that on your paperwork, and successfully immigrate to the USA. She'll have to pay a lot of bribes to get out of this debacle, but I sense we've given up, and we're ready to just return to Cambodia and live a simple life, likely parting ways with the western hemisphere.
Frustrated beyond belief to know I'll be putting my family on a plane without me soon, damn governments. Power to the Haitians in Suriname who had enough of these conditions and marched all the way to Texas. They certainly had enough of life in Suriname, and we have too.
Damn governments! Seeing all this makes me wish those nutwing theories were right, claiming nation states are soon going to be a thing of the past. I mean, I can certainly see it happening, but probably not this year, nor within the next few.
From what I've read (mostly in your blog), Cambodia seems like quite a sweet place to live. Lots of small-scale commercial activity, low cost of living, wonderful people, (... if only the government stopped bothering you.)
So I wish all of you a successful ending to this debacle, and that you'll be reunited soon! Best of luck!
Wow, I'm sorry to hear that. Why don't you stick around in Suriname, though? Your kids seem to be quite happy over there...
We work really hard to keep the kids happy here, but there is little food, hyperinflation and crime has gripped the country, and we have no access to our funds except by smuggling it into the country in air freight packages. The situation here is worse than in Venezuela in many ways. There is on future here for us, and even the kids hate this country too. I think we seem happy because we're pretty zen at accepting situations we have no control over.
I hate to admit I've disliked few countries I've traveled or lived in more than Suriname.
Iiiiiiicchhhh! 😱
I hope you can find a better home, then...
Vaxxing for immigration... another creative reason :(
Have you considered Costa Rica? They used to be very open to immigration... For sure I am not up to date about recent changes.
Costa Rica is impossible for even me to immigrate to alone, I don't meet the financial requirements, or even come close to it. Costa Rica is a very difficult country to immigrate if you're a Cambodian with no bank account. They do like Canadians and Americans with fat savings accounts though, hence why all the hipsters flock there.
There are only 3-4 countries in the western hemisphere even willing to give Cambodians a brief tourist visa without a mountain of paperwork. Cuba and Haiti are the only easy countries, Ecuador and Panama easy tourist visas, but near impossible immigration. We did live in Ecuador briefly before our immigration lawyer kept our money and providing no visas, causing us to flee before overstaying.
It's a good thing for you to do rant videos about this. You never know if someone sees it and happens to have a magical solution. It's beyond devastating especially the thought of you guys separating. I'm hoping a miracle will stop that from happening.
It's so unjust that not long ago, anyone could storm into Canada and claim refugee status. Same with other parts of the world. We saw certain refugees come in and destroy the apartments paid for by the government, theft, vandalism and even prostituting their children. We were superintendents of these buildings. Didn't seem that they appreciated refuge. But you all, are a nice family stuck in a foreign land that are not allowed to come home. It's beyond ridiculous and unjust. I still hope something turns around for you and that you can be together in a good place. Good by apocalypse standards. Peace to you all.
Thank you, I hope no one gets tired of my rants. We did once upon a time have a local newspaper story printed about us, as well as NPR interview. I will definitely be contacting both sources to do a follow-up story detailing the failure of USA, Surinamese, and Cambodian bureaucracy. I must admit though shaming and exposing has never been an effective technique against the American government.
It is funny how if you play by the rules, it's a nearly impossible path, but if you enter illegally, a path to citizenship is possible. And to think Americans wonder why so many people cross illegally into the USA each day. Most of those people have tried to come legally and failed multiple times. I think if Pov and I didn't have children, we would've already committed multiple victimless crimes to better our situation.
Now we are just imagining our lives back in Cambodia together, and it's a nice dream I must say. We aren't yet ready to think about the additional hardship we'll endure apart from one another before this is possible.
Hi hi Justin.. it is definitely frustrating to have gone through such a lengthy documentation process but yet in the end, it doesn't work out as planned. Your daughters would definitely be very sad while they wait for the reunification visa. My wife has the same situation in Brunei too. Although she was born there, she is not given the citizenship but rather just a permanent resident IC. So I am trying to in the future get her a citizenship in Malaysia. When I got married with her it was months of waiting due to tons of paper work that needed to be done so I roughly understand how frustrating it is especially when your fighting for your family and to make sure that there is a place to be able to settle down. There is a silver lining. Hope that things work out and do keep writing it out, I am interested to read about your life journey.
It seems silly to have three nations share an island and not some basic understanding of the need for humans to have freedom of movement. Is there short-term visa-free travel within the Borneo island for Malaysians, Indonesians, and Brunei citizens? This would seem to be a necessity.
Also curious if there was/is a movement to make Borneo an independent nation without any internal borders. It seems this would be a better situation for all the inhabitants. If/when we are back together in the future, it'll be under much more sustainable conditions, wherever that may be.
Hi hi.. Justin.. yes.. there is automatic free visa.. for Malaysians to go Brunei and I think Indonesia too.. usually for Malaysians to go Brunei, no application of visa is required for 30 days.. Sarawak is a part of Malaysia but many in Sarawak don't really want to be part of Malaysia. West Malaysians when they come to Sarawak have to apply for visa. Sarawakians can enter the West of Malaysia freely. I think it is something to do with the constitution laid out by Brooke when he ruled here for a while. If Sarawak is an independent state, this state would be wealthy because most of the revenue earnt by Sarawak is given to the government of Malaysia with only peanuts returned. The Malaysian government in a way fears the lost of Sarawak and Sabah because these are hard to control areas. Indonesia is relocating its new capital to Kalimantan on the island of Borneo in a couple of years. =)
That is a sad story, I hope you and your family can be together. In my opinion, if you can settle in Cambodia, you'd better choose Cambodia. With the hive earning opportunities, you can build a prosper life in Asean countries like Cambodia.
Yes, already our HIVE income could provide us a middle class life in Cambodia, much like the one we had from working 14-hour days when we had the restaurant and language school. Perhaps this roadblock is a good one, and we have a very bright future waiting for us back in Cambodia.
I just hope that the possible separation won't take too long...it's just wrong bureaucratic nonsense prevents a legaly married couple to be a complete family. Let's get together this weekend and discuss the possibilities to make effective noise and see it reach the right set of ears...
Hey, it's Sunday my man, this get-together better happen today or the time has passed. Of course I'm kidding, I know you have motorcycle and car issues at the moment.
This is a really bad and must be better in future for your family.
We hope so, this current hardship has been exacerbated by cooking gas and food shortages, plus a broken bicycle, and now all these things must become priority over our immigration. We are certainly tired of waking up every day and having to triage the day's events, basically performing damage mitigation instead of things to elevate our living conditions.
Jah know Rasta I really want to see you and your family get out of this situation and back in Cambodia living freely and happily. That’s the image I’m planting in my head. This system and these invisible borders really make life hard for people to just live but faith will move the mountains. Sorry things didn’t work out as planned but the creator has a greater plan. Keep on pushing Justin, don’t lose the faith.
I do think JAH comes to test us in various ways and forms to make sure our heart(s) remain clean and pure. Hopefully these stumbling blocks turn into stepping stones, as the Marcia Griffiths tune goes.
Give thanks for those words and vibes, it is well-received and apprecialoved in this dispension. Brighter days are ahead, as well as some fiery educated youths that would love to see the dissolution of borders around the world. Bless up!
Suck it has to come to this conclusion. Looks like there's not much we can do this short term. Be it 3 months or six months, I pray that you guy reunite and be better if find a solution to permanently glued together. Have you explore the possibilities of my country. I've seen many kinds of weird combination marriage here. I haven't explore that option because I'm married to a female tiger 😶shhhh don't tell her I said that.
I love Malaysia, but the visa situation for my family and I there would be nearly impossible to convert from tourism to residency. With a higher standard of living comes more difficult visa procedures. Not too many countries are open to a family that wants to make a $500 microbusiness. Malaysia is a place I would like to visit with the family one day though, and of course you'd be on the list of attractions to see/visit.
Oh damn bureaucracy! I am so sorry to hear about the immigration updates you have right now. I hope it will be resolved any time soon and that you will be able to get reunited with your family in Cambodia when they go back there. Isn´t there a Cambodian Consul anywhere in South America.
Have you tried these?
Nearest Cambodia diplomatic represenations to Suriname
Country Distance Address detail
Havana, Cuba 3550 km
(2206 miles)
The Embassy of Cambodia in Havana, Cuba
Working hours: Close now
Tel: +53 7 204 1496 (Dial +53 to call from Suriname)
https://visacent.com/consulates-general/cambodia-in-suriname/
Current time in Havana: 07:44 AM Sunday, September 26 2021-09-26 (GMT -0400)
Time difference: Cuba is 1 hours and 00 minutes behind of Suriname
Maybe try to get connections with Cambodian Consulates in countries around Suriname to get cambodian visa ..ie.Colombia, Peru, Brazil.. etc
Only Cuba and the USA have any form of Cambodian representation in the western hemisphere. The Cambodian embassy in Cuba is holdover from communist ties during the Khmer Rouge genocide days. Needless to say, it's full of corruption and likely serves as a way to help rich Cambodians launder money. They don't respond to emails and calling abroad from Suriname even one minute costs upwards of 50 cents. Even a short call to the US Embassy here in Suriname costs me more than $10 US in phone credit.
We've been in contact with the Cambodian Embassy in the USA, but there is nothing at all they've been willing to do to help us. At this time we feel stateless even though that's not the case. But I must say it's very similar, especially considering both of our countries have done zero to help us. I don't blame Cambodia though, because it's a developing country full of corruption and problems.
However, the USA tries to act like it is a place of freedom and justice, and as if it cares, but the truth couldn't be more opposite. I can sense when I'm dealing with American authorities that each person is more concerned about keeping their job than they are to do the right thing. Well, all it does is remind how glad I am that I've never voted to support any of these fools.
Is there a way I could be of help , maybe contact the US Embassy here in Vienna? And find out what they need to help you out of Suriname. Maybe you could explain in a letter to them and I can attach it when I write them an email or when I contact them. At least it´s worth trying and see what they say.
That's awfully kind of you, but I hate to admit my own country is less than helpful. There is a US Embassy here in Paramaribo, and they've more or less refused service, plus immigration services aren't offered from the embassy here.
It's a shame because our case is in the last stage, and if we would've crossed this hurdle, our immigration would've been transferred to being the responsibility of the US Embassy in Guyana. We did elevate our case all the way to Washington DC a year ago, where my state Senator's assistant made a plea for us, but nothing resulted from it.
I think we've accepted a temporary separation is imminent before a reunification in Cambodia. We're looking for tickets now, and I'll go to the USA to spend a few weeks or months with my family there until a path is open for me to return to Cambodia. Our best plan may be for Pov to establish a business license by herself there, then sponsor me to come into the country as an employee.
Maybe that is the brst way if your problem will be resolved. I think Pov will be happy to see her family in Cambodia, that would be exciting! The girls will be missing you, but there will be a great family bonding when you see them there. I wish you and your family the best and good luck in getting the tickets!
oh this is terrible news dude. I'm so sorry to hear this. I look forward to a time when we can just live our lives and have great hope that this is just a temporary setback that can be fixed by some other means :(
Let's hope 2022 is the year for a small increase in international governmental sanity. If 2022 is not the time for this, we may seriously consider learning how to sail, buy a boat and become modern-day pirates. For now it looks like Phu Quoc or Thailand are going to be our best bet at staying together.
I however have many things I need to do in the USA, so I may send them back to Cambodia without me to renew Monkey-B's passport. If I can't return within a reasonable timeframe, I think we'll seek a life together outside Cambodia, either in SE Asia or any countries open to a family like ours.
Hoping better days are on the horizon for us as well as you and Nadi....