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Help Libby stay in America

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Hi. I'm Libby Watson, a staff writer at the Sunlight Foundation, and I need your help to stay in the US.

You may have heard that Sunlight's future is uncertain. Five people were laid off this week. We're no longer developing tools or maintaining databases, and are exploring merging with another organization. I have no idea what that might mean or look like. I am heartbroken.

It's very likely that I'll lose my job before the end of 2016; maybe even within the next month or two. And right now, that means I'd have to leave the country: I'm British and employed at Sunlight on an H-1B visa, which means my presence in the US is entirely dependent on my employment there. If I lose my job, I lose legal status, and have 10 days to go home. It's also meant I've been unable to freelance since I started at Sunlight in November.

So, I need your help. I need to raise money to apply for the O-1 visa.

I wouldn't ask for help if I didn't need it -- I can't freelance to earn extra to help cover this, and my Sunlight salary doesn't do a lot to compete with DC's insane living costs. My whole life is in America -- my friends, my career, my dumb cat. I've lived here four years and I still love it so, so deeply, from its sweeping plains and tallest mountains to its most underwhelming IHOPs.

But if I get this visa, it would allow me to:

a) stay in the US

b) work at any outlet I want, and stay if I lose the job. Hi, hiring managers.

c) freelance. Hi, editors.

The lawyer I'm using is excellent: he specializes in O-1s for writers, and he comes recommended by another British writer with this visa. That means I'm pretty confident I'll get this visa if I apply for it.

The breakdown of costs I'm facing:

$3,550 -- Lawyer's fee

$500.00 -- Writers' union certification fee

$325.00 -- Department of Homeland Security filing fee

$1,225 -- Premium processing fee. This cuts the processing time from up to three months down to two weeks, minimizing the amount of time I'm forbidden from working.

That comes to $5,600. I'm asking for $6,000 to cover most of GoFundMe's fees.

You can read samples of my work here . If you have any questions about this, you can email me, tweet at me, etc.

I went through a similar experience last year, when my H-1B petition didn't win the dreaded lottery. My friends, colleagues, and Twitter followers were unbelievably supportive and helpful, and I don't think I would've ended up at Sunlight without that help. I hate to ask for your help again, but I have to.

If you've ever enjoyed my writing, please consider chipping in, or sharing the page if you can't afford to give. Thank you.

Donations 

  • Anonymous
    • $20 
    • 8 yrs

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Libby Watson
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Washington D.C., DC
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