After 16 years, I will finally see my dad again.

My name is James, and my family’s immigration story has been defined by heartbreak and resilience.

We moved to the U.S. in 2000 chasing the American dream. But in 2009, our lives were turned upside down when we were scammed by an immigration lawyer. Soon after, in 2010, my dad was forced to relocate and separated from our family.

Just a few days before my deportation date, I was granted DACA. It protected me from being deported — but it also meant I couldn’t leave the U.S. for an indefinite amount of time. For over a decade, I lived in limbo: safe from removal, but unable to step outside the country to see my dad.

In June 2025, after 13 years of waiting, I finally received my green card. And in March 2026, I will reunite with my dad in Australia for the first time in 16 years.

This trip is more than just travel — it’s the chance to heal, to finally be together again after a separation that shaped my entire life. But the costs of making this reunion happen are high, and I can’t do it alone.

This trip is a dream finally within reach, but it also comes with financial challenges — international flights, travel costs, and time away from work. I’ve created this GoFundMe because any support, big or small, will help make this reunion lighter and less of a burden.

If you’d like to be part of this journey — by contributing or even just sharing my story — it would mean the world to me and my family.

Thank you for taking the time to read,

— James