Help Liz Achieve Citizenship

My name is Lizann. I am a Dreamer, and this is my story... I was born on the small Caribbean island of Grenada. When I was eight years old, I was brought to the United States. My mother was to join us on a later trip, unfortunately, she never made it to the U.S. and I haven't seen my mother since.

 

 

I landed in Detroit, Michigan in the winter of 1993. Moving from tropical Grenada with a population of fewer than 100,000 people to a large blistering cold metropolitan city with a population of 1 million people was alarming. The transition and missing my mother were overwhelming. I experienced daunting culture shock and wanted so badly to fit in with my American family, neighbors, and peers. I put my all into becoming part of my community and had, what I considered, the quintessential American childhood.

 

 

To fit in, I began taking an interest in sports. I made friends and it brought me closer to my father, a bronze medal-winning Olympic champion boxer. My dad coached my middle school and AAU basketball teams. Basketball became part of my identity. I practiced every day. Excelling in basketball gave me self-confidence. In 9th grade, I made the varsity team, and we went on to win the Division Championship. I was awarded MVP my senior year after leading my team to the Division Finals. Upon finishing high school, I received several college scholarship offers however because DACA wasn't available back then I had to turn them down out of fear of traveling out of the country for tournaments or uncertainty about my status. I enrolled at Community College where I continued playing basketball but it ultimately left me wondering, What if...

 

After college, I began to explore and perform humanitarian work. Working with charities and helping others is something that I’ve always felt passionate about. So much so, that it has motivated me to get my CNA license to work with the elderly and those in need of care. In my free time, I volunteered at local non-profit organizations, where we rescued, rehabbed, and provided new homes for dogs, as well as organized food, clothing, and school supply drives for those in need in inner-city Detroit. I participated in the annual Earth Day Belle Isle Spring Cleanup of the beautiful Belle Isle State Park. It was during the cleanups overlooking the Detroit River where I developed a passion for nature and hiking and began exploring America’s most scenic destinations including Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, Colorado, and California.

 

During the summer of 2016, I met my fiancé, Sean. Sean lived on the east coast, but upon meeting him, a seed had been planted in our hearts. We watered the garden of friendship and blossomed into a love where distance could not stop our growth. We weathered some storms, but as the length and frequency we spoke grew, so did our wanderlust for how our shared future would enrich our lives together. By the end of 2017, I relocated to the Washington, DC area to be closer to him. Together we explored DC, Maryland, and Virginia’s music scene, art exhibits, foodie destinations and fell in love with state parks, hiking Great Falls and Shenandoah mountains. Our crush on each other was only topped by our mutual love for nature.

 

When I first moved to the DC area, I drove for Uber/Lyft and volunteered for Feed It Forward DC and Lost Dog & Cat Rescue. Eventually, I accepted a position working with a Senior Move Management company assisting seniors in their transition from their family homes to senior living facilities. I find great fulfillment in providing care and compassion to those in need.

 

In the Spring of 2020, senior communities were among the hardest hit by the pandemic. Like countless others, I was laid-off from the job that I loved. Sean too, who worked in the music and entertainment industry, was out of work, rendering us both unemployed for the first time in our adult lives. To make ends meet, we worked a variety of front-line jobs; from delivering meals and groceries, to selling personal items online. The pandemic set us back financially, and it is through these trying times I realized more than ever the importance of freedom and stability. We are reminded that freedom isn’t free, but as vital to living as the air we breathe.

 

On September 3rd, 2022, I will be marrying the love of my life, Sean, marking our 5th anniversary. In lieu of a large wedding, Sean and I have prioritized saving our money to pay for my lawyer, legal fees, and other costs associated with filing for spousal sponsorship and U.S. Citizenship. If we can’t be together then as Lauryn Hill sang "Nothing Even Matters"!

 

I look forward to what the future holds, but I am anxious and in desperate need of your help. Growing up an immigrant in the United States as a Daca Dreamer has been very challenging. DACA status only provides a temporary solution. I am seeking permanent residency through spousal sponsorship and U.S. Citizenship. The process is long, grueling, emotional, and financially draining. With your generous support, I will be able to achieve citizenship, which will allow me to fully participate and contribute to my country. Citizenship will allow me the opportunity to start a family of my own without fear of being separated. Citizenship will also allow me the opportunity to finally be reunited with my mother, whom I haven't seen in almost 30 years.

 

Fundraising Towards...

Green Card Application Form (I-485) $1,140

*I-693 Required Immigration Blood Panel & Immunization/Vaccinations thru Primary Care Physician $1000 min - $3000 max*
This # could be as high as $3000 if certain vaccinations have to be administered after the tests or certain proof vaccinations can’t be substantiated than additional immunity tests have to be run or additional vaccines have to be administered.  

Medical Examination (blood test, Vaccination record, etc.) $550
*Performed by Civil Surgeon ONLY AFTER I-693 Required Immigration Blood Panel & Vaccination Results is completed.

Naturalization Fee - $640

Family Sponsorship Form (I-130)  $535

Lawyer Fees 
$3500 (for Sponsorship - Green Card allows for Permanent Residency process to begin and is required before applying for citizenship) 
$2500 (for Citizenship - US Citizenship allows me to stay in US permanently and to travel via my American Passport, Ability to Vote) 
Total $6000 - (Dawn Sequeira ESQ. Legacy Immigration LLC)
*This total # could actually be as high as $8500 if anything unexpected occurs or documents are not accepted and have to be redone/reapplied, etc. Lawyer said an additional fee would max out at $2500 based on her previous clients various situations.

Passport Renewal (Liz) - $360
Passport Renewal (Sean) - $175
Passport Photos - $36

Sponsorship Biometrics (Fingerprints & Photo) $85
Citizenship/Naturalization Biometrics - $85

Copies, Notary & Mailing Costs - $60
School Records - $40
Marriage Certificate - $30

DACA Expenses (Previously Incurred)
Lawyer Fee - $2500 (DACA)
DACA Application fee - $410
DACA Biometrics - $85