Love Is Not Tourism

My husband Aaron and I have been trying to get a greencard for over 3 years. Aaron is disabled. I am disabled and sadly not able to work till I get my greencard. We are on the last step to finally get a green card after 3 years of work after paying 800 dollars for the alien reletive papers. We need more than 2000 dollars total for all immigration greencard costs. We went to churches and all the institutions you can think of to get help. Everybody had the same answer, Fundme! So here we are.

background story

I was living in the Netherlands. Aaron was living in Lousiville Kentucky in America. We are gamers and we grew so close that we started to date! Then a miracle happened: I WON a ticket to the USA. I joined an online contest where I had to say what my dream was in 5 words or less. I wrote "visit my boyfriend in America" and won. I thought it was a scam until I saw the money in my bank. I saw it as a sign. I visisted USA for the first time

We fell in love again right away. I met his family and friends and loved them all. He showed me all around Kentucky. After that Aaron visited Amsterdam! He met my family and I showed him around.

The goodbyes were the hardest. Everytime we visited the airport we broke down in tears; it was the worst feeling in the world to leave your loved one behind. That's when we made the choice. I will come to USA, and we are going to start a life and family so we never had to say goodbye again .

I was ready to go and had my things packed, cats ready to start a new life in America with Aaron. We wanted to visit each other so badly.

Then Covid hit!

We were not allowed to visit each other. I walked to the gate and was stopped. "You can't fly. USA banned your country from traveling because of COVID." I was in tears and so sad I went back home to bring the bad news. We didnt let Covid win!! Aaron's mom found this discord group called "Love is not tourism" and like us there were so many couples stuck in different countries. We found out that if we travel to another country like Canada, I was able to get into the USA.

So we got all our savings together to book an AirBNB in Canada for 2 weeks. The stay in Canada was so super expensive that we lost almost all our savings but at least we were together! I finally arrived in Canada after not seeing him for over 3 years. We were so tired from the flying and the trip. We hugged each other and said we dont have to say goodbye anymore.

Finally, we are together!

Once in the USA we got married right away - November 5th, 2021 - so they could not separate us again. I was so happy to start my new life in the USA! One thing, because of the COVID, I had to leave my 2 cats behind. To let them travel later. I love my furbabies and I moved the world to get them to me! We had to raise almost 1300 dollars to get my 2 casts to USA, we had to drive to Chicaco to get my cats. Our friend Deborah, our saving angel, drove us all the way up there. It was a whole adventure.

Now the immigration process costs a lot and the laws change all the time. We filled in the first papers with the help of a free lawyer. After we got the alien reletive papers (USCIS i-130) we found out we need more than 2000$! for the greencard. We jumped all the hoops to get help with payments.

The greencard application is 1,440$ -- https://www.uscis.gov/i-485

Medical exam -- 450$

Reduced lawyer fee -- 320$

I don't even know how much the vacinations are going to be if I have to get them again. I need to get my doctor's papers from Netherlands to see if I got any of the shots needed.

2000 dollars is a lot of money for a disabled and no-income family. We want to start a family together so badly. We are ready for the next step and get kids. It's just the green card that is in the way - no insurance, can't work, no income. We had a lawyer and she told us there is no way to get a waiver or any help with the bill, sadly. Aaron says it feels like immigration is killing him. If we can't get the money together eventually we will have no choice but to end our love story.

Let the government not destroy our love. We will be heartbroken if I have to return to my country. We can use all the help in the world to get the money together so we finally can make the last step.

Please share. Let this love story not end here!

Tamara & Aaron Bale