Peter's Visa
UPDATED! Peter is a cabaret artist & self-employed solo performer. On March 19th, 2018, he traveled from his home in London to Seattle to visit his girlfriend, Charlotte (that's me!) - a trip he has made easily a dozen times in the last two years. This time, while traveling under the ESTA visa-waiver program, he was denied entry to the US, based on his background as a performer & the frequency of his previous visits. He was handcuffed, removed from the airport by ICE, & held at the NW Detention Center in Tacoma for two days, until the authorities could him find an 'appropriate' return flight.
Peter has not been banned from reentering the US - but, because he was denied entry, he is no longer able to travel under the ESTA. So, upon returning to the UK, he applied for a B-2 Tourist Visa. The consulate stresses that, in order to receive this visa, applicants must provide evidence to demonstrate they have sufficient ties to the UK, enough to keep them from settling illegally in the US. Peter arrived to his meeting at the consulate with a binder of paperwork, including proof of a permanent residence, contracts for ~6 months of upcoming gigs, three years of tax returns, his parent’s council bill (to show his family is in the area), & more. He was told by the officer handling his application he would not be allowed to present any of it. She then denied him his visa for failing to present her with enough evidence. This decision cannot be appealed, though they stress he is 'welcome' to apply again at any time. (Each individual application costs $160 dollars, & our lawyer has told us that it's very common for people to be asked to reapply 5-6 times before they are approved.)
After exploring a lot of options, Peter has decided to apply for an EB-1 Visa, which would allow him to legally reside & work in the US. This is the best option for everyone involved, the best option for Peter's career, & would grant him the exceptional legal distinction of being 'an alien with extraordinary abilities.' This is also the only US work visa which can be expedited - which means that, if all goes well, he should be able to come back into the country by December. However, because the turn around time is faster, the process is also very expensive. Between filing fees & our lawyers time, we are looking to spend just over $10,000. Neither of our careers are particularly lucrative (touring artist; non-profit employee), so both our savings & credit are going to take a near-fatal hit. & it's worth every penny, because we aren't afraid of the hustle, nor are we willing to let the fascists get slow us down or kill our joy.
In the last few months, our community has gone above & beyond to support us (both emotionally & financially), & for that we are incredibly grateful. With your help, we've been able to send our lawyer a down-payment, so she can start kicking ass at USCIS & get this process underway! Any additional funds we raise will go towards offsetting the remaining legal costs ($2500), the governmental filing fees ($3600), and buying Peter a one-way ticket back to the US. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out - & again, we thank you for your continued love & support.
