Tuyet Dang[1] appeared distraught during her U.S. Immigration consultation at Pathak Law Firm during July, 2015. Her two teenaged children accompanied her to the law office that afternoon, the daughter clutching onto a notebook filled with the family’s questions and concerns about their immigration status in the United States. Ms. Dang relayed her story to the Immigration Attorney in detail: they left Vietnam when her ex-husband’s physical abuse and alcoholism became too much for them to bear.
They secured B-1/B-2 Visitor Visas at the United States Embassy in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam and they travelled to the U.S. to visit a relative and so the family could gain some distance from the abuse. While visiting the U.S., Ms. Dang was introduced to divorcee businessman, Duc Hung[2], at a church event. The two became friends and over time, they decided to marry. Ms. Dang enjoyed finally being taken care of by what she thought was a loving man. She imagined they would grow old together. Ms. Dang and her children received Conditional Lawful Permanent Resident “Green Cards” from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (“USCIS”).
For a time, Ms. Dang and Mr. Hung lived happily together. Just prior to the two year anniversary of receiving their green cards, Mr. Dang’s behavior changed dramatically. He would not come home for several nights at a time, and when he did come home, he acted hostile and belligerent toward them. Ms. Dang even began to suspect he was having an affair.
Then, one day, he left home and Ms. Dang and her children never heard from Mr. Hung again. One of Ms. Dang’s friends found an article in a Vietnamese newspaper covering Mr. Hung’s incarceration in Thailand for his part in a serious International criminal fraud ring. Furthermore, the article stated that Mr. Hung had multiple wives and would spend the rest of his life in prison.
Ms. Dang retained Pathak Law Firm on July 13, 2015 to prepare and submit Form I-751, Waiver of Joint Filing Requirements due to extreme cruelty with USCIS. On August 6, 2015 Pathak Law Firm submitted the prepared I-751 and supporting evidence package to USCIS. The family received their Biometrics appointments on September 10, 2015 and the family received their permanent Lawful Permanent Resident “Green Cards” on March 2, 2016.
Presently, Pathak Law Firm is processing Applications for U.S. Naturalization for this family and they are rebuilding their life together with the help of their relatives and good friends in the U.S.
Names are changed to preserve the Attorney-Client Privilege and to protect the true identity of the individuals.
