"High Hopes, Big Expectations, & the Twilight Zone" Find out about this iron lady's STRUGGLE from an H-1 VISA to GREEN CARD this Sunday on CITIZEN PINOY

CITIZEN PINOY TACKLES WORKING VISAS. Citizen Pinoy hosts (L-R) Atty. Mike Guingona, Atty. Michael J. Gurfinkel and Odette Keeley listen as Maria Elemos narrates her struggle to get a green card through an employer's petition.  This Sunday, June 26, Citizen Pinoy talks about Employment-Based Petitions, at 5:00 pm (PST) on TFC.

Every year, thousands of Filipinos apply for working visas in the US through US-based employers.   It has been a common option for kababayans seeking greener pastures.

This Sunday, CITIZEN PINOY features the story of Maria Elemos, a bright and idealistic Filipina who finished at the top of her class and came to the US in 1996 with an H1-B visa as an occupational therapist.

She was able to bring her husband and 7-month old daughter at that time, leaving the Philippines full of high hopes, with the giddy feeling that they would have the world in the palm of their hands, with every opportunity to succeed in the U.S.

However, success came at a price.

The company who sponsored her employment visa started to cut down on manpower.   She was one of the first to go.   They just bought a house in the lush Midwest, and she had to change employers and move to a cramped apartment in the Bronx. And life at home was likewise challenging due to role reversals, with her working and her husband staying at home, culminating with the major decision of having the husband and daughter return to the Philippines in the meantime.   The uncertainty of what lay ahead for their family's future was just too much to bear.

Elemos then decided to apply for a green card, hoping that she would find some sense of stability.   But the long struggle from an H1-B visa to green card seemed like a black hole... it almost felt like the twilight zone.

How did this young, intelligent and idealistic fighter survive the challenges and obstacles that faced her?   What price came with the indefinite break-up of the family?   Did life "stop" for Elemos?   This is going to be a very interesting and informative discussion for a lot of kababayans out there, so tune in to this Sunday's episode of CITIZEN PINOY as it tackles the whys and wherefores of employment-based visas.

CITIZEN PINOY is a one-hour talk show that will provide information on the various possibilities, issues and problems regarding US immigration. --- hosted by Atty. Mike Guingona, Ms. Odette Alcazaren-Keeley and leading immigration lawyer Atty. Michael J. Gurfinkel.

CITIZEN PINOY airs on TFC every Sunday at 5 p.m., with replays every Monday at 4 a.m. , and on ANC-USA every Friday at 8 p.m. (all Pacific Standard Time).    In the Philippines, the show airs every Saturday at 11 a.m. on ANC (ABS-CBN News Channel).

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