As I pack my life in a suitcase, there is a great story to tell.
The story starts with a 21-year-old me moving to Miami, Florida, not knowing a word of English and ends eight years later, in San Francisco, California, where I work as a Senior Product Manager for one of the biggest corporations in the world.
Part 1: The start
I was born and raised in Ukraine, and my journey to the country where everything is possible began in Miami, Florida. There, I went to an English school hoping it would open doors to many opportunities. When I think back, it truly was one of the best decisions in my life. I was able to get into a business school which — combined with my previous degree in mathematics — helped me secure jobs in some of the best companies in the world, including Apple and Salesforce.
As I look back and connect the dots, the first critical ingredient was the language. At the English school in Miami, teachers almost placed me in the elementary group — the group with lessons that typically start with repeating something like “an apple,” while a teacher points at the picture in a book.
Despite all odds, in just six months, my English became relatively good. Soon, I was preparing for an English exam (TOEFL) so I can apply to business schools and pursue a master’s degree. After three fails, I passed the TOEFL with the minimum score required to get into a school in the Bay Area.
At school, I was one of those students doing everything with a dictionary. In just the first week, we were asked to read over 100 pages for the next day's class. What followed was a long night of reading, as I decrypted the first chapters with nothing but a dictionary by my side.
The second critical ingredient was work experience. Prior to moving to Miami, I founded my own business in Ukraine, which I sold in order to move to the U.S. It was a great story to tell, however, the experience was not exactly what companies were looking for.
I needed more. So, I got an internship in business consulting, while finishing the last semester in school. With time, I moved to roles at other companies, but there was one more thing that every immigrant must have: a work permit.
At the end of my one-year work authorization, which was based on my student visa, I was lucky to get an offer at an amazing company, with a team that gave me a chance. I was working as an Associate Product Manager, learning what later became my passion. Unfortunately, three months later, my work permit expired and there weren’t many options for me to remain in the U.S. I needed to leave.
Part 2: The first break-up
It may sound crazy to some, although I was a qualified professional with a U.S. job, I was not guaranteed a visa. This is how the U.S. immigration process works. Luckily, there are other countries that valued my experience and this is how I decided to move to Argentina. My company’s second-largest office was in Buenos Aires, and so I transferred.
I won’t deny it. I was frustrated at the whole immigration process and, although I was going to a different country, I still wanted to come back. I wanted to continue building tech in the place where Apple, Google, and the likes started. I kept my hopes up knowing that there was a path to come back to the U.S. under an L-1 visa, which requires one consecutive year in the office overseas.
As I boarded a flight to Argentina, I thought about how crazy the whole plan was. I was leaving the country where I had formed incredible friendships, built a career, made a life. Although I had a job in Argentina, I had no connections there and, once again, I needed to learn a new language. I was going to do all of this, so that one year later I could qualify to come back to the place I was leaving.
As crazy as it sounds, it all came together and beyond everything, it was one of the best decisions in my life. I like to think that, once in a while, we all need a forcing function to make choices we otherwise would not — and this was one of them. I visited different parts of Argentina and traveled across the continent to Chile, Brazil, Peru, Bolivia, and Uruguay. I learned Spanish, made close friends, and had fun.
Part 3: Getting back together
I was on the top of the world when I got a visa to return to the U.S. I was coming back to revive my American dream with the right company, job and at the place where I wanted it all to happen.
It felt amazing to do what you love. Working with the most talented people in tech, I built more products for our customers. I was lucky to lead the biggest platform releases and present our products in front of 3,000+ people. Coming from a time when I spoke no English, it all felt like a dream.
Presenting at MuleSoft CONNECT.
Outside of work, I started picking up hobbies that I previously was unable to afford or even think about. I got into kitesurfing, skiing, and even became certified in skydiving.
One of the first things I learned when jumping from a plane at 13,000 feet is that you only have 60 seconds before you pull. During those seconds, you’re entirely focused on what you learned on the ground. You simply don’t have time to appreciate the beauty around you as you fall from the sky at 120mph. But, like with anything else in life, when you first start something new your perspective is very narrow. It takes time to fully appreciate the experience.
That’s how the U.S. felt to me. I focused so much on doing what an immigrant has to do that, even after years of being in the country, I still had that narrow view of the surroundings. Only when I became the best at what I do, did I start paying more attention to what was around me. I opened up to other people, cultures, and began to enjoy the full experience. I met many more amazing souls and — although my family was on the opposite side of the globe — I felt at home.
Some of my 2019 highlights.
Part 4: The shake-up
During the first year in the U.S., my life was very different. Coming from a country where the average salary is $200 per month, I was constantly searching for opportunities. This is how I got a job, which turned my immigration case into a nightmare.
Despite disclosing the job at the visa interview in Argentina, there was one detail that I didn’t know about. When taking the job, I signed an incomplete I-9 application, which later was completed by the employer stating that I was a U.S. citizen. Obviously, it was a genuine human error but, according to the USCIS, the misinterpreted identity was a reason to deny all of my visa applications.
What followed next was the denial of my work visa in 2017. After hours of staring at the below-listed application form, one thing was clear: the checkbox was marked using a “thicker” ink than my writing on the rest of the application.
Do you see the ink resemblance from section 2 and the checkbox?
Unfortunately, as I searched for proof, I only reached dead ends. The manager who had hired me moved. The company went out of business. I hired a handwriting expert to analyze the I-9 application, but he couldn’t make any statements based on the back and white copy. And, of course, the original I-9 application form no longer exists.
The silver lining was that the process for a Green Card provided me with the legal authorization to remain in the U.S. I consulted with multiple immigration attorneys who were confident that I had a strong case to get a Green Card. Despite the I-9 issue, I was honest in disclosing everything during my visa interview. I had a great job. I paid a lot in taxes. I had an affidavit from a friend who restated the whole situation about the I-9, as he was with me that day. I was told to relax and just wait.
I applied for a Green Card with EB-1, which fast tracks the whole process to one year. I was excited to get over it so quickly. However, instead of one year, it took four years.
During that time, I was unable to travel outside of the U.S. My family was not allowed to visit either, as their visas were denied for the same reason. A few years ago I lost my father and, when it all happened, I didn’t even know if I would be able to come back.
Simply put, the whole process was challenging and emotionally exhausting. I faced secondary screenings each time I returned to the U.S. I had to continue submitting multiple applications to renew my work authorization. I couldn’t apply for a driver’s license.
I was stuck in a limbo. I told myself many times: “You live in one of the best cities in the world. You have a great job. You have amazing friends. What else do you need?” Despite all of this, I felt stuck in a high-quality prison cell.
Part 5: The end
After years of waiting, I finally got the news. On December 17th, 2019, in the last phase of the Green Card process — known as the adjustment of status — the USCIS made a decision to deny my application. The denial was based on the misinterpreted identity on the same I-9 application form, which I signed seven years ago. Three immigration firms and over ten immigration attorneys told me that they have never seen anything like this. The case simply made no sense.
What blows my mind about this denial is that I have not just been asked to leave the U.S. I’m banned from ever coming back. This means I can’t come to see my friends. I won’t attend their weddings. I won’t see their kids grow up. In other words, parts of my freedom have been taken away from me. If you commit a murder in the U.S., you’re likely to face a 25-year sentence. But, because someone I worked with checked the wrong box, I am forever banned from this country?
Although I am frustrated at the whole immigration process, I’m also lucky to do what I love. I still live in one of the best cities in the world and I have amazing family and friends who mean the world to me. I lost my job and I lost my legal status in the U.S. but, if you look at it differently, I am finally free.
As I pack eight years of my life in a suitcase, I’m preparing for one last visa interview. To change the immigration decision I have to prove that I haven’t done what I didn’t do in the first place — claiming to be a U.S. citizen. With two denials on my immigration case already, I’m basically screwed. But I can’t sit and do nothing. As I’m sharing my story, I hope to inspire others who face immigration issues or, at the very least, make you feel better about your immigration case.
So, what’s next? For me, it will be a fresh start in 2020 with two paths ahead of me. In one path, I will travel the world and remain forever banned from the U.S. In another, I will come back and finally get my Green Card. Whichever path I end up taking, I know a few things are for certain: I will continue to build amazing products, take on new challenges, and have fun in the process.
Love,
#USIMMIGRANT | Email: anton.krav4enko@gmail.com | IG: antonkrav4enko