Permanent Residency — An American Dream turned Impossibility
Like many, my parents came to the US from the Philippines for a chance at a better life.
By 1999, my mom had been waiting 7 years for her green card. While her petition was pending, her previous immigration status expired, and she could not work nor leave the country. If she left the US, she would not be allowed back in to reunite with her family.
That same year, my grandmother passed away.
Luckily, just before this, my mom’s green card finally arrived. She accompanied my grandmother back to the Philippines to bury her and grieve with her siblings.
Today, it would take my mom 20 years to get a green card.
The US immigration system is rapidly aging, leaving immigrants stuck here waiting decades for permanent residency.
Unlike my mom, thousands of Indian nationals could not travel to India for loved ones due to visa appointment backlogs during the pandemic. If they left the US, they would not be allowed back in. Even now, a single Telegram group with 100k+ members is the best source of appointment availability updates.
While we are not politicians, my co-founder and I desperately wanted to create something to provide some sense of agency to immigrants today. So we created Pine as a first step, using software to help international students (F-1) and specialty workers (H-1B) better understand and work through the visa application process.
We know a combination of policy, process, and access changes will be necessary to create a lasting difference. However, as we work to build our presence in the GovTech space, we want to start with something clear and accessible today. Pine provides smart checklists for immigrants to work towards a visa while tracking their documents and sending them timely alerts along the way.
If you or anyone you know is going through the F-1 or H-1B process this year, Pine is here to help. Otherwise, do take a look and let us know what you think. Stay tuned for updates as we iterate, expand, and improve the product!
Pine helps international students and skilled workers track and manage their immigration process. Sign up to use Pine today!
