I just wanted to share our experinces of the last couple weeks.
About two weeks ago Mares was told her grandfather had stopped eating and probably wouldn't live long. Her advance paraole had expired in August, so we sent a new one in hoping her grandfather would last until it was approved. He passed away that Sunday.
Mares Grandfather and Grandmother mostly raised her, so it was important for her to go to the funeral, but she had no paperwork to return to the US. Tuesday we went down to the local INS office. They wouldn't take another application, since we already sent one and told her that she could just leave and I could forward it to her latter. Wrong information...INS clearly states on there web page and 1-800 number that leaving before it's approved means your abandoning your application.
We called our congressman and two days latter we went back to INS, filed a new set of papers and got them approved in 1 1/2 hours. That was just two hours before the last flight that would get her home in time for the funeral.
Miricales can happen in the US Government, if you don't give up.
Dan and Mares