Ian and Andrew on their wedding day, June 2017
After working in the United States on an H-1B visa, a marriage-based green card gave Malaysian-born graphic designer Andrew a chance to build a future with his husband Ian, a psychologist from Colorado. Boundless caught up with Andrew shortly after his green card was approved.
Congratulations on getting your green card! Let’s start at the beginning. Can you tell us a little about yourselves?
I came over from Malaysia when I was 17 and have been in the United States for about a decade. I have been working as a graphic designer since 2013 and my husband is a school psychologist from Colorado. We met online and we were together for 4 years before getting married 2 years ago.
Once you were married, what made you decide to apply for a green card?
My H1B visa made me feel very tied to the company I worked for. Getting a green card has given me the freedom to decide what company I want to work for and enables us to pursue the lives we want. We’re finally able to choose where we want to live and where to put down our roots.
“The attorney was very personable and really elevated the experience for us.”
How did you decide what method to use to complete your green card application?
When we first started, what jumped out was how much it costs to go with a typical attorney. It was scary because they always give you a range. For us, the attorneys quoted $2,200 to $5,000, and they wouldn’t give us a specific number. We ended up meeting with 8 different law firms and each one told us that all they do is just put together the package, send it off, and that’s it. It felt like too much money to pay for that level of service so we started looking for other options.
In the end, how did you end up choosing Boundless?
We were looking online and I just remember being really happy to find you. It was like, “Wow, you were automating the whole process.” The clear way you laid everything out helped build credibility immediately. The pages and design were really clear and impressive, and this is coming from a designer! In addition, the responsiveness of your customer service team made me feel comfortable and confident. When we asked a question through the chat feature, we didn’t expect that a real person would be available immediately to help us. And the service was even better after we paid, with the independent lawyer review process and completed application package. Nothing out there is comparable to Boundless when it comes to helping couples with the entire green card process.
You mentioned the independent lawyer just now. How was your independent lawyer review with Boundless?
We were really impressed with the level of depth she went into with us. We thought it would have been a “light lawyer” experience with very little interaction with the lawyer. Instead, the lawyer patiently walked us through everything in detail and helped us the entire way as we collected additional required government documents. The attorney was very personable and really elevated the experience for us.
“You made us feel like you really cared about us. We have recommended you to a few friends already.”
Once the independent lawyer finished reviewing your application, what was it like to receive the completed application in the mail?
Fantastic. Hands-down amazing. You guys took a very complex problem and boiled it down section-by-section, page-by-page. All of these little things, such as slips telling us where to sign and what to do next, were highlights. We loved everything about the application package.
Any final words?
Overall, Boundless was a great experience. You made us feel like you really cared about us. We have recommended you to a few friends already.