Colorado Couple On Pins & Needles Awaiting Decision About Their Future
DENVER (CBS4) – Hannah Toole and her fiancé, Andrea Pedani, have been battling for months to be together, and get married. Now they're on the verge of a court ruling that could clear the way for them to get married.
"We're cautiously optimistic," Toole told CBS4.
The couple is among hundreds across the United States who are suing the State Department to get processing of K-1 visas, or visas for foreign born fiancés moving again. The lawsuit argues that after a complete shutdown of visa processing at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, the State Department and U.S. Embassies around the world did not resume processing K-1 visas when operations came back on line, thus leaving hundreds of couples in limbo.
"Our immigration process has been an emotional roller coaster, and so you have lots of hope and then crushing disappointment. I think we're tempering our enthusiasm, because we don't have to set ourselves up to be disappointed again," Toole explained.
When Pedani's visa ran out in the spring, the couple could have eloped in order to keep him in the country. Instead, they made the choice to follow the law, Pedani would return to Italy, and they would wait for the K-1 visa to come through.
"I want always to do the right thing," Pedani told CBS4.
"We are both emotionally exhausted and miss the hell out of each other, but it has fortified our relationship," Toole said. "You never know until you're really tested. And when you're in it and our relationship is so incredibly strong that it has validated everything for us."
In a statement to CBS4 earlier this month, the State Department said:
"All of our missions continue to provide emergency and mission-critical visa services. As post-specific conditions permit, our missions are phasing in processing of K-1 nonimmigrant visa cases. Applicants should check the website of their nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate for updates on what services that post is currently able to offer. An embassy or consulate will resume adjudicating all routine nonimmigrant and immigrant visa cases only when adequate resources are available and it is safe to do so."
Toole said that the lawyers representing her, Pedani, and those hundreds of other couples have indicated that a final ruling should come by Thursday, Nov. 5th. She and Pedani are ready to start the next chapter in their lives.
"As soon as the visa is issued, and I'm authorized to go to the U.S., I will reach my fiancée and by law we have these 90-days to get married," Pedani said.
"We knew it wasn't going to be easy when we decided to get married. But we didn't know that it was going to be as challenging as it has proven to be. And it's those challenges again that have continued to just fortify our relationship because every barrier we overcome we're stronger and more confident in our relationship. But, man, we just keep getting thrown hurdles," Toole said.
