The United States government doesn't want me to go to PAX 2014

Super lame.

NA duders should start tunneling south from PAX, and Mexican duders should start tunneling north from your house.

Meet in the middle and POW, guess who is going to PAX!

Failing that, I hope they do some streamy stuff and you can join us in the GB chat for some madness.

Turns out they are kinda pissed that my sister has overstayed her visa for so long. We all had our visas revoked.

Turns out the government has a legitimate reason to not let you in again.

I am not mad at my sister at all.

You should be. You very much should be. I will be for you.

That sucks you cant go dude, but thems the breaks. Follow the rules or suffer the consequences. Your sister is breaking so many laws and when she gets caught will get into a lot of trouble. It's really sad that she is also letting it trickle down onto her family. That's beyond irresponsible, disrespectful, and gross.

Good luck on your future, though.

Friendly reminder to keep this civil, because politically charged things like this can get not civil quickly.

@eder: Don't call women chicks.

That's unfortunate to hear. Admittedly I'm not sure how the visa process works but hopefully you can get it worked out. At the very least it's good to hear that you're still pursuing your interests with the game you're making. Hope it goes well for you!

He did say that she had her reasons that he won't get into. Perhaps there's a reason that makes sense for her to do that but maybe not.

It also kind of seems like a busted system to punish an entire family for one person but what do I know?

That sucks. Hope it all works out for you eventually, man.

Don't tell people what to do.

It really isn't my intent to offend anyone with this. It's just something that happened to me and I wanted to see what you guys think. Sorry if I did though.

Rules are rules but Visa business can be garbage. Dunno what your sisters reasons where for being late, but I can definitely believe it was revoked for a BS/unfair to humans reason. Happens unfortunately. Sucks you don't get to go to PAX, but, maybe next time? Hang tough hombre.

@sethphotopoulos: There's no reason to ever break the law.

I suspect the reason it trickles down to the family so that it affects the person breaking the law. I can't say I agree with it (it's old fashioned thinking that I'm not in line with), but I get where it's coming from. It's unlikely she'll ever see her family again, unless she wants to make it easier to get herself caught (or do something shady in order to do so but then it's like- why did you put yourself in this position in the first place).

Sorry, I can't go with the excuse "She had a good reason to break the law."

Hopefully I have not been condescending by expressing my opinion to your reply. I find this hits my passionate response bone.

That's a real bummer, dude, but if it's worth anything, you look like Jeff Goldblum, and that's real rad (and I also wish you the best of luck on getting your visa and maybe getting some air on the site).

How can family members be punished for "crimes" others committed? Our country is so evil. My mom got a parking ticket in 1986 therefore I'm not allowed to get a drivers license ever. Great logic.

America is a screwed up place, you're probably better off safe at home.

I'm not saying it's fine for her to break a law regardless of whether or not it's a good one. I'm saying that it's fine for him not to be angry at his sister if he understands her reasons for it. Being mad at someone just 'cause they broke a law seems too black and white to me. It depends on the law and the context it was broken.

America was supposed to be all about breaking evil, fascist rules. Like giving 99% of your earned income to a King. Or believing science dictates a special location within buses where people with "jive soul" must sit. Or not being allowed outside after 8PM. Or not being allowed to drive a car with a woman who isn't your wife. Or not being allowed to listen to music with lyrics.

As a taxpayer and voter, I never agreed to allow such a government to create such a meaningless and cruel rule.

That means they are against me, not protecting me. Remember we're supposed to give them tax dollars to represent us and enhance our lives. The government is supposed to be like a larger scale neighborhood watch or bake sale community get-together or team building exercise or volunteer firefighter club.

If I found out my local volunteer firefighters had made a "rule" not to answer 911 calls of poor people I'd be scared to call this town home... so same goes for my country.

@sethphotopoulos: I disagree.

I have a pamphlet you might be interested in reading.

@cornbredx: All opinions are welcome don't worry. I actually agree that she is breaking the law and she shouldn't be there. The more she stays the worse it gets for all of us and her of course. If or when she gets caught oh man it's gonna be a shit storm so big even I will get the popcorn ready lol.

This uh uh made uh my uh day. Uh lol.

@aetheldod: Ya se como la cagan jajaja.

@rachelepithet: I'm perfectly happy here in Mexico. It's the people I will miss :(

@rachelepithet: Not sure how that relates to me, but ok. I'm sorry you feel that way.

I disagree with you, too.

I don't consider this weird, old fashion law racism as you implied. Or really agree with a lot of things you said.

You have every right to say it, though.

I won't elaborate further, though. It will really get bad in here if I do. There's really no reason for that.

@eder said:

You and Vinny seem like prom king and queen.

I'd vote for you.

@cornbredx: it's not big deal I just think "but it's the law" is a bad thing no matter if you're a liberal or conservative.

If a person was deemed not threatening enough to allow into the country whatsoever, extra time spent in it shouldn't become a threat. It's not like a private company like a hotel chain where if you stay longer without paying your hurting a companies finances. She actually is working for a living which is more than millions of Americans faking disabilities, etc., can say. Whatever rule she is breaking is no worse than talking during a movie or not washing your hands after using the bathroom.

yeah if someone is "offended" by your post, they can get the hell over themselves, because it makes no legitimate sense. Unfortunately I guess your sister screwed you over here and that sucks, though. I don't understand why they need to enforce this on you, though. They could just keep an eye on you in the near future...doesn't make much sense to me.

Aww that sucks they are punishing you for your sister's indiscretion.

AWESOME photo of you and Vinny there. Oh man. That's great. :D

You know what ?

PAX South Should be in Mexico, that'd be cool.

We've already got two in America, let's spread the love

@slag: I know right!!?

Is Drew signing a package for a mannequin in that photo?

Blessings to your situation dood!

The fact that you're not upset at your sister for what she's caused for you and your family tells me that reason must be pretty substantial. Either that or you're really forgiving.

Her Visa wasn't revoked. There were specific terms for her to be allowed in the country, or a time limit, and she ignored it and stayed past that. It's actually a really serious immigration offense. It's one of the worst things you can do, which is why her family is now suffering the consequences. There are legitimate ways to extend your Visa, or you can go back home and come back again at a later date, and she didn't do that.

It is a big deal, and it is an important law. There are thousands of good, legitimate reasons that the US wants to be able to track and control visiting non-citizens within its borders, just like almost every other country in the world. There are good, legitimate reasons why temporary visas expire and must be renewed, and people like his sister are the reason it is so hard to legally enter this country. Even if she is not a "danger" or a "risk", the US government can't treat the hundreds of thousands of cases like this on a person-by-person basis AFTER they break the law. That is what the application and renewal processes are for. His sister ignored that, and now her family is suffering the consequences. She is the bad guy here (if there is one), not the US government. It seems clear she doesn't plan on leaving anytime soon, and sounds like she might have overstayed her Visa by years.

@eder I'm sorry for coming down on your sister. I believe in the importance of immigration to the United States. I have no problems with immigrants, and in fact like having more diversity here. My objection isn't a race thing or even a political thing, it's just a "follow the rules thing" and while the rules in the US are complicated and should be revised, I don't believe that excuses breaking them because you don't want to follow protocol once in this country. She's making it harder for the people who follow the rules to get in here easily and fairly, like yourself. I'm sorry you're not being allowed to enter, but I also understand the reasoning behind it. Hopefully your sister does the right thing at some point and the restriction on you and your family is lightened, because I love having guests, haha! Also, in that pic, you've managed to out-handsome Vinny. That's quite a feat.

I married @duskvamp last year before she left, and she went back home so as to not overstay her visa. It's been a year this weekend and we are finally nearing the end of the process. Sure, we had other options, but this (or an adjustment of status while she was in the country) were the two right ways to do it. And as hard as it's been to have been apart from her for a year (aside from a two week trip to Italy in April), I'm glad we are doing things the right way. She lives in one of our "partnership" countries, and it's been this long and difficult because of the people who go about things the wrong way.

The US immigration system needs to be revised, but even after it's revision, overstaying your Visa will be a serious offense that prevents you from returning to this country for a long time, and I believe that's the case in most countries, at least in the first world.

About 40 percent of U.S. illegal immigrants "came in on an airplane, with a legal visa, and just overstayed their visa and have never gone home."

"There is no reason to ever break the law" is a scary attitude.

@milkman: If that reply was aimed at me, that's not what I said. But without knowing her reasons, I find it harm to blame the US Government (not that OP did).

EDIT: Ah, I see someone actually used that phrase. I agree with you. Please proceed, haha.

@eder:

Sorry dude. But those are the rules. Fair or not I suppose. But to the government, a convention is the last thing they probably care about. If I'm guessing right, and I'm totally guessing, is the logic for punishing a family for a single member's actions based on the idea that the government would assume some hidden action or intent for the rest of the family based on the individual's unwillingness to comply. Such as, "if one member doesn't follow the rules, then it's likely the rest won't either"?

As much as it sucks for you, if rules weren't in place like that the US, and other countries, could be flooded with more people then they have resources to support. I know you just want a visa but I can understand the trepidation of the government thinking that that visa may be a way for you and your family to stay forever. I know that's not the case but how is the government to know that especially when the only information they have currently involve your sister.

At the end though it sucks that you can't visit despite the politics. Hopefully it can all be worked out eventually.

@wrighteous86: sorry, I should have been more clear in my post. I'm on my phone, read the thread and just kind of lazily typed the first thing that came to mind.

Funny thing is, I have several buddies who were in a similar situation. My friend and his brother moved to new jersey on a year long visa. They were permitted to work while there. My friends brother left, but my friend stayed there for 5 years. None of the extended family members were ever stopped from travelling to the states. His parents go to florida every year. His brothers visited him in NJ. No issues at all.

One major difference is probably that he is Irish and not Mexican. I imagine they are stricter with the latino folk.

Eventually my mate moved to Germany, and as he was leaving the US they just said something along the lines of "You know you can never come back right?". He was all like yeah son, holla back.

I understand why the government is doing this, but that also sucks, duder. Sorry to hear that. I hope your sister may work things out with them soon so that you might be able to visit again.

That actually does make a huge difference, for varying reasons of legitimacy. "Partnership countries" like Canada and the UK have the most lenient rules, whereas countries that tend to be the source of a lot of our illegal immigrants, like Mexico and the Phillippines, are stricter and have longer waits; in the same ballpark are "non-friendly" nations like Russia and China. The strictest rules apply to "hot-spot" nations like those in the Middle East.

I understand the varying levels of restrictions, but I can also see how it can be offensive or stereotyping.

The Canadian government doesn't want me going to PAX, either. Different reasons, though; never once had a leave pass approved for the end of August/September (and I'm even within driving distance).

:(

Sorry to hear that man. Hopefully you'll be able to sell your ticket if you already have one.

Also, I spy Jeff in your picture.

@Wrighteous86 Yeah it was a bit strange, he was good friends with some cops who would drink in the bar he was running. They knew he was illegal, and didn't give a shit. They tipped him well too (which was great considering he didnt get paid any wage at all... just tips!).

I would not really say I would ever get offended by him not facing the same penalties as in OP's situation because I understand the reality. You cant have one blanket immigration procedure for every nationality. I mean, it would be nice if we lived in that world, but it's just not feasible or sensible.

Maybe someday when Canada decides to take over and get the world running nice and smooth.

As a handicapped person who has to go through all sorts of red tape BS just to get something as simple as a new wheelchair I SORT OF understand the government loves making big issues out of small things.

Sounds like a shitty situation all around man but I have to agree that it sounds like your sister is to blame. You need to follow the rules too a T with this kind of stuff especially these days. Hopefully you can get it all worked out sooner rather then later.

Ugh, that's the worst. I know exactly what you mean. My brother has special needs, and the hoops we have to jump through to get him anything is crazy. He got a new manual wheelchair last year, and they forgot to also order a tray for it. So, we said, "Well, order the tray." But we ended up having to wait almost a year for them to do a whole wheelchair re-order minus the rest of the wheelchair. Eventually, we waited long enough that they just told us we should keep the tray the local Children's Hospital lent to us.

It's amazing how much of a fuss can be made over something even as simple as a small ordering error. For a much bigger issue like overstaying your visa, I can imagine the level of fuss is through the roof.

Lovin all the support and informative opinions duders. This is why I love this site.

@giantstalker: Damn that would drive me insane being that close yet so far!

I appreciate where you are coming from duder, and the last thing I want to do is fight about VISA rights, but I think you and I have fundamentally different approaches to this situation.

You feel, without knowing what she did or didn't do, that it must be her fault, and not the fault of the US.

Because I don't know what she did or didn't do, I assume it could be either her fault, or the fault of the US system.

The system has faults, and those can victimize people. Again, I appreciate that maybe those faults are necessary "for the greater good", but I know too many people personally affected by immigration laws to just say "all the laws always work all the time".

Because Eder is a nice duder and I want to show solidarity, I take him at his word, and try to be supportive. That's all! Sorry if I came across as anti-US, not my intention.

No, I understand the sentiment. I thought you hadn't understood the story completely. Sorry if I mis-characterized you or came off as hostile. I agree with you to an extent, I guess I'm just defensive because I'm trying to get my wife over with a green card and it's been almost a year. But OP does seem pretty cool and reasonable about everything, and I hope he's able to come over here soon.

The US Government is actually sending me to Seattle during PAX. Unfortunately they don't want me to go to PAX either because I have to work that whole weekend.

@cornbredx: good thing Rosa Parks didn't subscribe to your line of thinking.

Are you saying the OP should hop the border and go to PAX illegally, purely as a stance for what he believes in? If not, then your example is bullshit. Sorry.