BlackPikiN: The US congress is considering a special legislation that will enable an indigent Nigerian student in that country, Sopuruchi Chukwueke, have a pemanent US residency, after his visa expired 10 years ago.

Chukwueke’s bill, sponsored by U.S. Senator, Carl Levin, a Michigan Democrat, applies solely to him. It would grant permanent residency to the Nigerian, whose middle name is Victor, as long as he applies for it within two years of the bill becoming law. It would reduce, by one, the number of immigrant visas available to Nigerians and would bar preferential treatment for members of his family.

The Senate passed Levin’s legislation, S. 285, by unanimous consent on July 25. A week later, the House Judiciary Committee approved it by voice vote, so the measure that would allow Chukwueke to fulfill his dream is just one step — passage by the full House from President Barack Obama’s desk.

Chukwueke was admitted to the University of Toledo with one condition: that he obtained permanent-residency status by last Aug. 1. Chukwueke has been in the U.S. illegally since then.The special legislation will enable him to complete his studies at the university.

Chukwue, from Ovim, Abia State, was rescued and taken to the US for surgery in his home town by a nun when a native doctor said he should be drowned. Eleven years and seven operations later, doctors removed the benign growths caused by the genetic disease neurofibromatosis and performed reconstructive surgery.

In that time, Chukwueke, who lost his right eye to the tumors, earned a high school equivalency diploma, achieved a 3.82 grade-point average as a biochemistry and chemical biology major at Wayne State University in Detroit and won acceptance to the University of Toledo’s medical school in Ohio.

A long-shot option for obtaining legal status is a private- relief bill, which applies to just one person and is frequently related to an immigration issue. While about 100 such bills are introduced in each two-year congressional session, few are enacted: So far in the current session of Congress, which started Jan. 1, 2011, none of the 82 that have been introduced has reached the White House. In 2009 and 2010, only two became law. In 2007 and 2008, none succeeded.

Immigration officials usually do not start deportation proceedings on someone who is the subject of private-relief legislation, according to Levin’s spokesman, Gordon Trowbridge. Levin sponsored similar legislation for Chukwueke in 2007 and 2009; both bills languished in the Senate Judiciary Committee. Passage of the 2011 bill became time-sensitive when the medical school made his enrollment conditional on getting a green card.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2012/08/us-considers-special-residency-law-for-nigerian-student/

claremont: Congrats to him; but he still needs to have some serious plastic surgery done on his face though. I can't believe that he represents the best American plastic surgeons have to offer. . .

BlackPikiN: History



His petition is here.



Victor Chukwueke was born in Nigeria on February 10, 1986. During his early childhood, he developed a benign tumor caused by Neurofibromatosis, which grew on his frontal and right facial area, subsequently resulting in a very significant facial deformity. Growing up in Nigeria where he could not get medical treatment for his condition, Victor was the subject of much ridicule from his peers and faced a life-time of hardship as a result of his medical condition.

When he was merely 15, Victor was brought to the United States for medical treatment. Since then, he has had seven major surgeries. Unfortunately, Victor fell out of immigration status while he was 16 and undergoing a painful surgery. He did not have the help he needed at the time to navigate the complexity of the immigration system.

Despite huge obstacles and a life-threatening medical condition which rendered him blind in one eye, Victor Chukwueke graduated from Wayne State University and received admission into medical school, only to be told that he could not attend because he did not have a green card. Refusing to give up, Victor sought the help of Senator Carl Levin’s office, which introduced a private immigration relief bill for him.

His private immigration bill got through the Judiciary Committee, sailed through the Senate with bipartisan support and now needs your help in passing through the House.

http://queerdesi.tumblr.com/post/28123172870/support-sb-285-private-immigration-bill-for-sopuruchi

BlackPikiN: History



His petition is here.



Victor Chukwueke was born in Nigeria on February 10, 1986. During his early childhood, he developed a benign tumor caused by Neurofibromatosis, which grew on his frontal and right facial area, subsequently resulting in a very significant facial deformity. Growing up in Nigeria where he could not get medical treatment for his condition, Victor was the subject of much ridicule from his peers and faced a life-time of hardship as a result of his medical condition.

When he was merely 15, Victor was brought to the United States for medical treatment. Since then, he has had seven major surgeries. Unfortunately, Victor fell out of immigration status while he was 16 and undergoing a painful surgery. He did not have the help he needed at the time to navigate the complexity of the immigration system.

Despite huge obstacles and a life-threatening medical condition which rendered him blind in one eye, Victor Chukwueke graduated from Wayne State University and received admission into medical school, only to be told that he could not attend because he did not have a green card. Refusing to give up, Victor sought the help of Senator Carl Levin’s office, which introduced a private immigration relief bill for him.

His private immigration bill got through the Judiciary Committee, sailed through the Senate with bipartisan support and now needs your help in passing through the House.

http://queerdesi.tumblr.com/post/28123172870/support-sb-285-private-immigration-bill-for-sopuruchi

chucky234: Touching

ifyalways: Lucky chap!
Very lucky.

doctokwus: Its stories like dis dat gv us a bad name outside;so much bliv in witches& wizards as d cause of many ailments that plague nigerians,den dey run to "jujumen" and conmen in d name of "pastors",who sustain ur wrong beliefs while reaping u& ur family of ur hard earned money,at d same time sowing seeds of enmity btw innocent spouses,family members& well established relationships.At d end d victim is further victimised while d pastors& jujumen smile to d bank.
Thank God for d life of dis youngman,thankgod for d individual dat took him abroad,where it was fd dat his problem is medical& not supernatural,thankgod enlightment is growing,though painfully slow.
Av always said dat if not for mary slessor,nigerians may still b killing twins evn in dis 21st century,dat shows how bad our situation is