ROCHESTER, N.Y. — This week marks one year since earthquakes in Turkey and Syria killed tens of thousands of people. Families around the world are still struggling with the aftershocks, mentally and physically. 

Busra Gol, and her two kids, Alina and Mirac, were only visiting her husband in his home country while he awaited his U.S. green card when tragedy struck. Nearly four years, one pandemic and multiple earthquakes later, now the Gol family is just trying to survive being apart. 

What You Need To Know

  • Ali, Busra, Alina, and Mirac Gol were in Turkey last year when the earthquakes struck

  • Busra and the kids are all U.S. citizens and were only visiting overseas while Ali waits for his green card

  • Ali applied for his green card back in 2020, and he was congratulated after his interview, but a week later was informed that he's been placed in administrative processing

  • Immigration lawyer, Aomer Mohamed, says in his experience, applicants can be put into this processing if their home country's government isn't in the best relationship with the U.S., because federal agencies want to do a more in-depth investigation
  • The U.S. Department of State says it can be 60 to 90 days of waiting, Mohamed says the average wait is usually closer to 6 months to a year, but Ali says no Facetime or phone call can make up for his children growing up away from him

“I tell people yeah I’m married, but I’m like a single mom right now at the same time,” Gol said. 

It’s been difficult for her to deal with her trauma from the earthquakes while caring for her two children and advocating for her husband Ali’s green card. 

“I’m talking about my wife and me. You know, we’re at a certain age that we realize that we have to be separate. But when we think about the kids, it’s totally different. I have two kids now, and my kids are not growing in front of me,” her husband said.

Ali Gol first applied for her green card in 2020, roughly a year after he married his wife, Busra, who was born and raised in Rochester. He received an interview at the embassy which finished with a “congratulations.” However, a week later, his passport was returned to him with a note that his application was placed in administrative processing. 

“In this situation, I feel bad. You know, a person knows everything about their own self, but after a while, I’m like, 'Oh my God! Did I do something wrong that I don’t know?' I’m questioning myself,” he explained. 

Gol says he’s never had any encounters with the police, the court system or financial struggles that would defer his green card and he’s just missing time with his growing family. 

Aomer Mohamed is the founder and managing attorney of Mohamed Immigration Law P.L.L.C. As an immigration lawyer, he says the Gol family is in a tricky situation. 

“Administrative processing is triggered but the citizenship or nationality of the applicant, whether he’s ... whether that person is from a country that the United States is considered like a sponsor of terrorism or a country that is in some type of war, or there’s some type of hostility or lack of trust between U.S. government or that government. And they have no way to really validate or confirm the identity or background of that individual," Mohamed explained. 

He says, in his experience, administrative processing leads to a more in-depth investigation, by the FBI, CIA, DEA or other national municipality. 

“Once you are stuck like this, to be honest, there are not too many options. I mean, you can try and like communicate with the embassy, I want to say every 60 days or so, just check-in, ‘Hey, what’s going on with my case? You know, I’ve been waiting.’ But in all honestly, I’m not sure if it really has any effect. You can also let your congressperson know, see if that would make a difference. And then ultimately, is the litigation, federal litigation, but that’s expensive,” Mohamed said. 

The U.S. Department of State reports this process is expected to last 60 to 90 days. Mohamed says it’s closer to six months to a year on average, in his experience. But Gol says enough is enough. 

“On paper, we’re a family, but in reality, we’re not because we’re separate. There’s an ocean between us, countries between us,” he said. 

The family believes no Facetime or phone call will ever suffice. 

"I’m kind of like relaxed that I’m here, but another piece of me is still there in a way,” his wife explained.