It began for me when I was only two years old. My name is Tiffany Shafapay, and I have an Iranian birth certificate.

Both of my parents are immigrants from Iran, who came to Canada and moved to the U.S. to start a better life.

The U.S. government stalled and delayed my family’s permanent residency applications year after year.

My family had to re-file when my parents got divorced, and then again when my father passed away from cancer.

I’ve been bouncing from visa to visa in hopes of getting a green card. There always seems to be some reason I need to wait another two or three years.

We’ve spent all this money to just sit in limbo.

Immigration lawyer fees. Application fees. Work permits.

My mom is pushing me to stay in the application process and keep it up.

Someone I knew from Israel came to the U.S. in the fourth grade. She got her green card the next year.

I was involved at my high school in Kirkland. I was voted class president, elected homecoming queen and earned good grades. Everyone was telling me I was doing things right — except the country I wanted to be a part of so badly.

People did not understand when I ended up having to take a gap year to work and help my family.

I could not afford to pay for school. Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) is the only reason I am here now.

There are so many unnecessary barriers throughout the immigration process that hold well-meaning people back.

There is so much more to a person, to an immigrant, to an individual, than people seem to think. My life is built here. I cannot just pick up and leave.

I have been here so long. I clearly want to be a citizen — it is just not that easy.