Visa for Houston woman's mother remains in beginning stage 2 years later

Houston woman spends over 2 years trying to get tourist visa for her mother

A Houston woman says the process to get her elderly mother a tourist visa remains the beginning stage. FOX 26's Randy Wallace spoke to the woman and an immigration attorney.

HOUSTON - In 2021, Zoila Reyes Novoa became a U.S. citizen. In addition to working full-time, Zoila says she's been operating a dog rescue for 20 years.

As an only child with no children, Zoila's only living blood relative is her elderly mother who lives in Lima, Peru.

‘She’s my biggest treasure'

What they're saying:

More than two years ago, Zoila started the process to get her mother a tourist visa. She remains in the initial phase of the process.

"She's my biggest treasure, a cancer survivor, and I just miss her," Zoila said. 

Dig deeper:

"Unfortunately, it's become more and more common," said immigration attorney Aaron Moyse. "We are seeing more delays in visa processing, whether it's because of a lack of resources due to the shutdown or enforcement priorities for deportation and removal. We are seeing these petitions take longer and longer." 

Immigration describes Zoila's I-30 petition as pending.

"And this is just to verify that she is a U.S. citizen and this is her mother," Moyse said.

What's next:

No one knows how long it will take to get the tourist visa.

Because of her mother's age, Zoila fears time is not on their side.