OVERLAND PARK, Kan. — Enkae and Francielle Chang’s love story might sound unconventional. It started with a Facebook friend request sent by Enkae in 2018 when they were more than 5,000 miles apart.
Francielle was in Curitiba, Brazil, and Enkae was in Overland Park.
Over time, their friendship turned into love. In September 2020, they met in person for the first time after talking for five months.
“Eventually, I proposed to her,” says Enkae, remembering the day he told her he wanted to spend the rest of his life by her side.
From there, they began the long journey to bring Francielle to the United States.
Between trips to Brazil, they applied for the K-1 visa, a visa for fiancés and fiancées.
Among the 500 pages of documents they had to send to the U.S. government were evidence of their relationship.
Francielle did all the paperwork and provided detailed information.
It took 15 months for Francielle to have her visa approved. She came to the U.S. in June 2023.
“It definitely made our relationship stronger. We learned a lot,” Francielle said.
Roger McCrummen, an immigration lawyer in Kansas City, knows how painful the process can be for his clients.
“I have seen relationships fall apart during that waiting time because it's too much separation,” McCrummen said.
But Francielle and Enkae's relationship endured. After landing in the U.S., they had 90 days to get married.
Then, she could apply for her green card and that meant more forms to fill out and documents to send.
Six months later, she received the document. In a couple of years, she will be eligible for citizenship.
“Travel, itineraries, flight tickets, everything that shows both names. Things that really prove that we were together,” Francielle said.“They really investigate everything in your life.”
It's not only a long process, but also an expensive one.
According to McCrummen, it costs around $3,000.
The U.S. citizen also needs to prove they can support their partner financially.
“That becomes a problem, a big thing that sometimes is a barrier for some,” McCrummen said.
The long journey gave Francielle a new profession. Now, she helps other people apply for a green card.
“People started coming, asking me, ‘Can you do it?"' "I got recommendations—that’s how it started," Francielle said.
It also gave the Chang family a new perspective on their relationship.
And now, they are ready for the next step.
She’s expecting a baby that's due on July 25.
“Our first baby. We're super excited,” said Francielle.
