MILWAUKEE — A Spanish engineer who relocated to Milwaukee for work is now stuck in limbo after his visa was unexpectedly revoked without explanation.
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Pablo Rocamora Labat moved to Milwaukee in January on anE-2 visa, excited about new professional opportunities in the city.
"The professional opportunities that I can get in Milwaukee, in this case, are great. So it was like a dream come true. It was wonderful," Rocamora Labat said.
His new life in America came to an abrupt halt last month following a vacation back to Spain.
"When I try to go back to Milwaukee on April 28 I wasn't allowed to, because I was told at the airport that my visa had been revoked," Rocamora Labat said.
What's most frustrating for Rocamora Labat is the complete lack of communication about why his visa status changed.
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"I haven't been told why at all by anybody like, no one has told me why. No phone calls, no emails, no regular mail," he said.
Watch: Engineer working in Milwaukee stranded in Spain after visa revoked
Now stranded in Madrid, Rocamora Labat is still paying rent for an apartment on Milwaukee's lower east side, where some of his belongings remain. He shares the apartment with two roommates.
"I have basically started this new life, and all of a sudden it has been taken away from me," Rocamora Labat said.
According to Rocamora Labat, he now has only two options after speaking with his company, lawyers and the Spanish Embassy: appeal the visa revocation or apply for a new visa entirely.
Not sure where to turn, he reached out to TMJ4 to share his story after seeing previous coverage on similar situations.
"I'm trying everything to solve this situation," said Rocamora Labat.
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TMJ4 reached out to an immigration attorney who suggests it could have been the wrong type of visa issued and that an L-1 visa would make more sense for Rocamora Labat.
"I'm in a very uncertain situation, and I still have my work as an engineer to do, basically. So it has heavily impacted my life," he said.
TMJ4 also reached out to both the State Department and U.S. Immigration Services but did not receive a response from either agency by the time the story was published.
This story was reported by Mike Beiermeister and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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