680611 - Letter to Mr. J.A. Hamilton Jr written from Montreal

Letters by Date, 1968

This Letter was sent per registered mail, under receipt no. C0619 and dated June 11, 1968.

3720 Park Avenue, Montreal 18, Quebec, Canada
June 11, 68

per Registered post with A.D.

Mr. J. A. Hamilton Jr.
District Director
United States Department of Justice
Immigration and Naturalization Service
John Fitzgerald Kennedy Federal Building
Government Centre, Boston, Mass. 02203
USA

Dear Mr. Hamilton,

Replying your letter of May 13, 1968, Reference No. A17 978 480, I beg to inform you that as per your direction I have left Boston before June 13, 1968 (3rd June by Northeastern Airlines) and now I am staying at the above address as non-immigrant visitor for three months.

In your Order of Denial, you have clearly mentioned in paragraph 4 that your denial order was not on the basis of my qualification of Religious Minister, but on your discretion for the reason that I submitted my application just after a fortnight of my arrival in USA, and as such, I was not a bonafide non-immigrant. I did not know what was the technical mistake on my part in this connection, but I honestly submitted the application after consulting your Calcutta American Consulate and our Indian Embassy in Washington D.C. and I have their letters of confirmation with me.

In your Notice of Denial of May 3, 1968, you have mentioned that there is no appeal from this decision. As such, I did not prefer to appeal in this decision, but I left USA as per your direction. Now I am simply requesting you to give me your valued direction what to do next.

It is a fact that I am a recognized Religious Minister and in your country there are seven branches of the ISKCON RADHA KRISHNA TEMPLES in different parts. This ISKCON organization is duly incorporated in New York State and is registered as N.G.O. by the United Nations. I am the principal Acharya or Chief Minister of the organization. Even after receipt of your Notice of Denial, I was called by you, and I have already submitted all the above mentioned facts for your record.

Now I simply wish to know what to do next. My presence in your country is essential for proper management of the Society, ISKCON, as mentioned above. I have sufficient means to maintain myself in the USA, and my health is already examined by your Health Department, and I am fit. If you now consider my case as Religious Minister and allow me the permanent visa, you can do so now because you have not determined on this point. Or, otherwise, I am seeking your valued advice only as what to do next so that I can get immigration visa as Religious Minister.

Thanking you in anticipation for an early reply.

Sincerely yours,

A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami