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PARKERSBURG - Parkersburg resident Scott McPherson wants nothing more than to be with his wife and stepson, but delays in securing immigration visas for them have resulted in a six-month separation.

In April, Lisa McPherson, a Canadian citizen, went to her home country to visit family with her 13-year-old son Jonathan Lindsay, but on her way back immigration officials did not allow her to re-enter the United States.

Scott McPherson, a 10-year Army veteran, said life has been empty without his family by his side.

"We've gone through a ton of paperwork," said 33-year-old McPherson. "It's been six months since I've seen my family and they can't even come for a visit."

Lisa and Scott McPherson were married in August 2006 after meeting on eharmony.com, an online dating Web site. They moved to Korea shortly after their marriage when McPherson accepted a job with the Army working for a contracting company. They lived overseas together for two years.

In April, the couple decided to move back to the states. McPherson came to West Virginia, and his wife planned to follow him to Parkersburg after visiting family in Edmonton, Canada. For the past six months, she has remained in Canada struggling to obtain an immigration visa.

McPherson said he began the visa application process while the couple lived in Korea. Since then, paperwork mix-ups and delays have frustrated the couple, he said.

"We transferred her visa paperwork from Korea to the National Visa Center in New Hampshire when we decided to leave Korea," he said. "When I got back here, I contacted the visa center and they said they didn't have our paperwork."

McPherson said he called the office of U.S. Rep. Alan Mollohan, D-W.Va., in August and got in touch with a staff member who has been helping him with his case. After the staff member sent an inquiry to the National Visa Center on McPherson's behalf, the paperwork was found and the process seemed on track once again.

"Everything seemed all right, but then my wife saw the electronic applications, and she said our names and e-mail addresses had been misspelled," he said. "So we had to resend all the paperwork. Since then, there's been nothing but confusion. They keep saying we didn't send the right paperwork, and we haven't heard from them since August. I just cannot believe this process is taking so long; it's ridiculous."

McPherson said he was asked to send copies of his tax statements to the National Visa Center to prove that once his wife obtained a visa and moved to the United States, the couple would be able to support themselves.

"When I sent my tax statement in, they questioned it," said McPherson. "I thought everything was fine. We paid all the fees and sent everything in, but every time we get the process going something happens. My wife has gone through so much over the past six months. It's been a very stressful time for us both."

The McPhersons have spent nearly $2,000 in application and processing fees since April.

A federal government worker with experience in immigration issues said after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, obtaining an immigration visa became more involved and required more information from the petitioner and the foreign national.

"Immigration authorities are very cautious," she said. "And there is a general set of guidelines that must be met to obtain any kind of visa."

An immediate family member, such as a spouse, of a foreign national must petition for the immigration visa and provide proof of marriage. The petition is filed with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, which is then handed over to the National Visa Center.

Once fees are paid by the petitioner, the visa center will contact the applicant and petitioner for the necessary paperwork and documentation.

Financial documents, such as pay stubs and tax statements, are usually requested by the visa center to prove the person coming to the United States will not be dependent on welfare. A marriage certificate, birth certificate, medical examination and police certificate also might be required.

In addition, backgrounds of the petitioner and the foreign national are checked. Authorities look for criminal records in every country the applicant and petitioner have lived in the past five years.

"All the necessary information is sent to the petitioner in a packet. It's all very straightforward; no one is trying to trick anyone," said the federal government worker who wanted to remain anonymous. "The length of the process varies from embassy to embassy. When paperwork is not submitted in a timely manner, or when there are delays, that's when it takes the longest."

After paperwork is processed, the applicant is called for an interview and all documents are reviewed before a visa is granted.

"Immigration knows you by paper," she said. "They are trusting a lot of information and making a lot of judgment calls."

David Santos, media representative for the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, said waiting periods to obtain an immigration visa vary widely.

The goal is to deliver the visa in a timely manner, he said, but it could take up to 60 days if further administrative processing is required. Santos said it could take more than 60 days, depending on individual circumstances.

McPherson said he and his wife have called representatives from the National Visa Center directly, but they have been of no help.

On Aug. 3, the couple celebrated their second anniversary. McPherson said being so far away from his wife on such a special day was difficult.

"Without my family behind me, I don't know what I'll do here," he said. "It's getting to the point where our only alternative is me getting a job overseas so we can live together."