PALMETTO, Ga. — A woman's job, wedding and ability to stay in the country is on the line after her visa got stuck inside Georgia's new United States Postal Service processing center in Palmetto.
Erika Fornero-Monia's and her fiancé's is one of hundreds who reached out to 11Alive non-stop about their missing mail with items ranging from important tax documents to prescriptions they depend on.
"I have been waiting for my visa since pretty much mid-February. I was making plans to start my job last Monday," she said.
Fornero-Monia is a nursing student from Italy who was supposed to start her nursing residency in Atlanta last week. Her fate now rests in the hands of the USPS.
"Of course, I wasn't planning on USPS problems, so my visa shipped. Never was received anywhere. It's in 'transit,'" she added.
The nursing student spent much time at the post office trying to track down the critical documents.
"This location finally said that my post, my mail is lost in the Palmetto area. And unfortunately, they have no way to contact them. They have no email. They have no phone number. They've lost several mail packages, in their location in the facility," she added.
An 11Alive viewer recently sent a response they received seemingly from staff at the postal service about their missing packages.
The message read, "Our apologies...Our new transition to a new and bigger plant is causing the USPS delays. The staffing and transportation issues were unforeseen...."
As part of the postal service's "Delivering for America Plan," the Palmetto facility opened on Feb. 24 -- with an emphasis on centralizing outgoing mail and package processing for the majority of Georgia.
However, the problems reported since the rollout are not unique to Peach State. Last week, a group of bipartisan lawmakers in Virginia released a letter highlighting a "significant uptick in mail disruptions and delays."
As the postal service rolls out the plan across the country, Fornero-Monia prays her work visa is delivered to her soon as the clock ticks on her stay in the country.
"It's feeling really helpless. It's in the hands of God and the government," she said.
Although she has already lost her residency spot for the spring, her employer is offering her another opportunity to work if her visa comes through.
11Alive requested an interview with the postmaster general about these issues, which the postal service declined.
We've also sent multiple questions over the past week asking about resources and a timeline to fix the problems.
USPS continues to tell us they have no further updates to share.
Those experiencing delays or who have not received mail can contact the newsroom with your concerns as we continue to cover this story. Fill out our online form below, and someone from our news team will follow up with you.