BROWNTOWN, Wis. -- Every year, hundreds of thousands of people from all over the world apply for green cards, otherwise known as legal resident status in the U.S. While the struggles that many Latinos endure to obtain green cards have become a common story, this plight stretches to people from around the globe.

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One couple from Scotland is experiencing these headaches first-hand. They've been struggling for legal resident status since they arrived in the U.S. four years ago. It's been a battle with no end in sight.

At noon on Thursday in Browntown, an inspirational song can be heard in the air of the small community with a population of 252. Many of the residents fill the pews at Peace United Church of Christ every Sunday morning. They find inspiration in their leader and pastor, the Rev. Ray Sowersby.

Sowersby talks to a church group about Easter traditions. It's just one of the many extras that make him, and wife Caroline, so well-liked in the community, WISC-TV reported.

"We're involved in the community, not just in Browntown, but in Monroe," Ray Sowersby said. "We just feel part of the community and we'd like to remain so."

The Sowersbys came to Browntown from Scotland on a religious worker's visa in 2004.

"They just really fit our wants and needs," parishioner Janet Medinger said. "We're just so blessed to have them here."

They left behind many children and grandchildren because they said that God called them here. However, the U.S. government might force them to return.

"We've put in two applications to stay, for the green card," Ray Sowersby said. "The first one was turned down on a technicality."

They said that they're still waiting to hear about the second application, but they're running out of time. Their temporary visa expires next June -- and if they don't obtain green card status by then, they'll be forced to go back to Scotland.

"It's also been very costly," Caroline Sowersby said. "Because this is a small congregation, as you can see, and it's already cost them nearly $6,000. It's cost us personally $1,400. So it's really $7,500, and we really have nothing to show for it."

The Sowersbys' attorney, Gene Schaeffer, of Godfrey & Kahn, said that he understands the frustrations many have with the system. He said that the Sowersbys are lucky as some immigrants that he's worked with have waited for their green card status for upwards of 10 years.

"A lot of people have to show an incredible amount of patience and an incredible amount of desire to be here," Schaeffer said. "A lot of people with lesser interest in being here would probably just back up and go home."

It's a thought that has crossed Caroline Sowersby's mind many times -- now, more than ever. Since the Sowersbys applied for permanent residence, they're not allowed to travel outside the U.S. until they obtain their green card. It's preventing them from traveling back to Scotland to visit their 11-year-old grandson, Simon. The boy was recently diagnosed with Crohn's disease and celiac disease.

It's a waiting game that has gotten tougher and tougher, and some church members said that they're worried.

"We feel that the government could snatch them away at any point," Medinger said. "And that would be horrific for us."

But the Sowersbys remain surprisingly optimistic and hopeful that they'll have the documentation they need before it's too late. It would be an amazing grace for a couple who have clearly made their mark on so many in southwestern Wisconsin, WISC-TV reported.

"We just feel that we have something to offer here and we would like to carry on offering it. To do God's work in this place," Ray Sowersby said. "We do believe He's called us here, and we want to stay here as long as He wants us to be here."

The process of obtaining a green card can be very confusing and that's why the church had to hire a lawyer for help. It's the route more and more are following because of the complex nature of the laws.

It's also a very expensive option. The Sowersbys and their church have paid about $7,500 in fees, including the attorney fees. Many times, attorneys will take on cases on a pro bono basis. Legal aid societies will also help immigrants who need assistance, usually with little to no cost, WISC-TV reported.

There is some hope for the couple. Many times, immigrants who are having an extremely difficult time with the green card process get their U.S. representative involved, and that's just what the Sowersbys did. U.S. Rep. Tammy Baldwin's office recently contacted the Sowersbys with news that travel authorization documents should reach them within 30 days.

However, there's no word yet on the status of their green cards.