"I just paid £300 to have a woman stab me with needles and look at my boobs. I reckon it would have been cheaper to go to Soho."*
A couple of weeks ago I got an email from another TV company offering me more work back down in London. Again, I've loved the challenge, and it's also given me the opportunity to spend extra weekends with my grandparents and other family members down here.
Yesterday I had my visa medical. This is a necessity that I had planned to do ages ago, but ended up leaving until the last minute. There's only one medical practice in the UK that can carry these out and it's in central London. They make sure you're up to date with certain vaccinations (and dole them out at a price if not), take a chest X-Ray, and perform various other tests. This included checking out my boobs "for signs of surgery".
The ordeal only took 45 minutes, but I realized that it serves an important function in the whole vetting process, beyond ensuring that I'm not contagious with TB or Varicella (that's chickenpox to you and me!).
45 minutes is the longest time any 'official' will spend with me during the visa journey. Their forms include questions asking if I look well-fed and honest, and they asked me seemingly unrelated questions that I've already answered on paper, like had I ever been arrested in another country? They also asked about the choice we had made about moving to the US.
As the lady stuck a needle into my arm and I nearly fainted, she joked, "You know it'd be easier if he came here right?" I had to laugh and agree with her. Mr and I both knew that, but we also made a firm decision to try life out in the USA.
Next week is my embassy appointment, and I already know to expect it to be a lot less invasive than the medical.
*Joke kind of stolen from a friend of mine.
Wednesday, 16 May 2012
Saturday, 28 April 2012
On the edge of nowhere
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| Click for more photos. |
I've finished working at the BBC now so I returned from London and headed up to the Outer Hebrides for a short break and a chance to catch up with some old friends. This place is breathtaking. It's a barren, yet very lived in, environment. Occasionally, while driving around, we'd spot old tractors, trucks and buses abandoned by the roadside to decay, because they'd never make it back to the town or to the mainland. Unused houses are left empty, and the moors are dotted with seemingly untouched shielings.
Some of the shielings really are untouched, crumbling or barely standing against the elements. Some are still used during the summer months and show distant signs of life inside - a gas stove or an old board game for instance.
After my interview and my visa gets approved, I want to fly out as soon as I can. I have a bit of time now to take a UK tour, meeting up with friends and family to say farewell. Right now, I really am on the edge of nowhere. It's not a bad place to be.
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| A shieling. Click for more photos. |
Thursday, 5 April 2012
Consulation
I was sitting in the BBC bar chatting to the production team tonight after working on the live show when something exciting happened.
I've had a blast working down here. From the moment I stepped into Television Centre, I thought "I belong here!". It reminded me of my days as a theatre brat. TVC in itself is an amazing building steeped in history. I hear the BBC is selling it off in a few years, so it's been a real honour to get the chance to be a part of its history.
So I was talking to some of the interns and they are all interested in my situation. One of them asked when I was heading to the New World, to which I said "I don't know exactly, I don't have my visa interview yet. Once I get the date I'll have a firmer idea of when I'm going."
People ask us this question a lot and it's hard to answer because I've been living week to week recently. I deliberately left my previous job early so I didn't have to keep them hanging on while I'm hanging on. The next stage could happen very fast, when it happens.
During our conversation, someone poured me a glass of wine and I checked my emails on my phone. And there it was. A letter from the National Visa Center with a date for US embassy interview.
"Hey, can you repeat your question to me?"
"When are you moving to the States?"
I showed them my phone. "It looks like I'm moving in June!"
I've had a blast working down here. From the moment I stepped into Television Centre, I thought "I belong here!". It reminded me of my days as a theatre brat. TVC in itself is an amazing building steeped in history. I hear the BBC is selling it off in a few years, so it's been a real honour to get the chance to be a part of its history.
So I was talking to some of the interns and they are all interested in my situation. One of them asked when I was heading to the New World, to which I said "I don't know exactly, I don't have my visa interview yet. Once I get the date I'll have a firmer idea of when I'm going."
People ask us this question a lot and it's hard to answer because I've been living week to week recently. I deliberately left my previous job early so I didn't have to keep them hanging on while I'm hanging on. The next stage could happen very fast, when it happens.
During our conversation, someone poured me a glass of wine and I checked my emails on my phone. And there it was. A letter from the National Visa Center with a date for US embassy interview.
"Hey, can you repeat your question to me?"
"When are you moving to the States?"
I showed them my phone. "It looks like I'm moving in June!"
Wednesday, 29 February 2012
A small leap: Visa application is in!
It's official - my visa application is in!
This stage of the process splits in two, where my job is to apply for the visa, and Mr's job is to provide his financial information. At this stage, the visa application is just like a standard application - I have to provide a ton of personal information (most of which they have already) about my past, my residences, my jobs, and my family. Mr's paperwork is a little more interesting because it requires him to accept total financial responsibility for me.
As a married couple, we didn't see this as such a big deal, but it is an incredibly important element of the immigration process. No country wants a new immigrant to become a financial burden on the state, so it becomes the petitioner's responsibility to ensure that doesn't happen. Not only does Mr have to prove he has enough money to sustain us both, but he also has to agree that if I ever did access any state aid, he would be required to pay it back. This means it'd be useless for me to try to access welfare or any other kind of benefit.
The financial requirements for a family migrant petition is proof of income/savings 125% above the US poverty guidelines. It's not a huge burden, but it can also be topped up by using co-sponsors, such as family members who sign the same forms accepting financial responsibility for the immigrant.
In this way, the state is placing trust in the petitioner and their family with regards to the character and potential financial burden of an immigrant family member. As I said, no country wants or needs new dependents, but I also believe it's because it's assumed that the petitioner is the best judge of character of the immigrant, and therefore the best judge of whether the immigrant's intent is good and true. The petitioner takes all responsibility for the immigrant and is therefore first line in defence of any potential fraud. Of course, no immigration officer spends as much time with a potential immigrant as the petitioner, so it makes sense.
Despite having already made our marriage vows promising to share our worldly goods, I did ask Mr to make sure he was absolutely sure he wanted to be financially responsible for me!
In other news, I've handed in my notice at work. I'll be sad to leave such a great position at a great organisation, but in other other news, I've also secured a month's placement in London with the BBC straight after I leave. The past few months I've had quite a few offers of placements at the BBC and was unable to take them up. I'm excited to be taking time to get some extra TV production experience after attending the TV festival, and before I head to the USA.
This stage of the process splits in two, where my job is to apply for the visa, and Mr's job is to provide his financial information. At this stage, the visa application is just like a standard application - I have to provide a ton of personal information (most of which they have already) about my past, my residences, my jobs, and my family. Mr's paperwork is a little more interesting because it requires him to accept total financial responsibility for me.
As a married couple, we didn't see this as such a big deal, but it is an incredibly important element of the immigration process. No country wants a new immigrant to become a financial burden on the state, so it becomes the petitioner's responsibility to ensure that doesn't happen. Not only does Mr have to prove he has enough money to sustain us both, but he also has to agree that if I ever did access any state aid, he would be required to pay it back. This means it'd be useless for me to try to access welfare or any other kind of benefit.
The financial requirements for a family migrant petition is proof of income/savings 125% above the US poverty guidelines. It's not a huge burden, but it can also be topped up by using co-sponsors, such as family members who sign the same forms accepting financial responsibility for the immigrant.
In this way, the state is placing trust in the petitioner and their family with regards to the character and potential financial burden of an immigrant family member. As I said, no country wants or needs new dependents, but I also believe it's because it's assumed that the petitioner is the best judge of character of the immigrant, and therefore the best judge of whether the immigrant's intent is good and true. The petitioner takes all responsibility for the immigrant and is therefore first line in defence of any potential fraud. Of course, no immigration officer spends as much time with a potential immigrant as the petitioner, so it makes sense.
Despite having already made our marriage vows promising to share our worldly goods, I did ask Mr to make sure he was absolutely sure he wanted to be financially responsible for me!
In other news, I've handed in my notice at work. I'll be sad to leave such a great position at a great organisation, but in other other news, I've also secured a month's placement in London with the BBC straight after I leave. The past few months I've had quite a few offers of placements at the BBC and was unable to take them up. I'm excited to be taking time to get some extra TV production experience after attending the TV festival, and before I head to the USA.
Monday, 9 January 2012
Take me down to the windy city
I dropped Mr at the airport early in the morning and headed back to the city to get a train home. I almost got blown down Princes St in the process, and then ended up stranded in the train station when every train to and from the city was cancelled.
Then all flights were cancelled, so we got an extra week with each other.
I managed to catch some spooky footage of the wind. MontBlanc have been running a movie competition called Beauty of a Second and I found this rather inspiring, so here are fifty five seconds of this Scottish windy day:
Then all flights were cancelled, so we got an extra week with each other.
I managed to catch some spooky footage of the wind. MontBlanc have been running a movie competition called Beauty of a Second and I found this rather inspiring, so here are fifty five seconds of this Scottish windy day:
Saturday, 24 December 2011
Early Christmas present
Our immigration story arrived in New Hampshire from California. New Hampshire seems like a much more festive place to be over Christmas than sunny CA, and that's where our life story will be for a wee while yet.
Just as our last update was in time for Thanksgiving, this was a nice treat to hear the night before Christmas, although it does mean we received a bill to pay. It's a Christmas gift with strings attached!
Mr is over here in Scotland, which means Queen's Speech Bingo of course, along with his new favourite seasonal delicacy:
"What are these delicious things?"
"That's a sausage, wrapped in bacon."
"Two kinds of meat? That is amazing! Wait, what's that on the turkey?"
"That's a turkey, with bacon on top."
"WOW!"
Who'd have thunk it, but every day is a whole new cultural experience with us.
It's been six months since we got to spend any time together, and that was for our wedding and honeymoon. We've had a tough year (although getting married was a highlight!) topped off most recently by me having my wallet stolen last week. That was a small inconvenience in comparison, but a total pain just before Christmas. We're taking it easy over the holidays, heading down to London by train to see family, and catching a sleeper train back for a super-quiet new year in my little Scottish hamlet. We're not entirely sure yet, but this could be the last time we spend together for another six months, and by then I could be over there and our visa journey will be over (sort of).
Just as our last update was in time for Thanksgiving, this was a nice treat to hear the night before Christmas, although it does mean we received a bill to pay. It's a Christmas gift with strings attached!
Mr is over here in Scotland, which means Queen's Speech Bingo of course, along with his new favourite seasonal delicacy:
"What are these delicious things?"
"That's a sausage, wrapped in bacon."
"Two kinds of meat? That is amazing! Wait, what's that on the turkey?"
"That's a turkey, with bacon on top."
"WOW!"
Who'd have thunk it, but every day is a whole new cultural experience with us.
It's been six months since we got to spend any time together, and that was for our wedding and honeymoon. We've had a tough year (although getting married was a highlight!) topped off most recently by me having my wallet stolen last week. That was a small inconvenience in comparison, but a total pain just before Christmas. We're taking it easy over the holidays, heading down to London by train to see family, and catching a sleeper train back for a super-quiet new year in my little Scottish hamlet. We're not entirely sure yet, but this could be the last time we spend together for another six months, and by then I could be over there and our visa journey will be over (sort of).
Wednesday, 23 November 2011
CaliforNOA! First stage of visa journey over.
Almost five months to the date from our application we finally had our visa petition approved! That's great, because their time limit is five months, and it's Thanksgiving tomorrow.
From what I know, Thanksgiving doesn't involve presents (just pumpkin) but this is a pretty sweet gift nonetheless. It's almost as sweet as sweet potatoes and marshmallows, which I hear is a 'thing'. At any rate, I'll give thanks for bureaucratic processes with truthful timelines.
So what happens now? California sends all our papers to New Hampshire, and then they send us a bill for more money. Soon after that I can actually apply for the visa itself. There's still a lot to do, but we've just about reached the halfway mark.
I do believe they send actual, physical paper to the other side of the country, rather than doing the processing electronically. I must admit this does fascinate me a little bit. I've been reading The Pale King, an unfinished work by American author David Foster Wallace. I'm only a little way through and it's fairly heavy-going but the book is essentially about bureaucracy: It's about IRS agents and the paperwork they deal with, and the boredom they deal with while dealing with the paperwork.
While my entire future family life is in the hands of some office workers, these office workers see the same old forms every single day from thousands of people like me. One day to them, or even just the five minutes it takes to review my case, is the difference of a lifetime to me, and it makes me wonder when I'll see that paperwork again.
I guess we just have to wait. Again.
From what I know, Thanksgiving doesn't involve presents (just pumpkin) but this is a pretty sweet gift nonetheless. It's almost as sweet as sweet potatoes and marshmallows, which I hear is a 'thing'. At any rate, I'll give thanks for bureaucratic processes with truthful timelines.
So what happens now? California sends all our papers to New Hampshire, and then they send us a bill for more money. Soon after that I can actually apply for the visa itself. There's still a lot to do, but we've just about reached the halfway mark.
I do believe they send actual, physical paper to the other side of the country, rather than doing the processing electronically. I must admit this does fascinate me a little bit. I've been reading The Pale King, an unfinished work by American author David Foster Wallace. I'm only a little way through and it's fairly heavy-going but the book is essentially about bureaucracy: It's about IRS agents and the paperwork they deal with, and the boredom they deal with while dealing with the paperwork.
While my entire future family life is in the hands of some office workers, these office workers see the same old forms every single day from thousands of people like me. One day to them, or even just the five minutes it takes to review my case, is the difference of a lifetime to me, and it makes me wonder when I'll see that paperwork again.
I guess we just have to wait. Again.
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