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.
Wednesday, 29 February 2012
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.
Sunday, 18 September 2011
Monday, 22 August 2011
Grey matters
As you may well know by now - the USA raised its debt ceiling in a curtain-call deal, Standard and Poors downgraded the USA's credit-rating and the stock market has been in fluctuation ever since. Amongst all this financial blustering our little life package is still sitting on a desk gathering dust somewhere in California, as yet untouched.
In a previous entry I mentioned that Mr and I try to see each other every few months, yet we'd been worried that we wouldn't be able to meet up at all during the visa process. I'll explain:
It is not illegal for me to visit the USA. I can theoretically visit the USA any time I want during the next year.
However, while the law is clear for citizens from VWP countries (Visa-Waiver-Program: that is, folks like Brits who don't need a visa just to visit the US), the practicalities are not so clear.
When Mr touched down in his home state in June after our wedding/honeymoon, he asked the immigration officer who served him what those practicalities really were. The answer, unfortunately, was the one we already knew but had hoped was only hearsay.
The officer stated that it was at the discretion of whoever served the 'alien' at the passport desk whether or not said alien would be allowed to enter the USA. If there were any doubts at all about the alien's intentions to return to their home country, they could be questioned for hours and sent back on the next plane home at their own expense and without even a peak at their spouse.
It is not likely, but it is not desirable. I have read and heard of many couples who have and do visit regularly with visas pending. But the possibility of two long-haul economy flights interspersed only with a terse interrogation with immigration at US border control is something this alien just can't afford. Two airplane meals in the space of 12 hours would play havoc with my digestive system and the airport air con would be unbearably drying to my complexion - it just wouldn't be worth it. Plus there's only so much those baby-wipe wash-downs can achieve and I would feel terribly sorry for the olfactory system of the person next to me on the return flight. And as I couldn't afford to fly home short-notice with Virgin then not even my socks or teeth would be clean. It would be pleasant for nobody.
Not to mention, of course, the emotional to-ing and fro-ing of discovering that I'd definitely-maybe-absolutely-not be allowed to see Mr Husband's face, as he stood on the other side of the screen waiting fruitlessly for his jetlagged 'non-resident alien relative' to appear. It's an experience that neither of us hope to have.
But Mr will be with me for Christmas, Queen's speech bingo and Corrie omnibuses - snuggling up over Quality Streets and Coronation Streets. And so 'til next time, Mr and I are both being kept busy as usual. Mr is closely tracking the 2012 caucus marathons (by which I mean US politics and not the Olympics). Later this week I'll be at the Edinburgh TV Festival to talk and learn about our digital fictional/factual futures, Jersey/Mersey/Geordie/Essex shores, and to likely listen to a 'eugoogly' from Google on analogue telly as we know it. I really need to patent my Queen Speech Bingo app idea.
In a previous entry I mentioned that Mr and I try to see each other every few months, yet we'd been worried that we wouldn't be able to meet up at all during the visa process. I'll explain:
It is not illegal for me to visit the USA. I can theoretically visit the USA any time I want during the next year.
However, while the law is clear for citizens from VWP countries (Visa-Waiver-Program: that is, folks like Brits who don't need a visa just to visit the US), the practicalities are not so clear.
When Mr touched down in his home state in June after our wedding/honeymoon, he asked the immigration officer who served him what those practicalities really were. The answer, unfortunately, was the one we already knew but had hoped was only hearsay.
The officer stated that it was at the discretion of whoever served the 'alien' at the passport desk whether or not said alien would be allowed to enter the USA. If there were any doubts at all about the alien's intentions to return to their home country, they could be questioned for hours and sent back on the next plane home at their own expense and without even a peak at their spouse.
It is not likely, but it is not desirable. I have read and heard of many couples who have and do visit regularly with visas pending. But the possibility of two long-haul economy flights interspersed only with a terse interrogation with immigration at US border control is something this alien just can't afford. Two airplane meals in the space of 12 hours would play havoc with my digestive system and the airport air con would be unbearably drying to my complexion - it just wouldn't be worth it. Plus there's only so much those baby-wipe wash-downs can achieve and I would feel terribly sorry for the olfactory system of the person next to me on the return flight. And as I couldn't afford to fly home short-notice with Virgin then not even my socks or teeth would be clean. It would be pleasant for nobody.
Not to mention, of course, the emotional to-ing and fro-ing of discovering that I'd definitely-maybe-absolutely-not be allowed to see Mr Husband's face, as he stood on the other side of the screen waiting fruitlessly for his jetlagged 'non-resident alien relative' to appear. It's an experience that neither of us hope to have.
But Mr will be with me for Christmas, Queen's speech bingo and Corrie omnibuses - snuggling up over Quality Streets and Coronation Streets. And so 'til next time, Mr and I are both being kept busy as usual. Mr is closely tracking the 2012 caucus marathons (by which I mean US politics and not the Olympics). Later this week I'll be at the Edinburgh TV Festival to talk and learn about our digital fictional/factual futures, Jersey/Mersey/Geordie/Essex shores, and to likely listen to a 'eugoogly' from Google on analogue telly as we know it. I really need to patent my Queen Speech Bingo app idea.
Thursday, 28 July 2011
Staring at the ceiling
It's something I never particularly cared to get dragged into. It's something that my husband refuses to talk to me about. It's purely political not economical (for now), and I mean politics with a small 'p'(for now), despite what the media would seem to imply.
Is it a Shakespearian farce?
Is it a Greek comedy?
Is it an episode of Monty Python?
No, siree, it's the DC beltway tussle over the US debt ceiling.
I only mention it now, and selfishly so, because it's coming very close to the time that I thought a 'midnight hour' deal would have been achieved. I do still truly believe that they'll pull a ragged looking, beaten ol' rabbit puppet out of their magicians' hat by August 2 and the world will be saved and the DC belt can keep on turning. It does make me very nervous however, and like I said, Mr won't talk about it. He is nervous too.
His government is having a huge, embarrassing domestic at the supermarket checkout.
The best basic description of this housekeeping argument can be found in genuine 'house keeping' terms courtesy of the fantastic pop-economist Tim Harford. He explains what happens if mummy can't find a job and keeps on buying handbags when the family still need to pay the mortgage.
Propublica offers a more extensive discussion which boils down to this: The US Constitution says that Congress has 'power of the purse' and decides what can be spent where. The US Government is into its overdraft, but also has high-interest loans to pay and a number of pre-agreed direct debits coming out of its account. Congress needs to decide whether or not to increase its overdraft limit, even though Congress knew (by tracking their interest-rates and expenditure) they'd reach the limit of their overdraft in August. Congress has increased its overdraft before, but not without a huge, rancourous tiff about household expenditure and income.
But this tiff is not about the US Government deciding to spend more than it has already agreed. As the US Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner explained back in April: Increasing the limit “does not increase the obligations we have as a nation; it simply permits the Treasury to fund those obligations that Congress has already established.” Ignore all the potential deals and tax-rates and budgets for now, because they aren't really part of the short-term issue and nor should they be if a budget has already been agreed.
Poynter published some super background details on the subject, in its article "Seven mistakes journalists make when covering the debt ceiling debate." This article provides some important additional details to Tim Harford's simplified depiction of dinner table arguments.
If, after that, you want even more background reading, here's a handy reading list of some of the media's attempts to explain this very political crisis.
Pay special attention to the section of the reading list on what happens if the debt limit isn't raised. This is where the politics ends and the speculation begins. The Financial Times put it best last week, envisioning a scenario as the Treasury reaches the dregs of the overdraft and receives a call from the Fed: "would you like to put more money into your account or stop the payments going out?"
It is widely predicted that if the debt ceiling is reached next week, then the US government will have to stop paying for 'non-essential' items, stuff that it had already commmited to paying such as staff members (including military staff), social security, unemployment benefits, etc. This wouldn't happen immediately, as I understand; only when the Treasury is unable to balance revenue (tax) versus expenditure (spending plus debt interest) will things get halted, cut back, prioritised.
This ABC news article from April, when the US Government was close to shutdown over budget negotiations, has a list of offices and functions that would cease operation. I shall be explicit that this is not the same situation as in April, but it's worth looking at for an idea of what could be cut back on if the US sees 'no deal' in the coming weeks.
The reason I said I was selfish in mentioning this issue is because one of the functions that would likely halt is, of course, visa processing. Visa applications and petitions would pile up on empty desks, creating bureaucratic backlogs for when the budget situation was solved. If it came to this, though, at least we could wait, and we're certainly good at waiting.
Unfortunately I'm not sure those who await pay packets or benefit cheques could wait as long as us. I hope those taking part in this check-out conveyor-belt barney do realise that it's not just the stock markets that are anxiously following this tussle, but that ordinary peoples' lives are affected too.
Is it a Shakespearian farce?
Is it a Greek comedy?
Is it an episode of Monty Python?
No, siree, it's the DC beltway tussle over the US debt ceiling.
I only mention it now, and selfishly so, because it's coming very close to the time that I thought a 'midnight hour' deal would have been achieved. I do still truly believe that they'll pull a ragged looking, beaten ol' rabbit puppet out of their magicians' hat by August 2 and the world will be saved and the DC belt can keep on turning. It does make me very nervous however, and like I said, Mr won't talk about it. He is nervous too.
His government is having a huge, embarrassing domestic at the supermarket checkout.
The best basic description of this housekeeping argument can be found in genuine 'house keeping' terms courtesy of the fantastic pop-economist Tim Harford. He explains what happens if mummy can't find a job and keeps on buying handbags when the family still need to pay the mortgage.
Propublica offers a more extensive discussion which boils down to this: The US Constitution says that Congress has 'power of the purse' and decides what can be spent where. The US Government is into its overdraft, but also has high-interest loans to pay and a number of pre-agreed direct debits coming out of its account. Congress needs to decide whether or not to increase its overdraft limit, even though Congress knew (by tracking their interest-rates and expenditure) they'd reach the limit of their overdraft in August. Congress has increased its overdraft before, but not without a huge, rancourous tiff about household expenditure and income.
But this tiff is not about the US Government deciding to spend more than it has already agreed. As the US Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner explained back in April: Increasing the limit “does not increase the obligations we have as a nation; it simply permits the Treasury to fund those obligations that Congress has already established.” Ignore all the potential deals and tax-rates and budgets for now, because they aren't really part of the short-term issue and nor should they be if a budget has already been agreed.
Poynter published some super background details on the subject, in its article "Seven mistakes journalists make when covering the debt ceiling debate." This article provides some important additional details to Tim Harford's simplified depiction of dinner table arguments.
If, after that, you want even more background reading, here's a handy reading list of some of the media's attempts to explain this very political crisis.
Pay special attention to the section of the reading list on what happens if the debt limit isn't raised. This is where the politics ends and the speculation begins. The Financial Times put it best last week, envisioning a scenario as the Treasury reaches the dregs of the overdraft and receives a call from the Fed: "would you like to put more money into your account or stop the payments going out?"
It is widely predicted that if the debt ceiling is reached next week, then the US government will have to stop paying for 'non-essential' items, stuff that it had already commmited to paying such as staff members (including military staff), social security, unemployment benefits, etc. This wouldn't happen immediately, as I understand; only when the Treasury is unable to balance revenue (tax) versus expenditure (spending plus debt interest) will things get halted, cut back, prioritised.
This ABC news article from April, when the US Government was close to shutdown over budget negotiations, has a list of offices and functions that would cease operation. I shall be explicit that this is not the same situation as in April, but it's worth looking at for an idea of what could be cut back on if the US sees 'no deal' in the coming weeks.
The reason I said I was selfish in mentioning this issue is because one of the functions that would likely halt is, of course, visa processing. Visa applications and petitions would pile up on empty desks, creating bureaucratic backlogs for when the budget situation was solved. If it came to this, though, at least we could wait, and we're certainly good at waiting.
Unfortunately I'm not sure those who await pay packets or benefit cheques could wait as long as us. I hope those taking part in this check-out conveyor-belt barney do realise that it's not just the stock markets that are anxiously following this tussle, but that ordinary peoples' lives are affected too.
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