Hello everyone,
I haven't posted here in a long time, but I felt it was about time that I gave a few updates about my life here in Maryland.
First of all, back in October I passed the two year mark of my officially moving to the United States! I can't believe how quickly two years have gone, especially after the seemingly endless struggle to find a way to make our lives work.
Of course, being here two years also meant that I could apply for the removal of conditions on my green card. This has to be prepared three months ahead of the date of expiry on your card, and the process can take a year. We applied in July, and are still waiting to receive my new card, sans conditions.
In applying for the removal of conditions you are automatically granted a one year extension on your status. You get sent a letter from the government which, along with the expired green card (yes, you MUST still keep AND carry it), provides authorities proof of your legal status in the country. Of course, the letter says you can still work, etc, which is true. It also says you can still travel, however, I want to throw some caution to the wind on this one. Entering the country on a normal basis can be a real challenge sometimes, with the attitudes of some of the officers at the desks, let alone trying to enter with an expired green card! Also, even before you get to immigration officers in the US, you would have to prove to check in agents in the country you're coming back from that you're letter is valid and real. We went to China in September and nearly got denied boarding because the desk agents had no clue about the entry requirements for China. This was at Newark (NJ) airport for a flight that is scheduled daily - yet they didn't know about which documents we needed in order to travel. If that's within the US for a regular flight they operate, I have no hope of convincing foreign desk agents of my validity to re-enter the US!
So, with all that said, I have made the decision to not leave the country until I have my new green card in hand, which hopefully should be before the end of next July. Not being able to travel out of the country from October to July is a bit annoying, but I would rather be in the country and face any challenges that may arise with the conditions removal than not be able to get back in at all!
Aside from the letter making your extended conditions legal, you also have to go to be fingerprinted and photographed - again - at your local USCIS office. This actually happens pretty swiftly after you file the petition for conditions removal. I had my appointment within weeks. It was very easy and nothing to stress about. You literally go to have your fingerprints and photograph digitally captured. As an important side note, remember to take ALL your documents with you when you go. The letter, your green card, and your foreign passport. Incredulously, there were people at the Baltimore office when I attended who were getting up to the desk, being asked for their documents and subsequently being turned away because they didn't have them. Not only is this just plain foolish because that's the whole reason you're attending, but legally, as an immigrant you're meant to carry your proof of residence on you anyway. Who in their right minds turns up at an immigration office without their legal documents?! Mind boggling!
Moving on from the green card, I wanted to mention the shock horror that was the US election. I could write volumes about what I think of the whole thing, but I'll try to keep it brief.
Following the horrible election night I spent two days in shock, disgust and distress. As a gay immigrant, I automatically fall into two two categories of people that the president-elect and his Vice President seem to want to destroy in some way. It offended me, and still does, that, regardless of a percentage here or there, for the sake of argument, half this country thinks that my rights are not worth whatever other cause or agenda that it is that propelled them to vote for Donald Trump. Around half this country stuck up its middle finger and said, "we think your human rights and civil rights come after our gun rights, our religious rights and the right to persecute and deport millions of people." When owning a gun and your personal beliefs come above the rights of people who have fought for decades just to be able to work without fear of being fired for who they are, then you have a problem, and I have one with you.
With all that said, life here continues to be almost exactly as it was when I updated this blog more regularly. I still struggle with people not understanding me when I speak, especially on the phone. In Las Vegas this past weekend some ladies from Iowa thought I was from Italy (that actually had more of a funny story attached to it, but it proves my point all the same). That gives you some idea of how difficult it can be to have an accent here.
I have been trying to become more proactive in the community. We attended a local LGBT meet-up and I spoke to the guy who runs the big local LGBT charity and community events in our county, and so soon I hope to be volunteering and working alongside people from that. When I start whatever work it is they want me to conduct, I plan to update more frequently here, as I think I'll provide an interesting insight; a gay immigrant working with a rural Maryland charity. Has some potential, no?
I still do find Maryland a little quiet, and Jon and I have both seriously considered our options for the post-immigration process. With the east coast sadly voting very red in the election, we are now reluctant to move further south, as had been our original plan. We do think that with the west coast becoming increasingly blue and ever more vocal on human rights issues, that somewhere out there could be our calling. Time shall tell!
If you actually managed to read all of this, I thank you for taking the time.
Peace and love,
Dan.
Sunday, 27 November 2016
Friday, 13 November 2015
A Year On, My Thoughts
Hello everyone,
Last month Jon and I celebrated a full year of me being in the US. Here we are in November, 13 months after my arrival, and I thought I would share some thoughts with you all.
Having been here for just over a year now, I have a lot more of a deeper perspective on what it means to live here, and indeed survive here. I'm going to just go through a bunch of things that come into my mind, in no particular order, but things I feel are relevant to me.
Healthcare has been the number one point of contention for me so far. When I first arrived here Jon had pre-bought a temporary policy for me, since I would need continuous cover, and the open enrollment for the Maryland Health Exchange not open yet and I would only be able to get full coverage from January. Dealing with the exchange presented its own challenges. Not only were they difficult to get through to, but the policies aren't the best in the world either. I made several posts about that earlier in the year. A lot of people asked why I couldn't go in Jon's insurance, especially with marriage being law on a federal level now. Well, that still wasn't possible, because the SCOTUS decision only dealt with the federal government. Jon's company is based in Georgia, and the insurance they use is Georgia based, too. Georgia was not a full equality state. Of course, back in the summer this year, the SCOTUS heard the case, and subsequently made it legal, for equal marriage to go ahead in all 50 states. With that, it meant full benefits were now offered across the board, not just federally. Jon was finally able to add me to his insurance, but it took several months. Not only that, I had hassle cancelling my existing policy, and at one point my old and new ones were over lapping, when they shouldn't have been. On top of all that, I do have several medical issues, and with the way things work here, even with the best policy you can still pay through the nose for the care you receive - and you have to deal with insurance companies who never seem to get anything right. With all that said, healthcare here, when you can afford it, is exceptionally good. I genuinely feel like the doctors and specialists here have tried to help me, and I really appreciate that. Regular GP appointments here can easily take an hour, which is astounding, especially from my perspective when at home you would be in and out in under ten minutes. Overall, neither system is perfect - I wish the US had more of a balance between both.
This might sound like an odd thing, but my accent also causes me problems here. I refuse to change how I speak for anyone. It's not like I am speaking with a thick Russian accent or some weird dialect nobody has ever heard of. It is part of who I am. I think that I generally speak clearly and concisely (ok, if not a little quietly sometimes though), but nobody can understand what the heck I am talking about! It's gotten to the point of ridiculous, where now I refuse to speak on the phone because no one can ever get my name right, even when I spell it out!
Doors. Just don't even get me started on the doors! I don't know why this one thing still plagues me after 13 months here, but I'll never understand why a store can't just have doors that go both ways. The amount of times on weekly basis I find myself walking into an exit that won't open is astounding. Mind boggling.
Although I obviously have Jon, and we do have some friends, I have found the move across the ocean quite hard on my ability to meet people and integrate. I will fully admit that I have never been the most outgoing person. In fact when I was younger I was deathly shy, but I feel I have overcome that a lot, and as I have gotten older I have become a lot more open about my life and who I am. I am still a very private person, but I have definitely made progress. Leaving virtually everything and everyone I have ever known behind on another continent has been a huge blow to my confidence in the social area. While I don't want to sound like I have no life, or try to gain any sympathy, I do feel somewhat isolated here at times. Maryland isn't the most exciting place in the world, and the few friends we do have in this country aren't in Maryland - some aren't even on the same coast. So that is difficult for me. I have tried to think of ways to get myself out more, but I lack a lot of motivation and I don't really know where to begin, if I'm honest. I'll find something, I am going to work on that, but I have definitely found the friendship aspect hard so far.
I wanted to make this post more about me than my observations of the political situation here, but ultimately that affects me too, and I am a highly political person. Religion in this country is out of control. Or, at least, the right wing Christians are out of control. On an almost daily basis I see and hear things that makes me wonder what is wrong with the world we live in. Why are people getting themselves in fierce rages over coffee cups? Soup commercials? Magazine covers? People in this country need to take a step back, look at their own lives and realise that they don't have it bad at all. Nobody is forcing them to believe something else. No one is coming for their Bible or their guns. They need to chill out and just stop. It drives me crazy, and it worries me on a personal level because you just never know if your neighbor or someone around you will turn out to be some right wing religious crazy person who will start condemning you to hell.
Speaking of guns, that is the one other thing that bothers me a huge amount. Again, on an almost daily basis I hear stories of yet another shooting. A lot of them are accidental too, and for the simple reason that people are morons. Leaving your two year old alone with a loaded weapon on the dashboard of your car is a disgusting thing to do, no matter which way you look at it. It's nothing short of child abuse on so many levels, but for some reason, the right wing crazies seem to think that more guns and less gun control is the answer. How many more innocent people have to die under that policy?
Some other minor things. Mail here is ridiculously slow. Cable and phone bills are extortionate. People who say "could care less" drive me crazy because that is not what they are trying to say at all! The lack of public transport - and the surprising resistance towards it - is detrimental to the environment and to people's lives.
On a more positive side, I will fully admit that generally speaking (though, like anywhere, there can be exceptions), customer service here is excellent. I always feel welcomed into stores and restaurants, and that the people working there want to help. It's nice to be able to have a good rapport with the people in the supermarket that you visit often, or be able to banter with the guy at the comic book store. And like I said above, healthcare, when you can afford it, is exceptionally good (though insurance companies need to get their acts together!).
Finally, despite the fact we went through a grueling immigration process, which took over a year to complete, we are still not done with that. We were married less than three years upon my date of entry into the US (as I imagine many couples are when they go through this too, actually), and therefore I was made a conditional resident. In June next year we have to file a petition that can take up to 8 months, to remove the conditions of my residence. Yes, another 8 months of our lives stressing and worrying, and not being able to travel overseas again (at least I'm already in the US this time, as opposed to the situation when immigrating). At this point I am not sure exactly what will take them 8 months. There is nothing they could possibly need to know about me that they don't already know. It's just another infuriating event in our immigration story timeline that we have to deal with. Of course, by the time that is all said and done and I have full permanent residence, just a couple of months later I'll be allowed to file for citizenship! Perhaps in about 3 years' time we will finally be done with all of this, but for now we have to persevere.
We are now hurtling towards my second Christmas here, and I feel lucky and privileged to be able to share these thoughts with you all. Despite the stresses and worries of insurance and medical care, religious crazies and gun nuts, and further immigration proceedings, Jon and I are still here, still together, and always ready to stand up for who we are, no matter what.
One of my favourite quotes, and one which I had a friend read at our wedding, feels relevant today, for me at least. I'll leave you with it.
Last month Jon and I celebrated a full year of me being in the US. Here we are in November, 13 months after my arrival, and I thought I would share some thoughts with you all.
Having been here for just over a year now, I have a lot more of a deeper perspective on what it means to live here, and indeed survive here. I'm going to just go through a bunch of things that come into my mind, in no particular order, but things I feel are relevant to me.
Healthcare has been the number one point of contention for me so far. When I first arrived here Jon had pre-bought a temporary policy for me, since I would need continuous cover, and the open enrollment for the Maryland Health Exchange not open yet and I would only be able to get full coverage from January. Dealing with the exchange presented its own challenges. Not only were they difficult to get through to, but the policies aren't the best in the world either. I made several posts about that earlier in the year. A lot of people asked why I couldn't go in Jon's insurance, especially with marriage being law on a federal level now. Well, that still wasn't possible, because the SCOTUS decision only dealt with the federal government. Jon's company is based in Georgia, and the insurance they use is Georgia based, too. Georgia was not a full equality state. Of course, back in the summer this year, the SCOTUS heard the case, and subsequently made it legal, for equal marriage to go ahead in all 50 states. With that, it meant full benefits were now offered across the board, not just federally. Jon was finally able to add me to his insurance, but it took several months. Not only that, I had hassle cancelling my existing policy, and at one point my old and new ones were over lapping, when they shouldn't have been. On top of all that, I do have several medical issues, and with the way things work here, even with the best policy you can still pay through the nose for the care you receive - and you have to deal with insurance companies who never seem to get anything right. With all that said, healthcare here, when you can afford it, is exceptionally good. I genuinely feel like the doctors and specialists here have tried to help me, and I really appreciate that. Regular GP appointments here can easily take an hour, which is astounding, especially from my perspective when at home you would be in and out in under ten minutes. Overall, neither system is perfect - I wish the US had more of a balance between both.
This might sound like an odd thing, but my accent also causes me problems here. I refuse to change how I speak for anyone. It's not like I am speaking with a thick Russian accent or some weird dialect nobody has ever heard of. It is part of who I am. I think that I generally speak clearly and concisely (ok, if not a little quietly sometimes though), but nobody can understand what the heck I am talking about! It's gotten to the point of ridiculous, where now I refuse to speak on the phone because no one can ever get my name right, even when I spell it out!
Doors. Just don't even get me started on the doors! I don't know why this one thing still plagues me after 13 months here, but I'll never understand why a store can't just have doors that go both ways. The amount of times on weekly basis I find myself walking into an exit that won't open is astounding. Mind boggling.
Although I obviously have Jon, and we do have some friends, I have found the move across the ocean quite hard on my ability to meet people and integrate. I will fully admit that I have never been the most outgoing person. In fact when I was younger I was deathly shy, but I feel I have overcome that a lot, and as I have gotten older I have become a lot more open about my life and who I am. I am still a very private person, but I have definitely made progress. Leaving virtually everything and everyone I have ever known behind on another continent has been a huge blow to my confidence in the social area. While I don't want to sound like I have no life, or try to gain any sympathy, I do feel somewhat isolated here at times. Maryland isn't the most exciting place in the world, and the few friends we do have in this country aren't in Maryland - some aren't even on the same coast. So that is difficult for me. I have tried to think of ways to get myself out more, but I lack a lot of motivation and I don't really know where to begin, if I'm honest. I'll find something, I am going to work on that, but I have definitely found the friendship aspect hard so far.
I wanted to make this post more about me than my observations of the political situation here, but ultimately that affects me too, and I am a highly political person. Religion in this country is out of control. Or, at least, the right wing Christians are out of control. On an almost daily basis I see and hear things that makes me wonder what is wrong with the world we live in. Why are people getting themselves in fierce rages over coffee cups? Soup commercials? Magazine covers? People in this country need to take a step back, look at their own lives and realise that they don't have it bad at all. Nobody is forcing them to believe something else. No one is coming for their Bible or their guns. They need to chill out and just stop. It drives me crazy, and it worries me on a personal level because you just never know if your neighbor or someone around you will turn out to be some right wing religious crazy person who will start condemning you to hell.
Speaking of guns, that is the one other thing that bothers me a huge amount. Again, on an almost daily basis I hear stories of yet another shooting. A lot of them are accidental too, and for the simple reason that people are morons. Leaving your two year old alone with a loaded weapon on the dashboard of your car is a disgusting thing to do, no matter which way you look at it. It's nothing short of child abuse on so many levels, but for some reason, the right wing crazies seem to think that more guns and less gun control is the answer. How many more innocent people have to die under that policy?
Some other minor things. Mail here is ridiculously slow. Cable and phone bills are extortionate. People who say "could care less" drive me crazy because that is not what they are trying to say at all! The lack of public transport - and the surprising resistance towards it - is detrimental to the environment and to people's lives.
On a more positive side, I will fully admit that generally speaking (though, like anywhere, there can be exceptions), customer service here is excellent. I always feel welcomed into stores and restaurants, and that the people working there want to help. It's nice to be able to have a good rapport with the people in the supermarket that you visit often, or be able to banter with the guy at the comic book store. And like I said above, healthcare, when you can afford it, is exceptionally good (though insurance companies need to get their acts together!).
Finally, despite the fact we went through a grueling immigration process, which took over a year to complete, we are still not done with that. We were married less than three years upon my date of entry into the US (as I imagine many couples are when they go through this too, actually), and therefore I was made a conditional resident. In June next year we have to file a petition that can take up to 8 months, to remove the conditions of my residence. Yes, another 8 months of our lives stressing and worrying, and not being able to travel overseas again (at least I'm already in the US this time, as opposed to the situation when immigrating). At this point I am not sure exactly what will take them 8 months. There is nothing they could possibly need to know about me that they don't already know. It's just another infuriating event in our immigration story timeline that we have to deal with. Of course, by the time that is all said and done and I have full permanent residence, just a couple of months later I'll be allowed to file for citizenship! Perhaps in about 3 years' time we will finally be done with all of this, but for now we have to persevere.
We are now hurtling towards my second Christmas here, and I feel lucky and privileged to be able to share these thoughts with you all. Despite the stresses and worries of insurance and medical care, religious crazies and gun nuts, and further immigration proceedings, Jon and I are still here, still together, and always ready to stand up for who we are, no matter what.
One of my favourite quotes, and one which I had a friend read at our wedding, feels relevant today, for me at least. I'll leave you with it.
“If you hear the dogs, keep going. If you see the torches in the woods, keep going. If there's shouting after you, keep going. Don't ever stop. Keep going. If you want a taste of freedom, keep going.”
~ Harriet Tubman
Dan.
Tuesday, 22 September 2015
September Updates
Hello everyone!
I wanted to share with you today some of my political observations that I have made recently on my Facebook page. I keep forgetting that I created this blog for this very reason! Today I thought about the blog and so I thought I'd share some of my recent commentary here. For simplicity's sake I am going to omit any links or photos that I may mention in these posts, so that they don't cause me any editing issues. I'll just copy the text here.
1. On Capital Punishment, Healthcare and that Boy with the Clock...
"There are so many things I want to rage about today, I just don't even know where to begin.I could begin with how Richard Glossip, a man in Oklahoma, is being executed this afternoon for a crime he didn't commit. Apparently there is NO physical evidence linking him to the scene, only the word of the other suspect! What the hell?! Anyone could say, "It wasn't me! He did it!" And of course, the way to show the world that murder is wrong, is of course apparently allowing the state to murder a citizen in return. Go figure.
Then I saw something else about Kentucky, but not about the bigoted clerk this time. This time to do with insurance and how a man who wants to be the next governor wants to backtrack on the (proven) ACA success there, and make Kentuckians pay extortionate fees to robbing insurance companies again. And of course everyone is like, "Well if they are responsible adults they should get their own insurance". Yes, because everyone has the money for extortionate health care costs in this country, and if you can't afford it, TOO BAD. Yes, let's all be a bunch of heartless morons and not care if someone needs medical attention. If they don't have the money, clearly it's their own fault and they deserve to suffer.
And then do not even get me STARTED on the 14 year old boy from Texas who got arrested at school because his teacher claimed the kid had brought a bomb into school, when in fact it was an ALARM CLOCK he had made, and was proud of. This is a young man who loves engineering and wants to be an inventor. But guess what? He has a dark skin tone and an "Islamic" sounding name, Ahmed Mohamed, so of course it was a bomb. If it had been a white kid named Josh, nobody would have batted an eye."Then I saw something else about Kentucky, but not about the bigoted clerk this time. This time to do with insurance and how a man who wants to be the next governor wants to backtrack on the (proven) ACA success there, and make Kentuckians pay extortionate fees to robbing insurance companies again. And of course everyone is like, "Well if they are responsible adults they should get their own insurance". Yes, because everyone has the money for extortionate health care costs in this country, and if you can't afford it, TOO BAD. Yes, let's all be a bunch of heartless morons and not care if someone needs medical attention. If they don't have the money, clearly it's their own fault and they deserve to suffer.And then do not even get me STARTED on the 14 year old boy from Texas who got arrested at school because his teacher claimed the kid had brought a bomb into school, when in fact it was an ALARM CLOCK he had made, and was proud of. This is a young man who loves engineering and wants to be an inventor. But guess what? He has a dark skin tone and an "Islamic" sounding name, Ahmed Mohamed, so of course it was a bomb. If it had been a white kid named Josh, nobody would have batted an eye."Then I saw something else about Kentucky, but not about the bigoted clerk this time. This time to do with insurance and how a man who wants to be the next governor wants to backtrack on the (proven) ACA success there, and make Kentuckians pay extortionate fees to robbing insurance companies again. And of course everyone is like, "Well if they are responsible adults they should get their own insurance". Yes, because everyone has the money for extortionate health care costs in this country, and if you can't afford it, TOO BAD. Yes, let's all be a bunch of heartless morons and not care if someone needs medical attention. If they don't have the money, clearly it's their own fault and they deserve to suffer.And then do not even get me STARTED on the 14 year old boy from Texas who got arrested at school because his teacher claimed the kid had brought a bomb into school, when in fact it was an ALARM CLOCK he had made, and was proud of. This is a young man who loves engineering and wants to be an inventor. But guess what? He has a dark skin tone and an "Islamic" sounding name, Ahmed Mohamed, so of course it was a bomb. If it had been a white kid named Josh, nobody would have batted an eye."Then I saw something else about Kentucky, but not about the bigoted clerk this time. This time to do with insurance and how a man who wants to be the next governor wants to backtrack on the (proven) ACA success there, and make Kentuckians pay extortionate fees to robbing insurance companies again. And of course everyone is like, "Well if they are responsible adults they should get their own insurance". Yes, because everyone has the money for extortionate health care costs in this country, and if you can't afford it, TOO BAD. Yes, let's all be a bunch of heartless morons and not care if someone needs medical attention. If they don't have the money, clearly it's their own fault and they deserve to suffer.And then do not even get me STARTED on the 14 year old boy from Texas who got arrested at school because his teacher claimed the kid had brought a bomb into school, when in fact it was an ALARM CLOCK he had made, and was proud of. This is a young man who loves engineering and wants to be an inventor. But guess what? He has a dark skin tone and an "Islamic" sounding name, Ahmed Mohamed, so of course it was a bomb. If it had been a white kid named Josh, nobody would have batted an eye."
2. On that Bigoted Woman from Kentucky
"So the Kim Davis saga goes on and on, and while I'm tired of hearing about it when there are many other huge issues happening in the world, I had to share this quote from George Takei."The First Amendment has two clauses that are relevant here. One is the Establishment Clause, and the other is the Prohibition Clause. Congress may not prohibit free worship, and that is what so many claim, wrongly, is being violated. But it is also not empowered to establish any religion, nor to enact any laws favoring one religion over the other. Permitting a state employee to foist her religion upon others, denying them a fundamental right as articulated by the U.S. Supreme Court in Obergefell, would be to give government, through this agent, the power to impose religious doctrine and viewpoint. That it cannot do. Ms. Davis is in effect establishing religion by using her governmental powers to impose her religious views."And for those who don't understand still, let's throw in a quote from one of the authors of the Declaration of Independence, Founding Father and 3rd President, Thomas Jefferson:"[T]heir legislature should "make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof," thus building a wall of separation between Church and State."
3. On the Refugee Crisis in Europe, and Around the World
"We have been all so caught up with the petty minds of the right wing who think their religious freedoms are being trampled upon for having to follow federal law, that we forget that outside of this bubble filled with money, fast cars, apartments, organic groceries and fashionable clothes, there is a dark and horrific world that others are trying to escape, only to be turned away, and treated like criminals. The images below are just what I found on Google of Syria recently, but if you were living like this, wouldn't you also be trying to escape, not just for a better life, but FOR your life? That human beings in this world are being forced to live in these tragic conditions is heartbreaking, and as a race, as a community, we need to do something to help them all. I don't care if you're worried that your taxes might go up by a measly couple of dollars for government aid, we have a responsibility to treat these people with compassion and respect. So while civil rights at home are important, let's not forget that while we're sitting here worried about one bigot's religious piety, there are people in this world who are desperate for real help."
4. On the Importance of Planned Parenthood
"I'm posting on FB, so it must be rant time! I have seen a lot of people posting about the apparent horrors of Planned Parenthood and abortion. Let's be clear on a few things here.First of all, all of these videos in question are heavily edited, and sometimes the owners of the voices of the people in them are not seen.Second, people are apparently outraged at the selling of baby body parts. I keep seeing posts about "genocide" and murder". These fetuses have not been born yet. Most states in this country have an abortion term limit that is less (in some cases much less) than 25 weeks. At 25 weeks, for example, an unborn baby does not yet have lungs and taste buds are still developing. Nobody is murdering anyone. This unborn baby cannot yet sustain its own life. These body parts that are being sold, are sent to research companies. People aren't walking into a store and picking up two baby legs for lunch. Get a grip.
Third, to be saying that these women are whores and need to keep their legs closed, or use birth control, is outrageous and simply not acceptable. Rape happens. Mistakes happen. Yet I constantly - and I MEAN constantly - see idiots saying women should keep their legs closed. Perhaps men need to stop forcing themselves on women. And perhaps we should have some compassion for unplanned events in someone's life.
Fourth, everyone who is outraged at the government funding of Planned Parenthood needs to get a reality check and look at the facts. I will provide links to factual sources in the comments below, but PP was granted approximately $528.4 million by the Federal government in 2014. According to the IRS, there were 144,928,472 Federal Tax returns filed in 2012. Simple calculations tell me that is a single tax payer cost of $3.65 for a year, to help other human beings in need. If you are freaking out because your $4 is going to help someone in desperate need of help, then you have serious issues and I cannot be friends with you.
Finally, it goes without saying that I should not even have to mention all of this. Ultimately, a woman should have the right to choose what happens with her own body. End of story. So everyone please shut the hell up, and if you don't like it, get off my page. Thanks.
Have a great weekend everyone!
Dan.
I wanted to share with you today some of my political observations that I have made recently on my Facebook page. I keep forgetting that I created this blog for this very reason! Today I thought about the blog and so I thought I'd share some of my recent commentary here. For simplicity's sake I am going to omit any links or photos that I may mention in these posts, so that they don't cause me any editing issues. I'll just copy the text here.
1. On Capital Punishment, Healthcare and that Boy with the Clock...
"There are so many things I want to rage about today, I just don't even know where to begin.I could begin with how Richard Glossip, a man in Oklahoma, is being executed this afternoon for a crime he didn't commit. Apparently there is NO physical evidence linking him to the scene, only the word of the other suspect! What the hell?! Anyone could say, "It wasn't me! He did it!" And of course, the way to show the world that murder is wrong, is of course apparently allowing the state to murder a citizen in return. Go figure.
Then I saw something else about Kentucky, but not about the bigoted clerk this time. This time to do with insurance and how a man who wants to be the next governor wants to backtrack on the (proven) ACA success there, and make Kentuckians pay extortionate fees to robbing insurance companies again. And of course everyone is like, "Well if they are responsible adults they should get their own insurance". Yes, because everyone has the money for extortionate health care costs in this country, and if you can't afford it, TOO BAD. Yes, let's all be a bunch of heartless morons and not care if someone needs medical attention. If they don't have the money, clearly it's their own fault and they deserve to suffer.
And then do not even get me STARTED on the 14 year old boy from Texas who got arrested at school because his teacher claimed the kid had brought a bomb into school, when in fact it was an ALARM CLOCK he had made, and was proud of. This is a young man who loves engineering and wants to be an inventor. But guess what? He has a dark skin tone and an "Islamic" sounding name, Ahmed Mohamed, so of course it was a bomb. If it had been a white kid named Josh, nobody would have batted an eye."Then I saw something else about Kentucky, but not about the bigoted clerk this time. This time to do with insurance and how a man who wants to be the next governor wants to backtrack on the (proven) ACA success there, and make Kentuckians pay extortionate fees to robbing insurance companies again. And of course everyone is like, "Well if they are responsible adults they should get their own insurance". Yes, because everyone has the money for extortionate health care costs in this country, and if you can't afford it, TOO BAD. Yes, let's all be a bunch of heartless morons and not care if someone needs medical attention. If they don't have the money, clearly it's their own fault and they deserve to suffer.And then do not even get me STARTED on the 14 year old boy from Texas who got arrested at school because his teacher claimed the kid had brought a bomb into school, when in fact it was an ALARM CLOCK he had made, and was proud of. This is a young man who loves engineering and wants to be an inventor. But guess what? He has a dark skin tone and an "Islamic" sounding name, Ahmed Mohamed, so of course it was a bomb. If it had been a white kid named Josh, nobody would have batted an eye."Then I saw something else about Kentucky, but not about the bigoted clerk this time. This time to do with insurance and how a man who wants to be the next governor wants to backtrack on the (proven) ACA success there, and make Kentuckians pay extortionate fees to robbing insurance companies again. And of course everyone is like, "Well if they are responsible adults they should get their own insurance". Yes, because everyone has the money for extortionate health care costs in this country, and if you can't afford it, TOO BAD. Yes, let's all be a bunch of heartless morons and not care if someone needs medical attention. If they don't have the money, clearly it's their own fault and they deserve to suffer.And then do not even get me STARTED on the 14 year old boy from Texas who got arrested at school because his teacher claimed the kid had brought a bomb into school, when in fact it was an ALARM CLOCK he had made, and was proud of. This is a young man who loves engineering and wants to be an inventor. But guess what? He has a dark skin tone and an "Islamic" sounding name, Ahmed Mohamed, so of course it was a bomb. If it had been a white kid named Josh, nobody would have batted an eye."Then I saw something else about Kentucky, but not about the bigoted clerk this time. This time to do with insurance and how a man who wants to be the next governor wants to backtrack on the (proven) ACA success there, and make Kentuckians pay extortionate fees to robbing insurance companies again. And of course everyone is like, "Well if they are responsible adults they should get their own insurance". Yes, because everyone has the money for extortionate health care costs in this country, and if you can't afford it, TOO BAD. Yes, let's all be a bunch of heartless morons and not care if someone needs medical attention. If they don't have the money, clearly it's their own fault and they deserve to suffer.And then do not even get me STARTED on the 14 year old boy from Texas who got arrested at school because his teacher claimed the kid had brought a bomb into school, when in fact it was an ALARM CLOCK he had made, and was proud of. This is a young man who loves engineering and wants to be an inventor. But guess what? He has a dark skin tone and an "Islamic" sounding name, Ahmed Mohamed, so of course it was a bomb. If it had been a white kid named Josh, nobody would have batted an eye."
2. On that Bigoted Woman from Kentucky
"So the Kim Davis saga goes on and on, and while I'm tired of hearing about it when there are many other huge issues happening in the world, I had to share this quote from George Takei."The First Amendment has two clauses that are relevant here. One is the Establishment Clause, and the other is the Prohibition Clause. Congress may not prohibit free worship, and that is what so many claim, wrongly, is being violated. But it is also not empowered to establish any religion, nor to enact any laws favoring one religion over the other. Permitting a state employee to foist her religion upon others, denying them a fundamental right as articulated by the U.S. Supreme Court in Obergefell, would be to give government, through this agent, the power to impose religious doctrine and viewpoint. That it cannot do. Ms. Davis is in effect establishing religion by using her governmental powers to impose her religious views."And for those who don't understand still, let's throw in a quote from one of the authors of the Declaration of Independence, Founding Father and 3rd President, Thomas Jefferson:"[T]heir legislature should "make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof," thus building a wall of separation between Church and State."
3. On the Refugee Crisis in Europe, and Around the World
"We have been all so caught up with the petty minds of the right wing who think their religious freedoms are being trampled upon for having to follow federal law, that we forget that outside of this bubble filled with money, fast cars, apartments, organic groceries and fashionable clothes, there is a dark and horrific world that others are trying to escape, only to be turned away, and treated like criminals. The images below are just what I found on Google of Syria recently, but if you were living like this, wouldn't you also be trying to escape, not just for a better life, but FOR your life? That human beings in this world are being forced to live in these tragic conditions is heartbreaking, and as a race, as a community, we need to do something to help them all. I don't care if you're worried that your taxes might go up by a measly couple of dollars for government aid, we have a responsibility to treat these people with compassion and respect. So while civil rights at home are important, let's not forget that while we're sitting here worried about one bigot's religious piety, there are people in this world who are desperate for real help."
4. On the Importance of Planned Parenthood
"I'm posting on FB, so it must be rant time! I have seen a lot of people posting about the apparent horrors of Planned Parenthood and abortion. Let's be clear on a few things here.First of all, all of these videos in question are heavily edited, and sometimes the owners of the voices of the people in them are not seen.Second, people are apparently outraged at the selling of baby body parts. I keep seeing posts about "genocide" and murder". These fetuses have not been born yet. Most states in this country have an abortion term limit that is less (in some cases much less) than 25 weeks. At 25 weeks, for example, an unborn baby does not yet have lungs and taste buds are still developing. Nobody is murdering anyone. This unborn baby cannot yet sustain its own life. These body parts that are being sold, are sent to research companies. People aren't walking into a store and picking up two baby legs for lunch. Get a grip.
Third, to be saying that these women are whores and need to keep their legs closed, or use birth control, is outrageous and simply not acceptable. Rape happens. Mistakes happen. Yet I constantly - and I MEAN constantly - see idiots saying women should keep their legs closed. Perhaps men need to stop forcing themselves on women. And perhaps we should have some compassion for unplanned events in someone's life.
Fourth, everyone who is outraged at the government funding of Planned Parenthood needs to get a reality check and look at the facts. I will provide links to factual sources in the comments below, but PP was granted approximately $528.4 million by the Federal government in 2014. According to the IRS, there were 144,928,472 Federal Tax returns filed in 2012. Simple calculations tell me that is a single tax payer cost of $3.65 for a year, to help other human beings in need. If you are freaking out because your $4 is going to help someone in desperate need of help, then you have serious issues and I cannot be friends with you.
Finally, it goes without saying that I should not even have to mention all of this. Ultimately, a woman should have the right to choose what happens with her own body. End of story. So everyone please shut the hell up, and if you don't like it, get off my page. Thanks.
Have a great weekend everyone!
Dan.
Saturday, 13 June 2015
June Updates
Hello everyone,
I realise it’s been awhile since I updated this blog, for which I apologise. It actually has not gone unthought of in recent weeks though. I have wanted to post things here, but of course, as always, life gets in the way. Jon and I travel a lot which doesn’t do much for having time to blog, and then of course I don’t always feel in the mood when I do have time. Anyway, here we are.
It is now June and I have been in the United States for just over eight months now. I feel more settled than I did when I wrote about my feelings a awhile back, but there are still things that bug me sometimes.
One of the biggest problems for me right now is feeling a little disconnected from everything. I still don’t really feel as though the town where we live is my “forever home”. Last night I was having a conversation with Jon about where we really want to be living, and honestly, there was no real definite answer from either of us. I’m thirty now, and Jon is forty-one, and while we aren’t old, we are getting to the point in our lives where I personally think we should be considering where we want to be and where we want to settle permanently. I don’t mean moving out of the US again; heck it took enough to get me here. But do we really belong here, in Maryland? The United States is so vast, and so diverse, it’s pretty daunting to ponder.
Some of our thoughts were the West Coast, in particular California. With that comes innumerable problems, including drought, earthquakes and it being significantly further away from family and friends. On the plus side, they have the good weather and Disneyland - one of our favourite places - is right there. Oregon and Washington are pretty and offer a more laid back lifestyle, and Jon said he loves Seattle, but they are even further away from anywhere else, and the weather in those northern regions is colder than my ideal climate. We don’t really want to live anywhere in the Midwest. I’d be bored senseless without the coastline attractions and the ease of access to other places (ok, I know there are roads and airports, but living in the middle of no where Nebraska or Wyoming doesn’t really appeal as much as northern California, for example). Then we come to the East Coast. Boston and New England are very pretty and are well connected to the other major East Coast cities, but the winters can be harsh. The Carolinas and Georgia don’t really appeal to us, but then we come to Florida. The Sunshine State. Walt Disney World and many other attractions close by, the weather. Sounds perfect for us, right? Well, when the weather is close to 40C in July and August and the humidity is over 80 or 90%, it doesn’t sound so appealing. Mix into that hurricane season and the potential for flooding due to global warming, and we are back at square one.
So, with few natural disasters, and the not-quite-so extremes in weather, and being close to many places on the East Coast (including DC, Philly, Hershey, New York and Baltimore, to name but a few), Maryland seems to be the logical place to stay. We wouldn’t need to move far; we’re already here. But does that mean we want to live here? That’s the million dollar question. And we go around in circles looking at the options all over again.
Moving to another country was hard, but only because bureaucracy made it hard. Finding somewhere to live forever, where we’ll be happy, that’s much harder.
Have a great weekend everyone!
Dan.
Friday, 30 January 2015
Comparing the UK's NHS to the US' private care
A friend shared this (click to read) and being in the position I am in now, I thought it worth giving my comments. You should definitely read the article first before reading my comments.
Overall I would agree with this writer's assessment, but there are a few things that are not entirely accurate.
First of all, I'm not sure what doctors surgery he was using in the UK, but you CAN chose your own appointment. Of course, they can tell you what times they have available, and it may be "limited" compared to what you realistically want, but they wouldn't tell you "this time only". I have already had to deal with the insurance companies here in the US numerous times, and have had to visit the doctor, and I can tell you it IS a headache. Even once you get past the bureaucracy of insurance companies, when you get to the doctor you need to have remembered your insurance card, ID, and yup, money.
Wait times when IN the doctor's surgery though, I disagree with him. At home and here in the US I can honestly say it has varied either way. It all depends on the day, the time and the doctor themselves. I think it would be inaccurate to suggest you get seen instantly in the UK over the US. I find it interesting what he says about emergency room wait times. I haven't had too many emergencies in my time, and thankfully none in the US so far, but I agree, if I had to wait more than 4 hours, I'd be tearing my hair out.
One thing that can affect wait times in the US over wait times in the UK that he failed to mention is that in the US, everyone uses the same hospitals and the same doctors. Whether you're paying insurance or receiving medicare/Medicaid or some other assistance, you sit in the same waiting room as those with insurance. Not too many people have private insurance at home, but when they do, it's a whole other world. If I paid privately and ended up in an NHS hospital, I'd be demanding a refund from my insurance company.
Finally, on the point of cost. No the NHS isn't "free". It does come from government taxes, but it is free at the point of use, and if you have no job, no money and need care, you still receive the same care as everyone else. Even if you do work, if you make very little, you're not paying any more than anyone else, it's all relative. Taxes are by % of earnings, as with anywhere else in the world. I have never once paid for a single doctor or hospital visit in the UK, and trust me I've had many of them. I've been in the US 4 months, and I've already had to pay $30 to see a doctor - and I HAVE insurance!
No system is perfect, and no system will be so any time soon, but I do desperately hope the US can get its act together with the socialised healthcare system, because currently, it's a mess.
Dan.
Overall I would agree with this writer's assessment, but there are a few things that are not entirely accurate.
First of all, I'm not sure what doctors surgery he was using in the UK, but you CAN chose your own appointment. Of course, they can tell you what times they have available, and it may be "limited" compared to what you realistically want, but they wouldn't tell you "this time only". I have already had to deal with the insurance companies here in the US numerous times, and have had to visit the doctor, and I can tell you it IS a headache. Even once you get past the bureaucracy of insurance companies, when you get to the doctor you need to have remembered your insurance card, ID, and yup, money.
Wait times when IN the doctor's surgery though, I disagree with him. At home and here in the US I can honestly say it has varied either way. It all depends on the day, the time and the doctor themselves. I think it would be inaccurate to suggest you get seen instantly in the UK over the US. I find it interesting what he says about emergency room wait times. I haven't had too many emergencies in my time, and thankfully none in the US so far, but I agree, if I had to wait more than 4 hours, I'd be tearing my hair out.
One thing that can affect wait times in the US over wait times in the UK that he failed to mention is that in the US, everyone uses the same hospitals and the same doctors. Whether you're paying insurance or receiving medicare/Medicaid or some other assistance, you sit in the same waiting room as those with insurance. Not too many people have private insurance at home, but when they do, it's a whole other world. If I paid privately and ended up in an NHS hospital, I'd be demanding a refund from my insurance company.
Finally, on the point of cost. No the NHS isn't "free". It does come from government taxes, but it is free at the point of use, and if you have no job, no money and need care, you still receive the same care as everyone else. Even if you do work, if you make very little, you're not paying any more than anyone else, it's all relative. Taxes are by % of earnings, as with anywhere else in the world. I have never once paid for a single doctor or hospital visit in the UK, and trust me I've had many of them. I've been in the US 4 months, and I've already had to pay $30 to see a doctor - and I HAVE insurance!
No system is perfect, and no system will be so any time soon, but I do desperately hope the US can get its act together with the socialised healthcare system, because currently, it's a mess.
Dan.
Wednesday, 28 January 2015
A New Year, A New Dawn
Hello everyone,
I know I haven’t posted here in a long time, and I apologise for that. I have finally began to feel like I am part of the “life” here, and I am more settled now than I was when I first arrived.
It’s so hard to describe to people what it is like to go through what we did. Arriving here after all the setbacks we faced made it feel like this huge temporary honeymoon period, almost like I was in some bubble that was going to burst
For a while I would have dreams at night that I had to leave again, or that Jon and I once again had to live apart from one another. I used to wake up in the night panicking, only to realise that I am here to stay. Coming to the realisation that this new situation you’re in is a permanent one takes some getting used to. Sometimes I take a step back and think, “Wow, I’m actually here to stay. I have a green card!” It can hit you at the most random times, like walking up the steps to the apartment complex with groceries, because “this is what you do now”.
Through everything I have faced, leaving my family and friends behind has been the hardest. Some days it’s easy just to pretend that that part of me doesn’t exist any more, just to cover the emotion that I feel. Other times I feel like a horrible person for not being more communicative. You wonder if your friendships will drift apart. What will it be like when you see one-another again? I worry about my mum and my nan. I worry about what will happen as they get older and I’m not there. I do try to keep in contact with people, but sometimes I don’t always have a lot to say. Life is just “life”. Sometimes I feel like my family expect me to constantly message them, keeping them up to date with my every waking moment, when in fact I have nothing to say. I then feel bad that I am being rude, but what more can I do?
I also worry about actually living here, and how that will affect my life. Health care here is still a massive headache, and we had to jump through all sorts of wacky hoops to get me adequate health insurance, not once, but three times! It’s a long story, but it really is more than I wanted to deal with.
I haven’t yet got my Maryland driving license. This again is a huge headache, and I have been putting it off, wanting to not have to deal with it, but Jon’s car insurance is up for renewal, and I now find myself in a situation where I have to go through the endless bureaucracy to get a Maryland license. I’m not looking forward to that one.
The weather here is significantly different compared to living in the south east UK. The temperatures in the winter so far have been ridiculously low, and we have had a lot more snow than I am accustomed to (which where I’m from was quite rare). Snow doesn’t hold very good memories for me, and I have no desire to ever see another snowflake ever again. Not to mention the up and down temperatures and air pressure here drives my sinuses crazy.
There are many occasions where I still feel like an outsider too. You wouldn’t believe it would be so difficult to get used to the dates here, but my brain still can’t decipher it most days. If I’m filling out a form, you can bet I’ll write it wrong and confuse the person I’m dealing with. Talking on the phone is a nightmare. Nobody can ever understand what I’m saying. You’d think I was speaking with a thick, rare dialect. I might have a British accent, but I don’t speak that differently, right?! Fahrenheit still baffles me. I don’t think I’ll ever be convert to that one. How freezing can be anything but zero is not even worth trying to understand. Gallons versus litres, same thing.
I know all these things may seem trivial, but when you’re having a bad day, and you’re not feeling your best, and you have to talk to someone on the phone at an insurance company who requires your birth date for the millionth time, you feel like you just want to strangle them. Having to repeat loudly several times your birthday, making sure you get it the “correct” way around and that they can hear you… Give me strength.
Then we come to today, when you find out one of your closest friends has a life threatening illness, and you can do nothing because you are so far away. I don’t think any amount of words in a text message can be of any comfort. I wish I could be there in person, even just to sit there and be there.
Weather, health, bureaucracy and family emotions aside, nearly every day I have moments where I realise that this is where I wanted to be. This is where Jon and I wanted to be. This is everything we fought hard for. Nothing can break our determination to be together, because no matter what, love always wins, and I absolutely believe that. When you’re sitting in your pyjamas watching some silly program on the TV together, you realise that this is your everything. This is what it was meant to be about.
Nearly nine years ago I made a decision to change my life after having a horrific year. I went to Canada to find myself, and in the process, I found Jon too. Nine year later we are married, living together and looking forward to our future together. Never give up hope that your dreams can come true too. As James Dean once said;
“Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die today.”
Dan.
Wednesday, 24 December 2014
Merry Christmas!
I know I haven't posted in a while - I promise to be better at it in 2015!
In the meantime, I wanted to just say, thank you for following my journey this year, and Merry Christmas, Happy holidays and all that happy fun stuff, to everyone!
Thank you!
Dan.
In the meantime, I wanted to just say, thank you for following my journey this year, and Merry Christmas, Happy holidays and all that happy fun stuff, to everyone!
Thank you!
Dan.
Friday, 21 November 2014
What this new immigrant thinks of Obama's immigration executive order
Hello everyone,
As a newly arrived immigrant to the United States, immigration is a topic that is very close to my heart. I have been through the system and experienced the constant delays, bureaucracy and red tape, filled in a thousand forms and been subjected to interviews and medical examinations. It wasn't pretty - and I went about it the perfectly legal way!
Of course, being a fair and reasonable human being, even if I wasn't an immigrant myself, I would still think the same things I am about to discuss. It's just that given everything I've been through, it all means a little more to me that it did before. I am by no means an experienced political writer, but I wanted to at least share my thoughts on what just transpired.
Many Republicans and right wing supporters are currently up in arms about President Obama's speech last night, and his executive order to make some allowances to illegal immigrants in the United States. Many of the right wing supporters are saying this is illegal and that it's undemocratic. Well, we can't forget that two years ago Obama pledged to reform the immigration system, with a bill finally passing through the Senate on 27th June 2013, with a vote in favour, 68 to 32. However, when it got to the House, Speaker John Boehner refused to allow the vote on it! (There are hundreds of articles on the internet documenting this, just Google it, but for reference linked to just one.) The House didn't even get a chance to vote on immigration reform because one person, one, did not want it to happen - and now that person, Mr Boehner, is threatening action against the President.
First of all, if the Republicans really wanted a say in the matter, they should be demanding that John Boehner allow them that vote. Second, it was made clear in the speech that that isn't a way to allow millions of criminals to stay in the country, but in fact a way to allow millions of people who want the chance of a better life to "come out of the shadows" (as Obama said) and start to rebuild their lives in a country that they believed would give them the chance - otherwise, why would they have come here? Human compassion should be at the forefront here, not the right wing trying to make a point. An illegal mother who wants the best for her young children, who wants to work and pay taxes, should not be deported and given a criminal recored for trying to better herself. Young people who came here as children who were either brought here by others, or escaped here because they didn't know where else to turn, should be allowed to prove themselves now as adults, and be allowed to get on with their lives without fear of persecution. In my head, it simply doesn't make sense. Why would anyone want to stop these families from improving their lives? These people came to this country because they believed it could offer them more. They believed in America. Yet all the Republicans want to do is show how nasty and vindictive they can be. Thirdly, commentators are saying this could affect up to 5 million illegal immigrants. Let's be realistic here, the population of the United States is more than 316 million people. 5 million is just 1.58% of the entire population of the US. There are more people than that in New York City alone. Spread out across the nation, I doubt anybody who isn't directly affected by this order will notice a single change.
I'll leave it there, as I could go on about this all day, but one thing is for sure, Obama cannot be accused of inaction on this one. A bill was sent to the Senate, it passed. The bill went to the House, and it was blocked by one person. The President had to take action on this, and I absolutely believe he has done the right thing.
Dan.
As a newly arrived immigrant to the United States, immigration is a topic that is very close to my heart. I have been through the system and experienced the constant delays, bureaucracy and red tape, filled in a thousand forms and been subjected to interviews and medical examinations. It wasn't pretty - and I went about it the perfectly legal way!
Of course, being a fair and reasonable human being, even if I wasn't an immigrant myself, I would still think the same things I am about to discuss. It's just that given everything I've been through, it all means a little more to me that it did before. I am by no means an experienced political writer, but I wanted to at least share my thoughts on what just transpired.
Many Republicans and right wing supporters are currently up in arms about President Obama's speech last night, and his executive order to make some allowances to illegal immigrants in the United States. Many of the right wing supporters are saying this is illegal and that it's undemocratic. Well, we can't forget that two years ago Obama pledged to reform the immigration system, with a bill finally passing through the Senate on 27th June 2013, with a vote in favour, 68 to 32. However, when it got to the House, Speaker John Boehner refused to allow the vote on it! (There are hundreds of articles on the internet documenting this, just Google it, but for reference linked to just one.) The House didn't even get a chance to vote on immigration reform because one person, one, did not want it to happen - and now that person, Mr Boehner, is threatening action against the President.
First of all, if the Republicans really wanted a say in the matter, they should be demanding that John Boehner allow them that vote. Second, it was made clear in the speech that that isn't a way to allow millions of criminals to stay in the country, but in fact a way to allow millions of people who want the chance of a better life to "come out of the shadows" (as Obama said) and start to rebuild their lives in a country that they believed would give them the chance - otherwise, why would they have come here? Human compassion should be at the forefront here, not the right wing trying to make a point. An illegal mother who wants the best for her young children, who wants to work and pay taxes, should not be deported and given a criminal recored for trying to better herself. Young people who came here as children who were either brought here by others, or escaped here because they didn't know where else to turn, should be allowed to prove themselves now as adults, and be allowed to get on with their lives without fear of persecution. In my head, it simply doesn't make sense. Why would anyone want to stop these families from improving their lives? These people came to this country because they believed it could offer them more. They believed in America. Yet all the Republicans want to do is show how nasty and vindictive they can be. Thirdly, commentators are saying this could affect up to 5 million illegal immigrants. Let's be realistic here, the population of the United States is more than 316 million people. 5 million is just 1.58% of the entire population of the US. There are more people than that in New York City alone. Spread out across the nation, I doubt anybody who isn't directly affected by this order will notice a single change.
I'll leave it there, as I could go on about this all day, but one thing is for sure, Obama cannot be accused of inaction on this one. A bill was sent to the Senate, it passed. The bill went to the House, and it was blocked by one person. The President had to take action on this, and I absolutely believe he has done the right thing.
Dan.
The Social Security Number
Hello everyone,
This is a short entry just to talk about the social security number.
When you are filing your forms through the immigration process, at one point there is the option (literally a tick box) that asks if you want a social security number automatically sent you once you arrive in the US. I'm not sure why anyone would not want to tick it, since it means you don't have to go to the social security office in your home state to request one.
I had ticked the box (or more accurately, our lawyers had), and a weeks to the day after entering the U.S. it arrived in the post! One thing I have learnt here in the US is that for some unfathomable reason whenever you need ID for anything, a lot of the time they'll also ask for the original envelope that whatever it is you're presenting, arrived in! So, be careful opening your SSN - don't rip the envelope open and throw it away, keep it!
Dan.
Monday, 10 November 2014
Departing the UK and arriving in the US
Hello everyone,
In my last post I talked about receiving the visa package and the passport back from the embassy, so let's take a look at what happened next!
We booked my flight, and I spent my final 2 weeks in the UK getting my affairs in order and packing. I was able to check in for my flight with United 24 hours beforehand, which I attempted to do. While checking in I hit a bit of a brick wall. So, when you check in online with airlines, the U.S. requires advanced passenger information. The options are usually fairly limited, and I'm assuming United's system is probably not all too dissimilar from other airline check in systems. The options were for US Citizens, US Permanent Residents, US Visa holders or visitors. First of all, I wasn't yet a U.S. permanent resident, since I hadn't yet landed in the US and been admitted with the stamp in my passport. Second, I won't just be visiting, and of course third, I am not a citizen. So what do you chose? I decided to go for permanent resident at first, however, it asks for a green card number, which of course at this point I didn't have. The only other option I was willing to chose was visa holder. A screen pops up and the example visa it gives is actually an immigrant visa. Great, I thought! So I entered the information from the visa in my passport, which matched what it was asking for. I proceed to check in, and it tells me I can't as I need to present my documents and proof of onward travel at the airport. At this point I gave up. I did not need proof of onward travel. I had a visa in my passport that allows for the indefinite right to remain.
The following morning, after an emotional farewell to my family, I got to the airport and proceeded to the self service check in. I knew exactly what would happen, but it was a step I had to take. Same thing happens. Cannot check me in as I am a British citizen and they need proof that I will leave the U.S. with an onward flight. I called an agent over and was taken to a desk to see another agent who would manually check me in. She goes through the motions. She can clearly see the visa in my passport that I have presented to her. She follows exactly the procedure she should (she was actually very knowledgeable, for which I am grateful), and the same thing happened! It would not allow her to check me in because I have a British passport with no proof of residency (no green card) or proof of a return flight. At this point I was panicking slightly. How can their system be so stupid?! Anyway, this lady was what I would respectfully call "old school" and she obviously knew her stuff. She told me she was going to exit out of this current system and open up an old program that they used to use that was DOS based, not Windows based. She said that she knows that their old system never used to ask that sort of information and that it would check me in. She logs in, enters all my details, and voila! It worked!
At this point I have some observations about how ridiculous this setup is. So it would seem that anyone who has a visa to enter the US but is entering for the first time, and therefore does not have any proof of address, residency or otherwise, could be denied check in. I had a valid passport and visa. I would be entering with the right to remain, but it was my first entry, therefore I had no green card or otherwise at this stage. So what am I meant to do?! I surely cannot be the only person in the history of the world to enter the U.S. with any sort of visa that either gives them the right to stay, or is at least valid for some period that extends beyond the flight booking horizon. What if I'd been a student who was coming to study for two years? I would have had a valid visa, but you cannot of course book flights that far out. So then what? How do you prove that you won't outstay your visa? Needless to say it caused me more stress than I wanted on what was already a stressful enough day. As if leaving your family behind to move to another continent isn't enough to cause you to have panic attacks, being told you can't check in is about the limit. So, be warned. If you are entering the U.S. as a new immigrant you could face some difficulty checking in.
I'm curious to know what will happen once the DOS system isn't available anymore. Or what would happen if that agent hadn't have ever used it, or remembered how to use it, or couldn't log in for some reason. Then what? I sent an email to United about this and they apologised and said would forward it on to the appropriate department. How much good that will do I have no idea, but I did get 500 miles as way of apology from United, which is better than nothing.
After checking in and proceeding through security, I boarded my flight and was off to my new life! While on the flight they usually ask if up need to fill out a white entry form for visa holders. Although you will have a visa, arriving as an immigrant nullifies this. The only form you need to fill out is the customs form. Fill it out as though you were a U.S. resident already.
Upon arrival at Washington Dulles airport in Virginia (which incidentally is one of the most inefficient places I've ever had to fly through, which sadly I've had to do many times when visiting Jon), I headed to the immigration hall to find out what I had to do. The lines of course were huge, as always. The information person told me that even though I was entering on an immigrant visa, because I had not yet technically entered and got my stamp, I had to stand in the non-US line. Joy. After nearly two hours I finally got to the front of the line and I handed over my sealed envelope and passport to the officer. I have to say, she was very nice, which in brutal honesty made a refreshing change! She asked a couple of questions about who Jon was, but only very generic questions that anybody could have asked. She did the usual thing of scanning my fingerprints (which every visitor has to do entering the U.S. anyway. They probably have my prints a hundred times over by now!) and the usual photo. She opened the envelope, flicked through it, and didn't really say much about it. She told me I now had to go see a second officer who would process the documents and take more fingerprints. She stamped my passport through October 2016 (as I was entering under the CR1 category), and wished me luck and sent me on my way. I headed down to the end desk that she had directed me to, and only had to wait I literally a minute for the officer to be done with the guy in front of me. I was called up and have handed over my documents again. He again asked a few basic questions, but nothing taxing. I had to provide one physical ink print that would apparently be on my green card, and sign a form. That was it, I was good to go!
Exiting the immigration area I picked up my luggage and went to stand in the customs line. The one thing you must know is that you must go through a separate line for customs is you're an arriving immigrant, at least at Dulles. I didn't know this, and stood in the regular line, only to be told once I got to the front that I needed to go to another room. Luckily this day the line was very short, which for Dulles is amazing, but normally it is half an hour long (I've done it many times!), and so this would have annoyed me greatly if I'd waited a long time only to be told that. The secondary room has luggage scanners. Put your suitcases on, hand over your form, and if all is ok, collect your things on the other side of the scammer belt. Then that's it! You are finally free to go!
Jon and his family were waiting for me on the other side, and it was amazing to think I was finally standing there as a legal permanent resident!
Dan.
Thursday, 16 October 2014
Post-Interview Steps - Immigrant Visa Package and Fee
Hello everyone,
Following my approval at my visa interview in London on the 26th September, I had to wait for my passport to be returned to me. I was initially informed that this would take up to two weeks, however I found myself in great disbelief when I had an email from the Department of State a few days later informing me that my documents had been passed to the courier already! They will provide you with a tracking number in that email so you can see where your package is online at the website they send you. I'll be honest, I'm not exactly sure how it works if you chose to collect your documents from a depot (which is the default option unless you chose home delivery), however I would imagine you still get emailed with the specifics, otherwise there would be no way of knowing they were ready for collection.
So, my documents were delivered less than a week later, and I was now able to book my flight! Your documents will be sent (or handed over at the depot) to you in a plastic courier bag. You can open this bag, and inside you will find your passport (with the visa printed in it) along with information about how to pay the immigrant visa processing fee before arriving in the US. There will also be a large envelope in the package which contains other documents about you. This envelope states clearly on the front that you must NOT open it or tamper with it in any way. It is only to be opened by the immigration officer at the border, upon entry into the US.
As I said above, before you can travel to the US, you must visit the visa service website to pay for the processing of your immigrant visa. Only you, the immigrant, can do this. The fee is currently $165, which once converted by my bank was around £105. You can find out more information here.
Once that is paid for and you have booked your flight, you are free to travel to the US before the expiry date printed on your visa.
I'll make another post later about checking in for your flight and arriving at the US border, as there are some points worth mentioning with those.
Dan.
Following my approval at my visa interview in London on the 26th September, I had to wait for my passport to be returned to me. I was initially informed that this would take up to two weeks, however I found myself in great disbelief when I had an email from the Department of State a few days later informing me that my documents had been passed to the courier already! They will provide you with a tracking number in that email so you can see where your package is online at the website they send you. I'll be honest, I'm not exactly sure how it works if you chose to collect your documents from a depot (which is the default option unless you chose home delivery), however I would imagine you still get emailed with the specifics, otherwise there would be no way of knowing they were ready for collection.
So, my documents were delivered less than a week later, and I was now able to book my flight! Your documents will be sent (or handed over at the depot) to you in a plastic courier bag. You can open this bag, and inside you will find your passport (with the visa printed in it) along with information about how to pay the immigrant visa processing fee before arriving in the US. There will also be a large envelope in the package which contains other documents about you. This envelope states clearly on the front that you must NOT open it or tamper with it in any way. It is only to be opened by the immigration officer at the border, upon entry into the US.
As I said above, before you can travel to the US, you must visit the visa service website to pay for the processing of your immigrant visa. Only you, the immigrant, can do this. The fee is currently $165, which once converted by my bank was around £105. You can find out more information here.
Once that is paid for and you have booked your flight, you are free to travel to the US before the expiry date printed on your visa.
I'll make another post later about checking in for your flight and arriving at the US border, as there are some points worth mentioning with those.
Dan.
The Visa Interview!
Hello everyone,
So following my ordeal at the medical exam, a whole month passed and I found myself at the big day finally! Visa interview day!
Prior to attending the interview you will be required to log on to the visa service website and accept the interview and confirm the delivery option for your documents. You can chose to have them held at a specific depot "near" your home, or you can pay extra to have them home delivered by courier. I chose the courier option, as it only cost me £18, and my depot was miles away. It probably would have cost me nearly that in travel and fuel.
Jon and I had agreed that given it was such a huge day, and the fact I was likely to be a nervous wreck, that he should be in the UK. So, he booked a flight a couple of weeks before to be with me on the day. We already knew however he wouldn't be allowed in the embassy with me, but at least he could travel to London with me (which is an ordeal in itself), and be with me in line at the gate, and be waiting outside once I'm done. Then we could celebrate together, too right?...
Back to that morning, and we got up ridiculously early having not really slept well through anticipation. We got to London Charing Cross and walked the rest of the way. You have to understand, Charing Cross is at least a half hour walk at my own brisk pace (everyone always tells me I run along rather than walk), but we chose to do this in fear of getting on a tube and it breaking down or being delayed. Cautious yes, paranoid, maybe a little - but better safe than sorry, right?
We found ourselves in Grovesnor Square at about 7.15am, a full hour and fifteen minutes before my interview time - but we weren't the first ones there! There was already a line, and it started to get long after we arrived too, so bear that in mind. I'm glad we got there when we did.
A little while before the embassy opened for the first appointments of the day staff started to trickle out and set everything up. They will organise the queue line into different sections depending on your appointment time. We had to stand in a separate, second line, since my time was not until 8.30am - apparently appointments begin at 8am, so they let all those people through first. The staff at the front of the line will ask to see various documents which you must have with you. You MUST take with you:
• Your appointment confirmation - whether that is an email printout or an actual letter doesn't matter.
• Form DS260 confirmation page from the DOS website (it has barcodes on it that they scan)
• Your confirmation of your accepting the interview printed out from the visa service provider website. This is the page that basically states how your documents are to be delivered. If you have chosen home delivery it is imperative you print this page, as they will ask for it inside in order to ferry your documents once all is said and done.
Of course, any other documents may also be required, and these are specified in your appointment letter from the NVC. We had already submitted everything, and we didn't need anything else, but be aware that you may be required to take originals and/or copies of any other document, such as birth, death, marriage and divorce certificates, photographs etc. Of course, you also need your passport, too, but I would assume that goes without saying!
Once the guard has admitted you to the embassy you pass through airport style security checks. You are allowed to take your mobile phone, but NOT laptops or tablets. You should definitely avoid any unnecessary hassle by minimising the items you take with you on the day. Luckily I had Jon who would wait outside, so he could take everything I didn't need. Unless agreed by special arrangement prior to your appointment, you will NOT be allowed to take anyone - even your US spouse - into the embassy with you. While waiting in line we saw several people be told that they would not be allowed entry.
Once through the security checks there are signs telling you to proceed around the side of the building. You go up some steps and enter a lobby area. Present your documents again, and the person at the desk will give you a ticket number. You'll then be directed up the stairs to the waiting area.
The waiting area basically looks like any other waiting room - it could be a hospital for all it's worth. There is a large screen that displays the ticket numbers and which window to attend to. It took well over an hour for my ticket to be called, and there were a lot of people that morning.
Once your number is called you go up to the post office style counters and the officer will proceed to ask you a series of questions and ask for some of your documents. It was here that I handed over my document delivery confirmation page. I'll be honest, I was not at the window probably even 7 or 8 minutes. The officer asked how I knew Jon, what Jon does for a living and one or two other very minor things that didn't seem that important in all honesty. He took my passport and I was told to sit back down and that I would be called again shortly.
I literally sat back down, text Jon to let him know I'd been called up, then my number was called again! This time I had to go to the next window along. The officer there informed me that this was my actual visa interview. I was told to raise my right hand and swear that I would tell the truth. I said I would, and he proceeded to ask a couple of similar questions to the first officer. Again, I was there only minutes, and the questions were nothing taxing; all very generic, "how long have you known each other", "where is Jon right now?", etc.
After the officer was apparently satisfied he turned to me and said, "Your visa application is approved. You'll get your passport back in two weeks. Good luck!" And that was literally it! I was approved! I thanked him, gathered my things and walked away from the desk in a daze! All the panic and worry that I had caused myself over this day, wondering what it would be like, what they would as, say or do - and now it was over in 10 minutes flat!
I ran outside and met with Jon, and we spent the rest of the morning wandering London having fun, in celebration of the most excellent news!
My advice to anyone is literally, do NOT panic. I got myself into such a state over this interview and it was so easy. You have to remember that you have already been approved, you have already had the medical, you have already given them everything they could possibly want about you - this is the final part so they can just meet you and check everything over one last time before giving you the visa. I know it's easy to say that in retrospect, but my lawyer kept telling me this over and over, yet I still got worked up over it. Providing you are genuine (and I hope that anyone reading this would be), then you have no reason to worry.
I'll be making another post later about the final steps after the interview, as there are a couple more things that you must do.
Dan.
So following my ordeal at the medical exam, a whole month passed and I found myself at the big day finally! Visa interview day!
Prior to attending the interview you will be required to log on to the visa service website and accept the interview and confirm the delivery option for your documents. You can chose to have them held at a specific depot "near" your home, or you can pay extra to have them home delivered by courier. I chose the courier option, as it only cost me £18, and my depot was miles away. It probably would have cost me nearly that in travel and fuel.
Jon and I had agreed that given it was such a huge day, and the fact I was likely to be a nervous wreck, that he should be in the UK. So, he booked a flight a couple of weeks before to be with me on the day. We already knew however he wouldn't be allowed in the embassy with me, but at least he could travel to London with me (which is an ordeal in itself), and be with me in line at the gate, and be waiting outside once I'm done. Then we could celebrate together, too right?...
Back to that morning, and we got up ridiculously early having not really slept well through anticipation. We got to London Charing Cross and walked the rest of the way. You have to understand, Charing Cross is at least a half hour walk at my own brisk pace (everyone always tells me I run along rather than walk), but we chose to do this in fear of getting on a tube and it breaking down or being delayed. Cautious yes, paranoid, maybe a little - but better safe than sorry, right?
We found ourselves in Grovesnor Square at about 7.15am, a full hour and fifteen minutes before my interview time - but we weren't the first ones there! There was already a line, and it started to get long after we arrived too, so bear that in mind. I'm glad we got there when we did.
A little while before the embassy opened for the first appointments of the day staff started to trickle out and set everything up. They will organise the queue line into different sections depending on your appointment time. We had to stand in a separate, second line, since my time was not until 8.30am - apparently appointments begin at 8am, so they let all those people through first. The staff at the front of the line will ask to see various documents which you must have with you. You MUST take with you:
• Your appointment confirmation - whether that is an email printout or an actual letter doesn't matter.
• Form DS260 confirmation page from the DOS website (it has barcodes on it that they scan)
• Your confirmation of your accepting the interview printed out from the visa service provider website. This is the page that basically states how your documents are to be delivered. If you have chosen home delivery it is imperative you print this page, as they will ask for it inside in order to ferry your documents once all is said and done.
Of course, any other documents may also be required, and these are specified in your appointment letter from the NVC. We had already submitted everything, and we didn't need anything else, but be aware that you may be required to take originals and/or copies of any other document, such as birth, death, marriage and divorce certificates, photographs etc. Of course, you also need your passport, too, but I would assume that goes without saying!
Once the guard has admitted you to the embassy you pass through airport style security checks. You are allowed to take your mobile phone, but NOT laptops or tablets. You should definitely avoid any unnecessary hassle by minimising the items you take with you on the day. Luckily I had Jon who would wait outside, so he could take everything I didn't need. Unless agreed by special arrangement prior to your appointment, you will NOT be allowed to take anyone - even your US spouse - into the embassy with you. While waiting in line we saw several people be told that they would not be allowed entry.
Once through the security checks there are signs telling you to proceed around the side of the building. You go up some steps and enter a lobby area. Present your documents again, and the person at the desk will give you a ticket number. You'll then be directed up the stairs to the waiting area.
The waiting area basically looks like any other waiting room - it could be a hospital for all it's worth. There is a large screen that displays the ticket numbers and which window to attend to. It took well over an hour for my ticket to be called, and there were a lot of people that morning.
Once your number is called you go up to the post office style counters and the officer will proceed to ask you a series of questions and ask for some of your documents. It was here that I handed over my document delivery confirmation page. I'll be honest, I was not at the window probably even 7 or 8 minutes. The officer asked how I knew Jon, what Jon does for a living and one or two other very minor things that didn't seem that important in all honesty. He took my passport and I was told to sit back down and that I would be called again shortly.
I literally sat back down, text Jon to let him know I'd been called up, then my number was called again! This time I had to go to the next window along. The officer there informed me that this was my actual visa interview. I was told to raise my right hand and swear that I would tell the truth. I said I would, and he proceeded to ask a couple of similar questions to the first officer. Again, I was there only minutes, and the questions were nothing taxing; all very generic, "how long have you known each other", "where is Jon right now?", etc.
After the officer was apparently satisfied he turned to me and said, "Your visa application is approved. You'll get your passport back in two weeks. Good luck!" And that was literally it! I was approved! I thanked him, gathered my things and walked away from the desk in a daze! All the panic and worry that I had caused myself over this day, wondering what it would be like, what they would as, say or do - and now it was over in 10 minutes flat!
I ran outside and met with Jon, and we spent the rest of the morning wandering London having fun, in celebration of the most excellent news!
My advice to anyone is literally, do NOT panic. I got myself into such a state over this interview and it was so easy. You have to remember that you have already been approved, you have already had the medical, you have already given them everything they could possibly want about you - this is the final part so they can just meet you and check everything over one last time before giving you the visa. I know it's easy to say that in retrospect, but my lawyer kept telling me this over and over, yet I still got worked up over it. Providing you are genuine (and I hope that anyone reading this would be), then you have no reason to worry.
I'll be making another post later about the final steps after the interview, as there are a couple more things that you must do.
Dan.
The Visa Medical
Hello everyone,
16 October 2014: It should be noted this entry was supposed to have been posted several weeks ago, but alas life gets in the way!
My apologies for not writing in a while again. Life has been hectic as always! This entry is about my visa medical on 26th August. I didn't write earlier about this experience because to be honest, I didn't want to "relive" the day so soon again! However, I also am aware there is very little information on the internet about the medical, as I looked myself before mine, so I wanted to document it here.
The only doctors you can see for USA visa medicals are the ones specified by the US immigration authorities, which at time of writing (in the UK) are the Knightsbridge Doctors in London. My appointment was at 10.50am.
I left home very early, parking my car at a station near where I live and taking the train to London. It was raining, of course, which made things even more unpleasant than they already would be. Arriving in London at London Bridge I discovered the Jubilee line wasn't stopping at Bond Street due to engineering works, which is exactly where I needed to get off. So, I found an alternate route and got off at Green Park. I had to walk in the rain the now longer distance to the doctors, just north of Oxford Street.
When you arrive, press the outdoor buzzer, then once inside the hallway, the door to the surgery is immediately on the right. No need to knock, just enter. Once inside there are two windows at reception. Somebody will check you in and ask for your documents. I should note at this point that you will need to have already filled in the medical questionnaire before arrival (which you can find online). You will also need your police certificate if it hasn't already been submitted to the government, or a good photocopy of it, plus a US style passport photo (2 inches by 2 inches) and your passport. You will also need to provide your vaccination record, and make sure that your own surgery has given you a copy with your name and date of birth on it. As I discovered, a print out isn't enough. I gave them what I had, but had to go back to my doctor once I was home later that day, get a copy with my name and date of birth on, and email it to them. It wasn't a problem to do that, but it was an extra hassle on an already stressful day.
So, I gave my documents in, and was told to sit in the waiting area and fill out yet another questionnaire about my general health. You will be called by a nurse to review your vaccination records and determine if you need any boosters. Of course, again, nobody informed me, nor was it apparent at any point during this process that I'd need an MMR. I had already gotten my DTP booster at my own doctors surgery but now I had to get an MMR too! I was not amused, especially since their booster fee was another £45 on the £245 medical exam fee. This day was not going well! So I had the MMR there and then. As a side note, you will also need to get the one month booster from you own doctor, around a month after this first one. I had mine just a couple of days ago. You may be required to provide evidence you had it, in the future. After seeing the vaccination nurse, you have a chest X-ray to determine whether you have TB (because you wouldn't already know, right?!). I had to have mine taken twice (yay radiation?!) because the radiologist saw "a dark patch" and had to be sure it wasn't TB (like I said, like I wouldn't have already known anyway). If for some reason you are found to have TB you'll have to be treated for it and cleared again by these doctors at some later date before you can pass the medical and move to the US.
Once you've seen the radiologist you'll be called to see the panel doctor. The doctor will go through your questionnaire with you and ask questions about your general health and anything that you may have mentioned on your questionnaire that they feel needs further information, such as if you have suffered from depression or ever been hospitalised for any reason (operations, accidents, etc). The doctor will also check your height and weight, and ask you to read an eye chart (no idea why these would affect anything, and if they did, it'd be a gross violation of your rights and very discriminatory). Then, you will lay on a bed and have your blood pressure taken, and a blood test for STDs (some might call this having "blood drawn"). Men are also examined for testicular cancer.
If there is anything the doctor feels they need any more information on, they will tell you, and you might be given a form to take to your own doctor to request more information about whatever the case may be. If they don't require any more information, after everything described above, you'll sit and wait again to be called back to the reception window. Once called, pay the fees due, and you'll be on your way! If you don't hear anything from them within about 3 working days, then you can safely assume your blood test and X-ray results were fine. A few days later you will get in the post a copy of your vaccination record, but on a special US Department of State form. It is imperative you keep this form safe, apparently.
So that was my experience. Overall the actual being there wasn't that bad, but I have to say, it is not an experience I want to ever repeat. Knowing these doctors have the power to basically decide your whole life is intense, and being injected, X-ray'd, prodded and poked by strangers is not nice. On top of that, getting there is a pain, especially if like when I went train stations are closed and it is pouring with rain.
Dan.
Saturday, 23 August 2014
One Year Anniversary!
One year ago today, Jon and I got married!
Here's a collage of pictures of us from our adventures during our first year! You can click to see it larger.
Dan.
Here's a collage of pictures of us from our adventures during our first year! You can click to see it larger.
Dan.
Wednesday, 20 August 2014
Interview FINALLY scheduled!!
Hello everyone ,
I apologise for the long gap in between posts again, but until this past week we still hadn't made any further progress on our situation.
However, I say "until this past week" because there has finally been movement! Jon and I were away the weekend so I was unable to post about this, but I'm happy to report that after months of waiting and knowing nothing, we got an email on Thursday night from the NVC confirming an interview date with the US embassy in London!
To say it was an immense relief would be an understatement. We have waited a year now for this to happen, and it's felt like the day would never come!
Of course, before I can have the interview I have to attend a medical in London, which I booked yesterday for next week. This I'm not looking forward to. Prodded, poked, examined, tested and more - and for that I have to pay £235! Thankfully once it's done, it's done for good and I'll never have stuffer it again, but that doesn't necessarily make it any better.
The email we received from the NVC detailed what we needed to do next, including which documents I would be required to bring to the interview. There was also instructions to go to immigrantvisas.state.gov and complete the online registration. This is required so that you can confirm your appointment, and further select your document delivery details for once you have been approved by the consulate.
So, I'm registered on the website. I have my login and I confirmed my appointment. I actually still have to select which option I want for delivery of my passport and visa following the interview. I am going to chose home delivery, which apparently costs another £18. The reason for selecting home delivery though is easy. All the collection places on their list are a long way away and it'd cost me at least the £18 to get there, plus my own time and hassle, so I figure I might as well pay it and get them to deliver to me.
Well, here we are. In less than 6 weeks I'll have had my interview and should be waiting for my passport to b returned to I can travel to the US!
I'll update here again once I know more about the interview as we are talking to our lawyer in the next few weeks about what to expect. It's nerve racking to say the least, but it's finally here!
Dan.
I apologise for the long gap in between posts again, but until this past week we still hadn't made any further progress on our situation.
However, I say "until this past week" because there has finally been movement! Jon and I were away the weekend so I was unable to post about this, but I'm happy to report that after months of waiting and knowing nothing, we got an email on Thursday night from the NVC confirming an interview date with the US embassy in London!
To say it was an immense relief would be an understatement. We have waited a year now for this to happen, and it's felt like the day would never come!
Of course, before I can have the interview I have to attend a medical in London, which I booked yesterday for next week. This I'm not looking forward to. Prodded, poked, examined, tested and more - and for that I have to pay £235! Thankfully once it's done, it's done for good and I'll never have stuffer it again, but that doesn't necessarily make it any better.
The email we received from the NVC detailed what we needed to do next, including which documents I would be required to bring to the interview. There was also instructions to go to immigrantvisas.state.gov and complete the online registration. This is required so that you can confirm your appointment, and further select your document delivery details for once you have been approved by the consulate.
So, I'm registered on the website. I have my login and I confirmed my appointment. I actually still have to select which option I want for delivery of my passport and visa following the interview. I am going to chose home delivery, which apparently costs another £18. The reason for selecting home delivery though is easy. All the collection places on their list are a long way away and it'd cost me at least the £18 to get there, plus my own time and hassle, so I figure I might as well pay it and get them to deliver to me.
Well, here we are. In less than 6 weeks I'll have had my interview and should be waiting for my passport to b returned to I can travel to the US!
I'll update here again once I know more about the interview as we are talking to our lawyer in the next few weeks about what to expect. It's nerve racking to say the least, but it's finally here!
Dan.
Thursday, 24 July 2014
July Updates
Hello everyone,
I apologise for the lack of updates recently (again!). Life seems to be very busy and times moves too fast, and before I know it, it's the end of July and I haven't made any posts recently! Not that there is a lot to post about, sadly.
I had good intentions of posting a 4th entry, since this was the first year I was married to my American husband, which sort of in my mind made the holiday more "real" to me. As always though, it slipped my mind!
In my update from the 24th June I said that all our forms had been submitted and that we were now waiting to hear further details about my medical and interview. Since then we received some rather nondescript letters that, according to our lawyers, are standard mail-outs from the the government.
The first was a letter to say that they had "updated" my application. That's pretty much all it said, but at least they received all our documents and there were no issues. The next letter was one that I received, which was basically a printout of my details and our case number, which again, is just some standard thing they seem to do. It doesn't necessarily get us any further along, but it's some small consolation at least that someone, somewhere in the government, has looked at our file in order to generate these automatic letters.
We spoke to our lawyer yesterday, as we are growing increasingly frustrated with this epically long process, and as far as anyone knows, we should hear from the government regarding my interview "soon"... How soon that is is anybody's guess, but let's hope it's at least in the next month or two.
Once I have more, I'll be sure to update you all.
Dan.
I apologise for the lack of updates recently (again!). Life seems to be very busy and times moves too fast, and before I know it, it's the end of July and I haven't made any posts recently! Not that there is a lot to post about, sadly.
I had good intentions of posting a 4th entry, since this was the first year I was married to my American husband, which sort of in my mind made the holiday more "real" to me. As always though, it slipped my mind!
In my update from the 24th June I said that all our forms had been submitted and that we were now waiting to hear further details about my medical and interview. Since then we received some rather nondescript letters that, according to our lawyers, are standard mail-outs from the the government.
The first was a letter to say that they had "updated" my application. That's pretty much all it said, but at least they received all our documents and there were no issues. The next letter was one that I received, which was basically a printout of my details and our case number, which again, is just some standard thing they seem to do. It doesn't necessarily get us any further along, but it's some small consolation at least that someone, somewhere in the government, has looked at our file in order to generate these automatic letters.
We spoke to our lawyer yesterday, as we are growing increasingly frustrated with this epically long process, and as far as anyone knows, we should hear from the government regarding my interview "soon"... How soon that is is anybody's guess, but let's hope it's at least in the next month or two.
Once I have more, I'll be sure to update you all.
Dan.
Thursday, 26 June 2014
The First Anniversary
Hello everyone,
A year ago today, almost to the very moment that I write this, the United States Supreme Court finally announced its much anticipated ruling on the Edith Windsor case against the United States government.
We all know now of course that section 3 of DOMA was thrown out in a scathing attack by Justice Kennedy, thus enabling thousands of Americans and their partners to finally be allowed access to vital federal benefits.
Since that day Jon and I have gone through a torturous journey to get through the immigration process so that we can finally be together, and while it's been long and stressful, it's now possible thanks to a determined lady and her fight for equality.
We are nearing the end of the immigration process now, with only my medical and visa interview to come, and to think, a year and a day ago, it simply wasn't legal.
Mrs Windsor, we are eternally grateful - thank you.
Dan.
A year ago today, almost to the very moment that I write this, the United States Supreme Court finally announced its much anticipated ruling on the Edith Windsor case against the United States government.
We all know now of course that section 3 of DOMA was thrown out in a scathing attack by Justice Kennedy, thus enabling thousands of Americans and their partners to finally be allowed access to vital federal benefits.
Since that day Jon and I have gone through a torturous journey to get through the immigration process so that we can finally be together, and while it's been long and stressful, it's now possible thanks to a determined lady and her fight for equality.
We are nearing the end of the immigration process now, with only my medical and visa interview to come, and to think, a year and a day ago, it simply wasn't legal.
Mrs Windsor, we are eternally grateful - thank you.
Dan.
Tuesday, 24 June 2014
Update on our progress
Hello everyone,
Two weeks ago I sent off for my police certificate using the premium service (£80). Documents I needed for the police certificate were a copy of my passport, two letter addressed to me and a recent passport photo endorsed by a friend I've known for more than 2 years. The certificate came back within the week and I then sent it to our lawyers in Los Angeles.
Once the lawyers received it they then forwarded it to the National Visa Center (NVC). However, I didn't know until after the fact that I'd also need a copy to take to my medical interview eventually, so the lawyers scanned a copy and sent it to me, which I printed out.
Around the same time Jon had to fill out all the forms for the I-864 Affidavit of Support and send those along with the supporting documents to the lawyers also. Documents he needed for this included evidence of income and federal tax returns statements and IRS transcripts.
Now that everything has been submitted to the NVC, our lawyers tell us that it's literally a case of waiting for the embassy in London to contact me now with interview details!
After all we've been though in this long process, I cannot believe we are finally at the stage where I am just waiting for my medical and interview!
Once we hear any more I'll of course update here.
Dan.
Two weeks ago I sent off for my police certificate using the premium service (£80). Documents I needed for the police certificate were a copy of my passport, two letter addressed to me and a recent passport photo endorsed by a friend I've known for more than 2 years. The certificate came back within the week and I then sent it to our lawyers in Los Angeles.
Once the lawyers received it they then forwarded it to the National Visa Center (NVC). However, I didn't know until after the fact that I'd also need a copy to take to my medical interview eventually, so the lawyers scanned a copy and sent it to me, which I printed out.
Around the same time Jon had to fill out all the forms for the I-864 Affidavit of Support and send those along with the supporting documents to the lawyers also. Documents he needed for this included evidence of income and federal tax returns statements and IRS transcripts.
Now that everything has been submitted to the NVC, our lawyers tell us that it's literally a case of waiting for the embassy in London to contact me now with interview details!
After all we've been though in this long process, I cannot believe we are finally at the stage where I am just waiting for my medical and interview!
Once we hear any more I'll of course update here.
Dan.
Thursday, 5 June 2014
DS-260 submitted! Welcome to June!
Hello everyone,
Well it's now June and I can't believe how the time has flown by! I started this blog late last June when DOMA got thrown out, so it's been nearly a year now!
In that year you've seen me planning for our wedding, getting married, submit our initial petition, wait forever to get approved, followed by finally get approved and now here we are at what is nearly the end of this part of my journey!
The week before last, our lawyers filled out the DS-260 for us based on the information we had provided to them previously. We went through it and amended as necessary, and last night our lawyers informed us that it had been submitted to the government on our behalf!
Of course, last time I wrote here, we were waiting for a case number in order to submit the DS-260. What is strange is that our lawyers didn't actually inform us when we had gotten our case number, and the first we heard about it was when they emailed last night to simply say the forms had been sent. The department of state website says that the DS-260 can only be submitted with a case number, so we assume that's what's happened. I don't know why the lawyers failed to be forthcoming on this part, but so long as the job gets done then I guess it's all good!
So right now, based on a fairly good educated guess, we think we have a case number, which means that we are well on the way to the final stage of this infuriatingly long process.
At some point the lawyers will need to send in Jon's affidavit of support to the government, and once that is done then my application will sent to the US consulate in London where they will contact me with a date for my medical and my final interview. Phew!
There is one thing I need to do here in the meantime. You may recall a while ago I was worrying about police certificates for when I have my interview. Well, seeing as we are now in the final stages, today I printed out from the UK police website the form I need to send, wrote the cheque and prepared to send it. I need to get my passport photocopied though and enclose that, as well as a passport sized photo signed by someone I know.
I'll be sending it all early next week hopefully, and it should take about 2 weeks to come back to me.
One final thing. You may notice I've changed the address of this blog. It seemed to fit better in my mind, so if you have it saved anywhere remember to update your bookmarks.
Ok, I think that's everything. As always when there are further developments I'll post them here!
Dan.
Well it's now June and I can't believe how the time has flown by! I started this blog late last June when DOMA got thrown out, so it's been nearly a year now!
In that year you've seen me planning for our wedding, getting married, submit our initial petition, wait forever to get approved, followed by finally get approved and now here we are at what is nearly the end of this part of my journey!
The week before last, our lawyers filled out the DS-260 for us based on the information we had provided to them previously. We went through it and amended as necessary, and last night our lawyers informed us that it had been submitted to the government on our behalf!
Of course, last time I wrote here, we were waiting for a case number in order to submit the DS-260. What is strange is that our lawyers didn't actually inform us when we had gotten our case number, and the first we heard about it was when they emailed last night to simply say the forms had been sent. The department of state website says that the DS-260 can only be submitted with a case number, so we assume that's what's happened. I don't know why the lawyers failed to be forthcoming on this part, but so long as the job gets done then I guess it's all good!
So right now, based on a fairly good educated guess, we think we have a case number, which means that we are well on the way to the final stage of this infuriatingly long process.
At some point the lawyers will need to send in Jon's affidavit of support to the government, and once that is done then my application will sent to the US consulate in London where they will contact me with a date for my medical and my final interview. Phew!
There is one thing I need to do here in the meantime. You may recall a while ago I was worrying about police certificates for when I have my interview. Well, seeing as we are now in the final stages, today I printed out from the UK police website the form I need to send, wrote the cheque and prepared to send it. I need to get my passport photocopied though and enclose that, as well as a passport sized photo signed by someone I know.
I'll be sending it all early next week hopefully, and it should take about 2 weeks to come back to me.
One final thing. You may notice I've changed the address of this blog. It seemed to fit better in my mind, so if you have it saved anywhere remember to update your bookmarks.
Ok, I think that's everything. As always when there are further developments I'll post them here!
Dan.
Sunday, 4 May 2014
Updates - May 2014
Hello everyone,
I'm sorry that I didn't post anything in April, but Jon and I were both very busy travelling and working.
Last time I was here, I spoke about our recent approval for our visa application. Well, the week after I posted that we received the hard copy in the mail, which we were of course very happy about.
We are now about half way through the next stage, waiting for our case number to come through and the go ahead to send in the next round of forms. From what our lawyers say, we are hoping that this will be by the end of May/start of June - not long to go!
At the start of April I had to go to the emergency eye clinic (near where I live here in the UK) because I was having an issue with my right eye. It's hard to explain what was happening, but it basically caused me enough concern that I went to my optician, they looked at my eyes, and immediately referred me to the eye doctor. I took my referral letter the following day (a Sunday no less) and was checked over by the eye doctor at the clinic. Although there is an underlying issue, it isn't anything to worry about right now, apparently. I have a condition developing that normally starts a bit later in life, that generally effects everyone. It's more to do with the ageing process and develops naturally as we get older. It's just for some reason, it has started earlier in me. You can imagine all the things that were going through my mind while sitting in the clinic, so I was relieved to hear that it wasn't cause for concern.
Jon then came over and we spent nearly 3 weeks together, 10 days of which were spent on a driving tour of some sights in Europe we had yet to visit together, and some old favourites along the way!
We started off by visiting some dear friends of ours in the Netherlands, in their home town of Hulst. From there we visited Amsterdam with them, and a place just over the border in Belgium, called Sint Niklaas. After 3 wonderful days in the Netherlands we headed down to Belgium, to the city of Antwerp. We were visiting good friends who live just east of the city, and again spent 3 days there. We explored Antwerp (although we had been before), and also drove over the border to Germany for a day to a place called Aachen.
From Belgium we drove to Disneyland Paris where we spent 5 wonderful days enjoying their Swing into Spring festivities.
Finally, last weekend we went to see the hit musical Wicked, in London for Jon's (belated) birthday present.
In less than 3 weeks time we are off to Tokyo for a week where we will of course be visiting Tokyo Disney Resort.
Have a great weekend everyone.
Dan.
I'm sorry that I didn't post anything in April, but Jon and I were both very busy travelling and working.
Last time I was here, I spoke about our recent approval for our visa application. Well, the week after I posted that we received the hard copy in the mail, which we were of course very happy about.
We are now about half way through the next stage, waiting for our case number to come through and the go ahead to send in the next round of forms. From what our lawyers say, we are hoping that this will be by the end of May/start of June - not long to go!
At the start of April I had to go to the emergency eye clinic (near where I live here in the UK) because I was having an issue with my right eye. It's hard to explain what was happening, but it basically caused me enough concern that I went to my optician, they looked at my eyes, and immediately referred me to the eye doctor. I took my referral letter the following day (a Sunday no less) and was checked over by the eye doctor at the clinic. Although there is an underlying issue, it isn't anything to worry about right now, apparently. I have a condition developing that normally starts a bit later in life, that generally effects everyone. It's more to do with the ageing process and develops naturally as we get older. It's just for some reason, it has started earlier in me. You can imagine all the things that were going through my mind while sitting in the clinic, so I was relieved to hear that it wasn't cause for concern.
Jon then came over and we spent nearly 3 weeks together, 10 days of which were spent on a driving tour of some sights in Europe we had yet to visit together, and some old favourites along the way!
We started off by visiting some dear friends of ours in the Netherlands, in their home town of Hulst. From there we visited Amsterdam with them, and a place just over the border in Belgium, called Sint Niklaas. After 3 wonderful days in the Netherlands we headed down to Belgium, to the city of Antwerp. We were visiting good friends who live just east of the city, and again spent 3 days there. We explored Antwerp (although we had been before), and also drove over the border to Germany for a day to a place called Aachen.
From Belgium we drove to Disneyland Paris where we spent 5 wonderful days enjoying their Swing into Spring festivities.
Finally, last weekend we went to see the hit musical Wicked, in London for Jon's (belated) birthday present.
In less than 3 weeks time we are off to Tokyo for a week where we will of course be visiting Tokyo Disney Resort.
Have a great weekend everyone.
Dan.
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