Two years on!

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.

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.

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.