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.
Showing posts with label Green Card. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Green Card. Show all posts
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.
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.
Tuesday, 2 July 2013
Confirmation of applications being accepted
Hello everyone,
Some good news today, as US Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano confirmed that with immediate effect the US immigration services were accepting same sex bi-national applications.
Although we knew this had already started, it's good to have official confirmation from the government!
It's also been confirmed (it had been suspected that this would be the case), that couples residing in States that do not recognise same sex marriages will still be able to file, providing they married in a place where the union was legal.
Attached below are two images confirming this news, courtesy of The DOMA Project.
Dan.
Some good news today, as US Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano confirmed that with immediate effect the US immigration services were accepting same sex bi-national applications.
Although we knew this had already started, it's good to have official confirmation from the government!
It's also been confirmed (it had been suspected that this would be the case), that couples residing in States that do not recognise same sex marriages will still be able to file, providing they married in a place where the union was legal.
Attached below are two images confirming this news, courtesy of The DOMA Project.
Dan.
Sunday, 30 June 2013
Clarification on the newly approved green card applications
Hello everyone,
Yesterday I posted that same sex bi-national couples have started receiving their approval notices from the US immigration services.
I made the comment that these must have been ones submitted before DOMA was thrown out.
I did some looking around the internet, and I posted in some Facebook groups, and it seems - from what I can tell - I was right.
Now, in the process of me asking around I had some very 'off' replies from people who claimed that they don't see my point, and that they "didn't have anything to lose" at that point when they filed.
I'm no immigration expert by any means, but it was a risk, and they did have something to lose.
When you enter the US on a visa waiver or tourist visa, they ask you if you have ever been denied entry into the US.
I realise this doesn't necessarily translate to "have you ever been denied a green card application?", but I would not want to fly to DC, turn up at the border, and be told to go back home. They can ban you from the country for 5 years for that.
Maybe I'm missing the point. I don't know. But it does seem that these people took a huge risk.
It's bad enough being separated by distances as it is, let alone not being allowed into the country!
If you are currently in a situation like Jon and I, where you are about to file or waiting until you get some better legal advice, just make sure you research all the facts first.
The outcome is the most important thing, and you don't want to mess it up!
Dan.
Yesterday I posted that same sex bi-national couples have started receiving their approval notices from the US immigration services.
I made the comment that these must have been ones submitted before DOMA was thrown out.
I did some looking around the internet, and I posted in some Facebook groups, and it seems - from what I can tell - I was right.
Now, in the process of me asking around I had some very 'off' replies from people who claimed that they don't see my point, and that they "didn't have anything to lose" at that point when they filed.
I'm no immigration expert by any means, but it was a risk, and they did have something to lose.
When you enter the US on a visa waiver or tourist visa, they ask you if you have ever been denied entry into the US.
I realise this doesn't necessarily translate to "have you ever been denied a green card application?", but I would not want to fly to DC, turn up at the border, and be told to go back home. They can ban you from the country for 5 years for that.
Maybe I'm missing the point. I don't know. But it does seem that these people took a huge risk.
It's bad enough being separated by distances as it is, let alone not being allowed into the country!
If you are currently in a situation like Jon and I, where you are about to file or waiting until you get some better legal advice, just make sure you research all the facts first.
The outcome is the most important thing, and you don't want to mess it up!
Dan.
Saturday, 29 June 2013
BREAKING! Same Sex Green Cards applications have begun being approved!!
Hello everyone,
Breaking news across the internet this afternoon is that bi-national couples have already started receiving the official notifications from the immigration services that their green card applications have been approved!
This is quite remarkable since Section 3 of DOMA was only thrown out on Wednesday!
I doubt these are new applications, since that would be way too quick - these are probably ones put on hold that were filed by people before DOMA was thrown out.
It had been in the news that pending the outcome of DOMA, applications were being held, instead of being denied.
Honestly, it is amazing for those folks that this is now happening, but I would not have taken the risk of a visa denial in the event of an unfavourable DOMA ruling.
It's bad enough that Jon and I are in the present situation, let alone being banned from entering the US or something because of a bad visa application!
We've gone through too much to experience that!
So although now a happy result, those people were taking a huge risk!
Just my thoughts.
Dan.
Breaking news across the internet this afternoon is that bi-national couples have already started receiving the official notifications from the immigration services that their green card applications have been approved!
This is quite remarkable since Section 3 of DOMA was only thrown out on Wednesday!
I doubt these are new applications, since that would be way too quick - these are probably ones put on hold that were filed by people before DOMA was thrown out.
It had been in the news that pending the outcome of DOMA, applications were being held, instead of being denied.
Honestly, it is amazing for those folks that this is now happening, but I would not have taken the risk of a visa denial in the event of an unfavourable DOMA ruling.
It's bad enough that Jon and I are in the present situation, let alone being banned from entering the US or something because of a bad visa application!
We've gone through too much to experience that!
So although now a happy result, those people were taking a huge risk!
Just my thoughts.
Dan.
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