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.
Showing posts with label Law. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Law. Show all posts
Tuesday, 22 September 2015
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.
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.
Sunday, 30 March 2014
The nest step in the process and police certificates
Hello everyone,
Last night Jon and I spoke with our lawyer at Masliah and Soloway, and went through what will be happening next in the immigration process.
I want to document it all here so that we can have a clear outline of what to expect after an I-130 petition has been approved by USCIS.
Our lawyers had emailed us in the early hours of the morning, UK time, on Thursday to inform us that our approval had came in "moments ago". It was around 8pm California time, which seemed odd anyway, but it was an electronic notification, and not a postal one. Since then we have spoken to our lawyer, and he said that the postal one may not arrive for several weeks yet. This makes me wonder, had we not used a lawyer, would we still be none the wiser now? Or if we had done it ourselves would there have been an electronic notification option for us, too? All I can say is, I am glad they got notified before the paper version came!
So now we have our approval, and we can move on to the next stage with the National Visa Center. First of all this involves us filling out a worksheet for our lawyer, with all the relevant information, which will then be transferred on to the actual document. The document in question is the DS-260, which is all about me.
The process should happen something like this, providing I understood it all correctly:
Jon and I fill out the DS-260 and pay our lawyers their fee and the government fee for the National Visa Center (NVC). The current government fee is $318 (US).
In the meantime our case is being transferred by the USCIS from them to the NVC. Once it is transferred, the NVC give us a case number and requests the fee from our lawyer, and the DS-260 is submitted also.
Once the NVC has received all of this, they process it all, and in due course we will get more forms to fill out, which at this stage I understand is to do with finances for the sponsor (Jon) with an affidavit of support to say he will support me. Tax returns for the past 3 years are also required, including a tax transcript which can be obtained easily from the IRS.
When those forms have been filled out, and we have our case number, we just wait to hear from them again.
To get the case number takes up to about 8 weeks currently, according to our lawyer. Once we have the case number have submitted the second round of forms in this stage, they will let us know when they move it to the consulate. Finally, we will hear from the consulate in London, which can take from 1 to 3 months.
I know that all sounds a bit confusing, but I tried to make as clear as possible. Unfortunately, as is the nature of anything to do with the government, nothing is simple, therefore explaining it can be tricky!
At some point during all of this, though, I have to request a police certificate to take along to my interview at the end of the whole process. Getting one in the UK is simple, but last night when we spoke to the lawyer, I almost had a heart attack.
He knows that I had spent some time in Canada on a work visa, and he said that I would need a police certificate for there too, since I was there for longer than 6 months. He said it should be as simple as getting one here. Of course, it isn't. When I started looking into it, there are a number of complicated procedures involved in getting a police certificate from Canada.
First off, you have to be fingerprinted. This can be done by local police in the country where you live, and fees can be high, although they are fairly easy to get. You then have to submit them electronically with you application to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. However, they only accept electronic fingerprints! They do not accept paper prints, which is what any police station would give you. Or at least if you get digital ones you must get a print out of them, which effectively makes them paper.
So, in order to get them digitised, you have to use a company authorised to scan the print out, who are based in Canada. Thankfully, they cover all costs, except the visit to the police in your home country of course, and submit your application with the digitised prints, and send the confirmation back to you. One company we looked at charged around $200 (US) total for this service.
Of course, whilst I was having a mini stroke about all this I found myself on the US Embassy in London website, looking at the police certificate requirements.
"Police certificates are required for all countries you have lived in for more than 12 months over the age of 16 years."
Basically, I do not have to get one after all!
I emailed our lawyer back, and he said that it is indeed 12 months. Of course, that was not what Jon and I heard on our call with him, otherwise why would we have put ourselves through this stress?!
My advice here is that, if you have lived in any other country continuously for exactly 12 months or more, be prepared to have to get police certificates for all those countries, and sometimes they are not easy to get. Our lawyer told us of a case where a man had lived in the Caribbean on business for a while, and had to get one from the country he was based in. Of course, being a developing nation they had no other means of doing it except in the country itself! Yes, the man had to travel to the Caribbean to get this document! Thankfully, had I needed one from Canada, I would have just used this authorised company, and paid the $200 for them to do it for me. Not ideal, but better than flying back to Toronto!
If you have any questions, I am more than happy to try and answer them.
Have a great Sunday everyone,
Dan.
Last night Jon and I spoke with our lawyer at Masliah and Soloway, and went through what will be happening next in the immigration process.
I want to document it all here so that we can have a clear outline of what to expect after an I-130 petition has been approved by USCIS.
Our lawyers had emailed us in the early hours of the morning, UK time, on Thursday to inform us that our approval had came in "moments ago". It was around 8pm California time, which seemed odd anyway, but it was an electronic notification, and not a postal one. Since then we have spoken to our lawyer, and he said that the postal one may not arrive for several weeks yet. This makes me wonder, had we not used a lawyer, would we still be none the wiser now? Or if we had done it ourselves would there have been an electronic notification option for us, too? All I can say is, I am glad they got notified before the paper version came!
So now we have our approval, and we can move on to the next stage with the National Visa Center. First of all this involves us filling out a worksheet for our lawyer, with all the relevant information, which will then be transferred on to the actual document. The document in question is the DS-260, which is all about me.
The process should happen something like this, providing I understood it all correctly:
Jon and I fill out the DS-260 and pay our lawyers their fee and the government fee for the National Visa Center (NVC). The current government fee is $318 (US).
In the meantime our case is being transferred by the USCIS from them to the NVC. Once it is transferred, the NVC give us a case number and requests the fee from our lawyer, and the DS-260 is submitted also.
Once the NVC has received all of this, they process it all, and in due course we will get more forms to fill out, which at this stage I understand is to do with finances for the sponsor (Jon) with an affidavit of support to say he will support me. Tax returns for the past 3 years are also required, including a tax transcript which can be obtained easily from the IRS.
When those forms have been filled out, and we have our case number, we just wait to hear from them again.
To get the case number takes up to about 8 weeks currently, according to our lawyer. Once we have the case number have submitted the second round of forms in this stage, they will let us know when they move it to the consulate. Finally, we will hear from the consulate in London, which can take from 1 to 3 months.
I know that all sounds a bit confusing, but I tried to make as clear as possible. Unfortunately, as is the nature of anything to do with the government, nothing is simple, therefore explaining it can be tricky!
At some point during all of this, though, I have to request a police certificate to take along to my interview at the end of the whole process. Getting one in the UK is simple, but last night when we spoke to the lawyer, I almost had a heart attack.
He knows that I had spent some time in Canada on a work visa, and he said that I would need a police certificate for there too, since I was there for longer than 6 months. He said it should be as simple as getting one here. Of course, it isn't. When I started looking into it, there are a number of complicated procedures involved in getting a police certificate from Canada.
First off, you have to be fingerprinted. This can be done by local police in the country where you live, and fees can be high, although they are fairly easy to get. You then have to submit them electronically with you application to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. However, they only accept electronic fingerprints! They do not accept paper prints, which is what any police station would give you. Or at least if you get digital ones you must get a print out of them, which effectively makes them paper.
So, in order to get them digitised, you have to use a company authorised to scan the print out, who are based in Canada. Thankfully, they cover all costs, except the visit to the police in your home country of course, and submit your application with the digitised prints, and send the confirmation back to you. One company we looked at charged around $200 (US) total for this service.
Of course, whilst I was having a mini stroke about all this I found myself on the US Embassy in London website, looking at the police certificate requirements.
"Police certificates are required for all countries you have lived in for more than 12 months over the age of 16 years."
Basically, I do not have to get one after all!
I emailed our lawyer back, and he said that it is indeed 12 months. Of course, that was not what Jon and I heard on our call with him, otherwise why would we have put ourselves through this stress?!
My advice here is that, if you have lived in any other country continuously for exactly 12 months or more, be prepared to have to get police certificates for all those countries, and sometimes they are not easy to get. Our lawyer told us of a case where a man had lived in the Caribbean on business for a while, and had to get one from the country he was based in. Of course, being a developing nation they had no other means of doing it except in the country itself! Yes, the man had to travel to the Caribbean to get this document! Thankfully, had I needed one from Canada, I would have just used this authorised company, and paid the $200 for them to do it for me. Not ideal, but better than flying back to Toronto!
If you have any questions, I am more than happy to try and answer them.
Have a great Sunday everyone,
Dan.
Thursday, 13 March 2014
Same Sex Marriage comes into effect in England and Wales - we're married all over again!
Hello everyone,
You may recall that last year, the United Kingdom government passed the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013. This bill passed through both Houses of Parliament in a Conservative government with the support of all three main political parties, including the (Conservative) Prime Minister, David Cameron.
Finally today the provisions of the bill came into full effect.
It now means of course that same sex couples have the freedom to marry in England and Wales - although not at Church of England churches or the Church in Wales churches; however other religious organisations can opt in to being a recognised same sex marriage provider. I believe that part, if not the whole reason, for the English and Welsh churches being prohibited in the bill to perform the marriages ceremonies is because they are national churches, and the issue faced a lot of opposition from back bench Conservative MPs in the Commons, and spiritual leaders and peers in the House of Lords. You have to understand that despite our greatly advanced political thinking in the UK, that the peers sitting in the House of Lords include spiritual leaders and hereditary peers who have inherited their titles! My point is that given the United Kingdom has a state church, of which the head of state (the Queen) is the leader, and our upper house is formed of peers and spiritual leaders, it's quite remarkable that Civil Partnerships were even passed ten years ago, let alone same sex marriage last year!
There are two other things that come out of this bill which also come into effect today. Anyone who had previously been Civil Partnered in the United Kingdom is now entitled to "upgrade" their CP to marriage status if they so chose. Anyone who was legally married overseas in a same sex marriage was previously recognised as having a CP, but now automatically are recognised as being married.
Yesterday Jon and I were recognised as married in Maryland, US, and CP'd in the UK - today we are married in both!
Same sex marriage is a devolved issue in the UK (devolved means that some issues are handled on a local government level, and not all national UK laws automatically apply). Scotland passed its own same sex marriage bill last month, which should come into effect before the end of the year. Northern Ireland will be the only part of the UK without same sex marriage. Civil Partnerships are a UK national law, and therefore Northern Ireland continues to recognise and perform them.
It's truly a milestone and testament to the progressive thinking of our government that we have come this far, and I sincerely applaud their efforts.
Dan.
You may recall that last year, the United Kingdom government passed the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013. This bill passed through both Houses of Parliament in a Conservative government with the support of all three main political parties, including the (Conservative) Prime Minister, David Cameron.
Finally today the provisions of the bill came into full effect.
It now means of course that same sex couples have the freedom to marry in England and Wales - although not at Church of England churches or the Church in Wales churches; however other religious organisations can opt in to being a recognised same sex marriage provider. I believe that part, if not the whole reason, for the English and Welsh churches being prohibited in the bill to perform the marriages ceremonies is because they are national churches, and the issue faced a lot of opposition from back bench Conservative MPs in the Commons, and spiritual leaders and peers in the House of Lords. You have to understand that despite our greatly advanced political thinking in the UK, that the peers sitting in the House of Lords include spiritual leaders and hereditary peers who have inherited their titles! My point is that given the United Kingdom has a state church, of which the head of state (the Queen) is the leader, and our upper house is formed of peers and spiritual leaders, it's quite remarkable that Civil Partnerships were even passed ten years ago, let alone same sex marriage last year!
There are two other things that come out of this bill which also come into effect today. Anyone who had previously been Civil Partnered in the United Kingdom is now entitled to "upgrade" their CP to marriage status if they so chose. Anyone who was legally married overseas in a same sex marriage was previously recognised as having a CP, but now automatically are recognised as being married.
Yesterday Jon and I were recognised as married in Maryland, US, and CP'd in the UK - today we are married in both!
Same sex marriage is a devolved issue in the UK (devolved means that some issues are handled on a local government level, and not all national UK laws automatically apply). Scotland passed its own same sex marriage bill last month, which should come into effect before the end of the year. Northern Ireland will be the only part of the UK without same sex marriage. Civil Partnerships are a UK national law, and therefore Northern Ireland continues to recognise and perform them.
It's truly a milestone and testament to the progressive thinking of our government that we have come this far, and I sincerely applaud their efforts.
Dan.
Saturday, 27 July 2013
Step One - Hiring a Lawyer
Hello everyone,
For the Foreign National Spouse - Beneficiary:
After several weeks of waiting to hear from the lawyer at Masliah and Soloway, we finally had our consultation last night!
As you may recall, their company was the ones who helped set up the DOMA Project, which was designed by the firm's lawyers to challenge DOMA.
After DOMA was overturned, they began offering initial consultations for free.
We applied for this, but only last night did we finally get ours.
Anyway, we spent an hour or so talking via Skype to Lavi Soloway, having a detailed discussion about what happened next, what we should do and the immigration process.
Overall it was very useful. He was able to clarify for us a few questions we had, and we have decided to go ahead and hire them as our representatives through this process.
Their fees seem quite reasonable, and are a flat fee rather than ongoing costs that they bill us for. It allows you to know exactly where you stand.
Lavi informed us that they are very flexible with payments, and will always try to figure out what is best for the clients.
So, to begin with the fee for the filing of the first round of paperwork will cost $1500, which we are paying as three $500 instalments.
For this fee, they sent us a list of everything we need to gather.
We send it all to them, and then they will file the forms on our behalf.
We also have to pay them the fees as required for the I-130 petition. These are currently set at $420.
This is the list and instructions sent to us:
For the U.S. Citizen Spouse - Petitioner:
*Marriage Certificate
*Birth Certificate
*Biographical Page of U.S. Passport
*Marriage Certificate
*Birth Certificate
*Biographical Page of U.S. Passport
*U.S. Naturalization Certificate (if applicable)
*Document Evidencing Termination of Prior Marriage (if applicable)
*One Passport-style Photograph (requirements: <http://www.travel.state.gov/visa/visaphotoreq/visaphotoreq_5334.html> )
For the Foreign National Spouse - Beneficiary:
*Birth Certificate (with certified translation if document is not in English)
*Passport(s) (a copy of each page of each passport, including cover)
*Passport(s) (a copy of each page of each passport, including cover)
*Document Evidencing Termination of Prior Marriage (if applicable)
One Passport-style Photograph (requirements for this linked above)
All documents not in English must be accompanied by certified translations. Upon request, we can have any documents translated on your behalf for a small fee. Each translation must include a statement signed by the translator that states that the:
*Translation is accurate, and,
*Translator is competent to translate from that language into English.
One Passport-style Photograph (requirements for this linked above)
All documents not in English must be accompanied by certified translations. Upon request, we can have any documents translated on your behalf for a small fee. Each translation must include a statement signed by the translator that states that the:
*Translation is accurate, and,
*Translator is competent to translate from that language into English.
Of course, only a select few things on that list apply to us, but it is worth noting here for people reading this that it does affect.
So, when I am with Jon this week, we will fill out the forms that were attached to the email, get our photos taken, and send both with the fees and copies of our birth certificates to them.
Once we are married we will forward them our marriage certificate.
The lawyers will then send everything needed to the USCIS, and step one will be completed!
Once we have the forms in hand, and we are filling them out, I will document more accurately what you have to do exactly, as so that others can benefit from our experience.
I had mentioned that there was a second fee for the lawyers.
This is the only only other fee we pay them, besides and US government fees which they pay on our behalf when we send them the money.
It just takes away the stress of us doing it, and potentially getting it wrong. They ask, we provide, and we know it'll get done properly!
Anyway, the second fee I believe was $2500.
This will be for all assistance and forms etc after the I-130 has been sent, basically until the end of the process.
So, to recap, here's what we've had to do so far/about to do if not already:
*Hire a good immigration lawyer (Masliah and Soloway are immigration experts, and founders of the DOMA Project).
*Order any copies of birth certificates we don't hold.
*Send copies of these, plus passport photos, all our passport information, and travel information about my visits to the US.
*Provide personal biographical information to the lawyer, such as home addresses, work, Jon's income etc.
*File the lawyer fee and USCIS fee with the lawyers.
*Get married so that the lawyers can file the I-130 petition with the USCIS.
You may have noticed that "get married" was on the list. You may also recall that we haven't done this yet, as I was looking into venues etc.
Well, I am going to update about that probably tomorrow, so stay tuned!
Overall so far hasn't been too painful. Just a lot of waiting. And there'll be a lot more of that over the next year!
I'm actually typing this on my iPhone right now, but when I'm back at my desk I am going to make another update about getting married, what we have done to get that started, and I also will attach the forms we have had to fill out so far, so that you can all see the process exactly as it is (blank copies of course, which then you can print and use as a practice model if you want).
Dan.
Monday, 22 July 2013
Food for Thought - Lawyers, Birth Certificates and Working
Hello everyone,
Just some food for thought this afternoon.
First off, I am still waiting for my full UK birth certificate to arrive. Apparently it is being sent out today! I'll be glad to finally have it in my hands!
Second, I want to mention our experience with the lawyers so far.
As you may recall, Jon and I decided to take up the free offer from Masliah-Soloway. Unfortunately they haven't really proven themselves to be very helpful or efficient so far.
I assume their offer was not only to help same sex bi-national couples, but of course to also drum up business. I mean, a company offers a free consultation, and if you're impressed, you'd hire them, right?
Well, according to their Facebook page so far they have helped over 200 couples on this "offer" and filed over 100 immigration petitions.
I emailed them within the hour they posted about their offer way back after DOMA was struck down.
All we have had so far is some rather vague emails asking if we can Skype during the evenings. And that was well over a week ago.
If anyone has had a better experience with them, please feel free to share it with me, but thus far we are probably going to ditch them and hire a more reliable lawyer.
A shame since Masliah-Soloway are meant to be experts in same sex immigration. Oh well, c'est la vie.
The last thing I wanted to mention was something just bugged me in a conversation I saw online, and actually made me think about my own situation.
When I come to the US I'll probably lose a lot of the benefits that I get now in my adult working life.
Workers in the UK are entitled by law to 5.6 weeks paid annual leave per year (equivalent to 28 days full time; pro-rata for part time). Armed forces get 38 days. Our minimum wage for working adults is £6.19, rising to £6.31 on 1st October this year (that's just under US $10).
As a comparison, the US Federal minimum wage is currently $7.25 ($2 less than the UK), and companies are NOT required to pay you for time off, according to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).
That's not to say whoever I end up working for won't be more generous, and I know some companies are fairly decent, but it's the fact that there is nothing that binds them in law to give me those benefits, whereas here in the UK it's my right.
Like I said, some food for thought for you today.
Dan.
Just some food for thought this afternoon.
First off, I am still waiting for my full UK birth certificate to arrive. Apparently it is being sent out today! I'll be glad to finally have it in my hands!
Second, I want to mention our experience with the lawyers so far.
As you may recall, Jon and I decided to take up the free offer from Masliah-Soloway. Unfortunately they haven't really proven themselves to be very helpful or efficient so far.
I assume their offer was not only to help same sex bi-national couples, but of course to also drum up business. I mean, a company offers a free consultation, and if you're impressed, you'd hire them, right?
Well, according to their Facebook page so far they have helped over 200 couples on this "offer" and filed over 100 immigration petitions.
I emailed them within the hour they posted about their offer way back after DOMA was struck down.
All we have had so far is some rather vague emails asking if we can Skype during the evenings. And that was well over a week ago.
If anyone has had a better experience with them, please feel free to share it with me, but thus far we are probably going to ditch them and hire a more reliable lawyer.
A shame since Masliah-Soloway are meant to be experts in same sex immigration. Oh well, c'est la vie.
The last thing I wanted to mention was something just bugged me in a conversation I saw online, and actually made me think about my own situation.
When I come to the US I'll probably lose a lot of the benefits that I get now in my adult working life.
Workers in the UK are entitled by law to 5.6 weeks paid annual leave per year (equivalent to 28 days full time; pro-rata for part time). Armed forces get 38 days. Our minimum wage for working adults is £6.19, rising to £6.31 on 1st October this year (that's just under US $10).
As a comparison, the US Federal minimum wage is currently $7.25 ($2 less than the UK), and companies are NOT required to pay you for time off, according to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).
That's not to say whoever I end up working for won't be more generous, and I know some companies are fairly decent, but it's the fact that there is nothing that binds them in law to give me those benefits, whereas here in the UK it's my right.
Like I said, some food for thought for you today.
Dan.
Wednesday, 17 July 2013
Equal Marriage becomes law in England and Wales
Hello everyone,
Today, the final formality in the process of making the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill law happened.
The final stage, known as Royal Assent, was announced by the Speaker in the House of Commons this afternoon.
The new law is quite complicated, and there are lots of amendments and clauses that went into it, before it was finally passed.
Later this week I hope to pick it apart more thoroughly and make a post on here about what it covers, and what it doesn't.
There is one point I want to make clear. The Queen is for the most part a figurehead, and plays no part in politics and the government's policies. The Queen nearly always keeps her opinions to herself, and would never compromise herself or her government by making any potential controversial statements (she leaves that to her husband... *wink wink* for any Brits reading this!).
My point is that she did not give her "approval" or have any part in the debate, despite what the US mass media are claiming. They are simply sensationalist headlines.
If she refused to sign anything into law (and I'm not even sure that technically she even does that these days) I am almost certain that the Conservatives would waste no time in holding a referendum and getting rid of the monarchy altogether!
A move in the right direction for sure, but remember, even though this was debated in the Parliament of the United Kingdom, this bill only covers England and Wales. Scotland are likely to pass their own law, and Northern Ireland, well, who knows...
Dan.
Today, the final formality in the process of making the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill law happened.
The final stage, known as Royal Assent, was announced by the Speaker in the House of Commons this afternoon.
The new law is quite complicated, and there are lots of amendments and clauses that went into it, before it was finally passed.
Later this week I hope to pick it apart more thoroughly and make a post on here about what it covers, and what it doesn't.
There is one point I want to make clear. The Queen is for the most part a figurehead, and plays no part in politics and the government's policies. The Queen nearly always keeps her opinions to herself, and would never compromise herself or her government by making any potential controversial statements (she leaves that to her husband... *wink wink* for any Brits reading this!).
My point is that she did not give her "approval" or have any part in the debate, despite what the US mass media are claiming. They are simply sensationalist headlines.
If she refused to sign anything into law (and I'm not even sure that technically she even does that these days) I am almost certain that the Conservatives would waste no time in holding a referendum and getting rid of the monarchy altogether!
A move in the right direction for sure, but remember, even though this was debated in the Parliament of the United Kingdom, this bill only covers England and Wales. Scotland are likely to pass their own law, and Northern Ireland, well, who knows...
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.
Friday, 28 June 2013
FREE Legal Consultation Being Offered for Bi-National Couples!
Hello everyone,
I have yet another really great piece of information! Two in a row!
The DOMA Project just posted on their Facebook page this image (below), about FREE consultations being offered by Masliah & Soloway, for same sex bi-national couples!
We have already emailed them, and already had a reply!
They seem very friendly, and have sent us forms to fill out with all our details, and a list of documents they require from us in order to set up a FREE consultation about our situation!
We have so many questions now that DOMA has been struck down, and I've spent the last 2 days giving myself a headache, so this is very welcomed!
Although not obligatory, seeing as they are waiving their $475 fee, they have asked for a small donation where possible.
After we have had our consultation, and are satisfied with their service we will definitely make a donation. Their willingness to help for free, and the fact they care about people in our situation means a lot to us, so a small contribution (not $475 of course!) would be fair.
Dan.
I have yet another really great piece of information! Two in a row!
The DOMA Project just posted on their Facebook page this image (below), about FREE consultations being offered by Masliah & Soloway, for same sex bi-national couples!
We have already emailed them, and already had a reply!
They seem very friendly, and have sent us forms to fill out with all our details, and a list of documents they require from us in order to set up a FREE consultation about our situation!
We have so many questions now that DOMA has been struck down, and I've spent the last 2 days giving myself a headache, so this is very welcomed!
Although not obligatory, seeing as they are waiving their $475 fee, they have asked for a small donation where possible.
After we have had our consultation, and are satisfied with their service we will definitely make a donation. Their willingness to help for free, and the fact they care about people in our situation means a lot to us, so a small contribution (not $475 of course!) would be fair.
Dan.
Helpful DOMA Q&A Sheet
Hello everyone,
This extremely useful fact sheet was just compiled and posted online by a collaboration of equal rights groups, including Immigration Equality (a site I had previously recommended).
It may answer a lot of questions you have.
You can click the highlighted links below to go to the full sized page.
Dan.
This extremely useful fact sheet was just compiled and posted online by a collaboration of equal rights groups, including Immigration Equality (a site I had previously recommended).
It may answer a lot of questions you have.
You can click the highlighted links below to go to the full sized page.
Dan.
Recommended Immigration Law Book
Hello everyone,
The immigration process to the United States is not straight forward. It can take many months, a lot of money, and a lot of paperwork. And that's if you're legally married and have all the correct requirements!
Jon and I are probably going to hire an immigration lawyer to help us through the process, but we also bought a book from Nolo, who specialise in law.
The current edition on their website of course is pre-DOMA, but all the technicalities and the principle should remain the same. It is an extremely useful resource, and is definitely cheaper than a lawyer!
http://www.nolo.com/products/fiance-and-marriage-visas-imar.html
Dan.
The immigration process to the United States is not straight forward. It can take many months, a lot of money, and a lot of paperwork. And that's if you're legally married and have all the correct requirements!
Jon and I are probably going to hire an immigration lawyer to help us through the process, but we also bought a book from Nolo, who specialise in law.
The current edition on their website of course is pre-DOMA, but all the technicalities and the principle should remain the same. It is an extremely useful resource, and is definitely cheaper than a lawyer!
http://www.nolo.com/products/fiance-and-marriage-visas-imar.html
Dan.
18, and one more makes 19!
Hello everyone,
I was pondering how many of you out there might be in a similar situation as Jon and I, with being a bi-national same sex couple.
It made me wonder how many lives across the globe were affected by hurtful immigration policies.
To my knowledge (and I could be wrong), but before the historic decision in the US this week, only 18 countries allowed sponsorship for same sex couples. Now, with the death of DOMA in the newly liberated USA, there are 19 countries that allow it.
That really isn't a lot.
As far as I know the countries that allow sponsorship are:
Australia
Belgium
Brazil
Canada
Denmark
Czech Republic
Finland
France
Germany
Iceland
Israel
The Netherlands
New Zealand
Norway
South Africa
Spain
Sweden
The United Kingdom
and now the United States
If I've missed a country off of the list, please let me know.
Of course, if you've read my first entry on this blog, you'll know the UK just made it a lot more difficult, not just for same sex couples, but all bi-national couples as a whole.
If at least one of you isn't in one of those countries listed above, how do you cope?
Despite the new financial rules, at least Jon and I had some hope because I am from the UK.
Dan.
I was pondering how many of you out there might be in a similar situation as Jon and I, with being a bi-national same sex couple.
It made me wonder how many lives across the globe were affected by hurtful immigration policies.
To my knowledge (and I could be wrong), but before the historic decision in the US this week, only 18 countries allowed sponsorship for same sex couples. Now, with the death of DOMA in the newly liberated USA, there are 19 countries that allow it.
That really isn't a lot.
As far as I know the countries that allow sponsorship are:
Australia
Belgium
Brazil
Canada
Denmark
Czech Republic
Finland
France
Germany
Iceland
Israel
The Netherlands
New Zealand
Norway
South Africa
Spain
Sweden
The United Kingdom
and now the United States
If I've missed a country off of the list, please let me know.
Of course, if you've read my first entry on this blog, you'll know the UK just made it a lot more difficult, not just for same sex couples, but all bi-national couples as a whole.
If at least one of you isn't in one of those countries listed above, how do you cope?
Despite the new financial rules, at least Jon and I had some hope because I am from the UK.
Dan.
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