And here we are.
We lodged our prospective marriage visa on 13 August 2013. On 31 October that visa was granted and only three weeks later Americo arrived here with three giant suitcases in tow.
Two more weeks and we were married. Nine days later we had our first "real" Christmas together. Then our first New Year. And our first Valentines day.
And today, just two days after our two month wedding anniversary, Immigration has granted his temporary residency visa.
For the next two years he gets to stay here. We don't have to do any more applications. We don't have to pay any more money. In two years they get in touch and ask for some more evidence that we're still together, and then, all going according to plan he gets permanent residency.
For all our six years of apart, and the stresses that come with a long distance relationship, we have been astoundingly lucky in our immigration process. Our applications were straight forward, our approvals fast, and our case officers kind and professional. I am painfully aware the process is far from easy for most, and even our process wasn't entirely easy.
We were prepared for this in so many ways because we are both well organised with our emails, calls and evidence. We knew long in advance of our application that we'd need to have evidence, so we kept our skype call logs and chats, we kept so many emails, all the travel documents, letters, cards, both to each other and from others. Add to that our joint love of photography and there is an overwhelming amount of evidence of our relationship and love for each other.
My particularly organised brain and my experience with understanding government forms made it easy to put all the evidence together and complete the forms. Even with that experience we both managed to get questions wrong because of confusing wording. For people that don't have experience with government it must be painfully challenging to fill in those forms. I can't even imagine the greater difficulty for those for which English is not their first language.
Australia is a beautiful country. We are full of kind people with great hearts that have capacity to love and welcome people from all around the world. We are a country of immigrants whose cultures and traditions make this beautiful country what it is.
My wish for this country, and the world in general, is that we can all find within ourselves the kindness to make immigration as easy for everyone, as it was for us.
Showing posts with label immigration. Show all posts
Showing posts with label immigration. Show all posts
Tuesday, 18 February 2014
Tuesday, 22 October 2013
A wonderful thing happened on the way to the mall
I had to head into the mall today to meet my mum. A major effort in the face of a morning facing a pretty epic migraine.
Parked the car, making my way up to the Apple store and a text message arrives telling me my gorgeous fiancé is, in fact, not a criminal. The FBI said so. The state of California has also said so.
The confirmation of this already established fact was received today from the FBI, completing our very long trek to pull together a rather large folder full of paperwork that is currently residing at the Australian embassy in Washington.
With the receipt of the FBI check we now just need to wait for the case officer to consider the combined application and decide if we, as a couple, are worth the risk.
Are we established enough, do we have enough evidence of our relationship, have we done enough to prove that we're the real deal.
It'll be an anxious wait, no matter how sure we are of our paperwork.
This has been such a huge emotional and financial effort and I'm still not prepared to invest in too much in hope.
But I'm also not too invested in fear or anxiety.
We're just waiting, as we have been since August, as we'll continue to do until word arrives, positive or negative.
Neither of us are the type to ask for your thoughts and prayers. We're not the praying type at all. Come to think we're not the power of positive thinking type either. But if you are the thoughts and/or prayers type, we're not going to be unhappy if you add us to your list of things to hope for.
Regardless of how things turn out, we're grateful for everyone who has invested in this journey with us.
Parked the car, making my way up to the Apple store and a text message arrives telling me my gorgeous fiancé is, in fact, not a criminal. The FBI said so. The state of California has also said so.
The confirmation of this already established fact was received today from the FBI, completing our very long trek to pull together a rather large folder full of paperwork that is currently residing at the Australian embassy in Washington.
With the receipt of the FBI check we now just need to wait for the case officer to consider the combined application and decide if we, as a couple, are worth the risk.
Are we established enough, do we have enough evidence of our relationship, have we done enough to prove that we're the real deal.
It'll be an anxious wait, no matter how sure we are of our paperwork.
This has been such a huge emotional and financial effort and I'm still not prepared to invest in too much in hope.
But I'm also not too invested in fear or anxiety.
We're just waiting, as we have been since August, as we'll continue to do until word arrives, positive or negative.
Neither of us are the type to ask for your thoughts and prayers. We're not the praying type at all. Come to think we're not the power of positive thinking type either. But if you are the thoughts and/or prayers type, we're not going to be unhappy if you add us to your list of things to hope for.
Regardless of how things turn out, we're grateful for everyone who has invested in this journey with us.
Tuesday, 24 September 2013
Waiting...
It's a month today since we received the email from Immigration asking for the final information for our application.
The medical is done.
The police check received.
The FBI check has been lodged and we've been waiting 3 weeks for it to arrive.
And it feels like forever.
This process is so much about waiting. This whole relationship has been about waiting. I feel like every minute of the last six years has been set to a count down timer, but this time there is no count down. There is no way to know when the waiting comes to an end.
With the waiting comes fear, doubt, worry.
What if we don't have enough evidence. What if the medical results aren't enough. What if we're denied this visa and we can't get married here, he can't live here, we have to keep doing this for even longer.
There's so much now that is out of our hands, and in the hands of someone on the other side of the world to me that doesn't know me, doesn't know us, and yet has complete control over our fate.
How can we even resolve the uncertainty of that type of situation? How do you cope with it day to day when you're alone and dealing with so much in your personal life without your partner with you. We have so much amazing technology, and yet, it's not the same as having someone to hug and cry with at the end of the day.
I miss my fiancé.
It's a year since I've seen him, held him, kissed him.
I'm tired and I want my husband.
I want to be able to properly plan our wedding. I want to put a deposit down on this gorgeous cafe
We have waited for so long this, and we deserve it.
I desperately hope we can progress this soon.
The medical is done.
The police check received.
The FBI check has been lodged and we've been waiting 3 weeks for it to arrive.
And it feels like forever.
This process is so much about waiting. This whole relationship has been about waiting. I feel like every minute of the last six years has been set to a count down timer, but this time there is no count down. There is no way to know when the waiting comes to an end.
With the waiting comes fear, doubt, worry.
What if we don't have enough evidence. What if the medical results aren't enough. What if we're denied this visa and we can't get married here, he can't live here, we have to keep doing this for even longer.
There's so much now that is out of our hands, and in the hands of someone on the other side of the world to me that doesn't know me, doesn't know us, and yet has complete control over our fate.
How can we even resolve the uncertainty of that type of situation? How do you cope with it day to day when you're alone and dealing with so much in your personal life without your partner with you. We have so much amazing technology, and yet, it's not the same as having someone to hug and cry with at the end of the day.
I miss my fiancé.
It's a year since I've seen him, held him, kissed him.
I'm tired and I want my husband.
I want to be able to properly plan our wedding. I want to put a deposit down on this gorgeous cafe
I want a wedding ring to go with the perfect engagement ring I finally have on my finger.
We have waited for so long this, and we deserve it.
I desperately hope we can progress this soon.
Tuesday, 16 July 2013
Checklists
I hate checklists. I hate "to do" lists. One would think, given my slightly (ha ha ha) compulsive nature, that I would love the organisation associated with lists, but not so much.
My theory, and preference, is that I should never have enough to do to hit a list. My workload is, or should be, under control. I have a good memory, so making a list is a bit of a waste for me. I know where shit is at. The same applies to my personal life, if you're organised you don't need lists.
My current state of listing is irritating. I have lists within lists. I have three immigration lists and two personal lists related to our immigration application. I have lists of documents, lists of what money is coming in, lists of what needs to get done, lists of who I need to talk to, lists of money going out. Sublists to each thing I have to do to indicate whether there is a form to go with outgoing/incoming money on x date. I hate it.
My passport arrived today (how great is this nail colour).
My theory, and preference, is that I should never have enough to do to hit a list. My workload is, or should be, under control. I have a good memory, so making a list is a bit of a waste for me. I know where shit is at. The same applies to my personal life, if you're organised you don't need lists.
My current state of listing is irritating. I have lists within lists. I have three immigration lists and two personal lists related to our immigration application. I have lists of documents, lists of what money is coming in, lists of what needs to get done, lists of who I need to talk to, lists of money going out. Sublists to each thing I have to do to indicate whether there is a form to go with outgoing/incoming money on x date. I hate it.
My passport arrived today (how great is this nail colour).
It ticks a lot of boxes in a lot of places. It's on nearly all the lists and was causing me a lot of stress.
With this out of the way the list gets smaller in a lot of ways, and that gives me a bit of peace.
To do:
- complete two application forms with passport number
- sign one application form
- get certified copies of:
- drivers licence
- birth certificate
- marriage certificate
- divorce decree
- passport
- Finalise letters of support
- Complete document index and email to Americo
- Courier the folder of death to Americo
- Spend $3000 just for kicks
- Americo get medical
- Americo get police check
- Make Americo get certified copies of:
- drivers licence
- birth certificate
- passport
- Make Americo go through each page of the 200 page folder with me on Skype to make sure everything is perfect and signed where it's supposed to be signed.
- Send to the embassy
- wait
- wait
- wait
- wait
- wait
- spend $2000 on flights
- get married
See why I hate the list.
Thursday, 4 July 2013
Shit be getting real, yo.
I think it would be fair to say that when I decide to do something, I throw myself into it fairly hard and with no small measure of intensity.
It's not that I'm one track focussed, I can focus on multiple things at one time, and give them equal attention, and equal intensity, but when I decide that x is going to happy by a certain date, fuck you I'm going to make it happen.
Exhibit A. I realised that once I had my tax return Americo and I would be in a financial situation to finally bring this long distance shit to an end. And it was like a light bulb exploded over the entire district of Gungahlin. I was going to make this shit happen. No ifs, no ands, no buts, 2014 my man was going to come to this country, and my golly he was not going to leave again. He would be mine forever and that was that.
The last week my brain hasn't been able to go 5 minutes without seeing that goal. All of a sudden the oh so daunting 26 (x2) immigration forms were completed. The clarifying phone calls to immigration I'd been putting off were done and clarity received. The 190 pages of evidence I hadn't wanted to collect was done and put together and in a nicely psychotic folder with a 3 page index.
My ridiculous and at this point slightly problematic obsessive behaviour is nicely detailed below. Dodgy redactions of personal information not withstanding.
Six years, and finally we're here.
It's not that I'm one track focussed, I can focus on multiple things at one time, and give them equal attention, and equal intensity, but when I decide that x is going to happy by a certain date, fuck you I'm going to make it happen.
Exhibit A. I realised that once I had my tax return Americo and I would be in a financial situation to finally bring this long distance shit to an end. And it was like a light bulb exploded over the entire district of Gungahlin. I was going to make this shit happen. No ifs, no ands, no buts, 2014 my man was going to come to this country, and my golly he was not going to leave again. He would be mine forever and that was that.
The last week my brain hasn't been able to go 5 minutes without seeing that goal. All of a sudden the oh so daunting 26 (x2) immigration forms were completed. The clarifying phone calls to immigration I'd been putting off were done and clarity received. The 190 pages of evidence I hadn't wanted to collect was done and put together and in a nicely psychotic folder with a 3 page index.
My ridiculous and at this point slightly problematic obsessive behaviour is nicely detailed below. Dodgy redactions of personal information not withstanding.
Since we decided to kick this shit into high gear we've put together a whole application together. Skype logs, email captures, paypal records, amazing order, twitter conversations, facebook relationship, travel records, we've found a celebrant, lodged a notice of intended marriage (a legal requirement), and got a statement from the celebrant that we can give to immigration. My passport is 40% processed, we've organised a credit card to cover the shortfall in our savings. We've asked questions of the embassy and found the ONE doctor in the Bay area who can do an immigration medical.
And if we lodge everything by the end of July there's a chance that we'll pull of our guesstimate wedding date of February 2014.
And my brain is going to explode.
For six years (next month) we've done this whole relationship on a computer, basically. We've done our time together, always amazing, but our relationship has been sponsored by Skype, really. And the reality that there's a time, a time not far away, that just maybe I might be able to get a hold on this dude and NOT have to give him back is filling me with spectacular butterflies.
I could do without the unexpected expenses of the celebrant, and spilling water on my computer, and medicals, and character checks and every other damn thing which is stressing me out, but I am loving the feeling that there is a light at the end of the very long tunnel and that I'm going to get to get married sometime in 2014.
And really all that's left is to hope, pray, beg, for the department of immigration to approve our prospective marriage visa. I have never wanted anything so hard in my life.
I will be absolutely destroyed if we're rejected.
Friday, 28 June 2013
It continues - Update 1
Previous post http://ruthico.blogspot.com.au/2013/06/it-begins.html
Step number 1 on our very long list of requirements is that I need to have a current passport. I actually do have a current passport but it's in my old name.
When I changed my name I actually put in an application to change to my new name, and there was some problems with that. Problems possibly caused by me writing the passport office a letter telling them that they're antiquated and sexist. Regardless, 18 months later I need a current passport in my current name to bring Americo to Australia.
I jumped onto the passport application site and followed the instructions to the letter. It was one of those interactive forms, type in your name here, press next, type in your date of birth, press next. There was little pop up instruction boxes for if you don't know how to fill in your name, etc. Webforms for dummies type stuff.
Being an ICT professional I was careful to read all instructions and follow them to the letter. I know full well how particular the government is and I didn't want to give them any reason to delay things.
Do everything I'm told, take it to the interview at Australia Post, and get turned away because my form was printed on double sided paper. Now, website said nothing, it said ready to print, press ok, it printed. No pop-up, no make sure it prints single sided, no nothing, but the idiot asshole in the post office refused to accept it printed double sided. And was rude about it as well.
And then the kicker, he gives me a hard copy form to complete. A double sided hard copy form. DOUBLE SIDED hard copy form. Tells me to make an appointment in two weeks and they'll reconsider.
Of course I lost my shit. Maybe I said he looked messy and unprofessional and should learn some manners. Maybe I overreacted a tiny smidge. MAYBE.
I did lodge a complaint, I did get an interview for today at a different post office with nice people.
I did read every single line of every single instruction on the damn form. So did one of my staff who was acting as guarantor that I'm not a bad person. We still managed to miss him completing his date of birth, but thankfully the rest of the form was complete and correct.
I lodged it today. I hope to have it in two weeks.
Next step: Money. Always money.
Money for the doctor. Money for the application. $2684 for the application alone. Non-refundable.
And not just the money, but the timing for the money. The medical only lasts for 12 months, and sometimes it takes more than 12 months to process a visa, so you want to wait til the last minute to do the medical. But you need to pay for the application to be lodged around the same time. And then you need to send all the paperwork within 7 days of paying for the application.
I hope to have the money for everything by the start of August when I get my tax return back. The plan is to have all the forms completed and evidence gathered by the end of July, by which point I will have passport and money.
And then the long wait begins.
Step number 1 on our very long list of requirements is that I need to have a current passport. I actually do have a current passport but it's in my old name.
When I changed my name I actually put in an application to change to my new name, and there was some problems with that. Problems possibly caused by me writing the passport office a letter telling them that they're antiquated and sexist. Regardless, 18 months later I need a current passport in my current name to bring Americo to Australia.
I jumped onto the passport application site and followed the instructions to the letter. It was one of those interactive forms, type in your name here, press next, type in your date of birth, press next. There was little pop up instruction boxes for if you don't know how to fill in your name, etc. Webforms for dummies type stuff.
Being an ICT professional I was careful to read all instructions and follow them to the letter. I know full well how particular the government is and I didn't want to give them any reason to delay things.
Do everything I'm told, take it to the interview at Australia Post, and get turned away because my form was printed on double sided paper. Now, website said nothing, it said ready to print, press ok, it printed. No pop-up, no make sure it prints single sided, no nothing, but the idiot asshole in the post office refused to accept it printed double sided. And was rude about it as well.
And then the kicker, he gives me a hard copy form to complete. A double sided hard copy form. DOUBLE SIDED hard copy form. Tells me to make an appointment in two weeks and they'll reconsider.
Of course I lost my shit. Maybe I said he looked messy and unprofessional and should learn some manners. Maybe I overreacted a tiny smidge. MAYBE.
I did lodge a complaint, I did get an interview for today at a different post office with nice people.
I did read every single line of every single instruction on the damn form. So did one of my staff who was acting as guarantor that I'm not a bad person. We still managed to miss him completing his date of birth, but thankfully the rest of the form was complete and correct.
I lodged it today. I hope to have it in two weeks.
Next step: Money. Always money.
Money for the doctor. Money for the application. $2684 for the application alone. Non-refundable.
And not just the money, but the timing for the money. The medical only lasts for 12 months, and sometimes it takes more than 12 months to process a visa, so you want to wait til the last minute to do the medical. But you need to pay for the application to be lodged around the same time. And then you need to send all the paperwork within 7 days of paying for the application.
I hope to have the money for everything by the start of August when I get my tax return back. The plan is to have all the forms completed and evidence gathered by the end of July, by which point I will have passport and money.
And then the long wait begins.
Monday, 24 June 2013
It begins...
Today I officially officially kicked off the start of the visa journey to get my darling man into this country for good. Or at least for longer than 3 months.
I got the information I needed from Immigration.
I got my passport forms completed, got my passport photos, and made an appointment to lodge my passport paperwork. If you're anything like me you're totally astounded that I need a passport to bring my partner here when I'm not actually leaving the country, but let's agree to move part that for now.
We've decided that we're going to go for a Prospective Marriage Visa, rather than a Partner Visa, despite our motza amount of evidence to prove our relationship because the processing times are shorter, and less evidence is required so we have a slightly better chance of getting things approved.
The downside is it cost us an extra $1000 to convert it to a partner visa after we get married, but if that means he gets here sooner and I get to get hitched sooner, then so be it.
It takes about four weeks for my passport to process, which gives us four weeks to get all our paperwork together, and for us to get the last little bit of money we need to lodge all the forms, and then, all things going to plan we're lodging this sucker in early August.
I'm not the optimistic type so I'm trying not to let the words "christmas miracle" get into my head, but I've seen Miracle on 34th Street a few too many times, so you know....
No doubt you'll be seeing updates as they occur, if you're interested in that kind of thing.
I got the information I needed from Immigration.
I got my passport forms completed, got my passport photos, and made an appointment to lodge my passport paperwork. If you're anything like me you're totally astounded that I need a passport to bring my partner here when I'm not actually leaving the country, but let's agree to move part that for now.
We've decided that we're going to go for a Prospective Marriage Visa, rather than a Partner Visa, despite our motza amount of evidence to prove our relationship because the processing times are shorter, and less evidence is required so we have a slightly better chance of getting things approved.
The downside is it cost us an extra $1000 to convert it to a partner visa after we get married, but if that means he gets here sooner and I get to get hitched sooner, then so be it.
It takes about four weeks for my passport to process, which gives us four weeks to get all our paperwork together, and for us to get the last little bit of money we need to lodge all the forms, and then, all things going to plan we're lodging this sucker in early August.
I'm not the optimistic type so I'm trying not to let the words "christmas miracle" get into my head, but I've seen Miracle on 34th Street a few too many times, so you know....
No doubt you'll be seeing updates as they occur, if you're interested in that kind of thing.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)