The Immigration Saga

I guess this is something I should have started writing about 9 MONTHS AGO!

I now take it upon myself to explain the process and the drama to anyone who may be contemplating putting themselves through this nightmare. Please do not hesitate to ask any questions along the way – although I have not found any loopholes and am not yet through this drama I may be able to shed some light.

Step 1 – File for Fiancé VISA (K1). I actually found this process to be relatively painless; this could have had something to do with the fact that my fiancé is a big, strong and gorgeous US Marine and actually worked out of the embassy where they process the visas. But not being above the rules and special enough to skip a few steps, I still had to fill in mounds of paperwork, get police clearances from both SA and UK, go to interviews and of course go to the most expensive doctor’s appointment of my life.

Step 1 complete but days before I’m due to travel to USA – I am now an Alien Fiancé and may enter the United States.

Step 2 – Apply for Change of Status to become a Permanent Resident. Well my Fiancé is no long a marine working at any embassy (he’s still big, strong and gorgeous though) so I am left to fill out these further mounds of paperwork by myself. I have to go to another extortionist who calls himself a doctor and go get more fingerprints and photographs done. Why can America not just trust the fact that the previous people did it correctly?

Now they tell me that this process can take a long time… so in the interim I have applied for Advance Parole (I am a prisoner in the USA and would like to visit my family for Christmas) and I have also asked for a temporary work permit so I can earn back some of the money I spent on trying to do things the right way (it would have been easier and cheaper to jump the border!).

Step 2 underway, they have cashed the check and acknowledge receipt.

Today I politely spoke to the lovely lady on the other side of the telephone and asked whether there is anyway to speed up this lengthily process as Christmas is coming soon and with the plane flights booked and the presents bought I need to get there. Expedition requested . . . pray for me!