waiting to exhale
the last week has been rather stressful. this past Wednesday was Bex's immigration interview at the US consulate in New Zealand. based on what information we could gather, including what our friends Steve and Jade had told us, we expected this to mostly be a formality. and then within a couple of days Bex would have her visa packet.
a month before the interview, they had sent her a couple of different notifications with a list of all the necessary documents etc, and everything was checked off as received. it seemed that after a year of us wading through bureaucracy, she would finally be allowed to live with me here in the US
alas, no good deed goes unpunished. first and foremost, when Bex arrived for her interview she was advised that there were two documents missing. documents that they had previously acknowledged as having received.
and not only did they need these documents, but they needed the originals. i couldn't just scan them and email them. the need for originals was something that had not previously been requested… which is why i still had the originals.
after learning of these new document requirements they did allow her to proceed with the interview, with the caveat that they would not actually issue the visa until they had the documents.
and the interview itself was not at all friendly… pretty much the interviewer worked to try and make Bex feel bad. a total lack of compassion. Bex, of course, comported herself well and sailed through the interview anyway.
after the interview she immediately called me to advise me that we had situation … namely the missing documents. i immediately left work to go home dig out the documents and take them to be couriered to NZ. due to the distance and the time difference between the US and NZ, the documents would not arrive in NZ until Sunday here (yesterday). once the documents were taken to the consulate, the "adjudicating officer" assessed that that one of the two documents was not of the right type. and thus they would need another document.
fuck!
fortunately the "visa assistant" that Bex has been working with has been very helpful and friendly. she clearly just wants to be able to put together the visa packet for Bex and let her get on the plane. alas, it is not within her authority to do so. what she did do is look up exactly where i could obtain this necessary document and email all of the info to Bex.
Bex then emailed me the info. and then in turn, i emailed work saying that i would not be in the office … i had more immigration errands to run in the morning and then i would work from home. hooray for a very understanding and flexible workplace.
this morning i was at the office of vital records when they opened. fortunately i had the good sense to bring some extra supporting documentation with me, 'cause they did ask. 45 minutes later i was on my way to FedEx.
while at FedEx i scanned the document and sent an email to the visa assistant with the .pdf and said that the actual document would be following as fast as the courier could get it there… which is to say Thursday (NZ time)
on my way back home i emailed Bex to give her the update on everything, including the FedEx tracking number… i know that she and i will both be obsessively refreshing that page, waiting for the document to be delivered.
i was half way home when Bex called me to say that the FedEx tracking page said that the document was scheduled to be delivered on Friday. this is the point that this atheist starts believing that there just might be a god… and his name is Loki.
so i call FedEx and say, what the rubbery fuck?! actually, i didn't say that. i very politely asked why their tracking page says friday delivery, quite in contradiction to everything else i had been previously told.
much research on their part concluded, the document will be delivered on Thursday as promised… the tracking page is incorrect and will be updated later today.
with this information in hand, Bex rescheduled her Thursday flight to Friday.
i want to believe that we've finally gotten all of our ducks in a row to cross the Rubicon. but i know that i'm not going to really be able to relax until she lands in Portland… which is in four days.
a month before the interview, they had sent her a couple of different notifications with a list of all the necessary documents etc, and everything was checked off as received. it seemed that after a year of us wading through bureaucracy, she would finally be allowed to live with me here in the US
alas, no good deed goes unpunished. first and foremost, when Bex arrived for her interview she was advised that there were two documents missing. documents that they had previously acknowledged as having received.
and not only did they need these documents, but they needed the originals. i couldn't just scan them and email them. the need for originals was something that had not previously been requested… which is why i still had the originals.
after learning of these new document requirements they did allow her to proceed with the interview, with the caveat that they would not actually issue the visa until they had the documents.
and the interview itself was not at all friendly… pretty much the interviewer worked to try and make Bex feel bad. a total lack of compassion. Bex, of course, comported herself well and sailed through the interview anyway.
after the interview she immediately called me to advise me that we had situation … namely the missing documents. i immediately left work to go home dig out the documents and take them to be couriered to NZ. due to the distance and the time difference between the US and NZ, the documents would not arrive in NZ until Sunday here (yesterday). once the documents were taken to the consulate, the "adjudicating officer" assessed that that one of the two documents was not of the right type. and thus they would need another document.
fuck!
fortunately the "visa assistant" that Bex has been working with has been very helpful and friendly. she clearly just wants to be able to put together the visa packet for Bex and let her get on the plane. alas, it is not within her authority to do so. what she did do is look up exactly where i could obtain this necessary document and email all of the info to Bex.
Bex then emailed me the info. and then in turn, i emailed work saying that i would not be in the office … i had more immigration errands to run in the morning and then i would work from home. hooray for a very understanding and flexible workplace.
this morning i was at the office of vital records when they opened. fortunately i had the good sense to bring some extra supporting documentation with me, 'cause they did ask. 45 minutes later i was on my way to FedEx.
while at FedEx i scanned the document and sent an email to the visa assistant with the .pdf and said that the actual document would be following as fast as the courier could get it there… which is to say Thursday (NZ time)
on my way back home i emailed Bex to give her the update on everything, including the FedEx tracking number… i know that she and i will both be obsessively refreshing that page, waiting for the document to be delivered.
i was half way home when Bex called me to say that the FedEx tracking page said that the document was scheduled to be delivered on Friday. this is the point that this atheist starts believing that there just might be a god… and his name is Loki.
so i call FedEx and say, what the rubbery fuck?! actually, i didn't say that. i very politely asked why their tracking page says friday delivery, quite in contradiction to everything else i had been previously told.
much research on their part concluded, the document will be delivered on Thursday as promised… the tracking page is incorrect and will be updated later today.
with this information in hand, Bex rescheduled her Thursday flight to Friday.
i want to believe that we've finally gotten all of our ducks in a row to cross the Rubicon. but i know that i'm not going to really be able to relax until she lands in Portland… which is in four days.