Ouch.
Greetings everyone. I just discovered this community so I’ll update you with a somewhat anxious and ranty post since I’m starting to tear my hair out, eat Tim Tams and watch Dr. Phil, among other unhealthy things that I must stop:
I’ve been in Parkes, Australia for 5 months now and I think I’ve done everything wrong, though it’s not entirely my fault. I came here on a tourist visa to be with my boyfriend of 2 years -he works at a research facility in Parkes- and fleeing the Bush administration is a major bonus as well (now there’s a ‘free trade’ agreement in the works, though. Oh well. Sorry Australia).
Parkes is a tiny town, lacking a single stoplight. The Chinese restaurant is aptly named “Chinese Restaurant”. Literally everyone my age (23) is married with one kid in the pram (stroller) and another on the way. I’m from Seattle, where to get married before the age of 23 you have to either be of a religion where you save it for marriage, or you really need that greencard. Not that I have anything against young mothers, but they all seem to instinctually sense that they have nothing in common with me and try to avoid my grating ‘Yank’ accent. So I have no friends. I’m not allowed to work. I take online classes through my college in Seattle, but that doesn’t come close to filling the time or any social need. As a result, I’m become addicted to the internet and do little else. Other than that, it’s a cute town that I basically like.
And speaking of greencards… I’m scheduled to return to the US very soon because my extended tourist visa is expiring. As far as I can tell, this means I've stayed my maximum non-resident stay and have zero eligibility to return for the full 12 months, unless I'm a refugee or something. I was just starting to figure out how to make changes in my routine here to make the stay more tolerable, and I don’t want to leave my boyfriend though we’re not ready to get married yet.
So I’m faced with this dilemma: I will shortly be returning to a country I do not want to return to, separating from someone I love dearly, and will have no option to return for one year. Period. His job won’t allow him to travel for more than 4 weeks out of that entire period.
My school has no transfer agreement and I’m not eligible for a standard work visa.
So I won’t be seeing my boyfriend of 2 years for the next 12 months.
Does anyone know anything I don’t? Anyone had this experience?
I have little doubt that I'm stuck with this situation, though it can't hurt to grasp at some straws, I guess...
I’ve been in Parkes, Australia for 5 months now and I think I’ve done everything wrong, though it’s not entirely my fault. I came here on a tourist visa to be with my boyfriend of 2 years -he works at a research facility in Parkes- and fleeing the Bush administration is a major bonus as well (now there’s a ‘free trade’ agreement in the works, though. Oh well. Sorry Australia).
Parkes is a tiny town, lacking a single stoplight. The Chinese restaurant is aptly named “Chinese Restaurant”. Literally everyone my age (23) is married with one kid in the pram (stroller) and another on the way. I’m from Seattle, where to get married before the age of 23 you have to either be of a religion where you save it for marriage, or you really need that greencard. Not that I have anything against young mothers, but they all seem to instinctually sense that they have nothing in common with me and try to avoid my grating ‘Yank’ accent. So I have no friends. I’m not allowed to work. I take online classes through my college in Seattle, but that doesn’t come close to filling the time or any social need. As a result, I’m become addicted to the internet and do little else. Other than that, it’s a cute town that I basically like.
And speaking of greencards… I’m scheduled to return to the US very soon because my extended tourist visa is expiring. As far as I can tell, this means I've stayed my maximum non-resident stay and have zero eligibility to return for the full 12 months, unless I'm a refugee or something. I was just starting to figure out how to make changes in my routine here to make the stay more tolerable, and I don’t want to leave my boyfriend though we’re not ready to get married yet.
So I’m faced with this dilemma: I will shortly be returning to a country I do not want to return to, separating from someone I love dearly, and will have no option to return for one year. Period. His job won’t allow him to travel for more than 4 weeks out of that entire period.
My school has no transfer agreement and I’m not eligible for a standard work visa.
So I won’t be seeing my boyfriend of 2 years for the next 12 months.
Does anyone know anything I don’t? Anyone had this experience?
I have little doubt that I'm stuck with this situation, though it can't hurt to grasp at some straws, I guess...