Renegade's world tour: anti-swine flu edition
A lawyer I've known for years, but not seen in a while, sat next to me on the tram this morning. "Headed for the courts?" she asked.
"Nope, I'm bound for the newspaper office. They're handing out the flu shots today."
"I might have to get one of those, what with the swine flu and all," she joked.
"I've got the best anti-swine flu treatment around," I replied. "The Immigration Department has banned my wife and I from leaving the country."
"Really? Why?"
"Because my wife's been granted her bridging visa, pending a final decision on her permanent residency. And neither of us is allowed to leave the country until that final decision's been made. It's the best reason for quarantine ever."
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May 11th means nothing to me, now.
For a long time it's been a date of dread; the day upon which stareyednight's temporary spouse visa expires. To avoid yet another separation, we had to have her residency application in long before that date... meaning yet another round of paperwork, of gathering evidence, of asking others to write statements of support, of having documents copied and certified. By and large, it's all we've really done with our spare time since the wedding.
I'm willing to admit the whole thing had me freaked out. I wanted to make sure Immigration had more than enough time to receive our thick envelope, leaf through its contents, debit $800 from our account and send the bridging visa back to us so we didn't even come close to the deadline. Thankfully, my wife and I have much experience at pulling an application together quickly - and we are blessed with friends like doggypanter, matron_jojo, ma61_turbo and princesstani who had their statements done double-quick (thanks, guys!).
This morning, the department confirmed it had received the application and issued the bridging visa. If it's not in the mail when we get home tonight, it'll arrive tomorrow. Hearing those - after so many years and so much running around - brought me great peace and relief. Not that there was any doubt things would go this way, but it's nice to have the Sword of Damocles taken down from above our heads.
No longer do we have no deadline. Immigration says it could take up to nine months to process the application, and that's not a source of stress. stareyednight's presence here is guaranteed for the duration of the processing. Once and for all, we can settle into our life and just enjoy ourselves, knowing the happy ending is in sight. Finally, we have nothing but time together in the one country.
Greet the Fire as Your Friend,
SF
"Nope, I'm bound for the newspaper office. They're handing out the flu shots today."
"I might have to get one of those, what with the swine flu and all," she joked.
"I've got the best anti-swine flu treatment around," I replied. "The Immigration Department has banned my wife and I from leaving the country."
"Really? Why?"
"Because my wife's been granted her bridging visa, pending a final decision on her permanent residency. And neither of us is allowed to leave the country until that final decision's been made. It's the best reason for quarantine ever."
----------
May 11th means nothing to me, now.
For a long time it's been a date of dread; the day upon which stareyednight's temporary spouse visa expires. To avoid yet another separation, we had to have her residency application in long before that date... meaning yet another round of paperwork, of gathering evidence, of asking others to write statements of support, of having documents copied and certified. By and large, it's all we've really done with our spare time since the wedding.
I'm willing to admit the whole thing had me freaked out. I wanted to make sure Immigration had more than enough time to receive our thick envelope, leaf through its contents, debit $800 from our account and send the bridging visa back to us so we didn't even come close to the deadline. Thankfully, my wife and I have much experience at pulling an application together quickly - and we are blessed with friends like doggypanter, matron_jojo, ma61_turbo and princesstani who had their statements done double-quick (thanks, guys!).
This morning, the department confirmed it had received the application and issued the bridging visa. If it's not in the mail when we get home tonight, it'll arrive tomorrow. Hearing those - after so many years and so much running around - brought me great peace and relief. Not that there was any doubt things would go this way, but it's nice to have the Sword of Damocles taken down from above our heads.
No longer do we have no deadline. Immigration says it could take up to nine months to process the application, and that's not a source of stress. stareyednight's presence here is guaranteed for the duration of the processing. Once and for all, we can settle into our life and just enjoy ourselves, knowing the happy ending is in sight. Finally, we have nothing but time together in the one country.
Greet the Fire as Your Friend,
SF