Comments | starkodama: Spousal Visa

starkodama

Spousal Visa

Jul 30, 2011 17:00

My work visa expires next month, so I've been spending the past few weeks getting all the necessary documents ready to reapply. My current visa was sponsored by my company, but I decided to switch over to a spousal visa. I don't think I even could get a regular work visa, since I don't work full time. And the way I see it, companies will come and ( Read more... )

tv, nacho, teki, photos

Comments 17

elyssa July 30 2011, 19:33:26 UTC

It's awesome that you're switching your visa! When Steve and I got married, we had to fill out All The Paperwork just like you did to get his green card. If it helps, the US immigration process is not much less invasive. In fact, I think the only part that you described that we never had to do some version of was the detailed description of our wedding ceremony from two witnesses. We just had to provide pictures.

slytherinblack July 30 2011, 19:49:13 UTC

I REALLY want one of the DVDs from the Takarazuka production of Rose of Versailles, but it's really expensive D: Plus I'd have to figure out shipping logistics even if I scraped together the cash.
Anyway, those stamps are gorgeous. Want.

starkodama July 31 2011, 04:36:32 UTC

Is the Takarazuka version really that good? I've never seen a Takarazuka show, but it doesn't really seem like my kind of thing, to be honest. :/

slytherinblack July 31 2011, 04:52:49 UTC

I have no idea whether it's any good but I'm guessing it's definitely glitzy. I saw one of their productions when I was there and liked it a lot. That being said, it might not be your thing, and I seem to remember you're a bit of a musical theater person so you might also have a different perspective than I do - I'm a terrible judge of acting AND I'm tone deaf, so I'd honestly have no idea whether or not it's good theater.

starkodama August 3 2011, 00:45:56 UTC

I watched a few clips of the Versailles show on YouTube. I think all the performers are genuinely talented, but the cheesy melodrama wasn't really doing it for me. ^^;;; I prefer a more natural style of acting (which is why I can't sit through an Asian drama-- all the overacting destroys me).

vulgar_shudder July 30 2011, 23:51:55 UTC

Congrats you can now work anywhere!!

starkodama July 31 2011, 04:36:59 UTC

Wow, I guess so, huh. I'm quite happy teaching English though. :)

vulgar_shudder July 31 2011, 04:50:27 UTC

Well I also mean you don`t need to find a company to sponser you every year/3 years :)

starkodama July 31 2011, 05:46:37 UTC

Very true. :) What visa are you on, if you don't mind my asking? Are you doing your "second job" under the table, or is it included in a teacher's visa?

Thread 5

stranded July 31 2011, 04:20:56 UTC

I don't remember having to do all that when I got my spousal visa. We had to write our "how we met" stories and give two love-love photos (along with all the other documents) but there wasn't anything about our wedding ceremony, or how we communicate o_O I wonder how powerful my ex's family name really was... He was bankrupt and living on disability when we married and the government never even looked at us funny.

Same with the "long term resident visa" I have now. But that was more "Here Mr.Lawyer-san, take my $2000 bucks and make me a real boy". I'm going to have to renew mine in a month or so too... I'm hoping for a 3 year, doing that much paper work every year is a pain.

Congrats on the spousal though! It makes things easier.

starkodama July 31 2011, 04:38:15 UTC

Wow, 2000 bucks for a visa. D: But it's yours for life, right? You just have to in and renew it every year or so?

stranded July 31 2011, 05:10:31 UTC

Yeah, $2000 pretty much sucks but it got me a hard-to-get visa (that I didn't technically qualify for) in a matter of days. I'm going to use the same lawyer again but renewals are cheaper ($500ish and my work offered to pay it) so hopefully I'll be able to get the three-year this time.

I could probably start going for permanent residency after that, but I don't even want to think about that headache.

december_clouds July 31 2011, 10:56:56 UTC

Who in your family knows that you're married?

I had to lol at this, I'm not really sure why, but wouldn't you tell people? -_-

My visa was pretty expensive although I didn't do any of the in-person stuff because we would've had to fly to Chicago or New York when I was in the US or go to London (expensive for both of us) the second time and stay all day. All in all, with both of my visas it was like $3,000 @___@

The application for the first one was the hardest, we had to include e-mails we sent to each other and pictures and all sorts of stuff. I hate being in pictures too so I was like ughhhh try to find some with us together.