Well, it finally arrived!
Four whole months after my interview at the US Embassy in London, and the help of my M.P. (Member of Parliament), this arrived:
Please be advised that we are now in a position to issue your US Visa. Please resubmit your passport to us for visa issuance. Note that you have three months from the date indicated above in which to resubmit your passport.
Three months? It was on it’s way the next day!! Of Course, this email was quickly followed with:
We regret the delay in responding to your inquiry. We have been waiting for information on your case from the Non-Immigrant Visa Unit.
Why the wait? Where have they been?
I have to say, I’ve been appalled at the way this has been handled. This all started to go wrong when Tony and I decided to ‘do things properly’ and get a Non-Immigrant USA Visa to allow my to visit to the USA for a year. How often do you get the opportunity to have a whole year off work to spend in another Country?
At my first interview, I was asked questions about Tony that I simply didn’t know the answer to… why would I know what his social security number is? The consular officer that interviewed me obviously had a hunch that she wasn’t comfortable with and so denied me the visa.
As the Chief Immigration Officer at Miami quite rightly summed it up ‘ I was denied a visa because some A**H*** was having a bad day’ Some bad day. Some bad day that took away my only chance to have a year out. Some bad day that caused me to be held for 15 hours at immigration. Some bad day that left Tony stood in arrivals all night long not knowing what was happening. Some bad day that cost us in changing flights and re-applying for interviews. Some bad day that my employer went to a lot of trouble for and then did it all over again so I could return to work early. Some bad day that meant I had to find somewhere new to live from 4500 miles away. Some bad day that worried my kids, my parents, my friends not to mention Tony and myself. Some bad day that meant I couldn’t even go through the United States in transit. Some bad day that meant Tony and I couldn’t spend time together last week when I had the week off work.
I hope she doesn’t have another bad day any time soon. I appreciate the authorities have to be very careful over who they approve for visa’s, but when you’ve done absolutely nothing wrong, have a government job for which your criminal record has to be checked reguarly, meet all the required criteria, have documentation to prove you intend to return and funds to support yourself, why does it come down to someone’s gut feeling? A gut feeling that left me almost having a nervous breakdown.
A gut feeling that will leave me feeling sick every time I travel to the United States in the future. A gut feeling that will almost give me a panic attack as I go through immigration and see those men in black waiting to check me out.
Surely the system isn’t right if it relies on gut feeling? Do these officials have any idea of the impact on people’s lives when they make these decisions? Her gut feeling was that I wanted to live in America. If that’s what I wanted, why bother going to all the trouble of getting a year off work?
Apologies for sounding angry, but somehow I feel I’m entitled to. Here’s something to make us all smile though – Funny Immigration Video I hope you enjoy it 🙂
13 thoughts on “I GOT MY USA VISA!!!!”
You have every right to be angry Deb, but I hope that soon you will be feeling better about things and I know that you will keep us posted with your plans. I am so happy for you. XX
AJ’s last blog post..Well Yahoo has found me even if Google hasn’t!
Thanks AJ. Everyone’s support has certainly helped me through this ordeal. Your kind words have helped to lift more than one black cloud, and I want you to know how much I appreciate that 😉
Finally! It would be interesting to see their process diagrammed to see where the breakdown(S) are and how they can be corrected. I doubt it would look like any other process you’ve ever seen, like a giant twisted knot…
Thanks Mulberry. Obviously, I’ve been careful with what I’ve shared. There’s a lot more to the story but I don’t want to jepordise anything now I’ve got this far! Maybe I’ll write a book one day 🙂
That’s a good way to put it. I felt sure that because her case required a bit of extra work the file just got bypassed.
tony’s last blog post..Unemployed Again
Amazing and trying adventure for sure. Glad to hear you’ve been cleared and as for the ‘men in black’, some of them be toot cute 😉 I’m convinced your ‘charming self’ will get you through anything at this point.
Correen’s last blog post..Comforting Food…For Thought
Thanks Correen… yep, I do recall one really cute one from before all this happened. As he put my passport through the scanner, the whole system crashed and everyone just had to stand and wait while they rebooted everything. I stood with him for around 20 minutes or so. He was actually really sweet too… Puerto Rican mmmmmm 😉
Thanks, yes I think she is very cute and charming too – she won me over 🙂 Completely 🙂
tony’s last blog post..Unemployed Again
I was so pleased to hear that everything has turned out so well for you, Deb. I can understand your frustration. You’d think it would be somewhat easier for someone from the UK.
Richard is constantly worried when he travels back to the UK. He always feels like he’s going to be pulled aside when he returns to the US, even though he has all of his papers in order. It happened on his move to the US – they kept him around for hours, while I waited and waited. He has been very wary ever since.
Unfortunately (or fortunately!), cute men in black wouldn’t help him too much lol!
Bonnie’s last blog post..You’re Addicted to Squidoo When…?
Thanks for your comments Bonnie. Richard is probably one of the few who can understand how I feel as you leave the plane and approach the immigration control.
I know one young lady called Maria at Miami who is a lady in black that I’m sure Richard would approve of 🙂
A lady called Maria in Miami
Wore a little black dress that was glammy
nuff of that… LOL 🙂
tony’s last blog post..Unemployed Again
oh, I just don’t understand these people. It certainly makes the US look bad – but we’re also treated poorly. I have to share with you that IMHO this bad behavior is NOT because of 9-11 and extra security steps. In 1978 my younger daughter-in-diapers was strip-searched by US Customs in Philadelphia. We (a family of 4) had been on a long-delayed return flight from Frankfurt back to the US after 3 weeks visiting my ex-pat parents working a 2-year civilian job in Germany. We were very tired, hungry and she was soaking wet with no more diapers – we were 6 hours overdue for landing in Boston (fogged in). It was humiliating and upsetting and total BS. Our luggage had been hand-searched before we left Germany. In 1995 I was targeted by LA Customs on return from a Tokyo business trip – more BS. I think there should be mandatory psychological screening of minor US employees before they’re hired. They seem to get a power-hungry attitude and take it out on the people they’re supposed to ‘assist’ …
Deb, when you get here we welcome you with open arms
Pastiche (Lee)’s last blog post..Alan Wilbar, Poet
What happened to your daughter is just disgusting! Why do they do this to people? Not only is it frustrating, it’s humiliating. I think you’re right about doing psychological screening on these people. A couple of the immigration officers I met (or homeland security whatever they’re called) were absolutley lovely. One other made it clear if it had been down to him, I’d have been sent home. And that was because a consular officer didn’t believe me and for no other reason. I must admit I was relieved when we decided Tony would come here for easter as the thought of landing at Miami fills me with dread, even though I have a visa.
Thanks for your kind words, I really appreciate that.