Comments on: Reason #1 for not being online lately…. http://www.peachyhollow.com/2007/07/10/reason-1-for-not-being-online-lately/ Thu, 17 Jun 2010 16:59:15 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Nin http://www.peachyhollow.com/2007/07/10/reason-1-for-not-being-online-lately/comment-page-1/#comment-40 Nin Thu, 12 Jul 2007 01:50:03 +0000 http://peachyhollow.com/2007/07/10/reason-1-for-not-being-online-lately/#comment-40 Thanks Elisabeth! The seven months is approximately how long it will take to now process my greencard/visa- it could be longer, it could be shorter. Prior to January of this year, I was entitled to apply for the visa directly through the consulate in London. It would have taken about six weeks or so....still too long of you ask me, but entirely doable and not hugely inconvenient. Then, because a small child in the US was molested by a foreign national immigrant, a new law was passed which made it necessary to screen ALL new immigration applications for child abuse convictions. This meant that 'Direct Consular Filing' was no longer an option for most people, and all applications had to be made through the same four or five INS offices in the US. Naturally, this has strained the INS and there is now a giant backlog which extends for months. Had our lawyer been clued into this new law change that was coming up, we could have had a small civil ceremony at the end of last year, and filed through London.....but instead we forged ahead with our plans for our english wedding...ho well. Nothing much we can do about it now, short of cancelling the wedding, which we don't want to do. I can understand why these laws are in place as they can't have people coming in the country willy-nilly, but at the same time, it's insanely frustrating. I can't believe your story about the mexican lady. That is so cruel! The poor poor family. After hearing that, it's definitely worth the time apart to get the visa. It's only a few months, after all. Thanks Elisabeth! The seven months is approximately how long it will take to now process my greencard/visa- it could be longer, it could be shorter. Prior to January of this year, I was entitled to apply for the visa directly through the consulate in London. It would have taken about six weeks or so….still too long of you ask me, but entirely doable and not hugely inconvenient. Then, because a small child in the US was molested by a foreign national immigrant, a new law was passed which made it necessary to screen ALL new immigration applications for child abuse convictions. This meant that ‘Direct Consular Filing’ was no longer an option for most people, and all applications had to be made through the same four or five INS offices in the US. Naturally, this has strained the INS and there is now a giant backlog which extends for months.

Had our lawyer been clued into this new law change that was coming up, we could have had a small civil ceremony at the end of last year, and filed through London…..but instead we forged ahead with our plans for our english wedding…ho well. Nothing much we can do about it now, short of cancelling the wedding, which we don’t want to do.

I can understand why these laws are in place as they can’t have people coming in the country willy-nilly, but at the same time, it’s insanely frustrating.

I can’t believe your story about the mexican lady. That is so cruel! The poor poor family. After hearing that, it’s definitely worth the time apart to get the visa. It’s only a few months, after all.

]]> By: Elisabeth http://www.peachyhollow.com/2007/07/10/reason-1-for-not-being-online-lately/comment-page-1/#comment-39 Elisabeth Thu, 12 Jul 2007 00:16:20 +0000 http://peachyhollow.com/2007/07/10/reason-1-for-not-being-online-lately/#comment-39 Is this 7 month law something that tries to make sure you really love each other? Perhaps they are trying to see if you actually will want to see him again after experiencing that time apart. We have some of the craziest rules over here. Just a few weeks ago a woman who had lived in Minnesota for many, many years and who had a bunch of kids and was married to a legal resident of the US was deported back to Mexico because when she first arrived (that many, many years ago) she did not do it legally-I think her Visa expired before she married her legally okay husband. I think it is terrible that someone who has their entire family here (that are entirely legal) is forced to leave. Anyway-as long as this time can make sure that you are able to not have to go through something like that I am sure it is worth it, but it does make me sad that you have to go through all of this. My ancestors (who came over on many different boats) sure didn't have to go through all of this. Is this 7 month law something that tries to make sure you really love each other? Perhaps they are trying to see if you actually will want to see him again after experiencing that time apart. We have some of the craziest rules over here. Just a few weeks ago a woman who had lived in Minnesota for many, many years and who had a bunch of kids and was married to a legal resident of the US was deported back to Mexico because when she first arrived (that many, many years ago) she did not do it legally-I think her Visa expired before she married her legally okay husband. I think it is terrible that someone who has their entire family here (that are entirely legal) is forced to leave. Anyway-as long as this time can make sure that you are able to not have to go through something like that I am sure it is worth it, but it does make me sad that you have to go through all of this. My ancestors (who came over on many different boats) sure didn’t have to go through all of this.

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