Immigration Paperwork Saga continues ...

This whole process has been quite frustrating at times. Here's the latest . . . news only comes every so often because we go for such long stints of time with nothing happening at all . . . just waiting.

In March 2006 I arrived in Portland on a spouse visa which I was told entitled me to get my Social Security Number (SSN) which would allow me to get a job. I wasn't sure if I would seek employment but knew that getting a SSN was necessary anyway. When applying for my SSN I was told that my spouse visa wasn't the appropriate document to enable me to get my SSN. I needed an approved 'permission to work' form or a 'conditional resident' status card - also known as a green card I think.

Each of these cost money and required processes and other paperwork to gather in order to apply. The cheapest and easiest was the 'permission to work' form . . . so this was gathered and sent in April 2006. When we received notice that they had received the form we were told that I would get an appointment date to get my finger prints taken and then the process would take 3-6months to approve. At the end of August I still hadn't received my fingerprint appointment date so I called to inquire. They said they lodged an 'inquiry' and I should hear something within the month. I went through this process two more times (waiting a month in between each one) and finally I heard back at the beginning of December to say that they were investigating further and if I didn't hear anything in 6 MONTHS then I could call back again.

Now this was the climax of my frustrations!!

It was at this that we decided to finalise the 'change of status' paperwork (from spouse to conditinoal resident). I sent that in the first week of December and on the 20th I received notice of my fingerprint appointment for the change of status paperwork for the 26th of December.

I was in shock as to how quickly that all happened!! . . . if only . . . we had done this in April!! We weren't to know!

So . . . all that is to say I am now 'in the system' my fingerprints were taken electronically - it was actually pretty cool especially when I was prepared to walk out of there with black ink all over my fingers!

Now we continue to wait for that set of paperwork to be approved and my 'green card' to arrive in the mail.

However, with Renatah here now, I have no desire to get a job . . . but having the processes over and done with will be nice. And, if anything ever comes up I will be able to work if I so choose!!

Thanks to those of you who have prayed and continued to ask about what's going on with all this. Just getting here after 14months after we were married was the first step!