Wish Me Luck

[mjarrels]

After years of work, wife finally got FIL a VISA appointment at the US embassy in Manila... A few problems with Saint Lukes Hospital accross the steet. He is in his 70's and can remember dogfights above in WW2... Never lived outside of a third world country... I hope to show him a GREAT time in America once his paperwork is final! Wish me luck!

mark

 

[Bird]

Mark, I'm perhaps a bit dense, and of course a bit ignorant of such things, but I'm not sure I understand what you're saying the FIL is going to be doing. I guess you mean he is applying for a VISA to visit the United States. And he had to have some kind of appointment just to apply? And such appointments are hard to get? I would have thought anyone could apply for such a VISA, although I understand some can be turned down, but never thought about anyone having to work for a long period of time just to apply.

Educate me. And of course I do wish you, your wife, and your father-in-law all the best.

 

[frank_f15]

Bird i am a bit confused also, but as you i do wish them all the luck in the world!!!!!

 

[AlanB]

Good luck Mark,

As a person with a German Wife, dual citizenship kids, Sister married to a German living in Germany, 30 year old Philipino stepmother (now naturalized) who want's to bring her parents to the US to live. I have danced at that Dance and can tell you it is no fun.

Bird, you just would not believe how hard it is to get into the US legally. Not to mention how expensive, not to mention how ridiculous the crud that you put up with when you are trying to do it "right". All in the name of "protecting immigration" etc. etc. kind of like locks only keep honest folks out. All the rules we institute just make it hard on the folks trying to do the "right" things.

2 examples that still burn me up.

I had to get a letter from my dad, because I would be unemployed bringing my German wife to the US from Germany complete with his last three years tax returns and sworn statements etc. saying he would support me and her and not let us be a burden on the nation... (this because I was getting out from 6 years Active duty in the Army) After paying several hundred dollars (cash, no checks accepted) then the clerk told me the letter that they told me I needed 24 hours before my appointment, that they dictated to me, was not acceptable because it was not on the right form......................

Yes, after the two Marines dragged me away from the window where I was trying to strangle the woman through the letter slot, and the Consular came out, it was all ok.

We go to my wife's 10 year renewal and I must bring 2 "proof of Marriage",,,, Tried to call a million times and they never answer.

Show up with my marriage certificate (from America) and find that is not "proof of Marriage" because "anyone can have one of those" 10 minute's wrangling trying to determine what the heck, "co-mingling of financial resources" means I show them a checkbook and a car registration with both our names. That proved we were married. go figure.

And of course when I asked about the phone, he said, well, if we answered the phone we would never get anything done...............

Mark, good luck

 

[mjarrels]

Yep... you have to jump thru many hoops to do things legally (a few bribs help). Wife was able to become a citizen without much ado because I was an active duty Chief Petty Officer. Not so easy now especially since 9/11.

mark

 

[Bird]

Thanks to both of you. I knew there was some "red tape" involved, but apparently much more than I realized.

 

[EastTexFrank]

Good luck Mark,

As a person with a German Wife, dual citizenship kids, Sister married to a German living in Germany, 30 year old Philipino stepmother (now naturalized) who want's to bring her parents to the US to live. I have danced at that Dance and can tell you it is no fun.

Bird, you just would not believe how hard it is to get into the US legally. Not to mention how expensive, not to mention how ridiculous the crud that you put up with when you are trying to do it "right". All in the name of "protecting immigration" etc. etc. kind of like locks only keep honest folks out. All the rules we institute just make it hard on the folks trying to do the "right" things.

2 examples that still burn me up.

I had to get a letter from my dad, because I would be unemployed bringing my German wife to the US from Germany complete with his last three years tax returns and sworn statements etc. saying he would support me and her and not let us be a burden on the nation... (this because I was getting out from 6 years Active duty in the Army) After paying several hundred dollars (cash, no checks accepted) then the clerk told me the letter that they told me I needed 24 hours before my appointment, that they dictated to me, was not acceptable because it was not on the right form......................

Yes, after the two Marines dragged me away from the window where I was trying to strangle the woman through the letter slot, and the Consular came out, it was all ok.

We go to my wife's 10 year renewal and I must bring 2 "proof of Marriage",,,, Tried to call a million times and they never answer.

Show up with my marriage certificate (from America) and find that is not "proof of Marriage" because "anyone can have one of those" 10 minute's wrangling trying to determine what the heck, "co-mingling of financial resources" means I show them a checkbook and a car registration with both our names. That proved we were married. go figure.

And of course when I asked about the phone, he said, well, if we answered the phone we would never get anything done...............

Mark, good luck

I did all that a long time ago and it did tick me off. Back in '85 I spent 3 days at the Embassy in London applying for a Resident Alien Card. I always said it would have been cheaper and easier to buy an airline ticket to Mexico City and come across the border with all the rest of them. Back then you needed a physical and chest X-ray from an embassy specified doctor, photographs from an embassy specified photographer showing your left ear clearly of all things, copies of birth certificates and marriage certificates, tax returns and more paperwork than you can imagine. The one that really burned my a** was that my wife had to sign a declaration that she would be financially responsible for me and that I would not be a financial burden to the American taxpayer for at least 5 years. So you can understand why I get annoyed when people enter this country illegally and the first thing they do is sign up for all the assistance programs. What happened???????

 

[AlanB]

I did all that a long time ago and it did tick me off. Back in '85 I spent 3 days at the Embassy in London applying for a Resident Alien Card. I always said it would have been cheaper and easier to buy an airline ticket to Mexico City and come across the border with all the rest of them. Back then you needed a physical and chest X-ray from an embassy specified doctor, photographs from an embassy specified photographer showing your left ear clearly of all things, copies of birth certificates and marriage certificates, tax returns and more paperwork than you can imagine. The one that really burned my a** was that my wife had to sign a declaration that she would be financially responsible for me and that I would not be a financial burden to the American taxpayer for at least 5 years. So you can understand why I get annoyed when people enter this country illegally and the first thing they do is sign up for all the assistance programs. What happened???????

Yep, and the physical had to be from "thier" doctor,,, not the Army doctor, not the German doctor, "their" doctor,,,, oh, can you say $500 cash, then lets see, the wife was pregnant at the time, 4 phone calls to verify no problem, tell them you are pregnant, no x-rays needed,,, until you paid the $500, then we needed a doctors note from HER doctor stating she was pregnant, had to go back and get that and come back and Oh, lets see, this is a return visit,, Another $500 (american CASH please) yep, hurt on an E-5 salary.

Oh, and Memphis was no better, the illustrious Left ear thing, it was amazing that 20 of us in the waiting room, all had to have new passport photo's done because the ones we had were not "right", and hey, convieniently there was a place doing passport photo's next door.

Mark, I hope it goes smoothly for you. My dad is working on it for his FIL and MIL now (yes, they are almost as old as he is ) and he has to sign the financial decleration for them. It is amazing how it works in our country.

 

[mjarrels]

Yep... been there done that plus more! Net worth must be documented too. Just hate to see what a plane ticket cost now to fly half way around the world at current jet fuel prices.

mark

 

[mjarrels]

I don't like big goverment but if morgage lenders would have a quarter of these standards... there would be NO morgage meltdown! Use to be a commerical that went "we make money the old fasion way, we earn it"

mark