UPDATE

So, you ask, what's been happening you recently? Well, I reply, not a whole lot. But also, quite a lot too.




Firstly I went to New York again! But only for three days, and it was a business trip. Not much time for sight-seeing. I had to open a bank account, talk to immigration lawyers and file my taxes. Why would I do that? Because we're moving to New York in April next year! It's finally happening, we're in the middle of processing the paperwork right now. It's a long, expensive and difficult process, but we've started now.

The stages are:
1. Pay my taxes for the last three years.
2. Apply to sponsor Soryi.
3. Get interviewed, prove we're in a legitimate marriage and are genuinely planning on moving to the states (hence the bank account)
4. Soryi gets a temporary visa allowing her to enter the country (she can't at the moment, even as a tourist, which is why I went alone).
5. Soryi gets a permit allowing her to work.
6. We move there.
7. Soryi gets a permanent residence permit.

While I was there I had a few interviews with the company I'm working at now, everything seemed pretty positive, but nothing guaranteed because it's so far away. I'm hopeful though.

I did have a few spare hours though, and went to the Top of the Rock and a New York deli. Not Katz this time, too expensive, but 2nd Ave Deli, which was MUCH better, and a lot cheaper. Went to Taco Bell as well. It was fun.




I've been getting into photography a lot more too.. We've got a pretty good camera, and I've been playing with it a lot recently. Nothing amazing, but I'm still learning a lot. I've been collecting some vintage cameras too... We've got 15 now.



I went to a work organised Mad Men party last friday. It was fun, drank too many terrible martini's though. Had a hangover, which something I'm no longer used to. For people who don't know, Mad Men is a TV show about advertising, which takes place in the early 60's in NYC. Great show, even better theme for a party. I'm holding a Argus C3 camera in that photo. It was an American-made camera, that model is from 1962. It works, but not very well, too hard to focus and ATROCIOUS in low-light.

That's about it. I'll keep people informed of the visa situation.
IESSO

PS. We're gonna go to Japan in December. 10 days; Osaka–Kyoto–Nara–Himeji–Tokyo–Nagano... Photos!

AWESOME!

WE GOT APPROVAL! We'll now be going to England, 4 weeks from today! YAY!

Yes, I am aware that I have been crazily stressed by this whole thing, and after all that stress, the approval is a bit anti-climatic, but it's still great news! Actually, it IS great news! YAY!

IESSO

VISA APPLICATION UPDATE

WE APPLIED FOR OUR UK VISA'S TODAY. We'd already applied online, but they required you to additionally hand in your form in person, with your passport, fee and any additional information you might have. We went there yesterday, but we were told to book an interview if we wanted to be processed with priority and be given a chance to explain our case. We went in today for our interview, but due to some mix up we were only able to hand in our forms in person.

Which means I couldn't explain that because the rent, electricity and gas bills were in my name, hence the low amount in my bank account. Nor could I explain that there money being tied up in the house deposit and my next 2 paychecks. I couldn't explain any of the various other things needing an explanation too, including proof of employment in Ireland, intentions of work or university credentials. They're now just going to process my application on face value, with a high chance of being rejected! And they'll keep my €137 fee.

Worse still, Soryi will probably get accepted. If that happens she'll have to decide whether to take the offer and go to England without me or decline it without possibility of ever reapplying, even if I do.

She wants to remain optimistic, but I'm finding that very difficult at the moment.

What's most annoying is; people in Australia had their applications processed in 4 days, without hassle, while in Ireland (which is right-bloody-next-door to England) will take a minimum of 15 days, and up to 8 weeks to process, by which time we'd already be on the plane. Why not apply earlier you ask? Well, we were going to but Soryi's boss told her he wanted to sponsor her to work in Ireland, and my bosses agreed to do the same, so we didn't apply for the UK visa. Of it turned out we can't be sponsored at all, wasting 6 weeks, as well as getting our hopes up, putting us through tremendous stress, crushing our hopes, and subsequently putting us through even more stress.

Point is; I don't sleep very much now.

IESSO