Immigration Stuff
I have been very lucky when it comes to immigration stuff. It really goes back to when I was applying for Canadian citizenship. This account of what happened to me may sound boring and tedious to others, but I am still fascinated by how the timing of everything turned out.In 2003, the grand plan was to get married in July and then moved to Seattle where a new job was waiting for me. However, none of that could happen until I have got my Canadian citizenship, with which I could apply for a TN Visa through my U.S. employer. It was uncanny how it all worked out. I became Canadian in June; after the ceremony, I headed straight to the passport office with forms ready. I received my passport less than 2 weeks before the wedding. Along with that, the letter from my new employer and my new Washington State veterinary license (funny how I could get it before I was even allowed to work in the U.S.!), I went to the border and got my TN Visa. 2 weeks after the wedding, I was able to move south of the border and start my new job.
And within 6 months of that, I adjusted my status from TN to L-something-or-other, Dan and I got our parole papers from the US immigration people and were on our way to getting our Green Cards. We got Green Cards almost a year ago; this meant that the whole application process took less than 2 years, which is almost unheard of.
Now come the more recent experience I have. Within days of having my Green Card stolen, I applied for a replacement. We were told by the immigration lawyers that there is nothing we could do but wait. I received a confirmation from USCIS within 2 weeks and another 3 weeks later, I was assigned my biometrics appointment, which happens to fall on my day off! I was pretty happy that I did not have to ask for time off to do this.
Meanwhile, I was advised by an USCIS agent to get an appointment through their on-line service to see about getting some kind of temporary travel document while I am waiting for my replacement Green Card. Dan told me that it took forever to get an appointment online the last time he tried get our temporary Green Card (a stamp in the passport), so he gave up and we ended up waiting in line from 6 a.m. to almost 9:30 a.m. So there I was, with my work schedule in front of me to see when I can get it done. My biometrics appointment is tomorrow, so I looked for something else thinking I won’t be able to make 2 appointments on the same day. Lo and behold, the appointment to speak with an agent happens to be in the same building as my biometrics appointment (I was told these take place at a different location) and there are many appointments available throughout the day.
So there you go, I have 2 appointments with the USCIS tomorrow at the same place about 3 hours apart. That sounds like a long time to sit around, but the fact that I could get everything done on the same day is amazing. If all goes well as it has been, I should be able to get a temporary travel document until my new Green Card arrives. And then I can go up to Vancouver or leave the country whenever I want!
posted by Anne-Gigi @ 2:24 PM
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