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I wanted to hike the triple crown of long distance hikes in the US (Appalachian Trail, Pacific Crest Trail and Continental Divide Trail), which are between 2,200 miles and 3,100 miles long and so couldn't realistically be done on a three month tourist visa. The next best alternative was the one you took out, which is a 10 year visa that allows you to stay in the country in 6 month stints (B1/B2). That meant I was able to come over in 2011, 2012, 2014 and then again in 2017 to go 'do my thing' in the mountains! On that last trip in 2017 I happened to be introduced to someone and we fell in love (when you get to a certain age, as I am, when you know...you know, right?!). We very quickly knew that we were meant for each other and, as the end of that particular 6 month visa grew closer we became concerned at what happens next. We called an immigration lawyer who was great and basically said that we had two choices:
1) I fly home and then go to the US Embassy and apply for a Fiancee Visa. My other half would have to do the same at her end. The process is long (VERY) and our ability to see each other in the meantime would be very restricted because I wouldn't be eligible any more for a tourist visa. The VITAL thing she mentioned was that you can only enter the country on one visa and that visa must be based on your initial intention when entering the country UNLESS that intention changes once you're there. And that brings me to the second point;
2) I was there on a tourist visa doing touristy things. I could prove that I met my betrothed whilst there and as a result I could apply to go through a "Change of Status" if we got married before the visa ran out.
We got married, I put my application to change status in, and cancelled my flight home! Now, once that was acknowledged by Immigration (they simply send you a letter saying they've got it) you just wait...and wait...and wait. You are now without a visa (as you've told them you are no longer in country based on your initial intent so my visa is no longer valid) but the letter of acknowledgement serves to gives you a status that had to be created through the courts as there's no other Federal legislation that allowed for the visaless gap between you invalidating your entry visa and them finally getting round to processing your application and giving you a green card. That status is called "PRUCOL" (Permanently Residing Under Cover Of Law). It certainly made me nervous but my Lawyer was very good and assured me all was okay. She must have been right because I was able to use the term to take my driving test in the state of Georgia (where we were living at the time) and they gave me a Drivers License! After four or five months I got two interim documents that were an Employment Authorization Document (EAD), which is a temporary Work Permit, and Advance Parole. The Parole gave me the right of entry back into the county if I left it at any time (prior to that being issued, if I'd have flown back home I'd not have been able to get back in!). It took just over two years before they got round to processing my Change of Status Application (I had to get all my biometrics taken a couple of months in but then it was back to waiting) and then we were both interviewed AT LENGTH about our marriage, how we met, where we live, what we do, etc. There were some quite personal questions too but we had to prove that we met AFTER I entered the country on a tourist visa and that our marriage was genuine. They then kept my Work Permit and Parole and a couple of weeks later got a Conditional Green Card in the mail. If you have been married for less than two years you only get a two year Green Card, with the proviso that after two years, if you're STILL married and can go through the process of proving that you're still happily living a married life then you can apply to have the conditions removed and they issue you with a normal 10 year Green Card. The renewal of these every 10 years is a relatively simple process (in comparison) but don't forget to do it (many do!). Instead, after three years (if your green card was marriage based) you can apply for citizenship, which is what I did. I've now been here for 7.5 years and my wife and I just celebrated our 7th Anniversary with a trip to the UK! ;-) In fact it was our second trip back as I had the pleasure of introducing my wife to Clive in the Crown on our previous trip (thanks for the drink Clive. We still owe you a Peroni or two!
Sorry for the long post, but unless you're planning on joining a caravan to cross the border from the south, then this is going to be a long and laborious process full of many potential pitfalls and stumbling blocks if you get it wrong. My advice would be to speak to a good immigration consultant and get your ducks in a row and make each step planned and deliberate. Oh, the only other thing I can think of at this stage is I started my application in 2017, just as a new president was taking office that had a particular mandate on immigration. Regardless of political opinion (this isn't meant as one) my lawyer pointed out that all of her cases were taking much longer than usual because the staff at the immigration office (USCIS) were inundated with new legislation and/or procedures at an alarming pace and it meant that, each time that happened they had to suspend all work on new applications and review all existing applications to see how they could be affected by the new legislation/process. This happens each time there's a change of government, obviously, but it was quite extensive back then. I don't need to point out (but will, just as a heads up) that this may now be something you also face if you plan to start your process over the next few years.
TL:DR It's a really long and complicated process that results in really long, dull posts on football forums. If you get through to the end still sane, then you can be like me and happily married whilst enjoying having the life ruined twice a week watching a bunch of guys in blue and white hoops on a screen forgetting what they've been told they're supposed to do with the small round white (sometimes yellow) thing.
And just look who the DoF is at Forest. Hint: it's Beal's mate who was the DoF at Glasgow Rangers! Is there still time for him to make a phone call? Is the ink dry on that Sunderland contact? 😄
I bet his best mate is gutted at the timing of Beal's appointment at Sunderland considering he is the recently appointed DoF at Forest, having recently left his position as DoF at Glasgow Rangers! A day too late! I bet he's called Beal and asked if the ink is dry yet on the contract at Sunderland...
So, according to the Apostrophe Protection Society quoted in the article, should we be shouting "Come on you Rs" instead of "Come on you R's" as the plural of R is Rs? 😉
Interesting. Reading the responses on that tweet (sorry...'X' which I'm not sure is pronounced "ex" or "kiss"!), the Charlton fans don't seem to be that bothered about him leaving, basically thanking him for 2019 but so long and thanks for all the fish... This isn't an opinion on the prospect of his potential arrival here or otherwise (didn't we all do the same thing when Warburton left West Ham?), but more a reflection of those best placed to judge his performance (or at best form an opinion of his performance) in a similar role. The impression of his performance appears to correlate to changes in the ownership environment and budget pressures with not much going on in the way of academy products? It's all contextual. He loves this club and that can never be discounted...
And along with Drinkwater Leicester also won the Premier League with the benefit of another Man U academy trained right back who was deemed not good enough for us...a certain Danny Simpson
Ah delightful. JFH can look forward to top level insight during matches that aren't going our way similar to that witnessed during the Iceland v England game! Keep watching...wait for it.....
Austin's sister's Twitter account has this photo along with him posing/autograph hunting with lampard and a few other Chelsea players. I saw this a few months ago but assumed he'd want to keep it quiet so didn't post it.....!
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