If my husband dies, I have until my visa runs out to leave Denmark.
If I die - even though I am enjoying the benefits of temporary residency in DK (/sarcasm) - my husband has two years to apply for permanent residency in the US. Even though he doesn't have any type of visa now.
Alive, all I have to do to get him a permanent residency in the states is to sponsor him, that is, make over $20,000 a year. Or ask my parents to sponsor him, since we'd all be living there until I got a job anyway. As long as they make over $28,000 a year. Not a problem there.
He will not be required to prove active participation in society by joining a club or being on the board of an organization. He will not need to acquire 100 points. He will not need to apply for an extension every year no earlier than three and no later than one month before his visa expires because it won't fucking expire because it's a GOD DAMNED PERMANENT VISA!
Yes, it's that time of year again, folks. Time to extend my visa. *Whoo-hoo.* Time to again check the little boxes saying I've been a very good girl and not taken any money from the government I support with my taxes, that I have not broken any laws, that I still live in a house bigger than 40 sq. meters. Then my husband gets to sign that the conditions of his current residency permit have not changed (causing him to yell at the paper, "oh my god, I'm a citizen for Christ's sake, I was BORN here. God I hate this country."). I'll turn it in and then wait three months for my visa to be renewed. Which means that for at least one month, possibly even two, I will be here without a valid visa in my hand. So before it expires, I'll ask for a paper saying that they are reviewing my application and that I can stay in Denmark until the final decision, because I'll need to be able to prove that I can legally stay here and work when I need to fill out work contracts. And they'll tell me I don't need them and then I'll say, YOU TELL THE UNIVERSITY OF COPENHAGEN THAT THEN. Then before I leave for Qatar, because I won't have gotten my residency card yet, I'll have to get a re-entry visa that will expire before I can reenter Denmark because they are only good for three months and I work for five. I'll also have to provide documentation to the ministry of integration so that they know why I'm taking five months off of Danish class.
When not being bugged by the government, we are very happy with our lives here. Just go away and let us be!
God, no kidding. What a joke of a country!
ReplyDeleteLorteland.
ReplyDeleteBut it was no joke dealing with the US State Department and INS when I lived there.
I remember a particular case:
ReplyDeleteA Danish citizen of Iraqi descent was stabbed to death in the streets of Amager - near where I live. Guess what? His wife is still holding Iraqi passport so she got to get her butt out from Denmark AS SOON AS POSSIBLE - while still in mourning period.
Because? You know the answer, she's "LOST" her attachment (and reason) to stay in Denmark.
This is why I wonder why some immigrants (if not international expatriates - as they prefer) praise openly about this country.
Why, the health care is as free as the air you breathe and the people are the happiest in the world, that should be enough to praise it as the bestest ;)
ReplyDeleteThere's quite a bit of paperwork to get through to get hubs back home, but nothing compared to what hoops there are here.
Immigrating to the US isn't that easy, either. It's fine once you get the permanent residency, but from the time you get your I-90 (or whatever they call it now), until you get your permanent residency, it is an irritating, frustrating, and expensive process.
ReplyDeleteWhen Peter immigrated over here, we had to fill out so much paperwork, fork over $$$, stand in line at immigration offices at 6am so Peter could get his picture taken and fingerprinted....once a year for 3 years, and then go through several "interviews" with immigration agents to prove that we didn't marry so that Peter can just get his green card. That meant taking in wedding photos, vacation photos, letters from friends verifying that we were happily married forever.
Seriously, we had to take in letters from friends.
From the time Peter applied for Permanent residency, he was literally not allowed to leave the US. So for 1.5 years (yes, it takes that long, even longer) he was not allowed to visit family in Denmark, or even take a freaking vacation out of the US. If he did, then the US would take that as he was abandoning his request for permanent residency, and he would not be able to re-apply for 10 years. That meant not living in the US for 10 years.
Oh...and the USCIS is famous - FAMOUS! - for losing paperwork! Which means you have to refile, and pay the filing fee again. And if you call the USCIS hotline and talk to 3 people you will get 4 different answers.
So, once you get a permanent residency, your fine. But until then? The US can be just as frustrating as Denmark.
See the NY Times:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/13/nyregion/13fraud.htm?_r=1&scp=1&sq=immigration%20marriage&st=cse
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ReplyDeleteThanks Garkbit, Jacki, and Anonymous poster person! It's good to know the US isn't going to let the Biggest Asshole Award go without a fight!
ReplyDeleteThe US definitely wins in the bureaucracy round. Those forms - WOW! I like how they give you estimated completion times. Six hours for the financial support form! I would totally look forward to the questions from INS. "How often do you have sex?" "Not enough, my friend, not enough."
I feel your pain...seriously.
ReplyDeleteBut it is good to read what Jacki said as I had no idea how tough it was the other way around...might need that info when we decide to head west!