Vincent's greencard interview at 10.30am Eastern Standard Time.We get to prove we're married because we love each other. That he will not be a drain on US resources. We have the very first emails we ever sent each other after I found his post on HDR photography on his website in late July 2007, the epic letters we wrote a month later, the pictures - and blog posts - about our in-person meeting in September 2007.
We have postcards, and photos and letters from friends (one warning us not to jump the gun, we should live together first!), and sworn affidavits, my father's starting in South African legalese: 'I am a major white South African male...'
Well, he is...but I hadn't laughed so hard for a long time.
We have wedding pictures, from our four-months-after-meeting little ceremony. Now I'm beginning to think maybe we should have invited some guests?
Pictures on beaches, sand dunes, in the snow.
Receipts for wedding rings, phone bills, electrical bills, bank statement. A magazine article produced together. More blog posts.
Federal Plaza, here we come.
[January 13, 2010: The Result]
Good luck!
ReplyDeleteBest of luck! It'll be hard to type, but I'll have my fingers tightly crossed at 10:30 a.m. ;)
ReplyDeletexxoo
Break a couple of legs... And Vince? "Força, eh?"
ReplyDeleteGood luck! Hopefully, you will get a nice immigration officer. Marc is an immigration attorney. He also used to work for Homeland Security as an immigration officer. I'm sure with all of the documents you have, you'll do fine. Try not to laugh too hard at some of the questions.
ReplyDeleteit seems you could get many letters from people (well, me, anyway) thrilling to your descriptions of times with your main man. not to mention the very small apartment you share.
ReplyDeleteWow! Ek besef dis op hierdie stadium seker nogal nerve-wrecking, maar dit klink eintlik opwindend!
ReplyDeleteHoop dit verloop seepglad.
Ai, hierdie post het my soveel plesier verskaf ek moes dit eers weer lees.
ReplyDeleteEn so van die os op die jas - daai rok van jou is pragtig :-)
Oooh, it's 9:55 right now. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteProbably too late to comment now, but I wish you both all the luck in the world.
ReplyDeleteI hope it will be just formality. I didn't have anything what you described- just marriage license and driver license and we were done in 5 minutes. Wish you the same... so you can finally go to Africa, take countless pictures, post them here and make us happy :)
ReplyDeleteI too am thinking of you both, and know all will go well.
ReplyDeletedid you take this picture with you?
ReplyDeletethis dreamy eyed, back and forth thing you two have going here is pretty authentic.
and it's 10:27. we are all with you. can you feel it?
I just know it's going to be fine.
ReplyDeleteIt's 10:46 here. Wishing all the best for you for the interview, for your trip coming up so soon afterwards... So exciting for the two of you!
ReplyDelete(I'm surprised at how moved I am by all this!)
No idea what time it is for you now, but fingers will be tightly crossed till you post the good news. And, hopefully, some of the more arcane questions you were asked?
ReplyDeleteWent through this a long time ago ...
ReplyDeleteBonne chance à tous les 2
OMG, what a palaver! Best of luck... And if they say no, get your Major South African Male to threaten them :)
ReplyDeleteoh my heavens . . . having to document "because we love each other"
ReplyDeletechecking in at 2 o'clock -- and so hoping it went well.
if it weren't so inherently solemn, we could all probably have a good run at the comic-opera aspects of your [very model of a modern] major gentleman and the bureaucracy, which i expect will prove unintentionally hilarious. . . in retrospect.
oooh, couldn't resist noting this: the next word verification is: [shh] commi.
ReplyDeleteand then: horrybio
ReplyDeleteSilly time zones! I'm too late to say: Take Estorbo!
ReplyDeleteamazing what it takes! IT will go well, though.
ReplyDeleteThere are, I suppose some fakers out there, but you two are obviously not!
Good luck to you both. My son-in-law just got his green card last month. The questions asked and the proof required were a lot more stringent than when my husband and I went through the same thing 38 years ago, but nothing that can't be handled if you have been married a while. My daughter was scared that she would say something that would be wrong, but they both did just fine. We do have an international family....just like you.
ReplyDeleteI gave my son-in-law an American flag for Christmas and told him that he now has the right to complain about our politics! Ha, ha!
Baie dankie, jvdh -
ReplyDeleteJenn - gracias, chica xx
Sigrid - man, you should see how relaxed he is now - like a boneless chicken!
Thomas - I did try. :-) You know whose door we'll be knocking on if we need help, right?!
Donna - ha, yes! A petition from bloggers and readers...I hadn't thought of that ^^
Hi Arcadia - baie dankie - hoekom laat 'seepglad' my aan tronke dink? Ha. Die rok was twee jaar oud toe ek dit aantrek vir die troue - ek's nog mal daaroor. Dis sy. Wash in cold water.
M. Thank you - and congrats on your photo!
Hi Val - we'll be in your neck of the fynbos soon. You were not too late. Thank you!
Kat - simpler days...but the interview was fine. We had just heard so many horror stories.
flwrjane - thank you so much, and it did :-)
Karen - you made me cry, and yes, I did.
Ms Hound - Lisa - thank you...dig the glasses, do you :-)
Giovanna - at 10.27 I was waiting and riddled with unexpected stomach butterflies and thinking of all the space beyond the building we were sitting in, and wondering how far thoughts could penetrate, and how many were entering, and for and from so many different people. The States may seem like the evil empire, until you realize how much is possible here.
Rachel - hope you liked the questions :-)
Lambert, merci. Beaucoup.
Jeanne, thanks for palaver. It's a long time since I heard that word. Saw it. Whatever :-)
Melanie - I cracked up. Commi!!! You know, he did NOT ask that!? I guess it only matters for citizenship. Wah. Yes, soooooo much fun could be had, tros' mi, but the spectre of Guantanamo looms...now if only that were funny.
Dinahmow - take the cat? You wanted us to be deported tout de suite?! He is paperless. W.O.P.
Mountain Thyme...so your husband hails from where? Details, details...
Thank you, everyone. I don't know how else to say it. Thank you for coming along for the ride. Some of it felt quite bumpy.
I was with you in spirit even though my stoopid work kept me so busy i didn't get to read this until now that it's all history. Congrats!!!
ReplyDeleteWhat a romantic story...I had no idea you were such newlyweds. Congratulations on the green card and bon voyage!
ReplyDeleteI'm so happy for you two! I was remembering how awkward it was when Vince first came to the office & Bill was introducing everyone to him and you were so cute & flushed! Sometimes you just know! Can't wait to see more pics of South African flora! Safe travels.
ReplyDelete