life

[forbiddencharm]

hmmm... I'm making progress in finding jobs I can perform online. I've found a few places I'm applying to do freelance editing or transcription, and I think I've managed to weed out the fakes from the real things. I've even found one or two places where I might potentially teach writing. But I'm frustrated about the real job thing. I want to look in the want ads or go through the listings at places I want to work and be able to just apply, but I can't. I hate this! I completely get why these laws are in place and I can't argue against them, but it's just really annoying to know that this is a recent thing and if this had happened even five years ago it would have been simple to do this. And I hate the pressure this puts on us. No one should have to get married because otherwise their significant other can't stay in the country! It's ridiculous. Even the US, with our own ridiculous immigration policy, would allow me to import my boyfriend with a Green Card if I guaranteed that he wouldn't have to go on welfare.

Comments

[heavenslaughing.livejournal.com]

Whoah! So are you, in fact, getting married? ...Congratulations?

[redaly.livejournal.com]

What?! No! Not yet at least. But there will come a point where we have no choice but to get married or break up, which is what I was moaning about. I want it to be our decision, you know?

[mavjop.livejournal.com]

Urm, as a legal resident alien in the USA, I must correct you.

The US absolutely does NOT allow you to get a green card for a boyfriend or girlfriend. The US has a 90 day (or was it 60 day?) special "fiance(e) visa" (K1, if I recall correctly) which can be used to get one's fiance(e) into the country in order to get married, however you definitely cannot get them a green card.

I was in the US for over five and a half years on a H1-B visa (employment-based). Had I lost my job and been unable to get another one really quickly (which would have been practically impossible back in 2001-2004-ish), I would have been utterly shit-out-of-luck and our options would have been (1) break up, (2) carry on a massively LD relationship, or (3) get married before we were ready. #2 would probably have ended up as #1. #3 is never a good thing for anybody to do.

We're married now, and I have a green card. This makes life a lot less scary.

I will say one thing in the USCIS' favour. My green card process was quick. OTOH, we were a pretty simple case. We'd been together 6.5 years, had lived together for most of that, and had bills and stuff to prove it. Otherwise, though... the hoops I had to jump through for H1-B visa and renewals, and the amount of time it took to get one initially .... REALLY sucked. Oh, and the 20lb or so of (incredibly valuable, irreplaceable) documentation I had to carry with me (obviously, hand luggage only) every single time I left the country was a pain in the neck -- or perhaps a pain in the back would be more accurate.

[miyutvp.livejournal.com]

yeah - George and I had to get married before any paperwork could get moving. US visas, not so easy.