So looks like we'll be in Chilito for awhile longer. Our plans had been to move back to the States sometime in the upcoming months, preferably at the beginning of the Northern Hemisphere's summer, but that won't be happening. I went to the U.S. Embassy today to apply for V's immigrant visa and was shot down, because you need to be a permanent resident to apply. I feel like a permanent resident in Chile. After all I've been here for almost five years. Unfortunately, feeling like a permanent resident and being one aren't the same thing. My Chilean carné needs to say "permanent resident" or something to that effect on the back of it. Así que cagué! And I could have applied for permanent residence in September, because after having two consecutive years of student visas and finishing your studies here in Chile, you are also eligible to apply for permanent residence, but you have to do it before your student visa expires. Mine expired September 12th, so I traveled to Mendoza to get a tourist visa because I didn't get all the paperwork together before the 12th to apply for my temporary visa. But I didn't know all of this was going to be so complicated, so I didn't even look into the details of it all. Plus I've had a hyper-busy 6 months: I finished my thesis in September defending it on September 11th, then V, C and I went to Diaguitas for el dieciocho. Then I went to the States for a week to get some paperwork done there, came back to Chile and started teaching English, planning our wedding our honeymoon and my family's trip to Chile. And we just got back from our honeymoon the other day. So just today I finally got the paperwork together to go turn it in and was met with a bit of a surprise.
Bang. Bang. She shot me down.
Bang. Bang. I hit the ground.
Bang. Bang. The embassy official shot me down.
A friend of V's had told us in October I needed to have permanent residence to apply for the immigrant visa from here, but other people had said I didn't, which may have been true back in the day, but isn't true now. Anyway, by October it was too late to apply for permanent residence anyway, because my student visa had already expired. I also could have applied for a temporary visa years ago, but didn't know it would have been easier that way.
Un año más, qué mas da?
Un año más, cuánto se han ido?
Un año más, qué más da?
Cuánto se han ido ya?
So anyway, it takes me a while to digest things. I'm not exstatic about being in Santiago another year. Probably if I still lived in Valpo I wouldn't mind being here longer, at least not as much. It's especially annoying since they've started constructing a building right next door and the drilling sound hasn't stopped all morning. I thought we were in economic crisis?!?!
...but on the good side, now that I'm done with school and the marriage-planning is over, I will actually have time to hang out with friends more. Yay! Some of the best time spent in life is hanging out with friends. It's been quite the introverted last four years, having soooo much to study and I've spent most of the little free time I've had with V, obviously. So I've seen much less of my friends then I'd like to.
I finally am working again in what will probably be one of my main careers in life (teaching) and will actually be excited to work for a year without having to uproot and move back to the States. I must admit I was not looking forward to leaving my capoeira group, which is actually planning a trip to Bahia, Brazil this (Southern Hemisphere) winter. Hoo! Hoo! Hoo! I missed the last one because I had to study... but we'll see if a trip to Brazil pans out for me. I do have more important priorities like spending time with my hubby and establishing a career path for myself, as well as making money to fund the trip.
I also very much like Chile, and to be honest, even Santiago. (Although Valpo's way better.) I think my biggest disappointments are 1) I won't be hanging with my family as soon as I had planned. 2) I think it would be so great for V to get to know MY country and especially to get an outside perspective on his own culture. In general, I think living abroad is really healthy for people because it gives you the chance to see that culture is relative, even your own, especially your own. This is really hard to see when you've never lived within another culture. It's such a great opportunity, but it will have to wait awhile. Good thing V's not been too interested in studying English. Looks like he won't need it for a while.
The visa track I am now on is waiting for my temporary visa. Once I've had that for a year, I can apply for my permanent residence. Then I can apply for V's visa. But who knows? Perhaps by then we'll have two babies, a dog, a couple cars, a house and decide to just stay.
The lady at the embassy said I could go to the States and do the paperwork from there, but we'd have to be apart. Plus I heard that's a large pain in the butt, and takes even longer.
Meanwhile, I spose I'll keep blogging.
Runnin’ Down a Dream
3 weeks ago
13 comments:
Sorry to hear that your plans got foiled. For some reasons things that should be so simple always end up being so complicated. It's a little frustrating isn't it?
But, on that note, maybe I should apply for a permanent visa so just in case S. and I's plans change, we won't be screwed. I've had temporary residency for a year now so I think I probably could...
Heather!!!
1. I am SO glad you are back in Chilito.....we need to get together soon and catch up the 4 of us! We still have that pending trip to Patronato and the Cuban food/salsa dancing night! (This weekend we are going to Viña tho.)
and
2. I was just reading immigration stuff on the US Embassay's website randomly yesterday and saw that you have to have permanent residency for 6 months before you can apply for the visa for the hubs from here. Does that not suck? I was going to ask you if you had heard anything about that, but obviously now I see that you did hear it straight from the horse's mouth. What a total BUMMER! That means we'll be here for longer than we had hoped too....I was wanting to have a white Christmas next year in CO, but we def won't have vacation time after the wedding in June. Ugf, boo to immigration paperwork. The other option would be that V. applies for the visa lottery, but I really have no idea how that works.
*tear*
Weird. I had residencia temporaria when we applied and had no problem. Are you sure they don't just mean not a tourist visa? It took about 4 months to get it in Chile (the residencia that is)
I'm pretty sure they changed the rules to permanent residency cuz I had previously read and heard that it didn't matter that it didn't matter what sort of residency. But I know the embassy updated their website and they changed how people ask for tourist visas, so I don't doubt they have changed the loophole too. :(
I may have thought of a semi-solution for you.....I'll email u today when I get a chance!
Hi.
Two comments... from someone back in the state trying to bring her Seba. First, it SUCKs getting a job in the states right now. Really sucks. We are considering staying in Chile if I get a job I like (aka not teaching). Also... technically, you don´t have to be in the states to apply for the I-130 visa. You just have to send it from the states. So, in theory, you could senf the paperwork to your parents and they could send everything off and pass of communications to you. Alternatively, V could travel to the states while the paperwork in going through-- on a tourist visa. Then he would just have to travel back to Chile for the interview. This is actually what Seba and I are doing (unless I get a job here). He has until March to finish his practicum and he already has a multiple entry tourist visa. Good luck.
Clare,
I too suggested that they send in the paperwork to the States since the wait till be just about as long to do it that way as to wait for Heather's permanent residency.
However, I was under the impression that while an immigrant visa is in the process of being approved, that person is not allowed to have a tourist visa to visit the States. Are you sure that they would be able to visit the States while the I-130 paperwork is going through? I remember reading about this back in Jan/Feb of '08 and finding out that Christian wouldn't have been able to travel on a tourist visa. In any case, it'd be a good thing to double-check into!
why can't v. go to states on tourist visa? or take a couple of classes in states and get student visa? rachel h in denver
what a nightmare. that is def not what i was told back when i went to the embassy. i was told that you needed to be a chilean RESIDENT - but that, that did NOT entail residency under Chilean law, rather residency under some US statute. I find it odd that youwould need to be a CHILEAN resident- PERMANENT resident especially- to be able to get expedited processing. Here's what I was told: that once you have made Chile your RESIDENCE i.e. where you are living i.e. for purposes of US law - that you could then apply for expedited processing of his I-130 and that that would take between 2-8 weeks (depending on volume) for him to be able to leave Chile and get to the US w/you on a temporary green card. Is this info that you got 100% accurate? The embassy people DO make mistakes (i just got got a Chilean couple their visas back after they were erroneously taken away from them by an Embassy official's moronic mistake). Keep us updated. Either way, good that you are trying to be positive- no es el fin del mundo after all if you do have to stay here esp what with the US economy - as Clare points out - this could be a blessing in disguise.
Hey girls, thanks for the comments, suggestions. It's taken me a while to respond because I was in bed sick to my stomach all day yesterday. The typical gringa gets food poisoning problem. I'm feeling much better now, though.
I will look into other options, like applying from the States and once I get my temporary visa (should be next week), I'm going to go to the embassy again and see if they give me a different answer. hehehe
Tyff, hopefully see you in Viña...I'm going to rest all afternoon and I hope to feel good enough to actually leave my suegra's house when we are there.
But for sure next week we'll have to get together.
And Katina, I agree, it's totally illogical that we have to be permanent residents here for our spouses to get immigrant visas. We're planning on leaving Chile. Stupid.Stupid.Stupid. I hope the lady that helped me was just mis-informed. My temporary visa is being processed at the moment anyway, so once that's done, hopefully this will work out.
I did find this. Depending on how you read it, perhaps I can apply for V's visa with a temporary visa...The question is if the temporary visa meets the "Residency standard".
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2007/mar/82030.htm
Ugh, nightmare. Any updates? I'm sorry it's all such a headache, but it does sound like you do have some decent positives to make staying here longer a little bit more attractive. And about that "hang out with friends" point...get together soon?
A friend of mine found this forum immensely useful when organising a visa for his Chilean wife:
http://britishexpats.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=35
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