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Feb. 28th, 2004 09:38 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
urocyonToday has been pretty encouraging, despite the flu. I gathered the required documents
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Today has been pretty encouraging, despite the flu. I gathered the required documents <a href="http://www.overthepond.info/ukguide/faq.html#themdocuments"document requirements</a> (thanks to <lj site="livejournal.com" user="ruthi"> for the link) for my fiancée visa into an easier-to-follow form (near-checklist)--they seemed less intimidating once I'd done so--and e-mailed the ones <lj site="livejournal.com" user="vatine"> needs to him. (He'd had the actual requirements earlier, but this rearrangement seemed clearer.) I was pleased at how quickly he responded. :)
We didn't managed to head into Hornchurch and get a provisional booking receipt from the Registrar while I was there, but this does not seem to be a problem. I asked about this on an <a href="http://www.americanexpats.co.uk">American Expats In The UK</a> forum--I highly recommend this site--and he should be able to go into the <a href="http://www.tradingstandards.gov.uk/havering/register.htm">register office</a> by himself and be pencilled in. As my mom pointed out, if anyone wants to talk to me as well, there is always the phone.
I called Ingvar this evening, after he was in bed reading (oops!). He didn't seem to mind at all, tired as he sounded. I thought being able to receive the provisional booking note without my being present might be good news, and I'd had another idea in mind: if I'm flying over again the beginning of April, why have me head right back to the States a month later, when I'll be returning anyway? From everything I've read, from official sites and from people who have gone through the process, I should be able to receive my visa by then. There should be plenty of time to assemble the necessary paperwork, and turnover by mailing applications to New York doesn't take that long, according to others' experiences. Of course, should time begin to run short, I could apply in person, but I'd rather avoid an unnessary trip to New York. Boo for closing down consular services in DC!
An extra boo for the exorbitant application rates; this month, given the GBP-->USD exchange rate, the application fee is $492, IIRC. This is about a month's income on my disability. I can't help but think that the rate increase has something to do with discouraging what I occasionally refer to as the Browner People; this charge is even more prohibitive in many other parts of the world from which the UK tends to get immigrants-by-marriage (and otherwise).
The provisional wedding date depends heavily on what is available when Ingvar goes to book one. Tonight we discussed late September/the first couple of days of October as possiblities, should the visa acquisition go as planned. Thinking about it more, and with a bit of input from my mom, I am tempted to consider something earlier, should there be openings. It would be better to do things before my little cousins go back to school, and Tim would feel free to look around for longer in that case--he is really looking forward to returning to the UK, as he's only been on a short business trip or two thus far. I've just had to face the fact that at least one elderly relative--my Nana *sob*--wouldn't be able to make it, no matter where we were married. She was a major factor in my preferring the idea of getting married here, since she's not up to travelling, and we really are kindred spirits. I would like--all but insist, in fact-that she and Ingvar meet at some point.
After I mentioned my idea of trying to enter in April on the other visa, I thought it was funny that he had apparently been thinking along the same lines, were it feasible. Great minds thinking alike, and all that, I suppose. :)
Now I'm trying to figure out how to get documentation together in short order, and still sort of freaking out at the entire idea of planning when I'd never intended to get married, in the first place. It's not entirely unpleasant, though. *g*
We didn't managed to head into Hornchurch and get a provisional booking receipt from the Registrar while I was there, but this does not seem to be a problem. I asked about this on an <a href="http://www.americanexpats.co.uk">American Expats In The UK</a> forum--I highly recommend this site--and he should be able to go into the <a href="http://www.tradingstandards.gov.uk/havering/register.htm">register office</a> by himself and be pencilled in. As my mom pointed out, if anyone wants to talk to me as well, there is always the phone.
I called Ingvar this evening, after he was in bed reading (oops!). He didn't seem to mind at all, tired as he sounded. I thought being able to receive the provisional booking note without my being present might be good news, and I'd had another idea in mind: if I'm flying over again the beginning of April, why have me head right back to the States a month later, when I'll be returning anyway? From everything I've read, from official sites and from people who have gone through the process, I should be able to receive my visa by then. There should be plenty of time to assemble the necessary paperwork, and turnover by mailing applications to New York doesn't take that long, according to others' experiences. Of course, should time begin to run short, I could apply in person, but I'd rather avoid an unnessary trip to New York. Boo for closing down consular services in DC!
An extra boo for the exorbitant application rates; this month, given the GBP-->USD exchange rate, the application fee is $492, IIRC. This is about a month's income on my disability. I can't help but think that the rate increase has something to do with discouraging what I occasionally refer to as the Browner People; this charge is even more prohibitive in many other parts of the world from which the UK tends to get immigrants-by-marriage (and otherwise).
The provisional wedding date depends heavily on what is available when Ingvar goes to book one. Tonight we discussed late September/the first couple of days of October as possiblities, should the visa acquisition go as planned. Thinking about it more, and with a bit of input from my mom, I am tempted to consider something earlier, should there be openings. It would be better to do things before my little cousins go back to school, and Tim would feel free to look around for longer in that case--he is really looking forward to returning to the UK, as he's only been on a short business trip or two thus far. I've just had to face the fact that at least one elderly relative--my Nana *sob*--wouldn't be able to make it, no matter where we were married. She was a major factor in my preferring the idea of getting married here, since she's not up to travelling, and we really are kindred spirits. I would like--all but insist, in fact-that she and Ingvar meet at some point.
After I mentioned my idea of trying to enter in April on the other visa, I thought it was funny that he had apparently been thinking along the same lines, were it feasible. Great minds thinking alike, and all that, I suppose. :)
Now I'm trying to figure out how to get documentation together in short order, and still sort of freaking out at the entire idea of planning when I'd never intended to get married, in the first place. It's not entirely unpleasant, though. *g*
