The Definition of Redundancy -- Applying for an American Visa (an update)

If there is anything that should have its picture taken and put beside the word "redundancy" in the dictionary it is the Immigrant Visa process in the States.

Yesterday I received the next step in my application to be given status to live and work legally in the States. I was surprised and encouraged by its arrival, as I did not expect to see it until mid-March. With any luck I will have it completed and in the mail within a week. (The paper work part isn't long, its the documents that I need to assemble before I send it that will take time).

Here's the thing, the reason this document is so easy to fill out..... it requires almost the EXACT SAME information as what I had to fill out before for my biographical forms. The form has a different layout, but the required info is THE SAME!! With one small difference, I may need to make a list of every time I visited the States in my life. For some people that's no big deal -- a trip or two to Florida, maybe one to see the Grand Canyon and you're done. Me? Well my family is very blessed with some wonderful cousins in the States. So most March breaks found us visiting cousins in Pennsylvania (usually) or Michigan. Sometimes we went down in the summer. And does the odd day-trip across the boarder count? B/c I had a number of those in Seminary. Not to mention the number of times Mac and I have been back and forth to Virginia since we finished school. My list could be quite long.....

The other redundant part of the application... I have a list of documents that I have to assemble -- most I already have and they have already seen and have at least 2 photocopies of (we had to send one copy initially and a second copy was made at our appointment on February 1). Now I don't think its a problem for me to bring this documents again to the next interview. But do they really need another set of photocopies??? Really??? Now I like paper. I don't like having things just in my computer, I don't find I read them well. And I love post-it notes, i write on them all the time. But I hate having multiple copies of the same thing! It generally makes little sense to me. I have a feeling that there are some significant areas in which the US Immigration Process can be streamlined to be more efficient and less wasteful of paper.

Ah well. We are excited that the "next step" is here. We are going to turn this around as quickly as possible and hope that we get an interview quickly... though the average wait time for a visa at this point is 4-6 months. (But considering it was 6-9 months on Feb 1st, we're doing good!).

We will keep you updated.