The question of immigration reform...

Now that the suspects in the Boston Marathon bombing have been identified and one is dead, the other on the run, there are many people lighting up social media with comments and remarks demanding stricter immigration guidelines. I'm pretty sure those who simply state "They need back ground checks on all immigrants!" have no idea what the current immigration process entails. As the wife of a fairly recent LEGAL immigrant and the best friend of the wife of a former ILLEGAL immigrant, let me explain.

The United States does not make it easy to enter this country legally. That's why so many people are sneaking in, crossing borders in the dark of night, or getting student visas and then vanishing into the populace. My best friend is married to a man from Mexico. He's been here since he was a child but he was brought here under the guise of a "visit" to legal relatives and then simply never returned to Mexico when his parents did. You may ask why good parents would leave their child in an entire other country with distant relatives and the answer would be - because there is nothing for him in Mexico. Had he stayed in Mexico he would not have an education or a job. Effectively, he grew up here. When he met my friend they fell in love and got married. They had two children. It was then he realized that if he was ever deported he would never see his family again. Thus began their incredibly difficult journey through the Immigration system. Every year, he filed Income Tax forms just like all the legal citizens of the US, or at least, like the law abiding ones. Each time he did it threw a red flag up because his "Social Security" number did not actually exist. The IRS would alert his employer and he was let go. This happened three times, three years straight but it was a necessary evil because he had to show his intent was to become a law abiding, tax paying legal immigrant. They retained an attorney who advised this. Next, the US Immigration Service supplies about 10 forms that must be completed showing intent to stay, who will provide, where you will live, what you intend to do here and so on and so forth. When submitted there is a filing fee for each form. The fee is anywhere from $90 to $700 depending on which form it is. Then, you wait. There is no guarantee that while you are waiting you will not be deported. You just wait. Eventually, you get a letter stating that you have to go to a local Immigration office (depending on your case will determine which one - either Chicago or Milwaukee). At the appointment you are finger printed and photographed. They also take blood for testing. This begins the back ground check. In my friend's case, he was not only checked based on his activity while in the US but his prior activity in Mexico. Then, because he was here already and should not have been, he had to go back to Mexico to wait for an appointment at the embassy there. No one could give him a time line for how long he would wait. If there was one tiny missing piece in his paperwork he might have been made to wait years. There was a real possibility that his children would be teen agers or adults by the time he was allowed back in. Thankfully, everything was correct. He attended that meeting and was given approval to return legally but not before one more glitch. My friend had to get signed affidavits showing that she would be suffering a hardship if her husband was not allowed to return to the family. She had to have doctor's notes (Her health was bad at that time) and personal witness letters proving he was needed here. Finally, he came home and now has a "green card" to prove he is here legally. It was a long drawn out process with several back ground checks in the way.

In the case of my husband and I, it went somewhat different. Partially because he was not already here when we started the process and, I believe, partially because he was coming from a Scandinavian country and not one of the "hot button" countries like Mexico or the Middle East. We intended to get married so the first thing we did was retain an attorney to walk us through the steps to getting a "Fiance" visa. This visa allowed him to travel to the US with the full intent on marrying within 90 days of getting here. Which is what we did. Once married, we had to begin the shitstorm of Immigration paperwork to obtain a work permit and green card. This time we did it alone - no attorney. We filled out a ton of papers, got photos, affidavits from people who know us, gathered photographic evidence of our lives together, ticket stubs, stuff from vacations together, anything that showed we were indeed a married couple. That all had to be submitted, again with a hefty filing fee and then we waited. Eventually we got an appointment for the forensics - finger prints and blood work. Then we had an interview. We sat in a room of other anxious people being called in one by one to be questioned by an immigration interviewer. When it was our turn they called us together. Our file, sitting on the desk in front of the interviewer was enormous. He had every slip of paperwork we had ever filed even from before Alex came to the US. He looked stern and paged through it. He started asking us some simple questions - when is his birthday (to me), what is your address (to him) as a way to gage if we were really together. Then he saw that Alex was a musician (it was in the file) and asked him what his favorite band was. Alex told him Radiohead and the interviewer sat up and smiled and agreed and asked him what CD was their best and the two of them talked about Radiohead for about five minutes. After they were done, he stamped his approval on our file and that was that! I shudder to think what might have happened had Alex said his fave band was Motley Crue or something like that. After a while, Alex's green card arrived in the mail. But that wasn't the end of it. After two years, we had to refile what they call a "Change in Condition" form (and another $500+ filing fee). This form was to let the Immigration Service know that his intent was to stay in the US permanently. It was approved and he is now what is called a "resident permanent alien". Eventually, he may choose to become a US citizen but that will be up to him.

The point is this...it is not easy to enter the US legally. While there may be some reform that could be done, it's not that simple to just "come to the US" as some people think. The fact that the identified suspects in this bombing are here on student visa's is not a flaw in the immigration system. They are criminals, bottom line. But no back ground check is going to determine that either unless they have previously perpetrated a crime prior to entering the US. And in that case they would not be entering the US on a student visa! They may come in illegally somehow but they would not have been issued a visa. I do understand the frustration people feel when talking about immigration issues. The perception of illegals entering our country, taking jobs and getting benefits without doing it the right way is frustrating when so many citizens are without work or benefits. But I also cannot blame the individuals who try it because knowing the poverty and duress they're coming from I think I would try it to if I were them. I blame government. Even ours. So little time and money is used to find ways to assist the lower economic classes in any country - including the US. It's a telling sign that people choose to enter illegally to live in poverty here because our poverty level is still a higher standard of living than from whence they came. But it is also telling that our government turns a blind eye to the impoverished citizens of the US as well. So, why did these two bombers come here? Education? Maybe. Or maybe this was planned all along. We may never know. It's too bad that in the two years they were here they did not open their eyes to all that is truly good in the US. Because there is so much good here. I don't really understand the deep hatred that manifests itself in some cultures for the US. I think I can see why it might but if they really looked at the people here, the good people, they would have seen that we are bigger than our government, bigger than the politics of it all, and we, the people of the US - born citizens and legal immigrants - do generally embrace other cultures and religions.

When will we all have enough of the hate?

I really suck at Mario Kart...

Today, Alex and I had to go to Milwaukee for what is hopefully his last biometrics appointment with Immigration. Biometrics is a fancy way of saying they take your finger prints and a photo. But that's not what I wanted to write about today. It is only in the getting to Milwaukee that it is interesting. I drove.

Now, normally, I am an open road type of gal. I mean I actually love driving and I'm a better driver than I am a passenger. I hate riding shot gun. Makes me too nervous knowing what lies between me and that on-coming car is in the hands of whoever's to my left. I'll do the driving, thank you! But I hate HATE driving on the interstate highway. I have never been in a accident on the highway. Unless you call that time when a bluebird swept itself under my luggage carrier on the way home from Hayward. We found him eventually. When we took our luggage off the rack. No, no accidents. I've seen a few accidents but nothing horrible so it's not a fear of getting hit really.

It's all that swooping and rushing and passing and slowing and tailgating and speeding that goes on around me. People drive like imbeciles! On the way home today I got cut off three times in less than a half hour. It is the real life version of Super Mario Kart and I've played that game and I stink at that! I get passed by Mario, Luigi and the Princess and usually I am the one flying off the road into the abyss. This is the image that stays with me when I'm on I-94 heading to Milwaukee.

Don't even get me started about the crazy construction and poorly marked "alternative routes". I was so far of track I had to exit and double back just to get back to the city. Sheesh!

Anyway, we made it. Biometrics completed. Hopefully, that's it for now. We may get called in for an interview or we may not. Immigration likes to keep you guessing that way! If we do, it's back on the road again. Look out, Luigi!!

What a week!

First, we FINALLY got this deposited in our account.



Which led us off to buy these. This one is Alexander's.



And this one is mine!



But the best part of all is that Alex got this in the mail! At long last!! Of course, his actually has his name on it.



So we went out and had some of this!



All in all, a great week!

Thank you, Radiohead!

Yesterday, Alexander and I presented ourselves at the US Immigration Service Center in Milwaukee to have our scheduled interview. This was the last step in Alex's Green Card approval. We'd been given a list of possible questions the immigration agent might ask and told to be prepared for anything and everything. We were also told to bring any and all documented evidence that showed we are a devoted and dedicated couple. For about two weeks we prepared by gathering everything we could think of - photos of us together here and in Sweden, testimonials by people who know us, ticket stubs and boarding passes from flights to and from Stockholm, legal documents like our marriage license and birth certificate. We spent night after night quizzing each other on the list of questions. What is my mother's name? Where do I work? What do I do? Describe the place we live. How did we meet? Name all of our perspective siblings. You name it, we quizzed it!

Our appointment was for 10am so we left in plenty of time to get there early but not too early. Our appointment letter warned us not to be more than 45 minutes early. We got there with about 30 minutes to spare. We checked in with ID and walked through the metal detector and were told to go to the second floor and drop the appointment letter in the mail slot outside the big door. Then we took a seat.

People were coming and going for the next 90 minutes. Agents would come out of the secured door and call a name and nervous people would get up and go in. Sometimes, they would take the man and wife separately. We watched one wife come out and her husband go in. The husband didn't come out again for almost an hour. People who arrived after us were getting called before us. And we just sat there getting more and more nervous as the time wore on. We played a mental game each time the door opened. One agent was a bright, smiling woman who greeted everyone pleasantly and one was a grumpy looking, muscle bound guy who never cracked a smile. We secretly wished we would be called by the woman.

FINALLY...the door opened and a wirey man called out our name "LINDQVIST?" We both got to go in together, which was a relief. We were escorted through a series of cubicles until we got to a private office. Alex was armed with our documents. We sat down and the questions began.

First to me: "What is your full name?" "What was your previous name?" "What is your date of birth?" "When did you get married?"

Next to Alex: "What is your name?" "What is your mother and father's name?" "What is your date of birth?" "When did you get married?" "Have you ever engaged in terrorist activities?" (Seriously, they ask that. I mean, who would say yes??)

Then to both of us: "How did you meet?"

So we started to tell him. We met online at a website for independent musicians called DMusic.com. I told him I was writing lyrics and Alex is a musician. Then he asked, "OH, What kind of music do you like?"

Alex answered, "Mostly alternative...you know, like Radiohead?"

The agent smiled and said, "I like Radiohead!" Then he asked, "What's the best Radiohead CD in your opinion?"

Alex said, "Kid A."

The agent closed our file and said, "Everything is in order here. You should get your Green Card within a month."

And that was it! The whole interview took less than ten minutes. When we got back to the car we were laughing. I wonder what might have happened if the agent hadn't been a Radiohead fan or if Alex had said OK Computer was the best CD or he had said he was a KISS fan! LOL!

Needless to say, it's over and done. The card is in the mail and this is finally the last step in what proved to be a long, long journey.

And, one interesting side affect of this journey through immigration from the immigrants side (meaning me as the wife of an immigrant) is that I have a whole new perspective on immigration reform. I can see why someone might have to try to circumvent the "system" and take their chances on an illegal entry into the US. First, it is not an easy process. It seems to be set up so you will fail. Forms are horribly difficult to navigate and retaining an attorney is hugely expensive. Just filing the forms themselves is hugely expensive with a fee attached to nearly every single piece of paper you have to file. We were lucky. Alex speaks and understands perfect English. If he didn't, compiling the information needed, completing the forms, and dealing with the Embassy and USCIS would be next to impossible. There has to be a better way. There just has to.

One last hurdle...

Tomorrow, Alexander and I have to go back to USCIS in Milwaukee for our final interview. You'd think that all would be said and done by now but no, it's not. This interview is, hopefully, the last step in getting Alex's adjustment of status to permanent resident. In other words, a Green Card.

It's been a long, long process. We started eons ago with the help of an attorney to get the K-1 fiance visa. That first step allowed him to legally come to the US to get married. The government graciously gave us 90 days from his point of entry to get that done. But we did it. Then we had to apply for an Adjustment of Status and an Employment Approval Document (EAD). Concurrently, those two applications alone cost a couple of thousand dollars and had more paperwork than is even imaginable. Not to mention all of the necessary documentation about our relationship and each other. We went it alone this time. No attorney. And thus far, we've done okay. The EAD arrived last month and now we're on to the interview portion of the status adjustment.

We got a list of possible questions off the Internet. It's funny but some people who've done that have written that immigration will ask a million questions and others only had a few questions asked. Since there's no way of knowing what exactly we're in for we have been quizzing each other nightly. Anything from siblings names, school information, describing where we live, explaining all of the times we've travelled to and from Sweden - it's all fair game. They can even ask us about our sex life if they want to. We have no way of knowing exactly what they'll ask so we're preparing for everything.

Needless to say, all of this prep has been very stressful. It's hard to think that even now, nearly 6 months into our marriage, the government could deny this adjustment. On what basis, I don't know, but they could and that, my friends, would suck. Big time.

I've already made up my mind that even though it's a long shot, if his adjustment is not approved and we're told he is illegal I will be moving to Sweden...immediately. Hopefully, it won't come to that and we can continue with our plans to save and get there in our own good time.

Wish us luck. Tomorrow is going to be something...

Chicken livers and job prospects!

Saturday was Alexander's birthday. To honor him, I got my hair cut and colored. HAHAHA! No seriously, I did but not in honor of his birthday. That was in honor of my really needing a hair cut and a color.

For his birthday, after much debate, we opted to have German food at The House of Gerhard. For those not in this area, The House of Gerhard is one of the best restaurants in this area. It was founded in the 50's by a German chef named...wait for it...Gerhard...and the place has not changed a lick since then. Well, it may have a few more chotzke's and doo-dads in it but, overall, the menu and decor have pretty much stayed the same. And thank heaven's it has!! I love the chotzke's and doo-dads. And great googly moogly, the menu! Pure German goodness. Anytime you can get chicken livers in onion and mushroom gravy with potato pancakes and the sweetest carrots ever is a good time. Wash it down with one of their imported German beers and you got an Octoberfest waiting to happen. They also give you the "house appetizers" which is unusual in itself. Normally, you have to order and pay extra for an appetizer but Gerhard's gives it up freely. Liver pate, little home made garlic toasts and a sweet slaw that's so yummy! Love this place! Highly recommend it!

After dinner, we went home and ate a load of chocolate chip frosted cookie thing.

But the best part of Alexander's birthday was that when the mail came he received...FINALLY...his employment approval card from Immigration!! This has been a long time coming and, though it only the second to the last step in this immigration journey, it was welcomed with much whooping and dancing around the living room! That was both of us, by the way...dancing and whooping. Yes, a good time was had by all.

So, next step...full on permanent residency. This is NOT the same as becoming a citizen. This is getting legalized as a resident alien which gives him the big green light to live here, work here and be here without giving up his Swedish citizenship.

And so...again...HAPPY HAPPY JOY JOY or as they say in Germany "Glucklich glucklich freude freude"!! Or in Swedish....lycklig lycklig glädje glädje! :D

Welcome springtime...

It's been a little while since I wrote anything in my blog. I apologize for the break but there has just been so much going on that I haven't had much time and usually what little time I do have is spent regrouping for the next round of whatever is to come. I don't mean to sound ominous because, honestly, it's all been good.

First, we got notice that the last round of immigration paperwork for Alexander was received. We had one set back. I needed to send a copy of my 2008 tax return and I sent the wrong one. Not to worry though, we got a notice that I had sent the wrong one and we had 87 days to get it in. (87 days...I have no idea how they chose that arbitrary number of days, but oh well...) I had it here at home so we got it in right away. Alexander has his biometrics appointment on Monday in Milwaukee. Basically, that means fingerprinting and other identification things. I'm taking Monday off to drive up there with him. We've been warned by my friend Jamey, who's been through this with her husband, Miguel, to dress loosely, wear no metal anything, and leave our cell phones OFF! Immigration Services does not mess around and we don't want to risk having to be strip searched! LOL So, all of that is rolling right along and it should be soon that Alex gets his Green Card and Social Security Number. Then he's legal! Haha, well, he's actually legal now but he'll be even legaller. LOL!

At work things have been crazy as all get out. It's still as chaotic as it ever was but there is some light at the end of this tunnel. I've orchestrated a way to get, at least, some of my old duties back which makes me happy. I've been feeling rather useless at work so this change will help my work esteem for sure. And I hope will help the program I'm working in too. I love my clients though, I have to admit. It's been really good getting back to actually having more client contact than my last job. With the new plan for me, I'll still get that but have more supervisory duties. I don't know, maybe I'm just a bossy broad but I know I am also a really good supervisor. And I love to do that as well.

So that's what I've been up to. I'm trying to keep up with emails from my beloved Fikagänget and family but sometimes I fall behind in that too. Hey, I'm only human!

The countdown...

Alexander arrives in the US this Sunday. ALEXANDER ARRIVES IN THE US THIS SUNDAY!!! Yes, I am more than excited. I have so much to do and so little time. He's shipped his things yesterday and there are all of the last minute preps to take care of. It seems like this has been a long time coming but I know we're both super excited to finally get to this time in our lives. At last!!

(You can't see me but I'm doing my happy dance right now! :D )

Hallelujah!!

At last, we have approval from the embassy! The visa is approved and Alex will be on his way soon!! Wheeee hoooooooooooo!!!!

A little hiccup or just another bump in the road...

So, Alexander had his interview at the US Embassy today. At long last, the day all of our worrying about was here. The interview went very well and, tadah! the visa is approve....except for one thing. There's always that one thing, isn't there? It turns out that one of the evidentiary documents we had to gather was not exactly the correct document. It needed to be certified. FRUSTRATING!! The most irritating thing about this is this document was one of the very first things we had to submit with the original application back in March and we used an immigration attorney to compile those documents. She assured us we had everything. In fact, that original packet was sent to TWO visa centers which had to approve it before it was sent to the embassy in Sweden.

I scoured the informational lists and no where does it say this particular document needed to be a certified copy...just a copy! Ah, well...

SO in between meetings and work and trying to get work done I ran to the court to get a certified copy. Then I had to stand on line to mail it to the embassy in Sweden. Postal rates are outrageous and there doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to them. It was just under $20 to send this thing for a 6 business day delivery goal. I asked what it would cost to do it in three days and the cost went up to over $60!!

Anywho, the embassy will get the doc sometime next week. They've held onto Alex's passport and will stamp it with the visa at that time and send it back to him. And then, it's done. Months and months of paperwork, research, worry, arguing, frustration, and fret will finally be over.

And then the real fun can begin! :)

At last...w00t w00t!!

Last night I was mindlessly clicking around the Internet and decided to take one last check on the status of our case with immigration. HOLY MOLY!! What did I see but confirmation that the K1 visa has been approved!!! I almost danced outta my skin!!!

I texted my best friend, called my sister and, realizing that it was 4am in Sweden, resisted calling Alexander until I could not take it anymore. I finally had to call him and wake him up to tell him the news! We haven't received the actual paper notification and instructions as to what our next steps will be but we got approved and right now - that's all that matters!!

Doing my happy Tuesday dance!

I got an email today that made me happy! Alexander and I sent all of the paperwork to the attorney last week and today the attorney emailed me to tell us that it's all together and has been sent off to the US Immigration Service! Wheee hoooo!!

I have renew empathy for those who choose to come to the US illegally. I can understand why they do. I mean, getting away from their own poverty is one thing but the Immigration Services do not make it easy or very affordable to do it legally. There is SO MUCH INFORMATION that had to be gathered and verified and whatnot that had to be submitted with the application for Alex's visa. Then there are the filing free. Nearly $800 for just this first step and more to come as Alex applies for Permanent Residency.

Still, it's done for now and now we wait. This is the closest we've been yet and it feels good to know that this is all well on it's way now!!!

*you can't see me but I really am doing a happy dance here*

Sibs, kitties, and other updates...

I realized I haven't update on how my sibs are! They're both home. My brother is doing very well. They put a screen - for lack of a better technical term - in his artery to prevent any clot particles from moving on. The clot itself has broken up nicely and he's really okay. My sister is also home but she will have to go back in two weeks and will, possibly, have surgery to repair the leaky valve in her heart. All of this is the long term affects of having had rheumatic surgery many, many years ago. But she's doing well too so we're optimistic about it.

As for the kitties...Arnie has returned to his previously kitten like energy which means, basically, I get little sleep. He tromps around all night and his favorite tromping spot is on top of me in the bed. I thought that closing the door would stop this but the little shit has learned to open it. Seriously, I watched him to this...paws on the door knob, lean his full 10 lbs on the door and slide one paw down to turn the knob. One click of the latch and he's in....with Brigette...on me...tromping. Sheesh! I can't be mad though. He's healthy and I was very worried about him when he wasn't so I let him tromp a while before I shoo him away.

As for me, I've spent an enormous amount of time researching immigration law in order to assist in getting Alex here. The US Immigration site is very helpful and clear which made that part quite easy. Now I'm starting to gather information on our eventual move back to Sweden - the long term plan - and I'm finding that it's very difficult to decipher the information from the Swedish Immigration site. I've found some interesting expat sites that have some helpful info on them but I think my next step is to write to the Swedish embassy to see if they have some informational brochures or fact sheets that would help. It may seem counterproductive to research both plans at once but the fact it to get anything approved by either government can take months, even years, so we want to know what we're up against and be prepared. we've decided to enlist the aid of an Immigration Attorney just to make sure all the i's are dotted and the t's are crossed. Everything I've read says that even one simple missed field in a form can put your application on the dead pile right away. It makes me wonder how those immigrants with no English speaking skills can do this at all!!

Let's talk immigration....

Crap! I went online to start to print out the immigration forms Alex and I will need in order to get him over here permanently. I think I blew a gasket in my printer! Haha! Isn't there some "reduction of paperwork act"? There are about 10 separate forms to fill out. Each one has an at least 10 page instruction booklet that also needed to be printed out. Then there are additional pages we need that have information that we will need to know when we file these puppies. I also ran across some online legal advice sites and I'm thinking it might not be a bad idea to pay someone to do this for us. This seems like it has an enormous margin for error and if we screw up just one little thing, game over. We won't get approval and we're back at the starting point again. I don't know...I'll have to really read through all of this stuff THOROUGHLY before we make that decision.

But it is exciting!! We have plans, at last!! And now just have to make them happen!!!

Why Is Getting There So Difficult?

For the past year or so I've been looking into the possibility of living and working in Sweden. After writing numerous letters of introduction and inquiries to various and sundry bureaus and potential employers, I am no closer to that dream than before. I refuse to give up this mission...flat out refuse. Certainly other people have packed up and moved there and made a life for themselves so, I've come to believe, that either I am missing something very obvious or I am making this harder than it needs to be! I've even learned a little Swedish in preparation though I know that virtually all Swedes speak English. I am proud to say that now I can ask directions, say excuse me, politely accept the invitation to have something to eat and ask someone back to my place for a drink! There were only ten lessons in the Pimsleur Swedish Language Program I purchased so that's all the further I got! Handy stuff to know if I want to go there and pick up random men for a night cap! haha!

There are so many reasons I want to live in Sweden. First, the history and the culture there is unlike any I have ever seen. It's well preserved, almost revered, in a quiet unassuming way. Stockholm is one of the most exciting and beautiful cities I've ever seen. I feel completely at home there.

I spent about a month in Stockholm last July. It was my second visit. I ate in it's restaurants, traveled it's roads, drank in it's pubs and took a boat tour of the Archipelago. I also spent one week in Gotland, an island off the coast of Sweden. I trekked the island, walking the historic streets of Visby and climbing the amazing rock formations at Faro. But most of all, I spent that month with dear friends feeling very, very loved. Why wouldn't I want that for the rest of my life? Damn it! I will get there. I know I will.

I'll send you all a postcard when I make it!