The twelve tasks of Asterix (English version below)
Holidays are coming, we will stay in Kauai for Christmas, I haven't received my visa yet, the procedure is long and perilous, we had been warned...
We were waiting for an answer after a 3rd quick visit to the embassy in Oahu on December 4th (this is a second request, I explain later) we arrive at the embassy, we pass the metal detector, we sit and wait our turn. We "feel soft" like in front of the police, we didn't do anything but we still feel guilty. The meeting with the immigration officer will be short, first she asks me about myself, my work, and this question, "Why settle in Kauai?". She has big eyes full of suspicion and questioning, I can guess her thoughts, ''how do they live, do they have money, are they outlaws? The option ''they have saved up to come here for a while seems to be out of the question''.
Au départ de Kauai direction Oahu pour le rendez-vous à l'ambassade / From Kauai to Oahu, for the appointment at the US embassy.
Why did you choose Kauai? For its Robinson Crusoe side and nothing else. To Hawaiians on the other islands, Kauai describes itself as beautiful but a little too isolated, there's nothing to do, there's no decent work or entertainment worthy of the name, and she asks me: ''What do you do all day?''. It's a funny question, and with the look on her face, the look on her face, the look on her face...
We are in an interview to find out if we will make good, profitable Americans, they have all the power, I am completely under their authority, they do not want to squat in paradise around here, they want workers. Yet all these people who are questioning me come from elsewhere, Japan, the Philippines, Mexico. Ethnic Hawaiians are becoming rather rare, an endangered species like us Quebeckers. Natural selection or evolution?
To come back to my sheep, the purpose of obtaining my visa is to be able to finish our children's school year in style without any hassle, I have a permission to reside here only until February, stamped in my passport, no visa is just that: ''if you leave the country, you can't come back for six months, and certainly not hassle-free.'' Foreigners have the right to live in the United States only six months a year, everyone knows that. Two agents of Asian origin are now in front of us, there's a suspense, they look at each other, look at me, ''oh, but you left in May 2014 for Quebec, before you even got your answer! Yes indeed I left on May 31, 2014 to go home, I had to go back to work, I had notified my lawyer, a francophone from Thetford Mines who now lives in Florida, but the procedures were longer than expected, so I left anyway without my visa, it put me in trouble. ''Oh! But you'll have to start the process again, you're missing documents my dear lady''. Marc is sitting there next to me, he pinches my thigh under the table, we are a bit distraught, redoing the same process twice, especially when it comes to papers. But who is your lawyer? Did you find him on the internet by any chance? "She doesn't seem to understand immigration law. Well, I hired an amateur according to them, nothing to reassure me and to add to that, this lawyer refuses to take the blame for her mistakes, obviously.
We end up making a few jokes, the atmosphere relaxes a little but I still don't understand anything, English is not my language, it's a good thing that Marc is with me, blessed be Heaven my children are now bilingual. Since the start of the process in August 2013, I feel like I'm in the twelve Asterix jobs, all this paperwork drives anyone who isn't a born administrator crazy, I can't count the documents, the signatures, the payments, the meetings that we had to make for my children and me to get here. No choice, we have to go all the way. I obtained my work permit and also my social insurance number but now I am missing that precious visa that will allow me a nice 10 years of North American freedom. For the children, the process is at the end, they have received their Green Card, their social insurance number too, the only thing missing is the American passport, we will apply at the Kilauea post office on January 7th, everything is beautiful Alleluia for them.
And the rest...Yesterday I went to get my "medical report" from the other side of the island, the same one I had done last spring, but the doctor has retired and the technician didn't give me the right documents, the envelope isn't sealed and the retired doctor's signature isn't on the sticker confirming the confidentiality of the contents, another small detail to settle, I'm not out of the woods yet or rather out of the rainforest.
English: The twelve tasks of Asterix
The holidays are approaching, we will stay in Kauai for Christmas, I have not yet received my visa, the procedure is long...
and perilous, we had beenwarned...We were expecting a response to a 3rd appointment at the Embassy of Oahu on 4December (this is a second request, I explain later) we arrive at the Embassy, we pass the metal detector, we sit and wait our turn. My name is called dryly,the meeting with the immigration officer will be brief, first she questions about me, my work, and this issue, 'but why settle in Kauai? She has large eyesfull of suspicion and questioning, I can guess his thoughts; "How do they do for a living, do they have money, they are off-the-laws? The option "they have economised to come here some time seems excluded".
L'ambassade américaine d' Oahu, vue des airs / The US Embassy of Oahu, from the air.
Why choose Kauai? For his Robinson Crusoe style and nothing else. For the Hawaiian people from the other islands, Kauai describes itself as a beautiful but a bit too isolated island, there's nothing to do, there is no suitable work or entertainment that deserves this name, and she asks me: "but what are you doing all day long?" Funny question... We interview to find out if we will be good US citizenchip. They have all the power, I am completely subject to their authority, they do not want squatter paradise in the corner, they want workers. But yet, all those people who question me come from elsewhere, Japan, Philippines, Mexico. The Hawaiian strain are rather rare, a species being endangered as we Quebecers. Natural selection or evolution? To return to my sheep, obtaining my visa aims to finish the school year in style without hassle, I have a permission to reside here only until February, stamp to support in my passport, no visa boils down to: "If you go out of the country, you can not come back before six months and especially not hassle". Foreigners have the right to live in the United States six months of the year alone, everyone knows it. Two officers of Asian origin are now before us, there is suspense, they look, look at me, "oh, but you left in may 2014 for Quebec, ahead even of having received your reply"Yes actually I left May 31, 2014, to go home, had to return to work, I had informed my lawyer, a francophone from Thetford Mines, who lives now in Florida, but the procedures were longer than expected, I am so gone anyway without my visa, it put me in disorder. "Oh! but you will need to repeat the process, you are missing documents my dear Lady". Marc is sitting beside me, he pinches me thigh underneath the table, we are a little clueless, repeat twice the same process, especially when it comes to papers Oh help me someone! "But who is your lawyer? have it you found on the internet by chance? She doesn't seem to understand anything in the immigration laws. " Good I hired an amateur according to tell them nothing to reassure me and to add, this lawyer refuses to take the blame on his mistakes, of course. We end up making a few yellow jokes, relax the atmosphere a bit but I still understand nothing, English is not my language, a chance that Marc is with me, blessed either heaven my children are now bilingual. Since the beginning of the process in August 2013, I feel as in the twelve tasks of Asterix, all this paperwork crazy anyone who isn't a born administrator, I has more documents, signatures, payments, the meetings that we had to do for my children and me to go far. No choice, it is necessary to go to the end. I got my work permit and also my social insurance number but there I'm missing that this valuable visa which will allow me 10 years of freedom in North American. For children, the process is at the end, they received their "Green Card", also social insurance number, that's missing the American passport, it will make the request at the post office of Kilauea, January 7, for them all is beautiful Alleluia. And more...Yesterday I went to look for my "medical report" to the other end of the island, the same that I've made to do last spring, but the doctor is now retired, a technician has not given me the correct documents, the envelope is not sealed and the signature of the new doctor is not on the sticker which confirms the confidentiality of content, another small insignificant to adjust detailI'm not yet out of wood or rather of the rainforest.
