We are now officially in the 'gathering of documents' stage of this visa application/immigration process.
I wish I had known beforehand about some of these documents. I would have gotten the long version of my birth certificate months ago. I would have acquired a Police Certificate from Korea long ago too.
Wait, what?
Yes, apparently I have to have Police Certificates (not sure how they are different from a Criminal Record Check but there you are) from every country I have lived in for a year or longer. Technically I was only in Japan for 51 weeks, so I don't have to do that one, but I was in Korea for a year and a week, if memory serves.
Now, to deal with Korean bureaucracy.
I don't really remember my address of when I lived there, so I don't know how they will do it but there can't have been too many Stacey Slagers in Korea, right? I will phone the Korean Consulate in Vancouver first thing tomorrow morning and see what to do next. Fill out a form? Pay a fee? Go to Vancouver?
So. An issuing of my new fancy birth certificate will cost $40.
A Canadian Police certificate will cost $50. For this I have to show up at the West Shore detachment of the RCMP in Langford on Wednesday between 12-4pm, when they do the fingerprinting.
Passport-sized photos - well, either I'll get them done ($12/set x two) or I can buy glossy photo paper for the printer and find a way to sweet talk the Skipper into getting some photos of me.
Police Certificate from Korea $?
I'll also have to pay for the health check from an immigration doctor in Vancouver.
And then I have to go to Montreal for my interview.
So needless to say I'm a bit frustrated at how the information hasn't come to us in a timely manner. However, once we have all these documents, we can submit them electronically (one bonus at least!) and then they will schedule my interview.
I can't wait to get to North Carolina and get a job so I can pay for my immigration.
I wish I had known beforehand about some of these documents. I would have gotten the long version of my birth certificate months ago. I would have acquired a Police Certificate from Korea long ago too.
Wait, what?
Yes, apparently I have to have Police Certificates (not sure how they are different from a Criminal Record Check but there you are) from every country I have lived in for a year or longer. Technically I was only in Japan for 51 weeks, so I don't have to do that one, but I was in Korea for a year and a week, if memory serves.
Now, to deal with Korean bureaucracy.
I don't really remember my address of when I lived there, so I don't know how they will do it but there can't have been too many Stacey Slagers in Korea, right? I will phone the Korean Consulate in Vancouver first thing tomorrow morning and see what to do next. Fill out a form? Pay a fee? Go to Vancouver?
So. An issuing of my new fancy birth certificate will cost $40.
A Canadian Police certificate will cost $50. For this I have to show up at the West Shore detachment of the RCMP in Langford on Wednesday between 12-4pm, when they do the fingerprinting.
Passport-sized photos - well, either I'll get them done ($12/set x two) or I can buy glossy photo paper for the printer and find a way to sweet talk the Skipper into getting some photos of me.
Police Certificate from Korea $?
I'll also have to pay for the health check from an immigration doctor in Vancouver.
And then I have to go to Montreal for my interview.
So needless to say I'm a bit frustrated at how the information hasn't come to us in a timely manner. However, once we have all these documents, we can submit them electronically (one bonus at least!) and then they will schedule my interview.
I can't wait to get to North Carolina and get a job so I can pay for my immigration.
That's great news, even though it seems like one step forward, two steps back. Boo-Rah!
ReplyDeleteLove you, my dear friend. I'm so glad the ball is rolling a bit more now. Documents are such a pain in the you know what. I'm sending all lovely thoughts your way toward a speedy ending to this for you. <3
ReplyDelete