Boy has this week been a fantastic week! Let's start with the visa process!
So, because I'm completely anal retentive with being over prepared when it comes to what I consider important things, I had put together this pristine package of paperwork covering the span of anything they could be asking for from tax forms, to random letters showing my name on it, to pictures and proof of our relationship since November 2009 and of course the application they require as well as passports, birth certificates, bank statements and pay slips, etc. But to show just how anally organized I am I made a COVER PAGE that listed out the paperwork in the order it was stacked in! LOL! What was funny about it is that she didn't even look at 75% of what I packed! So here is how our day went:
We got up at 6:30 a.m. to get make coffee, get ready etc. so that we could be out the door by 8:30 am (our appointment was scheduled for 11:00 with a request that we be there by 10:30) we head on our way to Liverpool which is typically with good traffic around 40 minutes away, but we were worried about traffic so we wanted to give our self extra time to get there so we left and ended up getting there about 10 minutes before 10am. We went ahead and went in and explained why we were early which didn't seem to bother them at all! They let us through security and we made our way to the first office to check in.
After checking in, they send us up to the second floor where we pay for our in-office visit (which cost a FORTUNE by the way!) then after paying we sat and waited while they assigned us a social worker! After about 5 minutes as really nice lady calls us over to her booth and requests our application, bank statements, pay slips, and passports. Asks us a few minor questions (i.e. confirming address of residence, etc.) I felt so bad! I was soo nervous and she was sitting behind glass that I was practically shouting at her! I started giggling and they both looked at me puzzled and I told them "I'm sorry for shouting! I don't even know why I'm doing it! Your not def!" Both the social worker and Dave have a good laugh at that then after a few minutes of silence and her typing she sent us back into the waiting area to get my biometrics done (this is where they finger print you and take your picture for your foreign identity visa card).
We get called in to for the biometrics after about 3 minutes of waiting and the guy taking my prints was just as friendly and joking with us. We thought Dave would have his biometrics done but they said no which I jokingly said "REALLY!?!? I mean look at him in his blue sweater...he just LOOKS like major trouble!" the guy laughed and made a joke back that I couldn't quite get..So I won't be able to repeat! We sat down for a few more minutes then got called back by the social worker who just told us that everything looked great and I was approved and would get my visa card in the mail within 7-10 business days...Which actually came in 2 days!! That's it! The whole thing took maybe 40 minutes then we headed back home!
From there we had to go apply for a National Insurance number (or NI number) so that I can work! (It acts as like a personalized tax id for businesses! It's how they do taxes here so you don't have to do it yourself every year!! No April 15th for me anymore! :D ) So, now I'm just waiting to get that card back and I will be all set to start work...Which brings me to the next topic!!
WORK!!! I FINALLY heard back from the company I'm applying with and they want to interview me this Friday!!(Whoot whoot!!) So I need to drive to Birmingham (which is 40 miles away!) to have my interview! (But I will be working in my area and from home mostly when of if I get hired with them! Yay!!). Pay is fantastic, benefits are fantastic and I think the job will be pretty easy! (I hope!) I'm just looking forward to having something to do with myself during the week! I can't wait! So fingers crossed and many prayers that I get this marketing job please!! :)I'm nervous about the drive, but I think it's good that I start getting used to driving out of my area and getting comfortable with trying to find my way around!
I'm looking forward to good things that are to come and am excited to be moving forward with life! I feel that we are working towards something of a new "normal" routine...Whatever "normal" means! HA!
Live, Laugh, Love!
So, because I'm completely anal retentive with being over prepared when it comes to what I consider important things, I had put together this pristine package of paperwork covering the span of anything they could be asking for from tax forms, to random letters showing my name on it, to pictures and proof of our relationship since November 2009 and of course the application they require as well as passports, birth certificates, bank statements and pay slips, etc. But to show just how anally organized I am I made a COVER PAGE that listed out the paperwork in the order it was stacked in! LOL! What was funny about it is that she didn't even look at 75% of what I packed! So here is how our day went:
We got up at 6:30 a.m. to get make coffee, get ready etc. so that we could be out the door by 8:30 am (our appointment was scheduled for 11:00 with a request that we be there by 10:30) we head on our way to Liverpool which is typically with good traffic around 40 minutes away, but we were worried about traffic so we wanted to give our self extra time to get there so we left and ended up getting there about 10 minutes before 10am. We went ahead and went in and explained why we were early which didn't seem to bother them at all! They let us through security and we made our way to the first office to check in.
After checking in, they send us up to the second floor where we pay for our in-office visit (which cost a FORTUNE by the way!) then after paying we sat and waited while they assigned us a social worker! After about 5 minutes as really nice lady calls us over to her booth and requests our application, bank statements, pay slips, and passports. Asks us a few minor questions (i.e. confirming address of residence, etc.) I felt so bad! I was soo nervous and she was sitting behind glass that I was practically shouting at her! I started giggling and they both looked at me puzzled and I told them "I'm sorry for shouting! I don't even know why I'm doing it! Your not def!" Both the social worker and Dave have a good laugh at that then after a few minutes of silence and her typing she sent us back into the waiting area to get my biometrics done (this is where they finger print you and take your picture for your foreign identity visa card).
We get called in to for the biometrics after about 3 minutes of waiting and the guy taking my prints was just as friendly and joking with us. We thought Dave would have his biometrics done but they said no which I jokingly said "REALLY!?!? I mean look at him in his blue sweater...he just LOOKS like major trouble!" the guy laughed and made a joke back that I couldn't quite get..So I won't be able to repeat! We sat down for a few more minutes then got called back by the social worker who just told us that everything looked great and I was approved and would get my visa card in the mail within 7-10 business days...Which actually came in 2 days!! That's it! The whole thing took maybe 40 minutes then we headed back home!
From there we had to go apply for a National Insurance number (or NI number) so that I can work! (It acts as like a personalized tax id for businesses! It's how they do taxes here so you don't have to do it yourself every year!! No April 15th for me anymore! :D ) So, now I'm just waiting to get that card back and I will be all set to start work...Which brings me to the next topic!!
WORK!!! I FINALLY heard back from the company I'm applying with and they want to interview me this Friday!!(Whoot whoot!!) So I need to drive to Birmingham (which is 40 miles away!) to have my interview! (But I will be working in my area and from home mostly when of if I get hired with them! Yay!!). Pay is fantastic, benefits are fantastic and I think the job will be pretty easy! (I hope!) I'm just looking forward to having something to do with myself during the week! I can't wait! So fingers crossed and many prayers that I get this marketing job please!! :)I'm nervous about the drive, but I think it's good that I start getting used to driving out of my area and getting comfortable with trying to find my way around!
I'm looking forward to good things that are to come and am excited to be moving forward with life! I feel that we are working towards something of a new "normal" routine...Whatever "normal" means! HA!
Live, Laugh, Love!
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