VISA REJECTED!So the package arrived from the British High Commission yesterday at my mother's house. I was gleefully ready to drive back from Wellington. My mother opened the package and it contained a letter stating that the Visa I applied for was not the correct visa.
Apparently the recruitment company has been using what's called a Holiday/Work visa for teachers coming from Canada. This visa is intended to allow people to travel on holiday to England for 1 year and also to work during that time. The restriction on work is that you can't work over 195 days of the year. Since a school year is 9 months teachers fall under this number. Apparently this year a large number of Canadian applicants were refused. Apparently if you ticked off the box stating you would be working you were rejected. If you checked of the box stating you were going on holiday you were accepted. Once again... honesty is not the best policy.
So now I have to re-apply for a spousal visa. I would have done this to begin with but my recruitment company was resisting sending me a letter confirming employment and a letter confirming my housing. Why? I don't know! Genevieve has had the same problem with the school. You get responses like. "We don't do that." Then you ask why because after all it just means typing a letter for 5 minutes on a computer. Their response is generally "We don't do that."
Anyway, I'm 4-5 weeks from getting over there as I have to go through this whole process again.
On the upside I may have a job starting as early as this week in a call centre.
My family and Genevieve's family have been wonderfully supportive through all this so thanks to everyone...Dad, Louise, Mom, Brian, Genevieve's Mom, Dad, Grandmother, Aunt and Uncle and everyone in England.
And now we wait.
7 comments:
Sorry to hear that Master Burns! I will reject all things English as silent protest for their treatment of such a fine lad as yourself. Oui - maitenant je parle seulement francais. Anglais = merde.
Hey Lex. Thanks for the support. I'm not eating anything deep fried, or in pie form, until this whole thing is worked out!!
David~ seems like you and I are going thru some real bumpy road on our education career. No worry, I am sure you will get your visa to England sooner or later. Meanwhile, enjoy the beautiful Canadian autumn while you can. Good luck Dave. God bless you.
Arghhh! Immigration paperwork is hell!!! I went through all the same misery and confusion when I first arrived in the San Francisco. Hang in there though, it'll all be worth it in the end.
Hi friends,
Thanks for all the love at was it obviously a tough time...for both Mr. Burns and myself!
I'm sure in five years we'll all sit back over drinks and share a good laugh about all of this. "It's all part of the rich tapestry of life", as my family would say....
Hey Julia! Great to hear from you! Thanks for the support everybody. I'm flabbergasted by it all. Big learning experience though. Note to self: Never assume it'll take less than 6-8 months to get anything done by the government.
Oh no!!! That sucks!!!! Feel sorry for you. Well, congrats on the job and Gen's new flat. Woo hoo!
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