Visa - It's Everywhere I Want to Be

Since I came back to the U.S. in June, "visa" has been the magic word. I have been asked countless times when I would be going back to Australia. And, I repeated over and over the lamest answer ever ... "I don't know. I'm waiting on my visa."

The thing with the visa is that you really don't know. They (and by the royal "they," I mean my case officer at Australian Embassy) suggested it would take 4-6 months. I had a feeling it would take less time because we had prepared what I thought was an excellent application package, but you never know.

In the meantime, I've been keeping busy: Spending quality time with my family, jetting off to visit friends in New York City, running my first (and soon to be second) 5K races, taking tennis and yoga classes, perfecting my Rice Krispie Treat recipe ... it's been a busy time.

Still, I'm ready to leave this temporary life of leisure behind and - oh, I don't know - get a job. Have an address. Get married. Just generally get my life going, I suppose.

And so, I was beyond thrilled to get a package from the Embassy in the mail yesterday, which contained a 3-page letter congratulating me on my visa approval and suggesting further information I needed to begin my life as an Australian resident.

A lot of people I've talked to have been surprised to know how comprehensive the visa application process is. Let me tell you a little bit (but not all, because I hope to entertain, not provide sleep induction) about what we prepared.

All the way back in January, I was fingerprinted (at the Sarasota jail!) and sent away for criminal background checks to prove that I didn't have a record from both the FBI and State of Florida (I repeated this process for the State of Georgia after I relocated here, just to be safe).

I also had to have a medical exam, conducted by an approved "panel doctor," who submits the results of everything from blood tests to chest X-rays to the Australian Embassy. There are three Australian panel doctors in the state of Florida, and the closest one was 2 hours from me. It was an all day process, and the cost was not insignificant.

The strange thing about applying for a Partner Visa is that you actually have to prove to the government that you are in a relationship, and intend to stay in a relationship. So, this put us in the position of sharing a lot of personal information with the government that we normally would not. We both had to write letters detailing the history and intentions of our relationship. We collected statements from friends who affirmed that they knew us, had seen us as a couple, and believed we'd stay together. We sent plane tickets and postcards from our travels together and apart. We sent a collection of photos to prove that we'd met each other in person and were, in fact, an adorable couple who any country would be lucky to have.

And then we had to assemble all sorts of other paperwork - official documents, birth certificates, addendum after addendum. Partner-in-Crime had to do his own package of information to prove that he wouldn't let me live on the street. We became very close with the notary publics in our respective locations (which, in Australia, was actually the Constable at the police station), and the kids at Kinkos.

When all was said and done, our package was about two inches thick, and I got very nervous that if anyone got their hands on it before it reached the Embassy, I could just kiss my identity goodbye.

I sent it off at the beginning of June. Our fee was processed the very next day, and a couple days later, I got an e-mail with the name of my case officer and a timeline for processing. She suggested that it would take 8 weeks for any response at all and, as I said - 4-6 months for a decision.

Mercifully, our approval came even before the end of the 8-week period, and we did not have to send any additional information. After all the work we did on the front end, I was glad to not have to hunt down and certify any more documents for awhile.

I say "for awhile" because my visa is actually a two-stage visa. After we complete the perfunctory first step of getting ourselves legally hitched, then we have to apply again. Thankfully, we've done most of the work already.

And with all that said, I'm happy report that I booked a plane ticket (a serious shock to the wallet, but you should see the Sky Miles!), and will be heading back to Sydney oh so very soon.

Let the adventure begin, in earnest!