So what do those have in common you wonder? Obviously me, but besides that little. The 77 degrees refers to the temperature in the state in which I reside. OMG the weather is awesome! Once we arrived, we come to find out that 25cm of snow hit our city back home!!! Boy did we leave in time! I guess that's a blessing in disguise.
But thing quickly started falling apart. When we got to the border the customs guy took my paper work and asked "what would you do if you don't get approved?" - my response was that I would be "fucking screwed" - I was honest. In hindsight, too honest. I didn't have my filter on. I was nervous and forgot who I was talking to! Ooops. Either way, he let me through and told me to go through to the side and park and go into the building and wait to be called by an agent in the building. Okay then!
Not fun considering I had little tyke with us who is almost eight and has a patience level of about 5 seconds. Plus in the building it states that you are not permitted to utilize ANY electronic devices, and so she couldn't even use her nintendo DS to keep her occupied or anything, or a cell phone. And remember that these ppl can find any reason to deny me entry. If they find my child irritating or me or my husband unappealing in any fashion, I could be denied my visa! So I had to some how keep her calm. Easier said than done! I managed it long enough for me to be called.
I had everything they could want and some extra. BUT and it's a really big BUT the offer letter that the company supplied, I knew was going to be the issue. We had asked the company to revise it because it was missing information - specifically the contract information required for the visa. Because for TN visas in particular, I can only stay in the US for a maximum of three years at a time. As such, my letter must indicate that there is a definate end date because the expectation is that I will return back to my country and share the information I have learned, with my fellow colleagues/nurses. The problem was was that they were unwilling to stipulate that and so we tried to bypass this by indicating it in a personal letter addressed to US customs and border protection. The agent appeared as though he was just going to flat out refuse me entry but then gave me the chance to try to contact my recruiter. I tried. I really tried. But no one would return my damn call. WTH!!!! Then he took my stuff into the back room and talked to his supervisor/manager who then came out while I was on the phone and got upset with me because I was on the phone in the area that was clearly marked EVERYWHERE that you cannot be on any electronic device and I was silently shitting my pants because I didn't want to say anything perceived to be negative to this boss! Thankfully the other agent who was working on my case spoke up indicating that he had given me permission to use my cell phone! So once I was off the phone (I was trying to get a hold of the recruiter again), I was called back up to the desk by the both of them....
And told that although the terms weren't indicated, that they were going to give me a year visa and that that would give me the chance to fix the discrepancy or that I would have to return home... or find a new employer.
I guess I'll have to put it in those terms to my new employer. We'll see whether they'll be more willing to change their tune once I start the residency and all.
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