The adventure begins...eventually

November 5, 2010

I'm never sure how to start these sorts of things.  What seems like old news to me is often something others have not yet heard about, which makes it fresh news, I guess.  So background seems to be a good beginning. 

I have been accepted into the PhD program at the University of Manchester, UK, but can't seem to get there because I'm in some sort of visa purgatory.  Classes actually started September 21, but I'm stuck in the States, apparently because either I don't have the requisite precognition to guess the forms and paperwork required by the British consulate, or they really want more money.  The first two applications for visas were denied due to missing forms/papers.  Of course, actually contacting me using any of the avenues listed on the applications was too difficult, so I was denied.  Twice.

We (my husband and I) are waiting for our third application to be recognized as existing.  The online forms were sent October 1, and the hard copies and vital papers were signed for at the Los Angeles consulate on October 15 at 10:15 am.  We are supposed to get an acknowlegement email shortly after that saying, essentially, "Thank you for your application and money.  Don't call us, no one will answer."  The Brits are apparently very serious about not receiving calls, as there is no phone number that actually reaches a real person.  I've tried.  You are either sent to a website or can pay $3 a minute for a service to have someone help you fill out the forms, but that individual can't answer any other questions.

The email never came.

I waited two weeks, assuming...ok, hoping, really...that someone just forgot to register the paperwork.  At that point, I used the email only service for questions.  I quickly got the automated response, recognizing I sent an email.  Then eight minutes later I got another automated response that due to the urgency of my situation, my email would receive priority status.  And, by the way, please don't try to contact us on this matter again.

On Wednesday, we got a call from UPS saying they had a package for us, and would we be home?, followed fairly quickly by the bubble wrap envelope containing the documents we sent.  Not included were my husband's current passport, the hard copies of the applications or biometrics (bureaucratic speak for fingerprints and a photo), or either a rejection letter or the visas.  So I sent another email, getting the previous two automatic responses.

So, here we wait.