Michael Peach

On Immigration and Visas

May 8th, 2009

As I am an alien in this wonderful country I spend quite a bit of my time checking out immigration forums. The main reason being that any opportunity to make our visa status more permanent would be a godsend and if any changes in the labyrinthine immigration regulations can be helpful to us then I want to know about them immediately.

(That’s me on the right by the way. Having just got off Virgin Atlantic VS75 from Manchester. Yes, I do look a lot younger than my wife but aren’t the children beautiful.)

However there is one problem with reading these forums… They can be so damn depressing!

I can be sitting in the sunshine, cooling my feet in the pool, sipping a mojito whilst doing some research on the computer and it doesn’t matter how good I am feeling, ten minutes reading other people’s horror stories will summon a black cloud that will sit over me for hours.

Well no more….

Today at ExpatsVoice there has been something of a revolution. Negative posters are under attack. Visa holders who are actually enjoying their time in Florida are fighting back with comments like:

Even after 2 years living here I too still wake up & think I live in America and am thankful I’m here and not Glasgow. I love Glasgow the place – but I love living here more….my kids also love it – my 16 yr old plays for a local soccer club and the opportunities open for him are brilliant I know he wouldn’t have got that in Glasgow. The weather is a big factor too you got to love waking up to sunshine every morning.

and….

Hi, just wanted to say I too get in my car and think WOW I am gald to be here and I never did that driving into work back Scotland.

We can only be positive in our approach so keep smiling and moving forward and enjoy what ever time we may have here in good Ol Houston

and even….

Been here three years on the visa of doom and loving it, loving it, loving it! (OK. I posted that one.)

Immigration rules are a farce, there is certainly no doubt about that and every day pen pushing bureaucrats ruin the dreams of hard working people just trying to grab their own little piece of the American Dream. But every person from the UK who visits us is insanely jealous of the lifestyle we are enjoying at the moment. I am so pleased that we made the decision to come here three years ago. I just can not envisage life in the Socialist Republic of UK at the moment, where my trash will get weighed, NHS whistle blowers get fired and teenagers are treated as the forgotten generation.

Now, obviously when we encounter major visa problems (We have minor ones on a daily basis.) I will immediately become one of the whingers and ruin other people’s days but until then I am rather liking this positive revolution.

By the way, ExpatsVoice is a great forum if you are seeking advice about a move to the US.