Update

This was one of many wonderful photos our friend Erin took of us for our Christmas card. I think it's my favorite of me and Teela, but Nina was a bit distracted and a little out of focus so this one didn't make the cut. It sure was a pretty day for a photo. We had about a week of gorgeous snowy wintry weather, and since then it's been ice, slush, rain, and wind. Sitka winters are very unpredictable.

I thought I would use this post to catch everyone up on what's going on in our lives (other than having the cutest puppy in the entire world).

Most of you already know that we've been having ongoing difficulties regarding Teela's immigration status, but I wanted to clarify what our current situation is: T currently holds a "H-1B" work visa, which is classified as a "non-immigrant worker" status, however his final extension of that visa expires in June/July of this year, which means we must take some sort of action before that date or else he will be placed in removal proceedings. Our lawyers suggested last fall that the best course of action would be to relocate to Northwest Washington and reapply for permanent resident (green card) status through the Seattle office. They thought we would have a better chance at success through Seattle than we did in Anchorage two years ago when we first applied. So, although neither of us have a desire to move from Sitka, the general plan is to move down there this summer and stay as long as it takes to go through the application process. The lawyers estimate that it should only take a couple of months, but there is no way to know for sure with these things.

I have to admit, the thought of going through that dreadful interview process again gives me the chills, but I'm hoping that the experience we had in Anchorage was atypical, and I am also reassured by the knowledge that our lawyer will be accompanying us this time (he lives in Seattle), which will be tremendously helpful since Teela and I will both be very anxious. On the other hand, there is more at stake this time around--last time we applied we had Teela's valid H-1B visa to fall back on (although they tried to place him in removal proceedings anyway!) This time, his visa will have completely expired. The only thing allowing him to legally stay in the U.S. will be his pending application for permanent residency. If the application is denied, he will be immediately placed in removal proceedings, which means we will be given a court date and a judge will make the final decision as to whether or not he may remain in the U.S.

Neither of us like to think about it much, but it is a reality that we are both very aware of. It's a ceiling looming overhead that prevents us from making any definite long-term plans. So although this renewed application and relocation to Washington will be stressful, I'm glad that we will finally have a chance to get some resolution in this matter. If we are not going to be able to live in the U.S., the sooner we know that, the better. That way we can figure out where we will live and begin to establish a new life there. And if they do approve the application, we can finally let go of this issue once and for all, which is what I see as the most likely outcome.

I will keep everyone updated as we begin to make more definite plans for the move to Washington. Although we will miss our friends in Sitka, I think it will be a good opportunity to spend more time with Teela's family and also have some adventures in a new place. Some towns I have been considering are Port Townsend and Bellingham, mostly because I have heard that they are fun places to live and are not too big.