The Biggest Day

Considering how much depends on this one small event, I thought I'd dedicate a post to the Visa Interview. Of course, the interview is simply the culmination of lots of preparation and research and work, but for all the stress and anxiety it causes, it may as well be the main event.

Any post you read about your visa interview will provide the same core advice - Be Prepared.  I was lucky in this regard because my American employer utilised an immigration lawyer to prepare their end of the application, which not only expedited the process significantly, but also took care of a very big part of MY end of the application. My particular visa classification, E3 for Australians working in a specialty occupation, is a great option, but both the candidate and the employer, or rather the role itself, need to fulfil very specific criteria. The Visa Coach provides great information about several visa classifications, including E3, and I found this site very useful.

Getting my job offer was just the first step, really. A big step, sure, but just the first. From there, your employer needs to file their application with the right department, and you need to make sure you've given them all the information, and that nothing gets left out.... it's all very painful, actually. The most important thing you can do, if you are applying for a work visa, is make sure you know the process. Read everything you can find on the topic, not just the Consultant webpage (though this should be your first stop). Understand the realistic timeframes and anticipate where problems are likely to occur.

From what I had read, once my employer had received their Labor Condition Application (a key part of the whole process), the hardest part had been done, but I still needed to do my part. I wasn't all that worried about my eligibility: I have a PhD in the relevant field, I have the necessary experience, no criminal history or anything like that.  The area that gave me a bit of concern was being able to 'prove' that I intended to come back to Australia after my visa was expired.  I'm sure that visa timeframe violations are a big problem all over the world, but this one seems a bit odd. I'm not fleeing a warzone or a dangerous area (although Abbott as PM could be considered a disaster of some kind), and I have a lifetime of connections in Australia. But this is hard to prove on paper... I don't own property (thanks Baby Boomers, or someone, who are we blaming for ridiculously high property prices these days??), so I couldn't simply say "hey, I've got real investments here".  Instead I put together copies of my Superannuation statements, bank statements, copies of my parents' and siblings' drivers licences and proof of address, in an attempt to prove some kind of compelling reason to come back.  I do have natural concerns about my parents getting older, and not wanting to be too far away, but in all honesty, the world is a pretty small place these days, and it doesn't take long to get back if I really needed to.  Regardless, I put together my 'reasons for coming back' pack, along with all my qualifications, letters of recommendation (from two US Senators, no less), and various documents sent to me by the immigration lawyer in New Orleans.  With over 100 pages of documentation at the ready, I felt totally, completely prepared. Now, where had I put my passport again? Oh right.

So obviously, when I actually had my interview (for which I had to get a 7am flight to Sydney, ugh), the whole interview took about 2 minutes, and the consulate officer didn't even glance at my supportive documentation. I offered to show him my well-prepared statements and letters, but he just smiled amiably and said "congratulations, your visa is granted. Your passport will be sent back to you within a week or so." Honestly, I was completely thrilled but also somehow disappointed.  All that work, and he didn't even look at it??  In hindsight, knowing that 99% of interviews would go the same way, would I still go to all that effort, even though it would be unnecessary?  Absolutely. There would be nothing worse than being asked something that I could answer, and having to go through the process again. Each setback like that causes more delays.  That old saying "a stitch in time saves nine" comes to mind, except obviously it's more than a stitch - it's more like a dozen stitches, but the point remains. Preparation is key.

So as I headed back to the airport, I quietly congratulated myself on a job well done, sent a quick email to the immigration lawyer promising him a drink when I arrived in New Orleans, and started advertising the good news. Having that visa somehow made the whole thing real, and I was suddenly looking at a big sea change. Well, New Orleans has a river... and a lake... Okay, so it's a water change of some kind. Point is, it suddenly became real that day, a week ago, 9th July 2014. America, here I come.

Is it too early for a glass of wine?