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Borrowing a line from Charles Dickens: "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times". Yesterday's good news about Al Gore was smartly followed by bad news about my citizenship application. News with a typically Mercury retrograde flavour emerged from a USCIS conference call, implying that I'm likely to be waiting even longer to become a US citizen than I'd expected in my worst imaginings.
The total of all applications the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service received between July/August this year was 1.2 million. 480,000 of these (my own included) are still awaiting receipt. There were 500,000 citizenship applications (like my own) among the total number. All this because they increased fees? There must be more to it. USCIS indicated that they hope to be able to receipt all by the end of October, but warn that processing delays will get worse before they get better, as frontlogs become backlogs.
Oh joy!
I sent my application more than eleven weeks ago, on 26 July, full of hope and confidence that things would roll along slowly but surely and the process would take anything between 6 months and a year. I'd be able to vote in November 2008. Wrong! If I live long enough I might be eligible to vote in the 2012 election - and I do mean might!
This is Mercury retrograde with a vengance. It followed hard on the heels of a Venus retrograde period too.
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"I don't know whether to yell "I just don't care anymore, I'm outta here - when's the next plane back to the UK?" or just think...well, what does it matter, your vote wouldn't make much difference anyway, forget about politics, forget about it all. what's the use?
"San fairy Ann" - or as the French say "ca ne fait rien" - it doesn't matter. Do your worst Mercury retrograde - see if I care!
What good is a blog if you can't let off steam? I wonder what the French for that is? Quel bon est un blog si vous ne pouvez pas laisser outre de la vapeur. Ain't Babel Fish wonderful!
The total of all applications the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service received between July/August this year was 1.2 million. 480,000 of these (my own included) are still awaiting receipt. There were 500,000 citizenship applications (like my own) among the total number. All this because they increased fees? There must be more to it. USCIS indicated that they hope to be able to receipt all by the end of October, but warn that processing delays will get worse before they get better, as frontlogs become backlogs.
Oh joy!
I sent my application more than eleven weeks ago, on 26 July, full of hope and confidence that things would roll along slowly but surely and the process would take anything between 6 months and a year. I'd be able to vote in November 2008. Wrong! If I live long enough I might be eligible to vote in the 2012 election - and I do mean might!
This is Mercury retrograde with a vengance. It followed hard on the heels of a Venus retrograde period too.
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"I don't know whether to yell "I just don't care anymore, I'm outta here - when's the next plane back to the UK?" or just think...well, what does it matter, your vote wouldn't make much difference anyway, forget about politics, forget about it all. what's the use?"San fairy Ann" - or as the French say "ca ne fait rien" - it doesn't matter. Do your worst Mercury retrograde - see if I care!
What good is a blog if you can't let off steam? I wonder what the French for that is? Quel bon est un blog si vous ne pouvez pas laisser outre de la vapeur. Ain't Babel Fish wonderful!
Ah-hh-hhh, I'm sorry. I wish you speedy bureaucracy if you plan to vote Democrat, if Republican may you have to wait and wait and wait.
ReplyDeleteYou should try watching TV's Craig Fergusson (spelling?). He's got a late night talk show on CBS and regularly cracks jokes about waiting for Citizenship. He's Scottish.
Thanks OTCA !
ReplyDeleteRepublican ? - Wash your mouth out please! :-)
Yes, we watch Craig Ferguson quite often, at least his monologue, after that the eyes start to close!
I think he applied long before me, but probably his was a under the 5-year rule, not 3 years, due to marriage to a US citizen, but maybe he was married to a USC - don't know.
USCIS is probably investigating his drinkin' days in Glasgow still - probably sent a pair of officers to investigate in person and they haven't been seen since! LOL!
I hate Mercury retrograde! They're always such an endurance/sanity test.
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear you're having such a snail-paced time of becoming a USA citizen.
To add to your woes (grin) I've tagged you - here:
http://crows-feet.blogspot.com/2007/10/my-voice-your-voice.html
Hi Michelle
ReplyDeleteHmmmm - I shall have to study that-a quick look before my second coffee didn't do it!
I'll get to it for Saturday's blog perhaps.
Thanks (I think!) ;-)
LOL
ReplyDeleteFeel free to let it go if it really isn't your style, ok?
I've said "no thanks" to several tag/meme things myself. Some are either too complicated, or just aren't in my interest areas.
I'm going to post it on Saturday, because it's a good idea, I think. It might spread interest in both directions. :-)
ReplyDelete