Paperwork

All moves require loads of paperwork.  Moves from one country to another involves much more paperwork.  Moves from one country to another with a foreigner (me) and two adopted children requires an incalculable amount of paperwork approaching Biblical proportions. 

In attempting to explain to you exactly how much paperwork this is I’ll ask you to think about what it is like to do your taxes. If you are someone who does not do your own taxes then forget it about it, you will never understand.  For you people who do your own taxes, imagine doing your taxes and four other peoples taxes.  Now imagine doing four peoples taxes for the last eight years except you need to do it all at once.  Now multiply that by three physicals, 100 notarized documents, processing fees, photos of yourself and children, that need to have exact dimensions but cannot be done by nearly anyone in the state of Ohio, more processing fees, phone calls, emails, certified letters, FedEx, Passports, birth certificates, deadlines, letters of notification, and on and on and on.

I can’t stress the on and on part.  It really does go on and on.  I applied for Canadian citizenship for my daughters. Actually, I applied for the right to apply for citizenship.  Yes, it is true that one must apply to apply and it is actually called the Application for an Application.  The Application for an Application to become a Canadian citizen isn’t short either.  It required multiple documents and a lengthy form. You can imagine our excitement when we received a letter stating that our “Application for Application” had been received and that we would receive a verdict in three to six months.  Thank goodness I did this in July because it wasn’t until January that we received a letter stating that our “Application for Application” had been approved and that we are free to apply.  But don’t misunderstand me.  I am truly happy that there were no problems obtaining the right to apply because if there were any problems I would have great difficulty contacting anyone from the Canadian Immigration Department to ask them a question.  The only way to contact them is through an 800 number printed on all their documents.  One problem, it doesn’t work unless you are calling from Canada.  That’s right, the number for the Canadian Immigration Department does not work unless you are calling from inside Canada.

But I am happy to report that last week the Consulate General of Canada sent us a letter stating that out “Application for Permanent Residence has been found to meet minimum requirement for completeness.”  Ahh...music to my ears.