passport submitted

Well I finally submitted for my Irish passport last week.  I should be receiving it by the end of April according to the tracking, since I could be able to track for my passport.  I really hope that they don't need any other information about it.

I had submitted:

copy of American passport
Mother's birth certificate
Father's birth certificate
my US driver's license
utility bill

After receiving my Irish passport, I will use my Irish passport and then we will leave the country, and immediately return into Dublin so he could get his passport stamped as a Spouse's VISA so he could be able to stay with me.  Not looking forward to this part of the process.  I think its a waste of money to leave the country and re-enter it again.

St Patricks Day

Well today is St Patricks Day.  I think there is suppose to be some sort of carnival parade but don't know the details because I don't usually bother with it... they don't serve Guinness lol

Third solicitor meet up

I am just coming around to writing this blog.  We saw a third solicitor this past Monday and according to her that it would be best if I go for my Irish Passport as we don't know what will happen with the Brexit situation.  She was happy enough to counter signature my Irish passport application form and sign the back of my passport photographs.  Of course there is a fee of £30.00 which is okay because I needed it to be done.  She told us that once the Irish passport is received, we should leave the country when the 6 month visa is up back to the US, and re-enter again arriving into Dublin and tell them that Craig will be with me and needs a spouse's visa.   So that is the plan. 

As for residing, we are unsure if it would be better to relocate over the border so we don't have to be in Northern Ireland or if we would be better off staying in Northern Ireland. If we do need to reside over the border, it would probably most likely be Letterkenny which is about 40 minutes away to Derry.  We would have to break our lease, which means we will loose our deposit of £400.00.

Trip to second Solicitor // Outcome

I don't know why we are having a hard time getting in touch with the first solicitor.  He is very hard to get.  We have been making phone calls and he's eitehr with a client or he's out in court.

The second solicitor that we had seen who was very awkward to deal with first impressions, called us today and we went to see him this afternoon. It seemed that he was in a better mood I guess.  He was telling us that I would need to get my UK passport first and my UK passport which had been expired should still be in the system.  After I get the UK passport sorted out, register for Disability Living Allowance (DLA) which is now called Personal Independence Payment (PIP).  With both of our disabilty and the PIP is approved, we don't have to meet that £18,600 which I would had to support Craig and myself.  He could then work with us for free.

Craig may have to apply for an extension for his VISA so that things could fall into place with my UK passport and PIP.

More information about passports

We had an appointment with another solicitors on Queen Street for consultation.  We both had a negative vibe off of him.  He has been talking about all these different forms and would be expensive.  Seemed that he was more concerned with figures rather than our circumstances.  I'm not too concerned about this solicitor and he's definitely not going to get money from us that's for sure.

I have the right to stay because I have Irish decent but with Craig if things don't get situated, he would ahve to leave when his VISA expires and then re-enter Ireland again.

We learned was that if I was go get my UK passport, I would have to be able to support Craig on my own with the amount £18,600 in the bank.

We went to the Migrant Centre NI on Clarendon Street and the woman said the same thing about UK Passport, but she mentioned that if I went for the Irish passport, I would have to give up my UK passport to obtain the Irish passport.  We thought there was something wrong with that.  I don't think I have to give up my UK passport in order to get Irish Passport because some of the Irish here have both UK and Irish passports.  Also she said that once I give up the UK passport and the Brexit changes where I have to go back to the UK Passport, I would have to start the process all over again as if I was a first time applicant.

Nobody knows what will happen with Brexit.

Trip to Solicitor

Wednesday we had appointment with solicitor for our consultation to see what we could get from him.  According to the solicitor going for the Irish passport would be best to apply for rather the UK passport because of the Brexit.  I need birth certificates from both parents and also my own birth certificate.  There is a part of the section of the Irish Passport application that I need a professional to fill out and fill the back of my passport photos as well.  The solicitor is a professional and I asked if he could be able to do that for me.

In this case it could be a little tricky.  He is not familiar with dealing with gay married couples who entering the country since he is always dealing with families with children.  So he's trying his best to collect as much information and would get back to us.  He would need to get back to us really soon because time is running out.

The solicitor was telling us that I am okay to stay since I have Irish decent but the problem is with Craig is the VISA.  If there was a problem down the line since its restricted VISA for 6 months, leaves me in a very difficult and depressing situation and that is if he has to return to the United States, what I am going to do, go back with him or stay and have him go back on his own.  I am hoping it doesn't come to that.  It shouldn't either since we are married.  

First things first

After seeking advice from the Citizens Advice Bureau yesterday morning, since we arrived at Belfast it would be easy for me to apply for the UK passport and then Craig could be able to register himself at the post office.  I was going to go for the Irish passport because of the Britex thing but it would be difficult for me to apply for it.  If we would had flown through Dublin which is the Republic of Ireland, it would be easy for me to apply for the Irish passport.  To clarify all this for definite we would have to call immigrations to make sure about all this.  We may have to find a lawyer as well to help us out.

So todays agenda would be to fill out both forms of Irish and UK passport and whichever they say would be easy for me to get through, I would have it already to be mailed out.

Rainbow Project

The rainbow project is a GLBT organization where gays lesbians could come in and get together.  There are groups and also well as a drop in center.  Our main reason for us to be going to The Rainbow Project is that so Craig could be able to get his medications through them.  But the hospital here in Derry doesn't supply that.  Of course we would have to take trips to Belfast because they supply the medications there.  That would be like an hour and a half ride.

Dove House

We had an appointment with the Dove House which is kind of like the Citizens Advice Bureau, but the guy didn't give us much information.  All the guy kept saying that I am entitled to both Irish and UK passports, which I knew already, we were trying to get Craig sorted out as well.  We knew what I need to get but where does that leave Craig?  Craig is good with the questions and the guy didn't give him a direct answer.  He kept talking about these two passports and that we won't receive benefits until 3 months later.  This is another thing we knew already.  So I don't know what is happening.

We have appointment with the Citizens Advice Bureau this Saturday so hopefully they will take us to the right directions and answer questions that we need to ask.  I think we will write down questions that we need to ask so that we don't forget on Saturday.  Probably would be a good idea.

A new beginning

Well we finally did it.  We have been here two weeks now and enjoying it.  I thought it would be a culture shock for Craig but he's really liking Derry.  It's just a matter of getting used to the new area.

We were lucky that we got an apartment by the time we arrived to Derry.  That Monday we had to go to the Estate Agent to fill out forms and also handing over the apartment keys.  We had been having problems with the oil heating.  I had been contacting my cousin who is maintenance letting him know what is going on with the heaters.  He told me that I shouldn't be going out to the backyard to the shed to reset the oil heating each time it goes off since our heating is on a time.  But when it switches back on that's when I have to go out to the shed to reset it because the heaters weren't turning on.

Last Saturday we went to Pitchers and all the cousins got together for one of my cousin's 40th birthday party.  It was a surprise one.  He also didn't know that I was in Derry so that was another surprise as well.  Some of the cousins were nice enough to come up and started chatting with Craig.

Craig and I have been having trouble opening a bank account since we need some sort of bill and identification to opening one up.  So for the time being we have been using our bank account with TD Bank back in the United States.  Each time we use it there is a fee conversion, so we really need to open an account because we can't keep paying for conversion fees each time at the ATM.

A couple of days ago my friend Bonner and I went out in the town to get a few things for the apartment.  I also need to get some Irish passport applications.  I also got a couple of UK passport applications.  So its a matter of figuring out if I would be better with UK passport or Irish passport.

Apartment set up

I have been getting in touch with my cousin Paul who lives in Derry lately.  We had discussed that we are going to be moving to Derry at the end of this month.  He had mentioned that his boss manages apartments and possibly could be able to get Craig and me an apartment by the time we get there at the end of the month.

After several emails from his boss, he is able to get us an apartment, and the apartment will be ours as of Jan 16th, but we won't be moving to Derry until Jan 28th.  So basically we will be paying for the 2 weeks rent that we won't be there (which is okay), plus the deposit and also the registration fee.

We just sent out a check to his boss today registered delivery so we could be able to get a signature from the agency.  The plan is that when we arrive to Derry, we will be there at a hotel for the night and then the next morning will stop by the office be will be calling over at the office to sign some papers and be handed the keys.

So far things are going okay.