The Golden Carrot

So I'm sure you're all wondering what the hell's going on with my life and all of this visa crap. Well, time for a brief update as D-Day (Decision Day) has come and gone already, hasn't it?

Our appeal has been denied.

Despite a lot of effort from the school to try and 'sell me' to Immigration, they just wouldn't bite at our bait. This did not come as a huge surprise, as apparently the Home Office almost never retracts their initial decisions.

My friend Jenn is a case in point example. She's a real teacher who's been living and working in the UK for a few years now and has had her own share of visa woes. She applied for a similar work permit as I did and despite already having been working for a school for a while she was also denied. She fought the decision with an appeal, waited 6 weeks, and was still denied, even though she had the bloody Ministry of Education fighting for her case! And to add insult to injury, the UK is currently experiencing a major teacher shortage! WTF!? For a country that's supposed so desperate for teachers that they're actively recruiting in Canada and the US, they sure don't make it easy to work there! Well, at least in hearing Jenn's experience I know not to take it personally.

On top of being able to commiserate our UK visa struggles together, Jenn has proven to be a wealth of information and has lined herself up to be the ultimate lifesaver. She's suggested that I apply for another kind of visa - a Working Holidaymaker - and this just may be the ticket needed. She's back in Canada applying for the same sort of visa herself and it's looking to be relatively easy to get. It's a visa that allows one to work/travel/stay in the UK at *any job* for up to two years. You can apply for it online and it can be processed fairly quickly. Sounds like just what I need!!

I went to the website and completed the monster online application, and now have an appointment with the British Embassy here in Prague for Monday, June 11th. I've been in contact with the Embassy, and provided that I can bring all the necessary documentation they ask for, I can get this visa on that same day! It's a good stack of paperwork that I'll need to bring in, but it's all manageable and I shouldn't have any major difficulties. So...it looks like I may finally be getting my visa after all!

*knock on wood*

But one thing's for sure, the last 2 weeks have been an emotional rollercoaster! It's been a very stressful experience, and I feel that I've been pulled back and forth so many times. England's off. Okay England's back on. Nope, it really is off. Oh, there's some hope, it's back on again. Argh!!! I feel like it's been this ever-elusive Golden Carrot dangling in front of my face, just barely out of grasp, and whenever I reach to grab it, it pulls away. I jump forward again but once more Mr. Carrot escapes again. Over and over again. FRUSTRATING!

But hey I'm a pretty determined fellow and have not given up on England. Despite the fact that she doesn't seem to want me in, I WILL work in that country this summer! LOL Things do seem to be looking up for this other visa. Should that fall out too, then I'll be on a plane heading back for Thunder Bay in 2 weeks. Hopefully I won't though. NOT that I don't want to see my friends and family back in T-dot B-dot, but I really do need this England job, financially. It's my ticket to Life Beyond Summer, whether that be Barcelona or...wherever I end up.

So there ya go. Feeling a bit confused? Me too. But like I said, it's looking good (for once) and I expect it all to go to plan. Two weeks today I should be in the UK already! God!! ONLY TWO WEEKS LEFT IN PRAGUE!!! How sad is that?