When I initially decided to get married to an American citizen and move here, I had to apply for a K1 visa, also known as a fiancée visa. We started the process when I was over here visiting my now ex-wife, so it started in February 1999. The paperwork was extensive - my ex-wife had to guarantee that she would sponsor my stay and assume financial responsibility for me for a five-year period, and there were triplicate copies of the application form that had to be filled out by both of us. I think we had requested the form before I left, but we ended up having to mail them back and forth between Norway and the US. I had to have a chest x-ray, blood work, and a physical by one of very few approved doctors in Norway. That meant that I had to travel to Oslo. To save on travel expenses, I tried to do that on the same trip as I would get the visa itself. Luckily I had relatives in the area and my dad's car, as he was working in Australia that summer. I greatly enjoyed my stay with my aunt Anicken and uncle Arne - I could talk about them for a long time, they are such great people and I am happy to be a part of their family - they provided a quiet and low-stress environment for me at a very stressful time. I was under the gun - this was late July, and I was supposed to fly out August 5. I did get the visa and was good to go.
When you arrive in the US under the K1 visa, you have to get married within a certain period of time - I think it was three months, but we had it scheduled for one week later. Then the immigration process is such that when you first come over and get a work permit, you get a temporary one. All of that happened in 1999 for me. It is a cumbersome process, and since it regionalized based on where you live, you may have to travel great distances to get to the right office. In 1999, I had to get fingerprinted in St. Louis and then I was processed through the Chicago INS office. While it was cumbersome, it did go smoothly, and I was soon the proud owner of a temporary residency card and a work permit.
In 2001, my temporary residency card was converted to a permanent residency card. In order to get through this process, I had to get my tuberculosis check and a physical with a civil surgeon. I had just moved to Greenille, Michigan from Robinson Illinois at this time, and finding a civil surgeon took a little bit of time - and I am not just talking about finding one to schedule an appointment with, but also actually finding the office since I was that new to the area. To complicate matters further, the TB shot I had received as a child in Norway made me test positive on the pirquet test, so I needed a chest x-ray. It all went well, and I got my appointment for the interview to become a Legal Permanent Resident. It was scheduled for September 20, 2001. Yeah. There was a lot of nervousness in the air when we went to the INS office in Chicago for the interview, but once we were in there, things were a lot calmer.
It is really interesting seeing immigration lawyers calling their clients names. They clearly don't know each other most of the time - it seemed like they met for the first time right then and there. We had done this on our own, so we were nervous, but we had thorough documentation (thanks to my very meticulous ex-wife) - and we had the ace up our sleeve: Not only did we have a joint bank account, but we also had our first child. Everything we had read and heard about the process was wrong for us. It was a breeze. Of course, having her be a college instructor and me employed by the same college helped - the only thing they balked at was that we had come to the Chicago office since we had moved to Michigan and now belonged to the Detroit office, but even that was forgiven and I got my permanent residency. I know it didn't go as smoothly for everyone there, though. I remember people coming up to the immigration officer I interviewed with, asking for her to reconsider.
Almost ten years later, it was time to renew the permanent residency, and INS had become USCIS. At this point, with two daughters and a solid career here, it was clear that I wouldn't be moving back to Norway. The only reason to hold on to my citizenship there was an emotional one. And since my emotions are tied more strongly to civic engagement and participation than to any sense of nationalism, I decided it was time to apply for citizenship instead. Once again there was a little bit of a process - and a lot bit of cost, as every single form has a fee attached to it. The paperwork was filled out in May or June, I believe, and I had my interview in Detroit in September, the morning after a massive rainstorm had left part of Detroit and its roadways flooded. The citizenship test I took was not very extensive - I just had to answer some basic questions about who Michigan's senators were, who the president was, and a few more about the political process. Being a political junkie, it was really easy for me - and I think the ease with which I did answer the questions helped in my determination. I then had to sit and wait before I was called back and told that I was approved and that the citizenship oath could be taken at the Gerald Ford museum in Grand Rapids on November 16.
On the day, my family was there with me - my wife and two kids, and my mother-in-law. We were also joined by my very good friend Kathleen Owens, who just left GR to live closer to her kids in North Carolina. The ceremony is something I would encourage every American to attend. The unbridled joy on display for people who have waited and dreamed of this citizenship should be a very different patriotic jolt for jaded American citizens whose idea of patriotism is an uncritical chanting of U-S-A, U-S-A... I am not saying all American citizens are jaded - but for those who are, this is a great thing to watch. Also, for those dismayed over the direction the USA is heading, seeing this will remind you of the ideals this country truly is trying to uphold.
Some people have asked if I regret giving up my Norwegian citizenship in lieu of the latest election results. And I don't. When things don't go your way, giving up and leaving may be the comfortable thing to do, but I am here to stay. Not even Donald Trump as president will change that.
The song for the day is very appropriate. Led Zeppelin from their third album. I do come from the land of the ice and snow. Enjoy this Immigrant Song!
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