Today started off on a bad footing with the people from the insurance company ringing us to say that Diana is considered too high a risk to insure due to her pre-existing medical condition, and therefore we would have to find someone else to insure us. Delightful. The day could only get better from there, we figured.

Alas, that was not the case at all. We went to the US Consulate as directed to collect our visas, and found we were the proud recipients of 214(b) forms. What does this mean? It means we did not provide enough evidence to show we were not going to abandon our home in Australia and stay over in the US working illegally below the minimum wage.

We, like many people our age, have a rental property. What sort of person is able to simultaneously afford a round the world trip and pay rent while they are gone, on a house that is empty?

The rejection letter also mentioned that more proof was needed we would not be working in the US. How do you prove this? We’re not entirely sure. There is a box on the application form asking if you intend to work in the US and we both marked it as “NO”. It seems that their application form is insufficient evidence.

We are now submitting :

* a second application form
* the rejection letter
* five letters from friends in the US to say we are planning to stay with them during the months, showing we are travelling
* Canadian work visa authorisation numbers
* letters from the Uni and Diana’s work
* airline ticket itinerary and receipts
* banking account details to prove we have sufficient funds

Most of this was already submitted to them the first time, and if we get knocked back despite all this paper trail, well, perhaps we will just have to wave hello to those American friends as we fly over them to Canada. A rather depressing thought, but when you consider we’ve heard of people with criminal records for motorcycle theft when they were younger being able to get visas, it’s very frustrating for us.

Makes us ever so glad we’re considered “allies” on a global scale and they are being “friendly” toward us…

Categories: Travel, Odyssey 2001