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My visitor visa to the States was denied. After an hour spent queueing out in the rain in London and several more queuing inside. Fuck me.
I don't think there's any hope for attending Inkhaven this time, and I was really looking forward to that. I would have met Scott, Gwern, and even Aella (academic curiosity only). I'd have gotten so much done. On the plus side, I guess I can publish the essays I was holding out on.
Despite advice given to me here to the contrary, it turns out that American visa officers are bemused by claims to be attending an unpaid writing retreat. I was asked why I hadn't applied for a J1 (uh.. because it's not applicable here?), and other nonsense that showed a questionable grasp on the situation. They didn't ask for the documents I had brought as supporting evidence, and I was handed the denial before I could even proffer them myself. Is a single, young Indian male a flight risk? Probably. But I haven't heard of many doctors jumping fences. Absolute misery.
I am considering going through this ballache again, as I said, it won't suffice for Inkhaven, but I do want to make a wedding in Texas. I might even try and hit up a few Mottizens and other people I know in the country, it's not like I have a shortage of annual leave now. Or I might give up and apply for a Schengen instead, Spain and Greece seem awfully inviting when I know what the Scottish winter entails. We'll see.
I can't speak to the particulars of your situation with Inkhaven, but from my experience watching CBP reality TV shows (not by choice, a travel buddy loved to put them on), generally they assume that anything that sounds remotely like working probably is work and you therefore need a work visa and [DENIED]. A regular tourist visa to meet up with some people you know should be fine, though schlepping down to London is a real pain. Condolences and good luck.
Thank you. In hindsight, I should have prioritized the wedding, and probably avoided describing Inkhaven as a "residential" writing workshop. Apparently, a first time (at least in several decades) visitor visa has the standard where you have to convince the officers that you won't abscond, with the presumption you will by default.
Coming down to London is indeed a massive pain, as is the rather severe chest infection I seem to have caught from an hour of exposure to the elements. Next time, which might well be in the dead of winter as opposed to an abysmally rainy day, I'm going to put on my best Eskimo cosplay.
Yeah, the thing is, angloid legal bureaucracy is a bunch of magic words, and saying any of the magic words can either save you or doom you. The human stuff is in between, but both "residential" and "work"shop were probably the wrong incantations. Lawyers are a fae court, and that amplifies down to the guys who kind of vaguely hear their instructions seventh-hand.
Surprised it's got that bad in London so quickly. Earlier this week was drizzly and vaguely chill, but par for the course for the season. Good luck and, look, if you need the strong stuff to kill that infection, nobody who haint a doctor can tell any of youse' lot's writings apart.
Its just front line public service workers. They aren't that smart. No one makes a career out of these front line positions (although some work in them for 20+ years).
I remember applying for a professional accreditation and initially being rejected because the requirement was a trade school equivalent certificate and I had a bachelor's degree in it. Arbitrary box ticking.
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