In my previous entry I said something about having “the complete picture” on how to get our visa. Well, I was quite wrong. Unfortunately, it required a family trip to Charlotte to discover that. As it turns out, Marcia and the girls each need their own visa application (with the requisite fees) even though they are listed as dependents on mine. So we've got that done now, but Marcia must now go back to Charlotte, application confirmation in hand, to submit her fingerprints, etc. Thankfully, they don't fingerprint kids under five, or we would all be going back to Charlotte. Which, in view of Tuesday's trip, would not be welcome news for any of us. Parents of small children can read between the lines. 
What we are running into is that the whole UK visa system is in transition, so their websites are somewhat messed up and all of the necessary info is spread all over the place. I'm not sure who to blame for this – Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, Prince Charles, or the princes William and Harry – but I have definitely struggled to maintain a good attitude through all of this. Perhaps this is could prep for culture shock in Wales.
03 Sept 2008
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