Visa-a-go-go

Grrr, I'm antsy to leave. A month is a long time to wait, especially with nothing else to do! Well, almost nothing. To get my working visa, I had to compile a few documents.

1) Your original diploma
2) Sealed transcripts from your university (1 copy minimum)
3) 2 passport photos
4) The front page of your passport (the pages with the picture)
5) The criminal records check with the Apostille notary
6) The attached medical/health statement signed & filled out

Now, some of these are pretty obvious; passport, photos, transcripts. But my original diploma? I mean, what is this going to prove that the transcripts can't? I mean, sure, it's got a shiny gold seal, but why not a copy? I guess I'm just bitter because it took forever to get my diploma and now I have to send it off.

And the criminal check, that was a serious pain. Here's the deal: so you first have to get fingerprinted for a criminal check, pretty standard. They do this fancy Livescan thing too, where you have your prints put directly into a computer and sent to Sacramento for processing. You're instantly put on the grid! So then, when you get your check in the mail, you're supposed to get this Apostille stamp on it, which sounds easy enough. It's a stamp, right? The person just needs to stamp it right on. At least, that's what I thought when I showed up at the Department of Justice in downtown LA. I get to the counter and the lady pretty much laughs in my face. Silly me! It turns out that it's not enough to get this goofy stamp to approve my official criminal record check; it first has to be notarized, then approved by the county clerk (I'm still not sure what that was about), THEN I could get this stamp. Three hours later and I've got a bright new document approving me for, what again?

Ah well, it's all been compiled and sent out, so I'm on my way! Did I mention it cost $80 to send it priority? Yay!