Work Visa Update

Getting permission to work here in Ireland has continued to be an unbelievably difficult task! I will attempt to quickly summarize the ongoing saga we have had these past few months. Sorry for the very late update!

In September my work had applied for me (Suz) to get a new work visa to continue at St. Andrews teaching American History. Unfortunately, in February it was denied because I was currently working in the country on a Working Holiday Authorization, which required me to leave the country after 12 months. After going to the Immigration office, Ross and I were informed that we were required to leave the country for a 48 hour period, so we packed our bags, booked airline tickets, and the next day flew to the lovely city of Edinburgh. Upon arriving in Ireland again, I received a dependent stamp giving me permission to legally reside in Ireland. Unfortunately, what I did not know at the time is that a dependent stamp does not give my employer permission to apply for a work permit on my behalf. So... after contacting the US Embassy, I was advised to move back to the US while my employer applied for the work visa for me. So, off to California we will be heading this summer! After the initial shock, both Ross and I now feel a great peace about this decision and are actually quite excited to have a second chance this year to see the friends and family that we have been missing so much.

We are not positive of the exact dates yet, but we will probably be in SD for June, July, and part of August. I can't believe we will be home in 1 month!