Freya Katkowsky

We recently had our interview and now that everything has been shed into light, it's good to know.

First things first: If you're in the Madison area, give her a chance. She is an amazing lawyer with a great attitude. Great people who are lawyers do exist!

http://www.kisimmigration.com/

That is the link to her website. She is careful, patient and clearly answers questions. From this ordeal though, I would like to say not every lawyer is awesome as she is.

So go in there in confidence and well prepared. A bit of background research, some online forum browsing has never hurt anyone. Also maybe stopping by the library and going through a reference book won't hurt either. If you know your case and understand the complications, reasoning and implicated of your situation, you can describe your situation to your lawyer better. And if you understand where your lawyer is coming from, you can understand her advice better and that where she is coming isn't another planet, but based on articular prior procedures, hearings and results. This also arises particular questions about your situation you should be aware of. Only to cover yourself 100% is through understanding where you stand. If you understand it, you can explain it better and in return be more satisfied with what you can and cannot do.

Go in there with a series of questions that will enable you to make right decisions legally, even if you did not choose to hire any kind of legal help, representation and such.

Goodluck.

The Cheesiness Continues

Today, being the second month anniversary (though I must mention, I wonder the ensuing, never ending capacity of my inability to end my cheesiness, I swear, I was never like this before) I think the Universe is sending out mixed signals at best.

After months of grueling research, paper gathering, document searching, discovering, finding, securing, obtaining, scanning, photocopying, endless hours spent in front of the computer screen, reading through what seemed to me an abyss of information regarding the whole non-immigrant to immigrant status changes, what, which forms, what documents needed, required, where to and how to obtain them, how to handle, fill out and send said such forms, lawyer investigation, finding, calling and begging of free consultations, we were finally able to have our consultation.

(I realize the sentence is a run-on sentence. I obviously could have changed it and made it far more logical, organized and grammatically correct. Though, the constant, never ending, out of breath state of the sentence, described rather accurately our days since May 24th, once without a stop, break and that continues to suck the life out of cores).

In the past two weeks intense research about J-1 Visa Waiver Process, we found out more than we wanted to. Only because, it was such discouraging news that the first night, we walked around Madison for hours, on the West side of the city and had to hail a cab back home. We felt paralyzed, we discussed, and discussed, created scenarios and tried to get to the bottom of a truth we had no access to, nor the knowledge to hypothesize. We were so disappointed and felt so heavy hearted, so desperate and not knowing what to do, nor what was available, eventually we both broke down, hugging and crying for a good amount.

Of course, the next day, we continued searching through the web, forums and any kind of legal website that offered free online information and consultation, of any kind. We browsed, read, reread and reflected and then discussed what that meant to us, what we could do with that option and what remained an availability of what we could do. Then we repeated this process again and again. By Tuesday of this week, we realized how grim our situation could be if our only option was to stay here, no matter. But as we worked out through the information, what we wanted to do, what we could do and how we could best attain them. We've always decided that we were going to go back to fulfill S's Two Year Home Stay Requirement when the time came and would actually try to first live in Turkey, considering that we both have buffed up our resume to take such a bold action. We'd try, see what Turkey has offered and is able to offer us, measure our happiness, satisfaction with our lives and jobs and make a decision whether to continue living in Turkey or coming back to the States.

The main issue is that we refuse to live far apart, under any circumstances and for any amount of time, over a three month period (which we decided would be the most we could accomplish and sustain our sanity) and that S definitely had to finish his program here, I would also have to go back to school and finish my Masters with some sort of work experience which will grant me a better job position then were we to stay here.

It seems that obtaining a J-1 Visa waiver when the visa is sponsored via Fullbright is near impossible. So beware those of you who are trying to accomplish this, chances are slim. Though, I suppose the contents of that is another post.

So, we're going to have to make do and make some adjustments to our next five and next ten years goals. Looks like we'll be going to Turkey sooner rather than later.

Legality

With the disappointment of yesterday, we got in heavier with the lawyer researching. We're not going to get anywhere without a lawyer, that much is becoming obvious. But I also realize that lawyers have become a bit too tricky. It's better to be armed with information, whether you put in the time and money to find out about the basic premises of your situation and what it means in the legal frame and what you realistically can get away with. Otherwise, you're dead meat in this jungle.

Also, the more informed you are, the more seriously they seem to take you. Niceties are for amateurs. The more you can get away with and probably get the best deal that is possible with your circumstance and options. Options are everything, even the very bad ones. We've narrowed down our list to five lawyers and are giving a small break to learn about this whole thing, and then go and select a new lawyer for our selves that can eventually help us.

Always, always get a second, third, fourth and even a fifth opinion.

Lawyers

Lawyers are difficult, deranged, snobby people who really thinks the world exists to soothe and contain their ego. My goodness, what a bunch of disgusting people.

Finding them is difficult, getting into contact with them is even more difficult, communicating with them is impossible. They charge per the word it feels like, and just don't do enough for the price they ask. I still haven't been able to learn anything and it looks like this is going to be a difficult item.

Next Big 3 Items of Our Agenda

We've established our big three items in our collective agenda. We've gotten a new apartment and figured out the logistics that goes along with it. We've taken care of my serious health problem, and we have also gotten ourselves insured and went in for our first check ups. We're back in Madison, eased in and totally immersed back in our lives.

Finding lawyers and information about our situation is what comes next and what is of most importance. We have to figure out a way to plan this out carefully and stick to it. Tax season will be coming again and I want to be prepared this time around. Note to self, also do your taxes. I also want to have a tentative plan that would lay out to us what we need to do and give us a time frame to work. Which will make me a better person, a more productive adult as I would have the flames of time on my back, licking my sweat and slashing against my sweat to motivate me. Nothing works like worry and the question of physical survival. I guess we should include that item number two is us individually getting our taxes done. The number three item would be for S to find his new research group so that he can continue on with his program without any hitches.

It's back to reality for us.