All this anti-immigrant stuff is scaring the crap outta me

I'm always surprised at the number of people who stumble upon this forum and are surprised about the rules.

That's the one!  I do occasionally get snark but it's so uncommon that I can clearly remember most incidents. 

A dentist once asked me how I came over and a I said that I married a Brit.  She said something about all the good ones being taken by Americans.  To which I was clever enough to reply that doing so took only dating long-distance, making a serious commitment for marriage at 22, around £3,000, and countless hours of stress applying for visas (married 2006, citizenship 2009 so very different rules then).  She had no come-back.  I wonder if she'd manage a jaw-drop with the current rules.

From my experience most Brits are horrified when they learn about all the stuff we immigrants have to go through just to live here.  Of course, they assume that those of us from the dominions/former colonies have a free pass.  They have no idea what the actual rules and regulations involve.

Yep, I've experienced that, too. My husband's family in Scotland were gobsmacked by everything we've had to do and how long our separation has ended up being. They keep saying, "you'd think you were a criminal, with everything they're making you do just to come back here." And go on about how I paid taxes when I lived in the UK before and how that should've made things easier to come back now.

If only, if only.

Because in the movies, it is always very simple to move to a new country!

I will give proper recognition the film Like Crazy with Felicity Jones, they show that you actually get barred from places when you overstay your visa, even if you are in love and get married.

Because in the movies, it is always very simple to move to a new country!

I will give proper recognition the film Like Crazy with Felicity Jones, they show that you actually get barred from places when you overstay your visa, even if you are in love and get married.

It's even the recent movies, isn't it?  I wish I could remember the title.  I was watching something about a month ago and they made immigration look like a walk in the park.  I get outraged by these movies.  I become like one of those fans who yells at the TV during sports.

I may have to watch Like Crazy, thanks for that!

Casablanca gets it right.....wait and wait....and spend all your money.

But I have always wondered about those 'letters of transit' - supposedly signed documents that allow anyone to travel anywhere....no questions asked.

What would be the point of anyone issuing such documents?

I enjoyed Like Crazy - lots of immigration drama embedded.

I've not seen Casablanca, but I guess it's "good" to know that it was all about the money, even in the recent past.

I can't even think of what movies I've seen that make it look like a breeze, but they have to be plentiful for people to get that impression. They need a little hurdle to get past for some drama, but not the full out wait months and go get finger printed, have a meeting, etc

I enjoyed Like Crazy - lots of immigration drama embedded.

I've not seen Casablanca, but I guess it's "good" to know that it was all about the money, even in the recent past.

I can't even think of what movies I've seen that make it look like a breeze, but they have to be plentiful for people to get that impression. They need a little hurdle to get past for some drama, but not the full out wait months and go get finger printed, have a meeting, etc

SO MANY MOVIES.  There's the one with the chick who gets a divorce so decides to start a new life in Tuscany.  Buys a little villa and falls in love with a local. 

The Cameron Diaz / Kate Winslet one where they trade houses for Christmas and each fall in love in the other country.

Perfect Strangers

Balki just shows up one day in Chicago.....

That's ridiculous

York? I haven't been to the middle of York since about 1986......and I only live about 15-20 miles away. I am NOT a very good tourist. I'll take the Nidderdale anytime.

On another note......a real classic thing happened to me a couple of days ago. My morning walk of 5 miles I take down the Nidd Gorge near where I live. Towards the beginning of my walk where I first get down next to the river I find a guy in wellies standing next to the river looking like he's about to commit suicide (just kidding).....his dog is tied up to a post right next to him. He has a huge tree limb that he is leaning on and he is staring at the water. We start talking and of course he notices that I am American.....and of course I can't help but ask what the heck he is doing. He says yesterday his wife was down here with the dog with a new £10 dog toy/ball and she threw it in the river thinking it would float.....nope. His wife made him come down this morning to get the damn thing back......his comment was literally....."I'm a Yorkshireman and that thing cost £10". He ended up a little over the top of his wellies and we both thought it was a bit silly......but he got the toy back. Ya gotta' love this place.....

Love this! I had a friend from Leeds that was always told a joke (which I can't remember, duh) about his tightness but he always told it with a bit of pride.

We have certainly experienced what the last few posters have said here in the States. People can't believe that my husband and I had to prove our relationship and apply for a visa and get married in 90 days of said visa without any chance to plan a  wedding because you don't know if/when that visa will get approved. And then after the wedding and a few months have passed you really do have to go to the Immigration office and they split you up and ask you tricky questions, compare your answers so they can make sure you're really living together.  So many times people would say "but we're allies? He's not an immigrant"    As Americans though in general we are so blissfully unaware aned likely disintersted in the way the world really works.

Oh and of course the disbelief and "anger" that  "all these other people just come into the country without any trouble at all, it's just not fair" I would have to explain the difference between refugees which we get a lot of in Louisville and those that came here illegally under duress from horrible situations didn't just "come into the country without any trouble" They took massive risks.  Whether you agree with it or not doing what those folks have done takes a lot more courage than filing for a fiance visa!

Love this! I had a friend from Leeds that was always told a joke (which I can't remember, duh) about his tightness but he always told it with a bit of pride.

It wasn't the one about folk from Yorkshire having short arms and deep pockets was it ?  That's the one that I always remember (my family are from Pontefract originally)

Oh and of course the disbelief and "anger" that  "all these other people just come into the country without any trouble at all, it's just not fair" I would have to explain the difference between refugees which we get a lot of in Louisville and those that came here illegally under duress from horrible situations didn't just "come into the country without any trouble" They took massive risks.  Whether you agree with it or not doing what those folks have done takes a lot more courage than filing for a fiance visa!

I agree.  When I hear Americans say (about Mexicans usually) they should come here through the legal routes I just roll my eyes.  I suspect it's nigh on impossible to legally move from Mexico to the US unless you marry an American, or are relatively wealthy and college educated.

If I was living in poverty and crime in Mexico I'd most certainly be trying to enter the US illegally.

I work for a company with a lot of UK national pride involved and I get a big kick out of speaking to someone, especially one of the senior execs who has come up through the rough and tumble ranks, when they don't know I am American.  Sometimes I get a comment about "why are we hiring Americans now", but for the most part everyone is ok once they adjust and think its pretty neat that I chose to work there and move to the UK.  I DID accidentally delete the UK from a data-based map I was making earlier this week - my boss will inevitably get weeks of jokes out of that for the forseeable future.

I do get tired of comments about gun control, however.

I do get tired of comments about gun control, however.

One of the very first questions my students always asked me was if I owned a gun!