Into Africa

Big RR · Post by **Big RR** » Mon Sep 26, 2016 1:59 pm

Meade--all the best; few of us get the opportunity (or take it) to do something we feel is important for others--you are doing just that. Be safe and post when you can.

Long Run · Post by **Long Run** » Mon Sep 26, 2016 2:37 pm

Best wishes on a successful time in South Africa. We'll see if we can find another G-rating proponent around here while you are away.

MajGenl.Meade · Post by **MajGenl.Meade** » Mon Sep 26, 2016 4:25 pm

Ah FFS. The SA Consulate just phoned me to say "We only sent you those visas because we thought you would be able to send the FBI reports right away" Now they insist we have to get them the FBI reports within the next ten days or they will issue a no-fly order to turn us back at ORT. I'm not sure they can do that. We can always enter under a 90 day automatic tourist visa. OK more money being tossed around as we frantically seek an FBI Channeler that will do livescan submissions with a (perhaps) 3-7 day turnaround.

That consulate is going to be in a world of trouble (oh right - as if they care) if our non-refundable airline tickets cannot be used. How on earth do they issue a visa when the appropriate required documents have not been submitted?

Big RR · Post by **Big RR** » Mon Sep 26, 2016 5:09 pm

We can always enter under a 90 day automatic tourist visa

Make sure you check on that before you fly; I am not certain, but if they are refusing to issue you a visa, they might well turn you back at the border because it would be seen as an attempt to evade this process and enter anyway. Or they might allow you to enter for the 90 day VWP, and then refuse to process your visa after such an entry while you are in the country and force you to go back to the US to apply for one again. No sense ticking them off.

MajGenl.Meade · Post by **MajGenl.Meade** » Wed Sep 28, 2016 2:52 pm

Good thoughts, Big RR. I was considering those non-refundable tickets as "might as well go then, if we have to pay anyway". At least we'd have our one day in London to visit family

Anyway.... and then there was a miracle. We went to the authorized FBI Channeler nearest to us. We spent from 10:55 until about 11:10 doing the electronic fingerprint thing. Having left the building expecting the much underlined 3-5 business day "or possibly longer", we had brunch on the way home.

We got home, opened our respective email servers and there were the links to our thoroughly wonderful FBI reports transmitted at 12:13pm with the access PINS sent at 12:44. Within 30 minutes of that, our reports were emailed to the SA Consulate who responded "Many thanks" (and our young lady there no doubt uttered a huge sigh of relief).

As did we. 3-5 days apparently means "maybe an hour".... amazing. Plus we were refunded $60 by Kent State for messing up our very first fingerprint thing - they are not allowed to do actual FBI checks; only State Attorney General checks.

It's quite interesting. You have to tell the FBI what the purpose of the check is - Foreign Travel is one. If your need is for "Employment", they won't do it - all of those have to be run through the SAG.

Big RR · Post by **Big RR** » Wed Sep 28, 2016 3:48 pm

Congratulations--sometimes things do work out.

When I was adopting my first daughter we had to send a State Police Clearance to the court in Colombia to prove we weren't criminals. It took a while, and soon we were up against a 3 day deadline to get the papers there; I spoke to someone in that division and explained my predicament, and he walked it through and overnighted it to me that same day--I got it to the court in time. I'll always be grateful to that guy.

Sue U · Post by **Sue U** » Wed Sep 28, 2016 5:14 pm

Your tax dollars at work. I don't want to hear anyone complaining about government services again. (At least not for half an hour.)

On a related note, I went to the DMV this morning to renew my license. In and out in 15 minutes, new photo license in hand.

Bicycle Bill · Post by **Bicycle Bill** » Wed Sep 28, 2016 5:29 pm

Sue U wrote:Your tax dollars at work. I don't want to hear anyone complaining about government services again. (At least not for half an hour.)

On a related note, I went to the DMV this morning to renew my license. In and out in 15 minutes, new photo license in hand.

Congratulations. Now, according to the Repugnicants in Wisconsin, you get to vote.

As far as "your tax dollars at work", this is the way it is SUPPOSED to work — you pay your fees, the clerks do their job, everything runs smoothly, and we all go home happy. It shouldn't be a red-letter day when it does.

-"BB"-

Big RR · Post by **Big RR** » Wed Sep 28, 2016 5:47 pm

Sue U wrote:Your tax dollars at work. I don't want to hear anyone complaining about government services again. (At least not for half an hour.)

On a related note, I went to the DMV this morning to renew my license. In and out in 15 minutes, new photo license in hand.

Sue--that's a bona fide miracle; but I do think they're allowing you to renew by mail again, so maybe the lines are shorter. Last time I renewed, on a weekday morning, it took around 2 + hours and 3 separate lines.

MajGenl.Meade · Post by **MajGenl.Meade** » Wed Sep 28, 2016 6:02 pm

Move to Ohio, Big RR. 15 minutes is a long wait here

Big RR · Post by **Big RR** » Wed Sep 28, 2016 6:43 pm

Well that's a plus in the Ohio column; maybe if you got some mountains...

Crackpot · Post by **Crackpot** » Wed Sep 28, 2016 7:07 pm

We got short lines in Michigan an some small (relatively speaking) mountains in the UP. Mind you if they are talking a bout a mountain in the lower peninsula odds are it was once a garbage dump.

MajGenl.Meade · Post by **MajGenl.Meade** » Wed Sep 28, 2016 8:14 pm

Short lines, tiny mountains notwithstanding; can't overcome it being Michigan, CP. Hard luck.

Crackpot · Post by **Crackpot** » Wed Sep 28, 2016 9:00 pm

Hey we can't help the fact that you border the only Great Lake that sucks or the fact that you demanded Toledo from us and we worked that that deal into not only getting rid of Toledo but also got the Western UP for our trouble or No matter how much the Lions suck they are still looked upon favorably to the Browns....

Lord Jim · Post by **Lord Jim** » Wed Sep 28, 2016 9:01 pm

We went to the authorized FBI Channeler nearest to us. We spent from 10:55 until about 11:10 doing the electronic fingerprint thing....

I can certainly understand the SA Consulate wanting to have you checked out again after you lived in the country just a couple of years ago...

No telling how many banks a married 60 something couple could have knocked over in that time, or how many terrorist organizations they might have signed up with...

Best to err on the side of caution...

Bicycle Bill · Post by **Bicycle Bill** » Wed Sep 28, 2016 10:12 pm

Crackpot wrote:No matter how much the Lions suck they are still looked upon favorably to the Browns....

Except by the state to the immediate west of Michigan, across the lake that bears the same name.
To us, the Lions are just another speed-bump, and a relatively small one at that, on our road to another Super Bowl.

-"BB"-

MajGenl.Meade · Post by **MajGenl.Meade** » Wed Sep 28, 2016 10:45 pm

Lord Jim wrote:
We went to the authorized FBI Channeler nearest to us. We spent from 10:55 until about 11:10 doing the electronic fingerprint thing....
I can certainly understand the SA Consulate wanting to have you checked out again after you lived in the country just a couple of years ago...

No telling how many banks a married 60 something couple could have knocked over in that time, or how many terrorist organizations they might have signed up with...

Best to err on the side of caution...

You just never know, LJ. We could be desperate people.

As it happens, they want a "police clearance" from every country one has lived in since turning 18 years of age.... For the USA, they want both the State(s) of residence clearance (usually the Attorney General's office) AND the FBI clearance.

It took us 4-5 months to get the South African police clearance and the intervention of an attorney friend (yes it is possible) over there to finally resolve it.

The problem is that in Ohio and I suppose all the other states, there is a simple procedure for Employment purposes (or for churches etc) in which the Attorney General provides both the State and the FBI "clearance". But both are on State letterhead. The SA consulate (and I bet others too) want the FBI one on FBI letterhead - nothing else will do. People can easily get confused about this (we did).

Our attorney friend (yes, it's possible) who lives and works in Twinsburg recently went to the Ravenna police station to get his (ink) prints done. No idea why he didn't do it at the Twinsburg police station. The Portage County Deputy said "There's been a lot of this lately. Some English guy and his wife were just in here last week. They're going to Africa or someplace".

Nice to be remembered!

Crackpot · Post by **Crackpot** » Wed Sep 28, 2016 11:10 pm

Bicycle Bill wrote:
Crackpot wrote:No matter how much the Lions suck they are still looked upon favorably to the Browns....
Except by the state to the immediate west of Michigan, across the lake that bears the same name.
To us, the Lions are just another speed-bump, and a relatively small one at that, on our road to another Super Bowl.

-"BB"-

You're just pissed that you lost land due to Ohios temper tantrum

Bicycle Bill · Post by **Bicycle Bill** » Thu Sep 29, 2016 6:32 am

Crackpot wrote:
Bicycle Bill wrote:
Crackpot wrote:No matter how much the Lions suck they are still looked upon favorably to the Browns....
Except by the state to the immediate west of Michigan, across the lake that bears the same name.
To us, the Lions are just another speed-bump, and a relatively small one at that, on our road to another Super Bowl.

-"BB"-
You're just pissed that you lost land due to Ohio's temper tantrum

I'm talking about Wisconsin. What did we lose to Ohio?
We may have had to cede the UP to Michigan, but if given their 'druthers most Yoopers nowadays would either choose to become the 51st state or become the northernmost part of Wisconsin again.

-"BB"-

MajGenl.Meade · Post by **MajGenl.Meade** » Thu Sep 29, 2016 6:58 am

Yeah BB.... he's saying Michigan gained the UP from Wisconsin as compensation because Ohio demanded that the Toledo region should be taken away from Michigan. Ergo, Wisconsin lost the UP due to Ohio's temper tantrum

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