After a year of paperwork, interviews, paperwork, fingerprinting, paperwork, physicals, paperwork, and check-writing, Tiffany and I were finally allowed to marry. Considering none of that would have been necessary if we decided instead to live in Canada (it would have required, like, one form), we set the big day to happen on July 1st (2010): Canada Day.
If nothing else, it is an easy date to remember.
For those of you not well versed in the United States immigration policies, it may surprise you to know Tiffany's journey toward citizenship didn't end with the ceremony. In fact, a year later, she is still merely a conditional permanent resident. In another year we'll have another interview and hopefully the conditional status will drop off, making her a regular ol' permanent resident. Three years after that, then she can finally apply for citizenship.
Oof.