Crossing Borders

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Interesting story from a few days ago......

One interesting topic of discussion that often comes up when I’m out having drinks with people here in Kaunas is the difficulty of getting to the US for Lithuanians. It is the same conversation that could be had in any number of countries involving applying for a visa into the US; we are a very difficult place to get to. Many Lithuanians have come to the US via a work visa, for anywhere from 2 to 4 months, but any longer is very difficult to come by. And often it becomes more difficult the second and third time around as the govt. becomes less and less lenient about visas (from what some Lithuanians have told me, each situation is different I think). I have heard numerous stories of people spending the summer in the US, then applying for work visa a second and third time and being rejected.
Another topic that comes up in these discussions is marriage as a feasible route to getting access to the US. Girls often joke about how they would marry a gay guy just to get to the US, and others have told me in a more serious tone that this does in fact happen. I found the idea to be comical bordering on ridiculous; but last night, while having drinks with friends at Fortas Pub, the only ‘Irish’ pub in Kaunas, I met someone who was a part of such an arrangement. When I first met her she told me that she was leaving for the US in a few days to work. Later in our conversation I asked her if this would be her first time in the US and she said ‘oh no….’ and she and her friend exchanged a smile and both laughed. “Tell him,” her friend said. And she then told me the story about how she and a gay male, a friend of hers, had gotten married so that she could come and go the US as she pleased. She then showed me the ring. She has been married for two years, she said. “And he still hasn’t kissed me yet!” she said jokingly.
The ability to cross borders, see the world, visit and work in foreign countries is a luxury that I often take for granted. It isn’t just money that allows me to travel, it is also that I am a US citizen. I am reminded also of how difficult it was for my brothers’ wife Liu Lan to come to the US the first time she came to visit. We had to write letters, fill out lengthy forms, and if I remember correctly we even got a letter signed by David Price, our NC representative in DC, in support of her visit. Craziness.

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