About Visas

...And no, I don't mean the MasterCard competitors.  Let me tell you about the fun-filled process for obtaining an entry clearance visa.

We were on track to leave en route to the United Kingdom when somebody mentioned in passing that we ought to have our visas sorted out before leaving Okinawa.  What?!  Why had nobody mentioned this sooner?  Our only requirement for entry to Okinawa had been our passports – tourist passports at that!  And now, at the last possible moment we were learning that our tourist passports were not sufficient and that in fact we needed no-fee government passports, imprinted in advance with entry clearance visas to the UK?!

It was a massive scramble for us to get this sorted out and taken care of on time, and to be honest we quite nearly didn’t make it.  We managed by the skin of our teeth.  But if somebody had just explained the requirements sooner, we’d have been a lot better off.

Traveling to the UK on PCS orders requires a special entry clearance visa and a no-fee government passport.  The first step is to apply for your no-fee passports right away.  Passport processing and turnaround can take quite some time, so as soon as you are aware of your orders to any overseas location, it’s a good idea to apply for not only your no-fee passport, but if finances allow, also for your tourist passport.  Ask your command where the passport office is on base.  And if they can’t point you in the right direction, you can check at your local post office.  More information on Passports can be found here (http://travel.state.gov/passport/passport_1738.html).  If you’re REALLY pressed for time, passports can be expedited and obtained same-day (for a fee) if you can get in at one of the US Passport agency offices (http://travel.state.gov/passport/npic/agencies/agencies_913.html).

And then you wait.  Your sponsor will not need the entry clearance visa.  Actually, your sponsor won’t need much of anything beyond his or her orders.  The entry clearance stamp only applies to dependents.

Once your passports arrive, give them a once-over to make sure everything looks perfect.  And then kiss them goodbye because you’re going to have to ship them off to New York City.  This was really nerve-wracking for us because we were so pressed for time, but the office that handles this is very efficient.  Aside from a phone call we made to the office that cost us a whopping $3 per minute to ask for guidance, we had no issues with them at all.  Their website has much of the process outlined for quick reference (http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/countries/usa/?langname=UK%20English).  This process is also EXPENSIVE.  To the tune of around $500 per visa.  It’s also, in many cases, reimbursable.  So be sure that you keep a paper trail of your expenses associated with this requirement.  The process for obtaining this visa after you’ve already arrived in the UK is achievable but even more costly, unfortunately.  Handling this step as soon as you are able to is very much in your favor.  You fill out the visa application and pay the fee entirely online, and then you submit your no-fee passport(s) along with any other required paperwork (original birth certificates, marriage certificates, additional passport photos, etc) via mail.  I suggest going with insured priority mail, given the nature of the required documents.

If you’re in a hurry like we were, there’s an expedite option for this procedure as well and while it’s an additional expense, it’s still well under what you’d pay to handle the visas after your arrival in the UK, so absolutely worth considering.

Given that we were due to leave Okinawa soon, we requested that the issuing agency return our passports to our home of record where we’d be visiting for several weeks in between leaving Okinawa and arriving in the UK, and this worked out well for us as they shipped them there via FedEx.  We traveled home with our tourist passports (which weren’t needed for the visa process) and collected our no-fee passports with their new entry clearances when we arrived in California.

If somebody else has more information on obtaining no-fee passports and UK entry clearance visas from another military branch, please share your stories and your advice!  I'd love to hear from you.  gonzka at gmail dot com.

Why This Blog Exists

My family is spoiled.  We’re working on our second consecutive overseas tour, this time in Europe.  In the Marine Corps, this is nearly unheard of.  Most Marines are lucky if they manage to score two overseas tours back-to-back in the Pacific, and we managed to move to a completely different continent.

My husband got stationed at RAF Molesworth directly after spending three years at Marine Corps Base Camp Hansen (Okinawa, Japan).  Our time in Japan was outstanding.  I have no doubt that Okinawa will forever be one of our family’s most favorite places on earth.  The quaint, tropical island paradise that is Okinawa is filled with amazing food, sweet people, loads of culture, and exciting adventures at every turn.  We didn’t spend a single weekend bored.

Our adventures in Okinawa can be credited largely to a blog called “Okinawa Hai” – the unofficial military family guide to all that is Okinawa.  You can’t exist in the American community on Okinawa for more than a month without hearing about “Okinawa Hai,” and for good reason.  This blog, created by a military wife looking for her place and for guidance in exploring her new surroundings, is chock full of all the important things that anyone living in Okinawa or heading to Okinawa on PCS orders might want to know.  It’s a community project that makes what could be a daunting, mysterious, and sometimes lonesome journey into a fun and carefree ride that can be enjoyed by even the most culture-shy.

When we got orders to the UK, we were absolutely elated.  In the Marine Corps, getting stationed in Europe isn’t “just another duty station,” it’s a rare and precious opportunity.  But getting orders to the UK unfortunately didn’t come with an instruction manual, and despite my awesome Google skills, I was left with loads of unanswered questions about our next adventure.  Sponsor family programs are in place here, as with most OCONUS duty stations, but there isn’t always a crystal clear line of communication between sponsors and newcomers, not to mention newcomers often don’t want to come off as a nuisance asking too many “stupid” questions of their sponsor – the ONLY person they “know” in a foreign country.

After much stress, we arrived in the UK and settled into our new home.  What a relief!  Only, now we have found ourselves totally overwhelmed at all of the things we want to cram into our three short years here.  Where do we begin?

In the grand scheme of military family life, our struggles are not unique.  The goal of this blog is to create a community, an index of information about all things Britain and beyond.  An “Okinawa Hai” of sorts.  And we hope that you’ll help!