The Saga Continues

Most Toronto friends know that I'm back in town prepping for my Green Card interview that is coming up in a couple of weeks. I'm back for a little over a month because Matt and I decided it was better that I come home as soon as possible and for as long as possible.  I have never been turned away from entering the US, but the last couple of crossings have been rather intense and one officer let me know that I was getting 'dangerously close' to being turned away.  That's their way  of saying that 'You haven't broken any laws, but we still don't like you'. Fair enough. I appreciated their warning and took it seriously, so I'm home a bit earlier than necessary.

The last week or two has been spent gathering a few documents that I was missing for my Green Card Interview. The interview will be held in Montreal, and I will need to provide lots of paperwork that proves our marriage is legitimate and that Matt makes enough money to support us both. Part of the process requires that I have a medical exam done. This is no ordinary medical. You can't go to just any doctor. It has to be one commissioned by the US government, and there is only one such doctor in Toronto, and maybe four across the whole country. The medical is done to show that you don't have any dormant plagues living in your body, like Tb or Syphilis. I'm not sure why they care, because unlike the Canadian government, the US has made it clear that they aren't paying for any of my medical bills. Every man for himself, I guess. 

I had my medical a couple days back. The whole experience was like being put on a broken assembly line. You show up at 7:00am and you sit in a packed-like-sardines waiting room for 40 minutes before they call your name and steal $275.00 from your wallet. Apparently this medical is considered 'elective', even though you have no choice but to take it, so you pay out of pocket for it. Then you wait. Then they call you again. Chest x-ray. Wait some more. Sign this permission form. Draw your blood. Wait. Sit naked in the doctors office with one of those embarrassing, backless paper robes on for 20 minutes. Answer a series of quick medical questions. Look in your mouth. Listen to your heart. Breast check. Quick look down under. Done. I walked out of there at about 10:30am, meaning I spent 3.5 hours in that office, but really only about 20 minutes being inspected. 

20 minutes of US approved medical care = $275.00. 

Thanks, but I much prefer the Canadian system of waiting around and paying nothing for it. 

I pick up my sealed results next week, and with that my Green Card Application will be complete.

 The only thing left to do is head to Montreal and face the music.