I’ve finally got an I-797, a notice telling me that I will receive a I-765, and after that I will receive an authorization of work in the USA. To sum up, it’s not over, but I’m close to the end: I will be soon allowed to work legally.
My visa is called a J2, in other words, it’s a spouse visa, a support visa to the official one, the J1 (for researchers, students, interns…). I admit it, I hate this status, I don’t want to be the +1, but it was the only quick way to leave together for the US (another option would have be to be sponsored by an American company, so I can get a holly H-1B, the best visa, but it could have last several months). Before leaving, we were sure I could work, thanks to this EAD, Employment Authorization Document (I learnt here that it was not automatic…).
As soon as I arrived in the US (well, 4 weeks after), I applied for the EAD, valid for 1 year, but I can renew it. To do all these paperwork was a superhuman effort, I was over-procrastinated at this time (or it was jetlag? I would say “adaptation”). I finally get rid off the application.
A few days after sending it, I get an identification number. I checked frenetically and very often my status on the Homeland Security website, but it remained desperately blocked at “Initial Review” for weeks. And finally, it gets released. Now I know for sure that I’ll have my card very soon, so I can get a social security number, Saint Graal to have my driving license (which means an American ID, so I will let my passport in a safe, instead of always carrying it, afraid that it will finished burnt/wet/forgotten somewhere).
Good job, my resume is ready, friends helped me to rewrite it in an American way. What does it imply? Main rule is: equality. So I didn’t write my age, gender, or my hobbies. But I wonder why… all these information will be pretty obvious when I’ll be on an interview.
I can’t write you about American company’s backstage, because I just work on a nice French association, in which I teach French to kids. We kiss each other on both cheeks to say hello, we chit-chat during breaks. Everything looks usual for me. The true worker problem which obsesses me right now is: what do we do for summer vacation? I remember that April-May were the beginning of everybody’s question in the coffee room in France: when and where do you take your summer vacation?
Here, it’s simple, the answer is: “We don’t have time for vacation”. Well, not exactly, because the university where Manu’s working gives him very generously 2 weeks. 2 weeks, that’s it. Our American friends told us that most of the time, people don’t use them (but we are not like us, aren’t we?). Devotion to work is extreme. For instance, when you sick, you don’t have special time to stay home. We were told that people are more preoccupied by earning money (and show it), and don’t fight for social rights. What the what ?! That’s a real intellectual gap for us. When I told them I had more than 7 weeks of vacation in my last company. I have to precise that it has nothing to do with lack of dedication, or interest. They were surprised. And in the same time, they found this awesome. Even if some people could say that French, and Europeans, are lazy, can’t they be envious of this sweet way of life?
So, here we are, 1st of May is not a holiday in the US. [NB : I read there is a Labor Day in the US, the first Monday of September]. My French colleagues brought lily-of-the-valley yesterday, the traditional flower you give for 1st of May. The 1st of May, I’ll work and teach, and all shops will be open, as usual – I’m so surprised that most of them are also open on Sunday, and some at nights too.
