Of course, now those two years have flown by and its time to start gathering all the paperwork, and money, to renew it! I think visas are one of those things that nobody really understands the process of, until they know someone who has gone through it.
I probably had those misconceptions before too, to be honest. Even though me and Berkay have been together for nearly nine years, and he has been living here, working for two and a half years, applying for the extension of his visa is still stressful and full of uncertainty. When he initially applied for the visa two and a half years ago, Berkay had to pass an English exam. Perhaps finding the money to apply is the easy part. Luckily, I knew that this was a requirement so I have folders of letters filed under my bed in preparation for this!
Once this visa is granted fingers crossed! This morning straight after finishing his night shift at the hotel Berkay headed to Fethiye Otogar and got the bus to Izmir. This English exam is really the first step to applying for his visa to join me in the UK. The whole process is very long, very expensive and very time consuming, but as part of the requirements he has to pass the IELTS English life skills A1 test. He has a good knowledge of English, very understandable but not fluent, so he has spent weeks practicing for the exam, watching sample tests on YouTube and downloading English teaching ebooks on his phone to listen to while he sleeps.
Plus the travel there and back, along with the hotel for the night. The exam only lasts for minutes, so the 11 hour round trip is an awful long way to go just for that. Whilst out on his walk he took a little detour and managed to get lost. Bless him! Not entirely true, but being apart means that when we are together again its always new and exciting. There is no better feeling than waiting in the arrivals section of the airport as close to the doors as possible, watching as the doors slide open and waiting anxiously for their face to appear.
The walls of hospitals have heard more prayers than the walls of churches. Has anyone seen that tv programme that was aired a few years ago? I loved that programme. A simple concept, cameras placed at the airport in arrivals and departures, filming couples, families and friends saying goodbye to their loved ones as they set off on a journey somewhere, or, the best part, filming when others have been reuined after long periods apart.
