Guest Steven Verrier on International Marriage - Part Two
I have invited Mr. Steven Verrier here today as part of his virtual book tour with Tough Love, Tender Heart to talk about his book as well as about life in an international marriage. I hope you’ll join me in welcoming him to Long Relationships.
During the course of our usually happy twenty-two-year international marriage, my Japanese wife, Motoko, and I have had to play the immigration game several times. I’ve lived and worked in Japan more than once, and during much of our marriage my wife has lived with me in the United States and Canada.
Fortunately, we’ve never had much difficulty getting our immigration applications approved, and the process has never taken us more than a few months. Being able to apply as a citizen of Japan, Canada, or the United States certainly works to one’s advantage. There are much longer waiting periods for people from many other countries when it comes to applying to live with a spouse in the US or various other more-developed countries.
Some applicants from less-developed or “more-suspicious” nations have to wait for years—with their best efforts and intentions sometimes coming to naught—and sometimes the long separation and wait can effectively put an end to a relationship. Immigration officials do have legitimate concerns when it comes to screening applicants, but there are times it’s hard not to characterize delays and decisions as unjust.
In my novel, TOUGH LOVE, TENDER HEART, American Don Fisher and Colombian Ana Velasquez are victims of a US immigration bureaucracy gone awry. The couple meet in Venezuela and, following a bumpy start to their relationship, plan to marry and live together in the United States—that is, until they learn US Immigration, in the aftermath of 9/11, has entirely different ideas.
TOUGH LOVE, TENDER HEART is available at amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, and other sources. For more information about TOUGH LOVE, TENDER HEART or about Steven Verrier, visit stevenverrier.com, and drop the author a line telling him what you think about the book!
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