Last Friday, Sarah and I spent the day celebrating a moment almost eight years in the making. Fun times with an attorney, piles of paperwork, several hours of travel for–and time in–interviews, and submission to process culminated that morning as Sarah took an oath to became a naturalized citizen of the United States.
Sarah submitted to a process for which I sponsored her—as a citizen-in-watiing, she needed an existing citizen to promise two things:
- Provision: I had to attest that I could provide for Sarah and our household without relying on government assistance. Every time our address changed, the government wanted to confirm where I resided so they could be sure appropriate provision would be available to Sarah.
- Relationship: Sarah’s basis for permanent residency and citizenship has been that she is my wife. We had to provide evidence of genuine relationship; having offspring helped, but what sealed the deal was a joint checking account.
