h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Closer to 11...

I found a good USA->UK one!



It's about the same cost, 3 UK pence a minute -- slightly less. The only catch is that each eight-and-a-third hour card times out after three months... but talking for eight hours isn't too hard

The company is monkeyhill telecom...

*will look into it*

*will look into it*

OK - I think I qualify to join in this conversation.....

My wife and I - Married 4 years next month - She American, me British, use One-Tel for conversations to the USA - cost is 2pence per minute including VAT - 24/7/365. What this means to us is that during peak times it is nearly half the cost to call her Father 3600 miles away than it is to call my father 4 miles away!!! One-Tel have been our long distance call company for 5 years now and I strongly recommend them.

So why do we qualify you may be wondering? Well, we first met each other online in 1998 and then travelled to meet each other a couple of times (once here and once there) before shacking up together permenently and then finally Marrying in November 2000. Believe me we know the joys (and great pain) of being in an LDR (Long Distance Relationship), and are really grateful that for us it has worked out wonderfully, well it has now, but the hoops governments make you jump through to allow your (prospective) parter to move to your country to be with you cannot be believed (more on this if requested). I can only say that for anyone in the same situation, we wish you the very best of luck and the advice to stick at it, it's worth it.

Cheers

Steve

OKAY I request More Information on The Hoop-Juming Please!!

Clive

OK Clive you asked for it.....

My wife and I got together rather later in life than most do and we were just not willing to wait before we could be together so we took a risk, and moved in together fully intending to comply with the law before her 6 months visitors stay was over. I am sorry to say that my divorce (which was already in process before Paula came over) took somewhat longer than we thought and, as we could not bear to be apart, she ended up being an "overstayer" (however fully supported by myself and was no strain on the social services whatsoever).

Once my divorce was completed I was a single man again for a whole week before marrying Paula at the local register office. We then 'fessed up to the Home office as to our situation and had to fill out pages and pages of questions and forms - all to be sent away with both our passports and various other documents etc. We awaited an answer.

We waited and we waited - we could not contact them as that would mean pulling our file from the "Pile to be done" which would mean it then got placed back on the bottom again, so we waited some more, all the time knowing that at any time there could be a knock on the door telling us that paula had to go away on the spot to a detention centre and on the next plane back to the USA (Thankfully this didn't happen, the threat of it was bad enough, but we still waited) We started to panic somewhat as we now knew we had a family wedding coming up in the USA and needed to be present but we had no passports (and more to the point no guarantee that Paula would be let back in). Eventually we spoke to various law centres specialising in immigration and other advice centres etc. Strangely enough they were not that helpful as Paula could not be classified in any way as having travelled here from an oppressive regime, nor could be classed as an economic migrant - I hate to say this, but at one place we were made to feel that we were OK as we were white and should have no need of their services, which was a horrendous thing to say to anybody - Finally I decided to contact my local MP who was BRILLIANT! he got onto it straight away and, whilst he did warn us that it may have no use at at he would do whatever he could. His assistant at the local office was also truly wonderful, she patiently listen to Paula Bawling her eyes out over the phone and was very supportive. To cut things short(er), 3 weeks before our planned trip our passports arrived back along with a notice that Paula could stay in the UK for the next 12 months and the case would then be reconsidered for permenant residence, but, during the 12 months she was to have no claim whatsoever on any form of social security (fine - we didn't plan to have anyway) and here's the good news, she had permission to seek and find employment! Yipee!! our financial strains may be at an end (we thought).

We returned from the wedding and she started looking for a job, guess what? we found that trying to get work in a foreign country when also aged over 45 was not exactly a piece of cake! However we persevered and eventually she found suitable employment, to the extent that they were delighted in their deceision after a few months! The 12 months ended and we dutifully sent our passports back in along with more reams of paperwork and lo and behold, after a few weeks waiting they were returned but this time with Paula's containing an official seal saying she leave to remain indefinately - did we dance around the room or what? Once we settled down we arranged a large bunch of flowers and a box of chocolates for my MP's secretary as a thank you for her help, and we jointly agreed that my MP should receive my vote at the next election (bear in mind I would not normally support his party, but I felt honour bound to show my gratitude in the best way possible to him)

A Long story for which I apologise, and believe me this is only really the tip of it, but I'm sure you get the idea.

Hope this has not been too boring

Kind Regards

Steve