Happy Days!!!

He can stay! Today we received three letters from the gov't and I thought we were screwed. Two were for William and one was for me. I opened mine first and what a shock when it said I met the requirements to sponsor him. Because really? My income was about $20,000 less than the required income. So for the next three years I have to provide him with a home (done), utilities (done), food, clothing, household supplies and personal requirements for day to day living (done, done, done and done), dental care, eye care and other health services not provided by public health care (well, he can pay that himself now that he's allowed to work) and financial assistance to ensure that he does not end up on welfare or anything (more like his being here will keep me from seeking government assistance.)

One of his two envelopes included a work permit, good until May 2008 and the other was a letter stating that he meets the requirements for permanent resident status but that a final decision will not be made until they have received a medical, security and background checks. Well, we sent the medical in prior to sending in the actual application on the advice of Immigration Canada and at the cost of 300 plus dollars I am not really eager to do that all over again. They are asking for a security check from Ireland and he has never actually lived in Ireland, but in Northern Ireland. Two entirely different places, unfortuantely, and in our original application form one was not required from either the North of Ireland or Scotland, both countries he has lived in the last ten years. All they wanted was Australia, which we had sent in with an application for an extended temporary visa that he was turned down for last year.

I will be calling them later today to find out about the Irish security check and just where is his medical. If I have to do that one again, I'll suck up the cost to have him here for good.

I can't wait until he gets home so I can tell him. I think this will really take a lot of stress off of him.