This page describes Brian and Sharon in the
year 2001, and how they managed to find themselves
in the hands of the INS.

First, meet us:
	Brian A software engineer by profession, he has worked for several corporations and government organisations. He has two children, and lived just outside Ipswich, UK. In 2001, he was working for the largest telco in the UK. He was managing third line support for the entire organisation using software that gathers statistics from private IP circuits, by Concord Communications of Boston, USA.
	Sharon Working for the US Govt, Sharon has one child and lives in the Forth Worth area of Texas. Before anyone asks, yes, that is Tower Bridge, London that you can just see in the background. This photo was taken from within the grounds of the Tower of London when Sharon visited the UK in April/May 2001.
So how did we get into all this? The background detail is not too important, just know that Brian divorced his first wife on the grounds of her unreasonable behaviour and that Sharon is a widow. Both have children and want them all to live together as one big happy family. In early 2001, Brian found a message waiting in his in-tray from Sharon. It didn't take long for them both to realise that they had discovered someone special in each other and they both talked regularly on the phone. After only eight weeks, they averaged about 500 emails a month each way between them. There can be no arguing that both are also prolific email users. During early April Sharon told Brian that she was planing to vacation in London, England for a week at the start of May. There can be very few things that define a relationship more than remembering the first time that a couple see each other. For people who meet using the internet and who have several thousand miles between them it's all too easy to fall into the trap of your love being based on words alone. This is why Sharon's trip to the UK was so important - if they were to have any kind of future together, they had to meet to know if it was going to work out. Sharon arrived in the UK and from the first moment they saw each other, it was clear to both that they shared such a strong mutual attraction in person (as well as in writing), that their relationship was bound to be OK. By the time she had returned to the USA, Sharon and Brian were engaged. The laws of the US require that a US citizen who wants to marry someone from outside the US and have their spouse reside with them in the US, must petition for approval that allows the overseas partner to then apply for the  appropriate visa. As you will see from other pages here, in late 2001 the K-1 visa was granted and Brian (as well as his son, Simon) emigrated to the USA. In November 2001, Brian and Sharon were married and now live in Fort Worth, Texas, USA. For the next few years, Brian and his son Simon, have been conditional residents of the USA. This means that they are here as "green card" holders with almost the full set of rights as any other American; They can live freely, work, study and generally enjoy life. They are NOT actually American citizens, they can't vote here and in addition are subject to a few extra rules that a US citizen is not. Both are still "Brits", whatever happens to them at school, work or play. Not until late 2004, when the residency became UNCONDITIONAL, could they even think about natrualization, something that is on the agenda for them. Yet another chapter in this unfolding saga. After the events of 9/11, we understand all too clearly the need for the INS to be vigilant and sympathize with the difficult task the authorities now have in the aftermath of that terrible day. For all you other "visa-victims", a thought you need to keep in mind... However bleak it can get, remember that things DO work out in the end, just hang on in there...