Fingerprints

The Story of Cynthia's Fingerprints

Many of you have asked, so here goes...

The Australian government has a step by step process we are following to the ends that we will be able to live and work (at the church) in Australia. Otherwise, we would have to hop on a plane and leave the country every 3 months and that doesn't make much sense.

So, first the church applies to be our "sponsor." Then we apply to fill this sponsored position. The visa we are applying for is a specific and very detailed one giving us very strict regulations on what we can and cannot do while "temporarily" living in Australia. The visa is an old school Religious Worker's visa which is a subclass of a Temporary Cultural Visa/Temporary Work Visa. I was asked to submit a plethora of information and documentation validating my ability and credentials to fill this sponsored work visa. (They do not really want jobs going to non-Australians - imagine that...)

Anyway, after the application from the church, my personal application, my credentials and such, we were asked to submit some pretty standard paperwork - birth certificates, passports, local police records and, alas, FBI background checks for Cynthia and me.

Obtaining a FBI report is a "simple" process, really. You get your fingerprints taken old school ink on card style. Then, you fill out a request form, pay your 18 bucks and send it off to the CJIS Department in West Virginia (I guess they are "hiding" there). Next, wait 8-10 weeks (now updated to 13!) and you will receive a simple document stating, "No Record Found." Awesome, right?

The time line goes something like this:

• December - beginning of month Jesse & Cynthia fingerprinted & submit request
• January - beginning of month receive Jesse's report, Cynthia's prints rejected due to lack of clarity, resubmit Cynthia's prints
• March - first week of March we decide to try a "short cut" to get her prints done, visit a private security agency which assures us they can get us her report in about a week
• March - 2nd week, Cynthia's 2nd submission of prints reject again for lack of clarity, the next day we receive a report from the private security agency - problem, the report is NOT and FBI report but a MO State Hwy Patrol report, sent it to the Australian Immigration department anyway
• March 9 - immigration officer informs the report is not an FBI report and will not be accepted
• March 10 - Cynthia fingerprinted AGAIN, resubmitted the standard way AGAIN, PAY AGAIN, and now we wait...

Please pray for our patience and strength as we put our faith in God's timing and plans for us.