paperwork, PAPERwork, PAPERWORK!!

Since I made my decision to sign my contract it's been a never ending process of paperwork. I got a list of all the documents I would have to fill out, scan, authenticate, or acquire. Here is my list of required documents: Security Application/Registration Form (1), Undertaking Letter (3), Passport photos (15+), Color copy of passport (5), authenticated WOU transcripts, authenticated B.S. degree, authenticated Oregon Teaching License, Color copy of said transcripts, degree and license (3), Experience letter from current employer with UAE attestation (2), Personal information form, and a new joiner form. This is only the first list they gave me... the second one was a list of things that had to be scanned to them in PDF format and added my visa application.

If you're thinking, "Whoa, that's a lot of paper!" You'd be completely correct. Most of the forms had to be printed, filled out, scanned and imported to word to be saved as a pdf. It's a little crazy. The filling out the forms came with an instruction book and was a little intimidating, but doable.

I ordered my transcripts and got my BS out of it's pretty folder and made copies and had them notarized. Then had to make the trek down to Salem to the Secretary of State Department. That was much easier than I thought it was... but now I've discovered that they may not have done it correctly and I may have to start over!!! Believe me I will NOT be paying that $40 plus gas all over again. Unfortunately I just discovered this possible problem. Actually thanks to pulling out the document list to blog about it... So THANK YOU friends who are reading this, you could be saving me literally hundreds of dollars. Now I'm waiting for an answer about those very documents to see if they're ok or they need to be redone.

In the mean time I've learned that I will be teaching 2nd grade!!! That is so unbelievably exciting.

I also have all my passport photos done... I found a way to cheat... here's the trick... go to Costco and get your passport photo done there... they'll charge you $4.99 for 4 pictures. You then pay an additional 2.99 to purchase the digital rights to the photo. Go home and pop it in the computer and goggle passport photos. You'll see services to do it online... you just upload the costco version and they make it into a 4x6. Then you pay $0.13 for each additional 4 photos. I ordered 5, 4x6s so I've only ended up paying $0.36 for each of my photos... a grand total of less than $9.00. I think that's great compared to the $25 I would have been paying for the same amount. Imagine if you had to buy them for a whole family to move...

Well it's not too bad....

I'm still feeling a little crazy and hopefully I'll understand more and more as I move along...