Red Tape

As some of you may know Cherith & I have joked about all the 'red tape' that we're having to cut through to get to Belgium. I've decided to share this information with you. I'm mean after all isn't this just some obscure european country? Well here goes our list o-the-redtape:

1)New Passport for SJ, Renewed Passport for CJ
-Original Birth Certificate
-Proof of Identity
-Two Passport Photos Each
-Social Security Card
2) Learning Agreement between the University of Arkansas and Ghent University signed by SJ, a UofA Professor, University of Ghent Professor and 'Accepted' by a committe at University of Ghent
3) Letter for SJ describing intent to study abroad
4) Explicit Resume for SJ
5) SJ & CJ Fingerprinted at the County Jail
6) Two FBI Background Checks
7) Two Handwritten Copies for each of us of an all to Probing visa Application signed and 'Officially' notarized
8) Two more Passport Photos each, signed
9) Medical Certificates signed by our familly physician and notarized stating we don't have "rabies, gonorrhoea, polio, manifest states of psychotic behavior, hallucinatory psychosis," and much more.
10) Financial support decleration of someone in the states guaranteeing to pay but not limited to any of our hospital and doctor's fees, living expenses, and cost of repatriating us.
11) Proof of Solvency - I don't even want to try and explain this
12) Attestation from the University of Arkanasas that I am indeed a student
13) Birth Certificate and Marriage Certificate sent to Arkansas Secretary of State to get an 'apostille' making it an official internationally accepted document
14) Letter from Food Science Department Chair explicitly stating my monthly income and financial award notice
15) Letter from ARVEST stating our current account balance and that we'll transfer $1000 USD monthly into an Dutch bank account yet to be setup.
16) Letter from Whitbeck Labs stating that Cherith will not be engaging in Business with companies in the country while residing in Belgium
17) Letter from Whitbeck Labs describing both SJ & CJ work history including paycheck stubs for the previous six months.
18)Copy of our lease agreement for an apartment we've never seen but will be living in for our 'proof of lodging'
19) Originals of all documents plus 2 photocopies colated and sent to Belgium Consulate
20) Letter to Belgium Consulate asking the to please please please waive the mandatory requirement to pick up the visas in person in Atlanta, Georgia.
21) Proof of Health Insurance with International Coverage
22) Civil Liability Insurance for University of Ghent Activities
23) Civil Liability Insurance for Personal Life
24) Photocopies of All Documents for Registration in Belgium As A Student
25) Registration within 8 days at Foreigners Registration Office w/ four passport photos and Photocopies of All Documents to get an 'identity document' as aliens residing in the country
26) University of Ghent Registration form

Yes and if you caught all of that there are 6 different levels of red tape. Red tape from the University of Arkansas, University of Ghent, Academic Program I'm studying under, the city of Ghent, and of course the United States and the country of Belgium. Joy :)