Arequipa Panic - to the US we are aliens

As usual spent an hour or so of “chill out time” skyping, blogging and emailing. An email popped up from IIE our exchange sponsors to ask if we had submitted our final reports and documentation. Luckily we had, we confirmed our final plans and thought that was the end of that BUT NO!

A calmly phrased email asked “How do you plan to get back into the USA without a VISA!” Mmm PANIC! We had a 30 day grace on our J1 Visa when it ran out on 31 December, and we knew we could leave and return to the US three times in the year. So we felt quite calm about holidaying in Peru, leaving our luggage in LA and planning our return ticket to Sydney from US. “Oh no” the Lima Consulate told us “Your J1 visa was cancelled when you left US!”

So we were stuck in Peru with no way to get our luggage or to get on our plane in LA… I suppose they could always deport us…mmm a bit too embarrassing and expensive that one.

Yeehah! for the internet, within 10 minutes we both had transit visas, and life was looking good once more!

(OK so haven’t used them yet but if we get arrested in LA at least you know why!)