21 September 2011

Slightly reducing cost

Current costs for UK Tier 2 working visas are £550 for the main applicant and £275 for each dependent, a grand total of £1650 for my little family. Well, some good news: in the application for funding I am helping to write and will work on, provided it comes through, we can ask the funding agency (the ESRC) for the money for my visa to be covered, a reduction of £550 or 1/3 of the overall cost. £1,100 is still a lot to cover, but certainly not unachievable.

This news--along with a good meeting with the primary investigators on the project on Monday, the increasing chance that I will be teaching again this term and next, and my upcoming trip to NYC--has me positive again about the future here. Nothing is uncomplicated of course, but if some part of our visas costs are consistently covered as we go forward, my interest in staying will increase by exactly the percentage of the cost that is covered. So 33% of the cost covered? I am 33% more interested in staying here.

Still some hurdles to get over: will we move to Lancaster or not, for example. I am sort of leaning towards it, again, thinking that it is ultimately best for me to embed in the university there rather than try to spend as much time away as possible. Particularly if I hope to work there in the long run, which might, of course, be a possibility. Who knows though: there are so many things that have to happen before I can begin to think about it. But I'll tell you, dear reader, I have the sneaking, sinking suspicion that this is where we will be in 12 months. Call it a hunch.