We Would Move Back in a Minute
We met in 1995 in West Hollywood California and have been together ever since. My partner, Jean-Francois, is French and I am an American.
My partner was working in Los Angeles as a journalist for French magazines and freelance newspapers. He was in the U.S. on a media work visa. The visa thing worked fine for the 15 years he lived in Los Angeles.
In January 2006 the magazine he worked for decided to close and his visa was set to expire shortly after. After speaking with numerous lawyers we knew there was no way for him to get the right to stay in the US. Jean-Francois didn't want to try doing a fake marriage or live in the US illegally.
So our only choice was to move to France. We had to sell our home, leave our friends, my job, and the city that had been my home for 20 years. We moved to the island of Saint Martin which is a French island in the Caribbean. We were able to get Paxed (civil union) in France and I should be able to get my right to stay soon. Since we moved here in May of 2006, I have had to travel back to the US every three months for the French Immigration. It has been quite expensive!
Both of us would move back to the U.S. in a minute if there were a way for my partner to get an American green card. We both miss the U.S. and hope some day to return.
George Berta
Saint Martin, France