Delay does not mean Denial

It appears that Mrs. O and I received incorrect advice for the proper way to go about becoming a legal foreign teacher in Nigeria, and as a result, I have been refused the Temporary Work Permit I've applied for.

The Nigerian government has asked me to return home at Christmas and to reapply (from scratch) for an STR visa: Subject-to-Regularization. Once I have this type of visa in my possession, it will be possible to convert that to a Temporary Work Permit during spring of 2010.

In that moment, though, when Mrs. O told me there had been complications with the visa application, I was overwhelmed with fear--not that I would be unable to go home for Christmas--but that I would be unable to return to Nigeria in January. Nothing like the threat of not being able to return to make me realize how much I really want to be here.

To make a much longer and detailed story short, I will be getting an extension on my tourist visa, which will allow me to leave as scheduled on December 12th. Then the school will pay to rush my application for a new visa in order for me to return as scheduled on January 1st.