First Week in Immigrant Visas

This week I began my work in the Immigrant Visa (IV) section of the embassy. Although I haven't yet conducted any interviews at the window, and have been limited to "shadowing" my fellow officers and completing routine "desk" cases to become familiar with the software, I know I am going to love it.

Some of the work at the window is surprisingly similar to the Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA) interviews I did in American Citizen Services (ACS), so at least I'm a little bit familiar with the expected outcomes and the questions necessary to arrive at an informed decision. This is in contrast to my first week in ACS, when I had no previous experience or knowledge from which to build a foundation.

The laws regarding immigration can be complicated, but that's part of the fun. It's like a puzzle, but with the ability to make judgments about how the pieces fit.

I can tell that the year ahead is going to be very rewarding. I like to work, and there's plenty of work to do. Santo Domingo is second only to Ciudad Juarez in Mexico in processing immigrant visas. Second in the world. The Dominican Republic is a nation of only 10.5 million people, but we process more immigrant visa applications than all of China (with a population of 1.37 BILLION, or 130 times larger). Yes, indeed, we stay busy. From what I can tell, we have a crackerjack team of professionals to get the job done. Usually, the section sees over 500 people every day. Crazy busy.

When I was in ACS and would ask my colleagues in IV what the work was like, there would always be a pause before they answered. They would carefully measure their words and say that I shouldn't expect the reasonable pace of ACS work. So I began to worry, to unconsciously dread moving to IV. But now that I have an idea of what the work is like, I'm really excited to get started. Maybe it's because I'm a consular-coned officer and this is what I'll be doing my entire career, but I'm genuinely looking forward to learning every aspect of the law, how to apply it, and all the nuances that make the work interesting.

I'll probably get "on the line" (i.e. begin interviewing) next week. Can't wait!

Back to Puerto Plata

Among all of the places R and I have visited in our short time in the Dominican Republic, I feel a little guilty about choosing a favorite. Realistically, how could I choose the Bahía de las Águilas over Constanza? Could I really say the Zona Colonial is more beautiful than Samaná? And what about Lago Enriquillo and Cabarete?

But the heart wants what the heart wants. I'm just a little bit in love with Puerto Plata.

R and I spent the last week there; I was working at the consular agency temporarily. We stayed at a magnificent place about 25 minutes from the city - down a rough road (thank you for your service, trusty Rav4) and up in to the mountains. The Charming Countryside Chalet was a tranquil slice of heaven, complete with breakfast. Our hosts were from Austria originally, and they offered to make an Austrian dinner for us one night, an invitation we gladly accepted (it was wonderful). For lunch and our other dinners, we ate at four different restaurants in town (one was so good we ate there twice), all of which were exceptional (especially Kaffe and Los Tres Cocos - OMG).

I was working each day so we didn't do much site seeing and I didn't have the chance to take many photos. I did take the camera out and snap a few shots around the grounds of the bed and breakfast, though:

One of the "common" rooms of the Chalet available for guest use.

The owners have a lot of property surrounding the Chalet, complete with ornamental donkeys.

And the view! The mountain to the left is the Pico Isabel de Torres.

Gorgeous, really.

The city of Puerto Plata is much less frenzied than Santo Domingo. There's a lot of old world charm, and the dramatic coastline is breathtaking. Read about our last stay there here and here.

Call me unfaithful to the other amazingly beautiful places in the Dominican Republic, but my heart remains in Puerto Plata.

Working

I’ve actually been doing my job for about a month – including adjudicating passports and births abroad, and helping folks establish their US citizenship. Every day is different, every day is interesting. In the last month I’ve reported fraud, pended cases for more information, sought a legal opinion from Washington, requested DNA evidence to prove a relationship, and confiscated a passport, all while deciding whether the person at my window qualifies for services. Sometimes I conduct the interviews in Spanish, sometimes in English, sometimes a mixture of both. I’ve gotten really fluent at saying in Spanish, “Do you swear or affirm that all of the information in your application, as well as everything you say during this interview, is the truth and only the truth?”

In regard to documenting US citizen births abroad, most people don’t realize that there are certain rules that govern whether or not you can “transmit” citizenship to your child. Before I joined the Foreign Service I assumed, like everyone I knew, that if you’re a US citizen then any child you have is a US citizen immediately – slam dunk. Not true. There are several scenarios that might come in to play, and the rules are a bit different depending on where a person’s circumstances fall. Really, the only time a child receives citizenship at birth is if that child is born in the US or one of its territories (Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands, Guam, and Northern Marianas), but there are times when even that isn’t enough. Each circumstance has certain factors that must be taken into consideration when deciding citizenship.  Learn more about all the rules on my favorite site on the Internet, Wikipedia.  When doing your job involves granting US citizenship, it’s critical that each case is carefully and thoroughly considered in order to make the right decision.

In addition to the interviews at the window, each officer in American Citizen Services (ACS) is assigned a portfolio. These include: welfare/whereabouts, deaths, victims of crime, repatriation (this is when destitute US citizens want to return to the US), children’s issues, and arrests. These portfolios are the most challenging part of the work in ACS. Sometimes US citizens abroad make bad decisions - we try to help as much as we can, but sometimes there just isn't anything we can do. Those are the difficult cases.

And finally, after only a week in country, I volunteered to record a question/answer session for broadcast on a local radio program. A colleague and I had the opportunity to talk with a DJ about the different types of visas available to Dominicans and the work that we do in helping US citizens. We didn’t take live questions – I’m not ready for that yet – but it was still interesting. I keep trying to push myself outside of my comfort zone so I’ll grow and improve; by that measure, I grew a foot that day!

At the radio station.

FSI, I knew thee well

I did my final out-processing at the Foreign Service Institute (at the National Foreign Affairs Training Center) today. Normally on such occasions, we tend to say the parting is "bittersweet." Not so in this case; although my time at FSI has been mostly informative and fun, I'm completely ready to move on to post and put my training to use.

Spanish took its toll, but I loved ConGen. Every day I would come home from school and think, "I chose the right profession." I love the thought of helping U.S. citizens abroad and even of being "on the line" and conducting visa interviews. We should probably check in about two years from now and see if I still feel the same. :) I learned a lot, but surely have much more to learn. For now, I'm excited about the work that lies ahead.

A few memories of the FSI campus:

The room where the Flag Day ceremony took place.

Flag Day with a few of my colleagues. Oh, my, how young they all are. :)

Me and Ben, right after A-100.

The campus in spring.

The statue of Ben Franklin is located just outside of where I was in A-100. It represents Franklin's role in US diplomacy.

Many was the time my Spanish classmates and I would walk the 1-mile loop around campus, speaking only in Spanish, praying that we would achieve the necessary score in our evaluations.

Another view of the campus. Beautiful all year round, but especially in the summer.

By the Numbers

Post by J

The first post-A-100 week by the numbers:


2          days of security briefings

3          online courses completed

2          Houses of Congress visited (they weren't in session, but it was still cool)

1          small Leatherman surreptitiously buried in a flower bed in order to visit Houses of Congress

1          small Leatherman subsequently retrieved from temporary burial plot

1          trips to the Medical Claims office at Main State to deliver the 3rd set of duplicate documents in an attempt to resolve my medical claim first submitted back in July

0          medical claims successfully resolved

1          international potlucks attended with my class (I contributed Caribbean rum)

4          movies watched (including two of my favorites: Forget Paris and Return to Me)

3          cups of Earl Grey tea consumed while reading America's Other Army (thanks, L!)

29        See's orange cream chocolates consumed (thanks, H!)

1          birthdays celebrated (!)

Swearing In

Post by J

Yesterday was the last day of A-100, and the culminating event was the swearing in ceremony. Secretary of State John Kerry did the honors in the Dean Acheson auditorium at the Main State building in Washington, D.C.

Secretary Kerry addressing the class.

The Groundbreaking 179th A-100 class.

Wyoming Senators Enzi and Barrasso couldn't attend, but sent representatives (Coy Knobel from Enzi's office and Amber Bland from Barrasso's) to the ceremony to witness the swearing in. It was really nice to have fellow Wyomingites in the crowd cheering me on.

I learned a lot in the last six weeks, and I'm sure there are things I won't even realize that I learned until later. We had terrific instructors and, although some of the sessions were long and/or dense, I know I got at least a little out of each one.

Before the swearing in ceremony, our class decided on its motto: Laying the foundation for a life of service. I love this motto! After all, service is the reason I joined the State Department.

I'll be in training for quite some time; I start on Spanish at the end of October. Language training is the bulk of the months ahead for me and I'm excited to get started!  I'm really looking forward to learning to speak and read a new language that's so useful. Plus, R will join me in Washington to start the abbreviated Spanish course the same time I start the full course.

It's official: I'm a Foreign Service Officer.

Links to the State Department's photos of the event on Flickr:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/statephotos/15244209408/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/statephotos/15427615781/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/statephotos/15407738346/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/statephotos/15430797915/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/statephotos/15430796465/

Flag Day!

Post by J

Flag Day!

Dominican Republic!

Yes!  We're thrilled to be going to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic in August 2015. I have quite a bit of training before we go, including Area Studies, the Consular course, and six months of intensive Spanish.  So exciting!  Hurray!

R and H and L all flew in for the big day, and we had a great time during the ceremony, eating cake/drinking champagne after the ceremony, stuffing ourselves at Mark's Duck House (and having enough leftovers to feed half of the Dominican Republic), and touring around DC on Saturday and Sunday.

R and me - before the Flag Day ceremony.

The whole family, celebrating after the Flag Day ceremony.

H and L and me.

The Washington Monument.

In front of the Capitol.

The ceiling of the Library of Congress.

R, L and H in front of the Library of Congress.

The fam in front of the Lincoln Memorial.

L and H at the Lincoln Memorial.

Me and R and the Washington Monument.

The Viet Nam War memorial.

A-100 Week Four Recap

Post by J

Week Four.  Oh, Week Four.

This week was all about public speaking and keeping your composure in difficult circumstances. We had lengthy workshops on how to deliver a speech and how to maintain our equilibrium when being peppered (okay, perhaps "lambasted" is a better word) with difficult questions from a hostile audience.

I'm not really thrown by speaking in front of a group; I've done it a lot. If I know my subject and I've come prepared, I'm just fine. We were given a few days' notice to decide on a relevant topic specific to our cone (mine is consular) and develop a five-minute speech. I delivered mine on Thursday afternoon and was given feedback by 10 of my colleagues. I'll now revise and practice, and deliver the speech again on Monday. Done and done. No problem.

I'm not a big fan of extemporaneous speaking, however. I like to know what to expect. Unfortunately, the whole idea behind this week's exercise, "Composure under Fire" or "Grace under Pressure" is to practice reacting appropriately when you don't know what's coming. What is the appropriate response to a very difficult question regarding U.S. foreign policy, especially when the foreign audience is surly and in your face, for example? Perhaps they should have called this session, "Deer-in-the-Headlights in the Face of an Oncoming Mack Truck."

This situation is something for which you can't really prepare, and the Myers-Briggs ISFJ in me hates that. You just have to breathe and focus. Easier said than done.

Before I had my turn in the hot seat, I promised myself that if things really went south I'd just mentally go to my happy place and weather the storm. I sat there at the beginning of the day thinking, "Well, it's not likely that I'll be called on first. My name is not first alphabetically, nor is that of my assigned country. I won't volunteer to go first. I'm not sitting in a place in the room that looks like a reasonable starting place. I'll observe the first few classmates and learn from their experiences."

"Hmm," said the session leader as we settled into our seats at 8:30 this morning. "Let's start with...," and he named my country.  Seriously?

When push came to shove, though, I didn't have time to go to my happy place. But I didn't really need to, either, because - hallelujah, thank-ya-Jesus - I was able to hold my own against the barrage of questions. And it was actually a blessing that I went first, because my class hadn't yet settled into its role as a belligerent, critical, anti-American crowd. Sure, their questions were tough, but not as tough as they could have been. The whole experience cost me a lot of mental energy, though, even if I'm able to retain something that I can use in the future.

Yes, I made it through. But I'm glad Week Four is over and I never have to see its annoying face again.

A-100 Weeks Two and Three Recap

Post by J

Time seems to move quickly when you're busy. Case in point: How is it possible that I'm now half-way through A-100? Week two? Gone. Week three? History.  Crazy.

We've been busy learning about what a foreign service career might hold, how to face the challenges that are sure to arise, how to juggle work/life balance, and how to write reports (cables in FS speak). We've talked about generational differences and taken the Myers-Briggs personality assessment. We listened in rapt attention as bureau chiefs gave an overview of the six different regions in which we might serve in our careers. We met with our Career Development Officers to discuss our bid list priorities, and we traveled to the "Woods" where we participated in team-building and leadership exercises.

Of course, the main focus of week two was meeting with our CDOs. I met with mine on Friday of that week, and we were able to include R via speaker phone. The primary reason for the meeting was for our CDO to get to know us and understand our priorities in bidding. I think it's safe to say that this meeting is extremely important and will ultimately play a big role in where I'm assigned. I submitted my final bid list on Tuesday of week three, so where R and I end up is now completely out of my hands. Because of that, I'm no longer devoting any mental energy to it.  After all, I have plenty of other things to do.

The last two days of week three were dedicated to the off-site (the "Woods") event.  We traveled by bus out of Washington on Thursday and returned on Friday. There were multiple exercises that stressed working as a team to accomplish a goal. Although I've read that others find these two days stressful, I had a great time. I think I got to know a few more of my classmates a little bit better, and we had fun, particularly during the "Follies" - a performance that a committee of my classmates put on Thursday evening. The Follies were fun because we had a chance to loosen up and laugh.

I have to say that the 84 other members of my class are an impressive lot. They have varied educational backgrounds, speak myriad languages and can call on unique experiences to add value to nearly any conversation. I've found that they're very accepting, too. I'm an outlier in the group (I'm quite a bit older than most of my classmates, and my life experiences are different), but I definitely still feel that I belong, and that I have something to contribute.

Three more weeks (and 12 days until Flag Day)!

The U.S. Diplomacy Center

Post by J

Secretary of State John Kerry and five former Secretaries of State - Henry Kissinger, James Baker, Madeline Albright, Colin Powell, and Hilary Clinton - spoke at the U.S. Diplomacy Center groundbreaking ceremony this afternoon. Our FSO orientation class was invited to attend, and comprised 85 of the 250 attendees present. We were delighted to be included.

Each Secretary spoke for a few minutes, and I was particularly struck by Secretary Powell's comments. Basically, he said that while Washington, DC boasts many monuments dedicated to military services (the Viet Nam War Memorial, the Korean Memorial, World War II, etc.), there is not a monument to those Foreign Service Officers who gave their lives while serving America abroad (there are over 200), nor is there a place dedicated to telling the story of the Diplomatic Corps. The U.S. Diplomacy Center will serve this purpose.

My classmates and I were a little starstruck, given the status of the speakers. We're all a little geeky and the Secretaries of State are the equivalent of rock stars in our world. Of course we shamelessly snapped photos with our phones.

And here's a little random addition to this post that has nothing to do with the Diplomacy Center:

Last week while searching for a place to sit at lunch, a classmate and I walked outside to the courtyard at the Main State building. All the tables were occupied, unfortunately, but we spied a table that only had one person sitting at it. We approached the man sitting there and asked if he'd mind if we joined him. He said no, and we sat down. Small talk ensued.

"Do you work here?" we asked. We ask this question of everyone, assuming that they're an FSO who might have interesting stories from the field, or insightful advice that we couldn't get anywhere else.

"No," the man replied. "I'm a reporter."

We hesitated, not knowing exactly what to talk with him about.  

"Which paper do you work for?" I asked.

"Not a paper. I work for Fox News."

Aha.  A television reporter.  

Turns out, we had lunch with James Rosen, who was quite a hot topic a few years ago. Rosen was the subject of an investigation, a pretty aggressive one in fact, conducted by the Department of Justice. Some believe the DOJ went too far, using intimidation tactics to squelch Rosen's free speech. The reason that some were on Rosen's side is that if investigative reporters are prevented from digging too deep (the DOJ was trying to intimidate Rosen by conducting their own investigation), it limits the media's role as a "watchdog."

It just goes to show, you never know who you're going to see from one day to the next in this job!

A-100 Week One Recap

Post by J

Week one of A-100 is in the books.  I don't remember being this tired since Basic Training back in my Army days, I kid you not. There's a lot of information to absorb, all of it relevant, all of it important.  Plus, I've been getting up at 5:00 each morning to run (there are treadmills in the apartment complex's small  fitness center), so by the time I get home around 6:00 p.m. I'm justifiably exhausted. Hello, three-day-weekend! Am I ever glad to see you!

The sessions this week varied from "mission statement and structure" to explanations of how to complete a travel voucher. We learned about global health issues, diplomatic history, and the National Security Council. We explored State Department priorities and the interagency process. We received an overview of the Transition Center, which includes the Overseas Briefing Center (OBC).

The OBC is of particular interest this week because we received the bid list for our class on Wednesday. The list consists of 105 possible posts that we each must rank high, medium, or low, depending on our self-determined priorities. The list encompasses 51 cities in 44 countries. This is where the fun comes in: all of my 84 fellow FSOs and I are busily poring over the vast array of material that the OBC keeps on each post, trying to decide what is best for us. We have been told we can rank no more than 25% (about 26 posts) low.

We are not able to publicly share the list, but our families are directly affected so can be "in the know." R, H, L, and I have been looking up countries and sharing information we find, trying to begin the process of weeding out and ranking. It's fun, but it does take a lot of time.

On top of all of the information during the day and the lengthy telephone conversations with Ross regarding possible posts, I have homework to complete. I'm usually in bed sawing proverbial logs by 9:00 p.m.

Today the OBC had special weekend hours (something that only happens once a month), and I took advantage of that and drove over to FSI (Foreign Service Institute) to do some more reading on potential posts, and to check out a few post videos. While there, I had a very interesting conversation with two "seasoned" FSOs who are in between tours. They were on hand just to talk with us newbies, and I found their advice very helpful in getting a handle on how to proceed when I talk to my Career Development Officer (CDO) next week about my preferences.

Just to remind myself that I am making progress toward Flag Day (the day my class finds out to which post we've actually been assigned) I've included a countdown widget on the right side of this page. Time is ticking!

A-100 Day One

Post by J

I have officially taken the oath:

I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter.  So help me God.

I will take this oath again, at the completion of my orientation training.

I just want to say here that I take this oath seriously. These words stand for my belief in this country and its ideals, and I don't take that lightly. It's an honor to serve my country in an official capacity, and I look forward to the challenges this profession will bring.

Today's agenda included a number of briefings on logistics: travel orders, health insurance options, housing. The real training begins tomorrow.

The Adventure Begins

Post by R

It's for real now.  J is well on her way to D.C. (or the Imperial City as I'm apt to somewhat affectionately call it) and I'm back at the home front.  It's true, I am completely and totally supportive of J's dream-chasing.  I also fully admit that when she first expressed serious interest in joining the State Department as a Foreign Service Officer I suspected it would be an uphill climb.  Just take a look at J's first blog post if you doubt that; the odds were against her.  We're talking about J though, so odds don't mean so much.  Give her a chance and she will excel, of that I had no doubt. 

I'll miss Wyoming.  Even though I was Jersey born and raised I have become quite fond of this free, honest, wide-open state.  I've spent time in just about every corner of it while travelling for work and I will have some regrets about leaving it.  That said, the itch to move on has always been there.  J and I met as vagabonds and we spent the first 15 years of our married life as vagabonds, living in various parts of the U.S. and Europe.  New adventures are in our DNA.

Right now everything is dependent on what transpires on a certain date, September 26th.  That's when J will find out where in the world she is headed to.  We cannot make any decisions regarding the house, our pets, my employment, etc. until that date.  Meanwhile I've started divesting ourselves of unneeded possessions and am doing some projects around the house to help prepare it for eventual sale.  I also don't know if, and for how long, I might be joining J in Washington.  I will be eligible, on a space-available basis, to attend language training at the same time as J if her first assignment requires foreign language ability.  If it does, I will want to do everything I can to take advantage of that.  We have both spent enough time overseas to know that it is completely worth the effort.  I've been to Poland while speaking Polish, and J has been to the Czech Republic while speaking Czech.  We have also been to numerous countries where we did not speak the native language.  Being able to speak in the local tongue is infinitely more rewarding.

On a side note, 700 or so bicyclists are in town tonight in conjunction with the Tour de Greater Yellowstone (or something like that).  Most are camped out in City Park. I'm sure they'll leave with positive impressions of Lander; it's that kind of town.  We'll miss it too.

A Little Background Information

Post by J

For those on the outside looking in, what seems like a lightning-fast career change for me actually was over a year in the making. This post gives a little background on how I got to this moment, to the evening before I drive cross-country (2000 miles and five days) to begin my life as a Foreign Service Officer.

There are many, many blogs out there that provide an amazing amount of information regarding how to apply to join the foreign service. I know this because I obsessively read dozens of them and found good advice, inspiration, hope, and perspective during my journey to this point. Just do a quick search on the All-Knowing Google, and you'll find enough reading material to seriously jeopardize your ability to do anything else but read blogs and fantasize about a State Department career, such is the appeal and ultimately, the time-suck, that is this obsession.

The very beginning:  R was a career military man and we were fortunate enough for him to have served a tour in the Defense Attache Office of a U.S. Embassy overseas in the late 90s. I had very little knowledge of the Foreign Service prior to that tour, but I became immediately fascinated. I worked as the Community Liaison Office Coordinator during our time there and loved being part of the Embassy culture. R and I discussed the possibility of "going State" after he retired from the Army, but really, it was just a wonderful daydream at the time.  

Several years later, R and I took what was then referred to as the FSWE (Foreign Service Written Exam). I think that was back in 2004, but it could have been 2003. Anyway, this was before the State Department utilized email for official communication (I know we did provide our email address, but I don't remember ever receiving anything via email from them regarding the test, or our results). For whatever reason, neither of us passed.

Then in 2013, a random email from State appeared in our inbox (keep in mind we had heard nothing from them for at least eight years). The email basically said, "So, you showed interest in a Foreign Service career in the past, and if you're still interested, register to take the test during this window." Since we had both provided the same email address initially, it was completely unclear to whom this most recent email was directed.  

A lot had happened in the intervening eight years, of course. R had moved on and entered a profession that he really enjoys. I had a well-established career that was fulfilling. We were comfortable in our small town and had a good life. Why would we want to shake that up, drastically change our lifestyle, pack up everything and move? And yet, once that email arrived I kept thinking about the possibility of a Foreign Service career. And what could possibly be the harm in taking the test? Just a cursory search showed that the odds of actually being invited to A-100 (the initial Foreign Service Officer orientation course) are pretty slim - fewer than 2% of those who take the test actually become FSOs.

R and I talked about it and thought about it for a couple of weeks. Ultimately, R decided he did not want to pursue becoming an FSO. But this is where his awesomeness comes in to play. I asked, "What would you say if I tried?" To which he immediately replied, "Go for it.  I'm behind you all the way."

The quick and dirty steps to becoming an FSO (if you're unsuccessful at any point during this process, your "candidacy" ends and you have to start all over - and you can only take the FSOT once every 365 days):

1. Take the Foreign Service Officer Test (FSOT)
2. If you pass the FSOT, you are invited to submit short (about 200 word) answers to six essay prompts (Personal Narrative Questions, or PNQs), describing how certain of your experiences demonstrate each of 13 different "dimensions" (read more about the 13Ds here). If you don't pass the FSOT, your candidacy ends and you must wait nearly a year to take the test again.
3. If the Board of Examiners (BEX), after reviewing your entire file (including resume, FSOT results, and PNQs), likes your application packet enough, you will be invited to travel to Washington, DC (on your own dime) to participate in the Oral Assessment (OA).  If the BEX doesn't like your packet enough, your candidacy ends, and you must start all over with the FSOT.
4. The OA consists of three parts: The Group Exercise (GE), the Structured Interview (SI), and the Case Management (CM) exercise. Your performance in each of these is scored independently, but your overall score for the day is the average of the three. To pass the OA, you must receive at least a score of 5.25 out of 7.  If you receive less than a 5.25, your candidacy ends and you must start all over with the FSOT.
5. If you pass the OA, you must receive both medical and security clearances - the medical clearance is usually pretty quickly determined, but a security clearance can take several months or even a year or more, depending on your background.
6. Once your clearances are in place, you are added to the "register," which is dynamic and rank-ordered based on your OA score.
7. If you are not invited to A-100 within 18 months of being on the register, you "time off" and your candidacy ends.

My timeline:

1. FSOT:  June 2013
2. Pass FSOT, invited to submit PNQs:  July 2013
3. Pass PNQs, invited to OA:  September 2013
4. Pass OA:  November 2013
5. Medical clearance:  December 2013
6. Security clearance:  May 2014
7. Added to register:  May 2014
8. Invite to A-100:  June 2014
9. A-100:  August 25, 2014

I'll write more at a later time about my motivation to join, especially at this time in our lives.