8月31日に現在のH-1Bと呼ばれる労働ビザが切れるのですが，今日やっと大学のオフィスから「延長申請書類をアメリカ移民局に提出した」との連絡がありました．残り4日でした．ずっと気になっていたのだけど自分ではどうすることもできず，やっと話が進んでひと安心です．今日は残りの仕事はあるものの，安心してオフィスで１人ビールを飲んでいます．
自分の場合は労働ビザなので，過去のアメリカビザや出入国の記録など，必要書類を自分で揃えた後は，雇用側のHRオフィスが最終的な事務処理をすることになっています．年明けからビザの更新が必要なことは関連オフィスに伝えてありましたし，自分が準備するべき書類は，指示を受けてから1日以内に準備していました．直接の雇用主（自分の場合，研究室のボス）からの延長の許可もおりていました．しかし，洋の東西を問わず，事務仕事やペーパーワークというのは遅々として進まないものです．International Scholars Office の方などはとても協力的だったのですが，間に複数人が入ると，責任の所在が不明瞭になりますし，事務の方の夏休みなどもあり話が進みませんでした．
13年くらい住んでも，アメリカの事務仕事の雑さ（キッチリしていない感じ）には慣れません．自分は日本の事務・役所手続きなどの経験はあまりないので，単純に比較はできないかもしれないのですが，まあそれにしても，4日前になってやっと，こんな大事な書類が提出されたという連絡を受けたのは少し驚きです．どれくらい大事かというと，それを失うと（自分の場合）キャリアの大事な一部を失ったり，家族がいる場合は全員の食い扶持を失ったり，住む場所を変えなくてはならなかったりと，それくらい大事な話です．自分の実力不足で解雇されるなら諦めもつきます．しかし，自分に対して責任を持たない誰かの雑な処理のために話が進まず，労働許可が降りずに帰国となったら，悔やんでも悔やみきれません．ややもすれば，10年くらい精神的に尾を引いていたところでした 笑
そういえば以前，中国系の友人もビザのトラブルに巻き込まれたことがありました．友人の名字の「Chen」が「Chan」と間違えて表記さ れて申請されたため（仮名ですがイメージで），労働許可が更新されず，また違法な申請とみなされたようです．完全に事務的なミスにも関わらず，彼は事務方からの助けは得られず，自分で弁護士を雇って意義を申し立て訂正したとのことでし た．本当に気の毒としか言いようがありません．
よく言われますが，おそらくアメリカの社会は「間違いが起こること」を前提にまわっているのだと思います．なので，自分から訂正したり，確認したり，念押ししたりすることが必要になってきます．一方で日本は，社会的に許容される間違いのレベルが低いのか，日本人が総じてキッチリしているのか，サービスを受ける側はある程度安心できると思いますし，結果として住みやすい国だと思います．（でも，その住みやすさを達成するために，過度な負担がサービスを提供する側にかかるのかもしれません．中庸の徳とは上手いこと言ったもので，個人的には，日本とアメリカの真ん中くらいがちょうど良いとも思います．）
何にしても，無事に話が進んで安心です．外国で対価をもらって仕事をすることは，単純なことではないです．最低賃金がどうとか，アメリカ人の雇用を奪ってはいけないとか，アメリカの国益に適うとか，「外国人としての労働」には色んな制限があります．研究者の場合は専門が分化しているので，比較的ビザはおりやすいと言われていますが．単純労働にはビザがおりることは少ないと思います．日本では外国人留学生がコンビニなどで働いているケースをよく見ます．日本の移民受け入れは大きな問題になってきてきていますが，この辺りの規制は日本はゆるいように見えます（そもそも，留学生が労働に多大な時間を使うのは違和感あります）．
少し発散しましたが，日々の研究ではあまり意識しませんが，今日もここで研究できることは希有な機会であることを肝に命じて，ビールを飲み終わったら仕事に戻ろうと思います 笑
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