April 23, 1940: Visa Questions

Letter from Mrs. Hanstein of American Friends Service Committee to Opa

Transcription:

April 23, 1940

Mr. Thomas Doeppner

McPherson College

McPherson, Kansas

My dear Mr. Doeppner:

I was very glad to hear from you and to know that you are still so well satisfied at McPherson. It is fine that the people there are taking so much interest in you and I really feel that your best opportunity for summer work will come through them, as we really do not have an employment department, and in any case it would be difficult for us to find openings for you in that neighborhood. The most likely possibility that we would be able to offer would be for you to act as a camp counselor of some sort, but a position of this kind would not be likely to provide anything more than maintenance.

We shall be glad to give you all the help we can in regard to your visa, but before we can advise you about it there is one point that we shall have to clear up. We understood from Miss Palmer, who met you at the boat, that you had been granted a visitor's visa instead of a student visa, and that the duration of the visa was set at eight months. According to this, the visa would have to be renewed in July. However, your recent letter refers to your visa as a student visa, so I hope you will straighten out this confusion as soon as possible, and let me know definitely which type of visa you hold. If it is a visitor's visa it should probably be exchanged for a student visa. If it is a student visa it should be renewed, and application for renewal must be made sixty days prior to the date of expiration. As soon as I hear from you again in regard to the type of visa I shall send you more definite information in regard to its renewal.

Very sincerely

(Mrs.) Kathleen Hambly Hanstein

Associate Counsellor

Oh how I love (Mrs.) Kathleen Hambly Hanstein and how she writes that full name on every letter. I miss Charlotte Salmon, but Hanstein is doing a decent job. 

This letter cracks me up because it is divided into two clear parts: 1) Job Search- can't help. 2) Visa - Can help, information needed. That's it- that's the summary. She needs Opa to clarify whether he has a student visa or a visitor's visa. I'm pretty sure he has the visitor's visa, so hopefully he writes back quickly because time is running out- tick tock!