You would think that it would be easier to renew your immigration papers.
Papers please.......
We filled out the on line form, but for some strange reason it would not take our address. Our street address is non-existant.
We don't live on a street, you see. We live on a road.
Our address is Kilometer something on the road to somewhere.
Internet form doesn't like it.
No problem, when the immigration person pulls up the form they can change it anyway they like.
WRONG.
They make you go down the street to an INTERNET cafe, mind you a cafe that thought dial up was blinding fast.
So, now back at the office and butting into line again, the clerk, (someone new, a new start that decided that this is his only shot at power) loads on the form, which is now a new form because you cannot correct the old form, and now says OK, but..... you put ninguna ( which mean none, or DNA does not apply) in one of the boxes.
No, we did not.
Well how did it get there?
Ask the computer.
So he calls his supervisor on the phone, and his supervisor agrees that sometimes it does that, and to leave it in, no problem.
Ok, the form looks ok, now take this and pay for it at the bank and return with the original and two copies.
What about the photos?
I'll tell you when you return......
(Why not tell us now so we do it when we go to the bank?) We knew better this time!
While at the bank we get the photos done. Two front, one side.
Return to the immigration office, present the bank receipt.
He looks at it, then reads it, then looks at it again. ( Hey it's the same piece of paper you , yourself gave me 30 minutes ago....)
Then he looks at the two copies..... spending about 15 seconds on each one.......
Amazing......absolutely amazing.....I say to myself...
He then goes in the back room and returns.
He then says you will need photographs, but you can bring them when you come back to pick up the new card.
We hand him the photos.
He is amazed........
He tells us to sit down and wait, just as I plant my ass on the chair, he calls my name.
I return to the counter, and he hands me the temporary paper stapled with the bank receipt.
Looks at me and smiles and says I can return in about a week.
Thank you,
No, Thank YOU!
The system this year is more streamlined, but it could be a lot more streamlined, but that is wishing waaaaay too much.
A little step at a time I guess.
Yes, I know, I should just chuck all this and become a citizen......
I was hoping that there would be a reciprocal agreement made with the US.......
We take yours, you take ours..........
Naaaw , it will be one sided only.
