Friday, April 4, 2014

Visa Update #7

This should be my last visa update until I can post that I have my one year temporary residency visa! There's really not a lot to say except that this morning, I went to the Migración (Immigration) office to submit all of the paperwork. Like everywhere else I've had to go for my visa, my lawyer met me there with all of the necessary documents. 

We arrived an hour before the doors actually open so we could be one of the first 100 people to arrive. Apparently they always let the first 100 inside, and after that, you have to wait until all of those have been seen. Many days, the first 100 take so long that some of those people have to come back after lunch (they take a two hour lunch break). I was number 72, so I made it in plenty of time!

When you enter, they quickly look over your documents, and if you have everything, they give you a number. Then you wait… and wait and wait and wait! If you step out for a minute and miss your turn, you have to start all over. We did have to leave to make a quick trip to an internet cafe and the bank and ended up missing our turn. Luckily, when we got our new number, we barely had to wait until it was our turn! Submitting the paperwork was a pretty easy process. It took all of about 5 minutes, and then it was done! My papers have officially been submitted to Immigration. The lawyer will go back in about 3 weeks to pick up my passport (it had to be submitted with the paperwork), and from what I understand, it could still be a couple more months until I actually have the one year residency. For now, it's just a relief to know that I've done everything I need to do. Now it's up to the Immigration officials to finish the process!

1 comment:

Jennifer Beaty (Thompson) said...

Congratulations!! I know it's hard work. However, it's fairly simple to renew, especially with a lawyer's help... :)