I need to rant to someone and I don't want to call my mum again and Olek and I are talking later today.
Today was an ok day. I got some things done and others... not
Let's start out with the positives. I went to have two papers put into our campus software and that was fairly easy and the lady who did it was nice.
Then I went to the Int'l people to hand in my confirmation of departure. They gave me looks for handing it in now, when the academic year ended at the end of June. I didn't "depart" until the day before yesterday, though. They didn't like that but it was ok. I still have to fill in two forms and hand them in and then I might still get some more money from them in September (woohoo!)
So this is where the absurd begins. I went to the office where they handle to social grants/financial aid. See I got money from them at the end of August, but it was suspiciously little and seeing as my mum's income hasn't drastically changed I didn't know why. It turns out, they listed me as "living with parents". Now, we know that that's b/s because I haven't lived with my mum for the past 6 years (and god help me if I ever have to again!) and I told them as much. And for some reasons, because I was still living abroad, that means they list me as living with my parents? It didn't make any sense to me then and it doesn't know. The guy (who wasn't actually responsible for my case, but the lady who is was out of the office) wasn't much help either and kept saying that he doesn't understand it either. He told me to just get a friend to write a paper saying I was staying with them for August and September. I guess I could do that (in fact, I'm going to ask my flatmates later today), but in what kind of weirdo world does some office guy tell you to lie because his laws don't make sense?
So that was the first wtf?-moment, but don't for one second think we're done here.
I then told him that I'm planning to get married and asked what kinds of documents my husband would need to apply for the aid. And he was like "He won't be eligable."
"Scuse me? See, it says in §8 of your own stupid laws (well I didn't say that) that EU-citizens with permanent residency are eligable."
"Yes, but you get permanent residency after five..."
"yeah, or three years if you've worked for 12 months or something like that OR if your spouse is a German citizen"
"Possible. But the authority responsible for foreigners/residency-stuff doesn't have to give out confirmations of permanent residency anymore, so there's no way for us to know."
By then I wanted to bang my head against the desk. See, because some authority doesn't give out confirmation it means that you can't prove your residence status, even though it's clearly stated someone in your situation gets permanent residency, and therefore you can't get treated as someone having permanent residency?
You must be kidding me. That's so effing ridiculous I don't even...
I mean I understand that it's impossible for them to know stuff about EU residency laws, because that's not their job at all. And it shouldn't be expected from them and they shouldn't have to check it. Buuut... you know if it's stated in the law that in situation x your residence status is y and then that someone with residence status y is eligable for financial aid, that's not even a complicated situation. That's pretty clear cut in my eyes.
Ugh.
The guy was quite nice at least and I'm trying to see how we can find a way around it. I'm going to call the alien (or whatever it's called) authority in Dresden tomorrow (or next week, if they're not working tomorrow) and ask them if they give out confirmations of permanent residency.
And another positive to finish the rant:
I went to the Russian department guy (who adore because he's adorable and cute in a grandfather/uncle-y way and he used to tell me "don't panic, Miss [lastname]. Everything will be fine" and I love him eternally for that) and he said I can just write a paper whenever I want and it'll be cool and yay.
So, now I'm going to find someone to sign me that i stayed with them in August and September. It's my flatmate's birthday, so there should be someone able to help a poor girl out. It's even funnier, because I wouldn't even have had to stay with them. Like I could have been there for a day and left one sock and went on a holiday and it would still count as me staying with them.
End of Rant.
I'm sorry you're having a bit of a rough time. Bureaucracy is apparently the same everywhere
Keep focusing on the positives, though; this new part of your life is going to go great!
I am not getting enough money, apparently there is not only upper line of income but also lower line!
*hugs* I'm sure you will make it, maybe it will take more time but there are people out there that are very helpfull despite the crazy and mad law.