SHIT!

[lucybelle]

Are we allowed to curse on thread titles? My bad.

I'm applying for temporary residency in Costa Rica so that I am a) legally allowed to work and b) don't have to make border runs every 90 days. I turned in my papers in the beginning of Feb to my director because she has a lawyer. Here, the only reason you need a lawyer is because they know people in immigration and it usually means that your papers won't get lost. Anyways. I've been pestering my director about giving me the lawyer's email so I could talk directly to him instead of through the grapevine (and by the way this grapevine-director-is incredibly hard to get in contact with). Finally today I got an email, saying one of my documents expired in January and I have to get it again!!! All documents here need to be received to immigration before they are 6 months old. So one of my documents was, I don't know, ONE WEEK LATE!!!!

I'm pissed for a couple reasons.

1. It's so freaking annoying to get all this shit done.
2. I tried my damnedest to make sure everything got done on time.
3. It's going to cost me at least another $100-$150 to just get this one thing done
4. "This one thing" includes- sending in my fingerprints to get another police report, getting that police report apostilled by the Sec of State, and then getting the police report and the apostilled document translated into Spanish by an official translator in Costa Rica
5. Since my documents are not in order it means I'm still a tourist which means I'll have to buy a one way ticket out of the country instead of just being able to enter again
6. My 90 day visa runs up TWO WEEKS before I go to the USA which might mean I'll have to make a border run only 2 weeks before I leave again
7. annoying
8. annoying
9. annoying
10. annoying

(I like even numbers and I think "annoying" can qualify for 4 reasons in itself)

So I just wrote my mom to send in my other set of fingerprints (luckily I set up 2 packages [completely filled out and with instructions] before I left *just in case*). When I get home today I'll call the Sec of State about apostilles, how much it costs, how to do it, etc. (before I had to get it "authenticated" by Sec of State and CR Consulate in USA, so at least this is one less step) I suppose this is good timing for things to go to hell since I can go home and pick up the police report in May, instead of relying on this shitty ass postal service to actually deliver anything to me. I just hope the month wait doesn't mean I'll have to get all my other stuff done again. *writes the lawyer right now*

[snow_girl]

Very shitty indeed! Sorry things didn't go as smoothly as you wanted. I am not looking forward to when it comes our turn to deal with visas and residency stuff.

[LoveL]

Welcome to the wonderful world of National Borders.

Just wait until you have to go through a process where you aren't allowed to travel anywhere while you're documents are being processed and they take their damn sweet time.

My dad lives in Saudi Arabia..... I have lots of experience

[lademoiselle]

Oh heck, I'm sorry I don't have any advice, I wish I did... I think you (and everyone else who has to deal with all this stuff) are such strong and tenacious people for being able to stay organised, and persevere in the face of setbacks like this. I hope everything is resolved for you soon; these things are sent to try us, remember, but I'm sure you can overcome anything Good luck!

[Tanja]

Oh no, I'm sorry to hear this! I haven't got any advice but I hope you get the new document sent quickly and it all goes smoothly from there! Bureacracy is so SHITE! Hang in there mate :s

[lucybelle]

Thanks everyone! I wrote to what I thought was the lawyer but turned out to be the immigration guy handling my case. Not sure if that's a good thing or bad thing. Anyways, from what I read it almost seems like I need to get some paper signed and turned in and then I won't have to leave the country anymore. Which goes against the whole "you need another police report" deal. But I'm working on trying to figure out what this paper is and how I can get it so I can get it in ASAP. I do have a friend in Nicaragua I'd like to visit, but geeeeze.

[Tanja]

Fingers crossed it'll just be a matter of a signature and stamp on a paper!

[kirbycat]

Oh yuck!

I don't really have any advice, either; just sympathy. Having also lived in a developing country for awhile, I'm familiar with the frustrations of incompetent government offices and people who generally don't appreciate the need to get certain things done in a timely manner. In such situations, I always found the rule of "if you want it done right (or just done, period), do it yourself" to be the way to go. Even if it means physically carrying one piece of paper all the way across town multiple times in one day, from one office to another, and bodily placing a pen in people's hands to make sure you're getting the signatures you need.

Also, while cultural sensitivity is generally a good thing, playing the "angry American" card can sometimes help get people's feet moving. Though maybe they're more impervious to that kind of thing in Costa Rica.

[LoveL]

AS for advice, the best I can give is to find their government website and hope they outline the stuff in English.
Then sit down and read it until your eyes bleed.
If you read enough, you'll find ways around that stuff. There are always short cuts. You just need someone with some experience with that particular country to tell you what they are.

[lucybelle]

AS for advice, the best I can give is to find their government website and hope they outline the stuff in English.
Then sit down and read it until your eyes bleed.
If you read enough, you'll find ways around that stuff. There are always short cuts. You just need someone with some experience with that particular country to tell you what they are.

Well I know Spanish, so the language isn't the problem. The problem is incompetent government workers who lose shit, don't do things on time, make you wait forever, don't know what's going on, give you wrong information and a whole system which is incapable of processing anything within a reasonable amount of time. (I know people who have waited 5 years for residency)

And the webpage never works, and even if it did, it'd be just as useless.

But thanks anyways

[lucybelle]

Quick update- my visa expires Saturday. I called the lawyer/migracion/whatever guy yesterday and he told me he'd get me the papers and I need to sign them tomorrow (today). Then, he would present my case to immigration where he is pretty confident I'll get my "numero comprobante" which means I won't have to leave the country anymore.

BUT If I don't get it (which I'm honestly thinking will be the case) I have to make a quick trip to Nicaragua from Sat-Sun.

Today I went into work looking for the director up and down. I finally found her and she told me she'd get me the papers "soon". But in Costa Rica "soon" could mean tomorrow, in a month, a year, 10 years.. who knows! After hounding her some more, I finally signed the papers at the very end of the day. Now I'm hoping they got to the lawyer who will take them over tomorrow and everything will go smoothly and I'll get my comprobante. *crosses fingers*

Good wishes are welcome

[Zephii]

What a bloody nightmare! Good luck I hope you get it!

[Moon]

Ugh, bureaucracy! Sending good thoughts

[iakai]

Gawsh that is some tight timing o.O I REALLY hope it works out like it's supposed to!! Good wishes to you as well!

[books]

Hope everything works out for you! I'm curious since I'll hopefully be applying for my Nica residency next year...did you have to leave a non-refunadable flight deposit when submtting your papers? This is supposedly to be used if you get deported, but of course I have a feeling it just goes into someone's pocket. I can't get any clear numbers on this, so it's making it difficult to plan on how much I need to save.