Immigration from hell......

Billo


Joined: 12/06/2011
Posts: 41

Message Posted:
03/08/2011 15:19

Immigration today at Girne police station was a nightmare. We arrived at around 07.20am and put our names down, and were number 21 on the list. At 08.30 the officer came out and gave out the tickets. It was hot and very uncomfortable with a lack of seating. At 10.30am only 10 people had been through which we later discovered was down to agents turning up with handfuls of other people's passports that had paid for their services. We eventually were seen at 12.20pm almost 5 hrs after we arrived.

The biggest headache is, that we only wanted a slip of paper for our blood test and have to return again tomorrow morning to hand in our paperwork, and will probably have another spoilt day, just can't wait.............!!!!

Ridle


Joined: 01/01/2009
Posts: 144

Message Posted:
03/08/2011 15:42

Billo.



You do not have to wait all that time. Just get your ticket No & its possible to estimate how long you will have to wait then go do something else. Return when you think it might be your turn, if still too early have coffee at nearby cafe then return again. That way you will not get fed up waiting.

fatelady


Joined: 31/01/2009
Posts: 61

Message Posted:
03/08/2011 15:48

all i can say is welcome to cyprus time , that is the norm here

blade


Joined: 19/06/2010
Posts: 1286

Message Posted:
03/08/2011 15:52

Why was it so busy?

We are normally in and out.

stellasstar1



Joined: 02/07/2008
Posts: 1519

Message Posted:
03/08/2011 16:00

I don't under either. It used to be quite quick at the police station bit of residency. Maximum wait 15 minutes before the ticket system.

Agobard


Joined: 20/08/2008
Posts: 271

Message Posted:
03/08/2011 16:03

I'm afraid that I am aghast at the whole stupid routine. Four or five people normally in the immigration office of whom only 1 or rarely 2 are actually serving customers. Only 4 chairs outside in the (very hot and stuffy) corridor and normally quite a few people waiting who are not in the first flush of youth - careless, undignified and plain rude behaviour by the police station staff who are, of course, sitting in their air conditioned offices. It used to be a quick and simple process but, for the last several years now, it has been awful Don't know when you go Blade but it certainly isn't July/August! The answer to all of this is to get more staff and provide more plastic chairs. How hard is this?

Shawood


Joined: 29/06/2010
Posts: 85

Message Posted:
03/08/2011 16:21

Just to balance it out a bit..............



4-5 weeks ago. At the police station circa 06:45, started my own list with me at the top. I was given ticket 1 circa 08:15. In the office at 08:35. Police officer checked all in order, and gave me the relevant form. Told me to get my blood test done straight away and return to the office afterwards. I queried if I needed another ticket to re-queue. His answer was No and to walk straight into the room. I was back there and all sorted by 9:15. The officer even remembered my name. Still don't believe it all happened. so quickly though. Even shared a laugh with the officer as I kept hold of his silver parker pen, after signing the final form............



Billo



You do have my sympathies though. I have also had a few bad queuing days previous to this, and no doubt there will be others. I do advise to go very early and take a book, and something to eat & drink.



Kind regards



Nigel

Jovial_John


Joined: 31/01/2009
Posts: 1024

Message Posted:
03/08/2011 16:23

My last renewal was in November and not long after I had an operation on my leg. I turned up on ctutches and was given excellent treatment. They found a chair for me immediately and after 20 minutes invited me to jump the queue ahead of 30 or 40 others. The sergeant gave me his desk to sit at, they brought me a coffee and made me very comfortable while they did the paperwork. A very attractive female officer even offered to help me back to my car.

I have kept the crutches and may well be tempted to use them again in 2 years time - but I suppose after posting this I will turn up to find everybody on crutches.

blade


Joined: 19/06/2010
Posts: 1286

Message Posted:
03/08/2011 16:25

We are usually there during the winter months, so maybe that helps.

I recon maybe a lot of staff are off on holiday at the moment.

R.C.T.Man.



Joined: 27/03/2009
Posts: 746

Message Posted:
03/08/2011 16:27

OMG Billo that was an awful experience , i have to go tomorrow realy looking forward to it now & this is my 7th one.

Billo


Joined: 12/06/2011
Posts: 41

Message Posted:
03/08/2011 19:31

Shawood msg 7

I don't think you would of been able to do that today, as I asked an they said "come tomorrow".



Jovial John msg 8



I think with the feelings of the brits today you wouldn't of jumped the queue, even if you had an arm hanging off................. LOL

Expat59


Joined: 06/06/2011
Posts: 10

Message Posted:
03/08/2011 21:24

Sounds like heaven as we work in Egypt, noe theirs another story

Geoff


Joined: 25/06/2008
Posts: 1370

Message Posted:
03/08/2011 21:46

Re Msg 8: Nice one - might try that, but with her indoors as the one on crutches.

How did you manage not to laugh as you left the building??

Geoff

steveafc


Joined: 12/12/2008
Posts: 405

Message Posted:
03/08/2011 21:52

Wayne? 7th one?? you should know better my friend

Tango1


Joined: 19/02/2011
Posts: 1151

Message Posted:
04/08/2011 10:14

I agree about people arriving with shed loads of other people passports in their hand. These people should be made to attend at separate times. The last time we went, there was a man in front of us who we thought was acting for Casino workers and he must have had 15 or more assorted passports and paper work with him. Could have been workers from a local "nighclub" of course.

R.C.T.Man.



Joined: 27/03/2009
Posts: 746

Message Posted:
04/08/2011 11:55

Went to immigration this morning @ the Police Station we got there ' 0635 hrs & we were no 6 , all finnished including blood test for wife @ 0930 hrs . ( Happy Days )

joandjelly


Joined: 24/02/2008
Posts: 2953

Message Posted:
04/08/2011 12:46

Went to Lefkosa yesterday to get our residency stamp. Arrived at 07.35 and was 15 and 16 on the list. Door opened at 08.00 and tickets were handed out about 5 minutes later in the waiting room. We got numbers 504 and 505 which meant we were the third couple to be seen. We then went and bought our stamps at the cafe and had a nice simit and coffee. The office opened at 08.30 and we were seen at about 09.10. All done and dusted and on our way by 09.30. The police station at Girne could definitely do with a visit to Immigration to see how it should be done although I have always found the officers to be very polite and helpful.

come_on_aylin


Joined: 14/06/2008
Posts: 908

Message Posted:
04/08/2011 13:02

R.C.T. Man - we have to do ours in a couple of weeks, assuming you can still do it 30 days in advance. Did you have to get an extra ticket to come back after the blood test or did you just walk in like someone else mentioned? Any new requirements? It seems to change every year...

clews



Joined: 16/03/2009
Posts: 70

Message Posted:
04/08/2011 13:28

Our experience at the Police Station this year (June) was absolutely terrible, after standing for three hours the Police Officer who dealt with us was extremely rude and aggressive and obviously stressed from all his hard work (ha ha). He hardly looked at our paperwork before slamming it all back down on the counter in front of us and then without any explanation told us to come back tomorrow.



The next day he must have been in a better mood as this time he was all smiles and trying to crack a few jokes . . . Guess who was'nt laughing!

R.C.T.Man.



Joined: 27/03/2009
Posts: 746

Message Posted:
04/08/2011 13:38

Morning Eileen, Yes you can do it thirty days in advance as we did today.

Ref the second ticket after the blood test no you do not need one, as soon as you get your receipt from the the Lab, take it straight back to the Imigration office & just walk in , he will take it off you & say ok Lefcosia in two weeks.



Two he asked us for today which he has never done before was, Marriage cert & original Kocan, i had neither & we shared a joke & that was ok .



Hope this clears it up for you.

Agobard


Joined: 20/08/2008
Posts: 271

Message Posted:
04/08/2011 17:27

Message 16: so you had to get up at some antisocial time of the morning and it still took 3 hours? You think this is a civilised and satisfactory state of affairs?? Well, whatever floats your boat, I suppose!

come_on_aylin


Joined: 14/06/2008
Posts: 908

Message Posted:
04/08/2011 17:47

RCT, thanks for the info. Not looking forward to the early start though...

Eileen

deputydawg


Joined: 30/03/2010
Posts: 1727

Message Posted:
04/08/2011 19:09

Until recently the process was a lot better but seems to have lapsed again to the unsatisfactory level that existed several years ago. Perhaps some of it due to the sheer numbers of those now being made to register. I believe the earlier improvement occurred due to requests made by the BRS so if that is the case perhaps best to ask them to take up the issue again ?