Dear Sir,
I went to pick up my FM3 card yesterday, or so I thought. The information on the website said “present yourself to the Delegation.” So that’s exactly what I did.Getting there at 9:30 a.m., (the hours are 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Monday-Friday), I found the one operable elevator not operating. So eight flights of stairs needed to be negotiated.
When I got to the office, I was number 114, and the staff were attending number 12. At 1:15 p.m., I was called to the window. The young lady handed me a paper to sign and she said “you need these four documents. You can get most of them across the hall, and your husband has to fill out this form and be here to be fingerprinted.”
Two weeks prior, when dropping off the “documents required” prepared by a service provider, I also had a doctor’s note explaining that my husband was unable to travel due to his poor health, along with a power of attorney giving me the authority to sign for him in his absence. The employee at that time accepted everything. I was not advised on the website that I needed “additional documents,” only that I needed to present myself. Had I known I needed those documents, I could have gone across the hall to get them during my four and a half-hour wait. But I had no clue.
By the time the employee was done with me, she had advised me that I should also talk to her “boss” regarding the absence of my husband. Of course, by that time it was 1:30 p.m. and all the offices were closed.
What does one do when their spouse is unable to travel due to ill health? And why is there not a special day, time or line for service providers, who bring up to 20 clients with them, thereby stalling you?
All I can foresee is more problems with the changes at the Immigration office. Everything could run more smoothly if there were more employees behind the windows and if the service providers had their own time and own window.
Also, they might consider providing clearer information on the website, such as advising you if you need more documents so that you don’t make an unnecessary trip.
Linda Richardson
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