I have been trying for my wife’s visa for the last three-and-a-half months. But I am hugely disappointed by the way things work here.
For the first one month, I wasn’t able to apply because my information wasn’t updated on the LMRA website.
When I was finally able to apply, the LMRA abruptly changed the rule, making it compulsory for the wife’s passport to bear the husband’s name, and my wife’s visa was rejected.
Until the end of February, visas were being issued on the basis of marriage certificates attested by the embassy/External Affairs Ministry.
I personally know two people who were able to get visas for their wives just two weeks before I applied, and their wives’ passports didn’t bear their names.
Then, my wife got another passport which did bear my name. However, her date of birth was printed wrong on the first page of the passport and was corrected on the second page.
I tried applying with that passport twice, but both the times I got the visa with the wrong date of birth that was printed on the first page, which I cancelled.
After that, I was told to ask my wife to get the passport reprinted with the correct date of birth on the first page.
She got the passport reprinted, and I applied again. This time the General Directorate of Nationality, Passports and Residence rejected the application saying that it had failed immigration checks.
Then, my public relations officer called up to tell me that I needed to submit the cancelled copy of the earlier passport as well, which I duly submitted the other day.
However, the LMRA call centre officials say that I need to visit the embassy and they won’t tell me the details.
Can somebody help me by telling me what can be done in these circumstances, and how many more months will they take to issue the visa?
A harassed expat