Immigration

Tuesday 22 December

Yiannis took us to immigration and dropped us off. We waited to see the woman, though we were told we could have gone in front of the line at any time (since we had to go back). There were two Russians who tried to but in front of us (looked like mother and daughter). I said that we were here first. The daughter spoke English but she still get the message so I stood my ground.
The woman was the same one that we had before. She asked for the documents and we gave them to her. However, she didn't ask for one that she told us I needed the last time. This was a bank statement of mine going back three months. We had it but I didn't show it to her and I'm glad that Jayne didn't pull it out.

She saw the document that she wanted before stating that I was single. However, it's not the same that we got in Ecuador, as all the Embassy could do here is to stamp what I say on the document that what I wrote is true. However, this she didn't know and what she saw was OK.
Jayne showed her the bank balance she now has, and that was OK. The money she has in it is more than is required to live here, yet this woman asked if she had anything else. Jayne showed her the account where this money came from (that was transferred to Cyprus). The woman asked if there was anything else. Jayne showed her a bank statement book from Spain. She made a copy of that, but before this was not accepted. Can you figure all of this out?! It just shows that what were were told is bull shit!

Then I had to pay 42 euros and 72 cents.

She then told us we have to come back to pick up the visa for Jayne and the receipts.
We called Yiannis and he picked us up. While we were waiting, I thought of this and told Jayne. That when the woman asked for more bank info, it was just a 'fishing expedition' on the government's part. When we satisfy the law, why show more money? We could be there all day if we had more and more accounts to show her.

So, if you have enough money to live here, but have another 10 million euros somewhere else, it's none of their damn business!

We had to take a taxi back to immigration. Yiannis said he had to go to Nicosia, which as it turned out he didn't. But regardless, I would take a taxi anyhow, as I didn't want Yiannis to go again. He's done more than enough for us and dispite all this he wouldn't take money from us.
So, Yiannis called a friend who has a taxi business.

At immigration we were told that Jayne's visa is good indefinately, but mine is only good until my passport expires. Why didn't she tell me this when we were there before!?
I knew that my passport would expire in ten months (October 2010). I didn't renew it yet, for two reasons:

1- that I still had time on it
2 – that I would need my passport when I went into immigration again.

When we were at the America Embassy I asked about it, and they said I can renew it even if I still had 11 months to go. I got a form to fill out, but since this would take about 2 weeks, I would need this before I go immigration again. Had I know this then, I would have filled it out there, come back in when it was ready and just postponed going to immigration until I got it.

The woman said that we don't need all the documents, but told us what we do need. However, I will have to produce a bank statement, pay again, and take the trips again. Of course, I will have to make two trips to Nicosia to get this done.

Wait until Yiannis hears this.