I met the wonderful people at the federal police as a newly wed. We bonded the at first sight of yet another confused foreigner, who spoke no Portuguese, waiting in the long line downtown. Oh yes, when I started my process, the Federal Police was still in the old building no centro. Oh how time flies when you are having fun.
We bonded over our joint killing of trees. They liked me so much there that they asked for numerous copies of my documents. I knew they were each taking one home to frame and hang on the wall. I mean, that's the only logical explanation for why they would need 20 copies of the same document, all with official stamps.
Since the people at the federal police are kind of needy, they had me visiting every 6 months. Of course they promised the card would come before the next 6 months was up. They always said that, but I knew the truth. They'd miss me too much.
So life continued. I was a newlywed, then a pregnant. I was called into a interview to "prove" my relationship with my husband. I knew they really just wanted to look at my scrapbook. I told them they needn't be so formal but those Federal Police like to play hard to get.
Then they switch addresses on me. I got a little nervous. Is this relationship over already? After all the time we've spent staring at each other?!
No, of course not. Those teases.
But it did finally come to an end, as all romance stories do. At least they were kind enough to wait until they moved to their new office at Galeão International Airport. They knew how hurt I would be if I didn't get to see their new pad. It was very mature of them.
So I took my new baby, about 6 months old at the time, and they all got to see him. Awkward seeing I didn't invite any of them to the baby shower! Thankfully, they understood.
Now all I have is my card to remind me of my almost 3 year relationship with the federal police. Don't worry though! I'll get to see them again in 2016 when it expires. You can't get rid of this girl that easily!
Your´s is basically a love story compared to mine which is still going on after 2,5 years and no light in the end of the tunnel thanks to the federal police who scrued up with my papers and what did told me: "sue the Ministry of Justice"....I mean chinese torture, nazi spanking, thai-boxing in the face, african sacrifice rituals and all the rest are peanuts compared to the experiences you collect with PF. They have taught me new leves of hate I never knew I could develope.
ReplyDeleteyikes is this what I have to look forward to?! We are married now 3 years (applied for permanency in July after 6 months of waiting for our US marriage to "register" here), had to go back to get a new FBI report and go to DC to have it "legalized" at the consulate. Was told this would have been so easy/fully processed in about 2-3 months if we'd done this in the Brazilian consulate in the US. Craziness.
ReplyDeleteI thought your smooth talking husband ironed out the drama! What's going on with it now?
ReplyDeleteFBI report?! I went back and got a little police report from my neighborhood police department and got it stamped in LA. No trouble.
ReplyDeleteI believe the Brazilian consulate in the US stuff. It took us 2 to 3 months (after we finally got legally married in Brazil. Took us forever!) for my husband to get his paperwork.
They tell you its 2-3 months in the US and have you hanging out there for ever.
ReplyDeleteMy true hate lies with the cartorio where we got married here. They some how managed to drag what I was assured was a 1month process out 6months. We went for the first time in November and finally managed to get married at the end of May. Apparently that's normal in the Zona Norte, where the judges spend more time on vacation then working.
By then, my visa was overstayed and my police report expired. The FBI told me they could only give me a new one with finger prints. Apparently no police officer in Rio is capable of helping you out with that (I learned that the hard way).
After numerous trips to the PF, the told me to go home for the quick 2months, get my documents changed to my married name and get my visa there. Silly me for believing them.
I got an awesome temp job and set off for the US for what I thought would be 3months. Since I had overstayed my tourist visa, I was banned for 6.
6months later, the consulate was still telling me the visa would be ready at any time and to follow the process on the web. I went back to Brazil on my tourist visa to wait there where at least I'd be with my husband.
Finally, after 8months, I got an email from the consulate saying my visa was ready. I mailed my passport to my mom, who picked it up for me and mailed my passport back. I had to go to Foz de Iguacu to cross the border and get a new stamp.
It took me 5 trips from Recreio to Galeao and 3months in order to register my visa and get a document that would let me get a carteira de trabalho, which I had been promised I could do on the first day I had my official permanent visa in my passport. That was one of the supposed advantages to applying in the US, according to the PF.
I am sure I will get to see them plenty more times before I finally get the mystical ID card.
Wow! I got my Carteira de Trabalho right away once I was registed with the Federal Police.
ReplyDeleteOh dear, I hope we dont have to do that??? We were told to head to the Federal Police once we get there but we have no idea why.... all we have is a form ....hmmm YIKES! Hilariously YIKES!
ReplyDeleteThose retarded (pardon my french) at PF didn´t send my interview along with other docs so that´s why my visa application was simply denied. And they told me to start everything from zero and sue the ministry since we managed to prove that we were interviewed and the doc was there at PF. So, then my smooth hubby got the head of the PF to write a "letter for the reconsideration of my application" and I doubt that not even the wholy spirit knows what´s my situation at the moment. I´ve called and asked but nobody knows. So I have now two of those ridiculous small papers when I travel, one asking for the visa and other asking for it´s reconsideration. I would so like to have a third sayng "pedido de mandar PF tomar no %$#"
ReplyDeleteI think if you have all the documents they need, you can get get it pretty quickly in the US. I got mine in less than 2 mos at the Miami consulate....because I had already heard horror stories like this...feel sorry for you guys!
ReplyDeleteOh you've reminded me of the horrible times having to spend hours at the PF in centro. I moved here in early 2004 but I had to wait for my divorce in the US to be finalized to get married here. I was illegal here for a couple of months. Once it was finalized, I had to have the whole document, 40 pages, translated (the cost!) and all of the other normal stuff too. Back and forth to the cartorio, PF...so many times. The really bad thing was that my husband was scheduled to be based between Los Angeles and Japan in late October...and that date kept nearing. Finally, we got our date for an official marriage, October 15. We left for L.A. October 23rd...talk about cutting it close. Once in L.A. I did the paperwork for the permanent visa at the Brasilian consulate...and finally, in January, 2 days before we left back for Rio, my Visa was issued. More sweat, we really were sweating! The weird thing was that NO ONE ever mentioned I needed an RNE...it was only because a month later I was reading a blog and stumbled upon this info...so once again, back down to the PF in Centro...it seems like we spent a good 9 months back and forth. Mine expires in 2014. My CPF was the easiest of all, it took about 10 minutes and one week (1) week to be mailed to me...I was sem palavras!) I've never done a work card here, or a driver's license, just because I think I'm so shell-shocked from that whole ordeal the thought of another is unbearable. Dealing with the issuing my 4 year old's (now) 4 passports and the authorizations to travel with him...I get burned out fast.
ReplyDeleteI got my visa and work book within 11 months of arriving. Still waiting for the ID. Two years and counting...
ReplyDeleteI'm going through the PF residency paperwork meatgrinder myself right now. It surely makes the drudgery of doing business/gaming licenses and s-corps seem like "the good 'ol days". I never thought anyone could top those sisyphean endeavors...I was wrong.
ReplyDeleteMy visa process was messed up by the federal police and later approved despite missing my birth certificate. So after receiving my visa, I went to go pick it up. And needed my papers photocopied again. Well stupid I thought. I guess for your RNE not your visa. Well they discovered I didn't have a good enough birth certificate and it wasn't stamped or translated or registered with the cartorio. But the kicker was in my visa process I was told it wasn't need. I thought it was crazy, but it so stressful I left it alone. So the lady at the Federal Police tried taking my visa away from me. Yeah two months later, after my mom mailed my birth of record to the consulate in Chicago for legization.... recieving it and going to the cartorio for th 100th time. It was set, I got my RNE and my visa was never taken. 6 months and no ID card yet. But my CPF and work card was super easy. But FBI and police records-- what is this??? I never did that.
ReplyDeleteI don't know why my situation is different. Because I'm Canadian? Because we got married in Canada?
ReplyDeleteI've been here less than 11 months and I just got word that my card is waiting at PF!
But maybe they are lying. I won't tell you until it's in my hands...