Residency

[gates]

Rightly said Ijarvo there are lots and some of them mess up. They only got my friends 1 year. They are swallows stay for 6 weeks at a time now how are they supposed to go down the route that takes nearly a year.

[Dalartokat]

It’s not just Capital that offer this service there are a few companies that offer it and have done so for years

If immigration can’t sort out applications in a timely manner the it’s no wonder people go down this route …

Agree……I can remember over 25 years ago Pegasus bar & restaurant with Alan Calvinder and his wife Jean helping people with all sorts of queries, be it to do with car tax, MOT etc. There were many TC’s also helping in exchange for a fee.
Moving on looking at Facebook on another site someone asked how to get help with Residency it didn’t take long for the promotion of individuals who could be contacted, “lawyers” being recommended, even the the Foreign residents group. With all the Russians arriving in NC they will have all their own helping them. Even Peyman Erginel advertises help for Residency for a fee. Today there is someone querying what happens when someone reaches 18 and the same happened including a company from Girne.

There’s nothing wrong with it, it’s not a crime, if people offer a service and it works, it’s less stress.

[come_on_aylin]

A friend completed their renewal application today, police appointment is 4th June...

[TRNCMaths]

There were many TC’s also helping in exchange for a fee ... Even Peyman Erginel advertises help for Residency for a fee ... There’s nothing wrong with it, it’s not a crime, if people offer a service and it works, it’s less stress.

I don't know what service Peymen Erginel is offering, but if some here are indeed able to "help" expats by sorting their residency in 22 days (see msg 27), then clearly, some of the "fee" being paid to those providing this quick "service" is, at least in part, going into the pockets of certain civil servants and/or police, who are willing to use their position for financial gain ... and that, I'm afraid Dalartokat, is a criminal act.

I hasten to add, and as pointed out by many on this thread, that similar corruption is unfortunately not that rare in this northern part of Cyprus that we all love.

[Dalartokat]

I never said she can sort in 22 days,……… https://www.erginellaw.com/residence-pe ... migration/

[TRNCMaths]

I never said she can sort in 22 days

I didn't say you did. The main topic of this thread, if you haven't read it, has been about the legality of "fast-track services" that some individuals here are providing for some (often desperate) expats - thankfully Ms Erginel doesn't offer such an under-the-table service.

[TRNCMaths]

This was a repeat post, that has now been edited down to this.

[jayceebee]

This comes from a post on a Facebook group.....



"Just so people are aware........The issues at Girne are not a problem created by the immigration police there. I was told by an officer at Girne that they are not in control of appointment times.

Apart from the large number of applications in the Girne district, there is an additional problem.

The appointments are generated automatically by the Ministry of Interior when an application is made. When people go to fast track because they are leaving the original appointment remains in place. New appointments are only added to the end of the previous ones. This is not a huge number of people but does add to the problem.
What makes it even worse is the people who pay agents extra money to do the fast track for them through corrupt means. If we imagine a liberal figure for this of one agent with 10 a day then add another agent, that gives 20 a day, 100 a week and 400 a month.

That is pushing the dates of new appointments for 400 people into the months that follow every month, so there is a huge backlog of unfilled appointments that the system cannot see.

So ...... I would say stop blaming the immigration and start blaming the people who pay the agents to jump the queue."

[snd1966]

So if they know the problem write the computer problem to cross check and free up appointments. And themselves create the option to fast track. Then it will be like the good old days of paying someone to hold your hand and attend appointments with you.

[Mowgli597]

This comes from a post on a Facebook group.....

Do you have a link to the quote please?

[waddo]

So you want me to stop blaming the immigration the backlog caused by the system the immigration is using? The system is broken and yet the people who are happy to make a system work are to blame? If the system in place allows an extra 400 legal applications to be processed every month yet still retains the appointment dates for those people then there is a fault with either the system or the people who manage it.

I would suggest that the digital part of the system works well but the paper trail that has to be completed and checked by hand prior to the digital system is a major fault of the whole system. Stop accepting any fast track applications for whatever reason and reset the system to start again with a new fast track system officially in place.

Like many things digital - you won't be able to fix it until you actually break it!!!

[kerry 6138]

Immigration do have systems in place to allow you to leave during the application process I've used it twice with no problems, no fines, no fees.

[waddo]

kerry6138, so when residency runs out can you still go to the South or do you need to have booked air travel?

[kerry 6138]

I never go south so wouldn't know, but my understanding is if during the period between application and Police appointment you need to leave the country, go to the Police show them your flight details 5 days prior if possible, give them your supporting documents.

If you've already had your police appointment you can travel upto 60 days from appointment, if its over 60 day mske appointment with immigration show travel documents they will process your application same day.

Prior to online applications I missed my application by 1 day, Police insisted I go to Immigration to pay fine, went to immigration they gave me 2 week extension to cover the period instead of fine.

[waddo]

Thanks kerry, difficult to catch a flight from the North to the South just to do some shopping mind you and it's very expensive - lol. Wonder if the 60 days is cumulative or just a one off?

[Nc2016]

Waddo.
As far as I’m aware you can’t go South for shopping until your new residency comes through.
At least that’s what I was told back in January. The policeman asked me if I’d bought everything I needed as my residency expired that night.

[waddo]

Nc2016 - That's what I thought, welcome to the World's largest open prison - lol. Strange that you pay to get into it and then have to pay to get out of it again - lol.

[Mowgli597]

Could someone who has completed a residency renewal in the current circumstances (i.e. a long wait for a police appointment) without using any kind of fast-track process please let us know:

a) how long the process took from beginning the renewal to the issue of the new residency cert

b) whether the expiry date of the new cert was on the anniversary of the old cert or on the date of issue of the new cert (if that makes sense!)

Preferably a two-year certificate because I believe this might take longer.

Thank you.

[snd1966]

Definitely b is back dated to the date to keep your residency continuous
C yes they say 2 year renewal takes longer as more checking
A unfortunately experience is over a year ago, police appointment was just after expiry but immigration took over 80 days as the person tried to leave after 70days and could not go without agreeing the fine

[laptawrinkly]

Hope I can share my experiences, both of the processes and crossing south.

* Started 2 yr renewal on 24/08/23, 20 days before expiry as maximum allowed - where they get this 60 days before expiry I don't know as system never allowed this.

*Police appnt for March 2024. Did not pay the dodgy £60 to capitol insurance (well yes it is dodgy as there is NO official fast track system; as many asked who is getting this 'backhander').

* Went to police stn on 28/08/23 and they did my paperwork.

* Nothing then moved so I went to the residency office 08/09/23 and they moved it on to the health insurance payment part. Was also told I could come and go for 60 days after police stn visit, including going south. Same day paid health insurance.

* 1st time went south after expiry, slight hold up while they checked their system for renewal process (already gave them their system print out

*

* 16/10/23 made online appnt at immigration to chase application at 60%. Be aware, online appnt are at the information desk, and not the residency office, though they can look at your app' stage. 20 odd people waiting, and at 0900 someone found out the office/desk wouldn't be opening that day You couldn't make it up.

Cheekily went to the residency office while there. Lady in front of us was told in no uncertain terms not to come back until over 60 days and she wouldn't do anything for her. Fortunately, a very helpful man in the same office asked if he could help. As we were a week from our 60 days he managed to move it to payment stage and completion.

* So in all took 3 months with a lost of running around by us; one day we went to the immigration (a Friday) about 11ish, it looked like a party was going on in the office - not best pleased to be interrupted by us peasants.

I just refused to be held, effectively in a weeks time, a prisoner here; after 30 years legal residency, it makes not a jot to them at all. The online system designed to make it easier with less trips to offices is clearly not fit for purpose. IMHO, the issues is not with Girne police as clearly they are dealing with people that just turn up, but the office in Lefkosa. This issue doesn't affect TC's, in the same way visa issues in the UK don't affect brits, so no pressure for them to change it.

[waddo]

* Started 2 yr renewal on 24/08/23, 20 days before expiry as maximum allowed - where they get this 60 days before expiry I don't know as system never allowed this.

Perhaps you missed this because you had a 2 year residency already when the first "New" system came into being. At that time you had to login to the system at the 60th day before your residency expired, the idea being that it would all be renewed again in time before your current residency expired! It kind of worked until the people running the new computer system found other jobs to go to, and left a sole person who was learning the new system at that time, to do all the work. That is when the work started to pile up and up and up, with people jumping the que system and keeping the operator on the phone arguing their respective cases. I managed to get into the new system on day 60 but was unable to apply for another 2 year residency as that rule has also changed (For High Income applicants) and could only apply for 1 year! The next time I applied the 60th day had magically changed to the 20th day instead - why anyone thought that would make a difference is well beyond my imagination! But I applied for a 2 year residency and in the fullness of time it happened.

Now I wait till next September to try to renew that one, by which time I feel the whole system will have changed and I will possibly have to start all over again! The point is there used to be a 60th day start point but it did not last for very long.

As there is no system that will cancel your original Police appointment date, because you have already had it, that is one more applicant in the system that clogs it all up - but such is life and nobody cares.

[Hammerhead]

How does this 'Fast Track' work? and how long does it take going that route?

I have been told this morning that fast track has been stopped , capital told me that.

[Hammerhead]

Told this morning fast track has been suspended by Trevor hughes

[gates]

Well done now if someone needs to get back urgent they just have to put money into a fine so who gets that. It really dumbfounded me how we muck ourselves her. Thank god i don’t mix with the sort sighted people that have stopped this

[Mowgli597]

The BRS were blamed for losing the “over 60” concession.

So who’s going to take the flak this time?

[waddo]

Only suspended! Wait for the next chapter when all appointments have been cancelled!

Just love the way immigration have been taking the blame for this, does it mean that there is more than one immigration department and if not then why is it taking so long for the Girne catchment, when its not taking so long for all the others?

Maybe I have missed something in the translation here but that seems strange to me.

[kerry 6138]

Well done now if someone needs to get back urgent they just have to put money into a fine so who gets that. It really dumbfounded me how we muck ourselves her. Thank god i don’t mix with the sort sighted people that have stopped this

or you could go to Immigration with your flight details and they will fast track it.

[gates]

Have you ever heard of any successful person in that

[snd1966]

Yes I have but not so sure now as the whole saga is in the beam of the spotlight and probably not liked and as this will be personal to the person wanting to leave it is harder to smile, shrug and return with an even bigger smile

[kerry 6138]

Have you ever heard of any successful person in that

If this is in relation to my post about going to immigration with flight details, Ive done it twice since applications went online.