Ok a lil' background history first.
As a Malaysian, I am allowed to stay in Switzerland on tourist visa which is valid for 3 months. Since I want to stay longer with Mi Amor, I emailed the Swiss embassy in Malaysia asking them how do I go about applying for a permit to stay longer than 3 months in Switzerland (btw, all this happened around Nov 2010, immediately after Mi Amor left for Vevey). I received a reply from the embassy saying that I do not have to do anything on my side but Mi Amor will have to file for an application on his side for a permit for me for the purpose of family reunification and submit it to Vevey's city/town hall office (Hotel de Ville). Once he receives a reply and if it is favourable, then all I have to do is register with the HdV once I arrive here. The whole process should take about a month, two at tops. Thinking it was too good to be true (that I don't hafta do the dirty work and leave it to Mi Amor), I even called up the swiss embassy to reconfirm what was stated in their reply email. So after the reconfirmation by the embassy person, I told Mi Amor to immediately go about filing an application. Anyway the plan was that once I arrive in February, hopefully the permit will have been approved then (it would have been 3 months since the application). However if it's still pending, I can still stay for 3 months on my tourist visa.
So when I arrived in February 2011, there was still no sign of my permit. We weren't so worried then but once March came around and there was still no sign of a permit, Mi Amor called up the office and guess what they said? They said that they received the application that Mi Amor submitted back in Nov 2010 but they were still waiting for an application to be submitted back home in Malaysia by yours truly. SAY WHAT?!? Mi Amor told them about what the swiss embassy in Malaysia informed me but they were still adamant that I submit an application through the embassy in Malaysia. Well they could have had the courtesy to inform Mi Amor earlier :P I started to panic about the logistics of submitting an application back home. Then Mi Amor suggested we go to the HdV and see if we can just submit an application through the HdV itself because half of the time these admin people don't even know/understand what they're talking about (especially when the conversation is in English).
So I went to the HdV and submitted an application (yes, turns out it is possible to submit it there itself! :P) and was told that there should be no problem and they will forward my application to the office in Lausanne whereby I should expect to hear from them within 2-3 weeks.
After 3 weeks, we went back to the HdV and surprise surprise.....that they still had not received any news from the office in Lausanne regarding my application!! By this time it was already mid April and I told the man at the counter I had 2 weeks left on my tourist visa. Seeing how worried I was the man at the counter gave me the number of the office in Lausanne and told me to follow up directly with them. Mi Amor emailed the office in Lausanne and when they replied, they said something along the lines of, "regrettably it has just been brought to our attention....bla bla bla...we will forward the application to the office in Bern" WHAT THE @$%& ?!? Now only its been brought to your attention?
Well, after that there was nothing much we could do but wait and pray while formulating a plan B incase my permit doesn't come through within this week. Yupp, my tourist visa officially expires on the 5th of May 2011.
By Wednesday morning, 4th May I was already mentally preparing myself to leave Mi Amor (the poor guy was already depressed enuff as it is as 2 of his close friends who are also here on mission will be returning to their country this month). Then when Mi Amor came home for lunch, as he walked through the door he excitedly waved a letter in his hand...yupp, THE LETTER !
After 5 months of waiting, it was kinda hard to believe that the letter we had been waiting for had finally arrived (and in the freaking nick of time!) . The letter was dated 2nd May and the date on the envelope was 3rd and it finally arrived in our post box on the 4th (not to mention my visa expires on the 5th!). The letter also stated that I had to go to the office in Lausanne to make my biometric card so immediately after lunch I took the train to Lausanne and made my way to the office (needed to use a map to help me find my way) and managed to settle the whole thing within an hour!
So yeah, after a 5 months waiting game, I am now a Swiss Miss (well that's what my SIL calls me anyway) :D so here's what I made to celebrate
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| Butter shortbread biscuit with dark chocolate drizzle |
YUMMY !
