Visa Approved

In order to visit or stay in a country not your own, a visa is needed. These are easy to obtain for traveling, holidays, etc. But when one decides to remain in the country, there is a more stringent level of screening and requirements to meet.

In Uganda, there are several classifications or categories of visa applications: student, medical treatment, new business, dependent of someone with an approved visa, and employee. There is no category for “retired and living here”.

Thanks to EMI EA and Semei, the office administrator, I now have in my possession the new 3 year visa that was approved in March. The process began last November after I had updated my US passport. There is no way to begin a visa application with a passport that will expire within the next 12 months, especially since I wanted a 3 year visa. Then, there were the supporting letters from EMI, the application form itself and weekly visits by Semei to the Uganda Immigration Office downtown.

When the application was approved in early March, we paid the fee of 750,000/=UGS and waited. I fully expected the permit to be back dated to last November when the other one expired. But, thanks be to God, the new visa began in March and lasts until March 2012.

Only 6 ½ more years here and I'll qualify for a permanent visa and won't have to go through this nerve wracking process. Now I will be able to go visit other African countries too.

Oh, one of the wonderful things about Uganda: you only pay the fee once the application is approved. Unlike our embassy which charges $100 for someone just to apply and does not refund the money if the application is denied. Go figure....