Criminal Acts

By Glen

The Shakespeare Language School

When I first came on board the Shakespeare Language School, the manager, Mrs. Dora, the manager made copies of my passport, CV, university diploma and teaching certificate. “We’ll take care of everything. Don’t worry about a thing,” she reassured me.

And so I concentrated on teaching, mostly exam-preparation and business English classes. I also began adjusting to my new home.

Bus Ride

However as my 90-day tourist visa for Vynovia approached its expiry date, I brought this up with Mrs. Dora. She replied that due to some government regulatory changes, it was taking much longer than expected.

But it was no big deal: “Just take a coach over the border to Oesophagusia,” she said. I would spend the night there, then catch a coach back.

At the border, the Vynovian guards will issue me a new 90-day visa. When I returned the school would reimburse me — I just needed to make sure I kept the receipts.

The Border

Thus on my next days off, I took an evening train (I’m a train buff) to nearest city in Oesophagusia. After exploring it for most of the day, I caught the evening train back to Vynovia.

At the border, however, the passport control officer informed me that tourists could only stay in Vynovia for only 90-days within a six-month period.

If visitors wanted another 90-day visa within the same time-frame, they would have to purchase another one: for $100. The alternative was not able to re-enter the country for another three months.

Documents and Paperwork

Nearly a month later, the assistant manager of the school, Ana, accompanied me to the Ministry of Foreign Residency to present all my documents and paperwork to legalize my stay.

“You CANNOT apply for a work visa here!—the rules have changed,” the director told us. “You can only do that at a Vynovian Embassy in your home country.” In my case, this would entail an 18-hour plane ride to Canberra.

When Ana asked if there was some other way to go about my legalization, the director replied there was nothing he could do about it; I would have to appeal to the magistrate for immigration.

The Magistrate for Immigration

The magistrate reiterated what the director of the Foreign Residency had said. In addition he berated me for not having arranged everything at home prior to working at the school.

Fortunately since our countries had good relations, and in view of my circumstance, he grudgingly authorized that we could process the work visa here.

“But you MUST pay the processing fee for all the paperwork.

How much is it?

“Only $200.”

Unfortunately we had to start whole the procedure all over again, following a new set of rules and forms.

Apostilles

This turned out to be far more complicated than what the school had gone through for previous foreign teachers.

This included placing a job advertisement for the position for at least a month. They had to demonstrate that no Vynovian citizen could perform the job.

I had to present all my documents with apostilles from all the issuing institutions in my home country, translating every single one, and having them authenticated and certified by various ministries—with their accompanying processing fees.

Back to the Ministry

Finally, we got all the paperwork done and returned to the Ministry of Foreign Residency.

This time the director informed us that I had overstayed my second visitor’s visa…the act of processing the residence visa and work permit no longer automatically conferred the applicant an extended grace period, as it once did.

And so we had to see the asylum and refugee judge to review my case.

“What’s the MATTER with you!?! Why DIDN’T you follow the rules?!? You’ve BROKEN the LAW!!!”

Normally the consequence (especially for non-Westerners) was detainment followed by deportation, and a red stamp on the offender’s passport.

The judge informed us that I was very, very, very fortunate indeed because many nationals from his country have emigrated to mine. As a result, I would have to pay a fine of just $300.

The Border Official

Outside the courtroom, we made out way through the corridors—where some nearly a hundred other foreigners with an assortment of documents waited their turn to see various other judges.

Here we ran into the border official I encountered at the start of this whole procedure. She was bringing in the day’s caseloads. Ana briefly explained to her my situation. Her expression remained unmoved.

“Don’t mention this to anyone,” she said almost in a whisper. “At the end of the day when everyone has left and the courts close…the judges and paralegals all joke and laugh with each other.

“You see, they really, really LOVE people like you. Seeing you and others making stupid mistakes and violating the law, over and over makes them very, very HAPPY.

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1. How do you think Glenn found employment with his school?
2. Was it easy to obtain a work visa and residence permit? Why or why not?
3. All the teachers at Shakespeare Language School are probably foreign. Yes or no?
4. The writer is Scottish. True or false?
5. What is an “apostille”? Have you dealt with apostilles?
6. Do the officials despise to the writer?

A. Are there many foreign teachers in your city/country? Where do they come from?
B. Is it very difficult for foreigners (immigrants) to obtain legal residency in your country?
C. Do many people from your country emigrate? To where? Why?
D. How difficult is it for people in your country to emigrate?
E. Do you know anyone who has emigrated? What was their experience?
F. Are you planning to emigrate or live abroad for a certain time? Where and why?