Visa Runaround

How much can one run around for a Visa?

On June 2^nd I left on the 11pm Akumba bus, bound for Kigali, Rwanda. Throughout the night, making the 400km trek on potholed roads, a cramped sweaty bus with awful uncomfortable seats; the continual jerking attempting to lull one to sleep though the piercing night cold of the Rwenzori Mountain Range kept one shivering, huddling to try keep warm. By 6:30am we reached the Katuna border crossing between Uganda and Rwanda. As we offloaded from the bus, quickly making our way to Uganda Immigrations to exit Uganda, and then walking about 200ft to the Rwanda Immigration to enter Rwanda. As I walked from Uganda to Rwanda Immigrations, there was another ‘Muzungu’, and I thought I had overheard him mentioning something about Canada, so I made conversation only to find out he was from Vancouver, touring through various countries in Africa! What a small world!!

Well, that excitement of meeting not only a fellow Canadian, but one from Vancouver was short-lived. As we reached the line-up for Rwanda Immigration and I finally made it to the window, anticipating to get a stamp in and welcome to Rwanda….or not! The Immigration Officer took one look at my passport, seeing I was Canadian and asked where my online visitor visa application was, along with the $60 USD fee to enter. WHAT?? I had heard it was free to go to Rwanda, and I certainly hadn’t heard of an online application, how absurd is that! Well…he told me to step aside, and he assured me he’d explain it after the others passed through the line, as he couldn’t allow me entry into Rwanda. I stepped aside, choking back tears…seriously? I’d just sat on a bus ride not sleeping all night because of the cold and the bad roads and uncomfortable seats…just to be denied entry into Rwanda? GRR!!

I saw that the Canadian guy hadn’t yet made it to the desk and I asked him, and he assured me that yes, there was on online process as well as a fee for Canadians but nothing for Americans…all they had to do was show up at the border, passport in hand and they were good to go. How annoying, how could they do that to Canadians, as I became defensive of my nationality!

After a few phone calls to Trophimus, waking him up, and telling him of my dilemma, we worked on problem solving….only to find out there was no option for me but to take the next bus back to Kampala. I called our friend Jennifer in Rwanda, telling her that I wasn’t coming due to Visa issues, and I made my way back to Uganda Immigrations. By that point I didn’t even want to go to Rwanda. If it was going to be that hard for me to visit friends there, forget it!

The Uganda Immigrations Officer listened to me as I explained my situation, not having received and entry stamp from Rwanda and he had to nullify my exit stamp from Uganda. He assured me that I needed to talk to some guy at Immigrations on Monday (it was Friday), and he would give me a 2 month free visa extension until my Work Permit went through.

Making the trip back to Kampala, after catching the next Akumba bus, after 4 hours of a waiting at the freezing cold border, I was happy to head home, my mind busy as this only gave both Trophimus & I more time for planning our wedding! Perfect in that way, as well as seeing God’s hand in keeping me in Uganda…why? I didn’t understand at that point, but I knew He didn’t want me to go to Rwanda.

The weekend was great, I was invisible, as everyone had thought I was in Rwanda to come back, on another visitor visa. Monday I made my way to Immigrations to find out the guy I needed to talk to wasn’t there. Tuesday I returned, and chatted with the guy, only to find out from him that he didn’t do anything for free, and if I needed a visa extension to go ‘stand in that line’. I went to that line and after explaining my situation to the lady, she first told me that it would cost $100 USD for a visa extension, handing me the forms. Then she said, that I wasn’t able to qualify for an extension as I wasn’t supposed to be in the country, I had to return to my home country as soon as possible and wait for our church lawyer to contact me and tell me that my visa was ready. This really got my heart rate going. Once again I stepped back, speechless and choking back tears…not again, I has this same issue last year!

I didn’t have funds to return to Canada and I had no intension of giving it further thought. My only option was to leave Uganda and enter again on a Visitor Visa. So, quickly plans were made for me to make a trip to Nairobi, Kenya the next day .

Later in the evening, a friend from church called me, having seen my post on Facebook that I was annoyed with Uganda Immigrations. He told me of a man who worked in Immigrations that had helped their son who also had run into some problems, and told me if I wanted, he’d call the man in the morning and see if he was willing to help me. Sure enough. I was afraid it might make the situation worse, but left it to God, surely He’d see me through.

The next morning he called me assuring me that ‘Charles’ was willing to see me, and after a short call to ‘Charles’, I got ready to head to Immigrations for the 3^rd day in a row…what was my death sentence going to be today? After sitting for 2 hours, Trophimus & I walked out, I didn’t have time to sit there all day, and it as coming to lunch and surely he would be taking his hour lunch break. As we exited the gate, Trophimus said to me, ‘just try call him once more’, as ‘Charles ‘was in a meeting and I had been told to continue trying to call him. Sure enough, just as we had exited, he answered his phone, telling us to come back and he’d see us right away. Praise God!

As he showed me into his office, he sat down and listened as I explained the predicament I was in. He asked me if all I needed was a Visa Extension until my Work Permit was processed and I replied yes. He walked out his office, my passport in his hand, and returned not five minutes later, handing it to me. As I looked down, I saw it was stamped, authorized and signed, giving me a free 2 months Visa Extension! God knew that and kept me from going to Rwanda to see His hand in it all once again!! Wow, what more to say than seeing God’s hand in my Visa situation once again!! Just before I walked out of ‘Charles’ office he told me to call him with my Work Permit File Number so he could follow up on it; meaning that would come faster as well!!

Now I eagerly am awaiting my Work Permit, as it should be processed by the end of this month. Please join me as I pray for it to continue smoothly! The Visa Runaround was crazy, but so worth it, seeing what God was doing, testing my faith, and giving me time with Him on the bus. Thankfully God is not confined to one place or area, but is everywhere!!