Slices of Life from Belize - June 16, 2014

Permanent Residency Status

Well, our status can be summed up in two words: still waiting. Actually there are a bunch of other words I could insert here after all these months, but I'll spare you the blue tinted air that would ensue. 

After submitting our application on June 11, 2013, things were moving along with having our initial interview, then after a bit of a delay, having our interview with Special Branch. Then, as I posted back in January, the scandal broke with regards to the Immigration department. Nothing, and I mean nothing, happened for at least six months while the investigations and reorganizations took place. 

We did at least determine that our file is on the director's desk waiting for her signature. Of course, it's been in that spot for at least the last five months, and no one can tell us when our file will be given the final okay.

So we continue to wait. We're not alone, as there are a slew of other folks in the same boat, including those waiting for citizenship and Belize passports. 



Dianna' Drawing Table

Our friend, Dianna, expressed a desire to revisit her hobby of pen and ink drawings. And while she has pens, paper, and pictures, what she needed was a drawing table to kick-start things. She talked with David about it and showed him some online pics of what she was thinking of. He took some measurements, came up with a design, and got to work. Here's the finished piece, delivered late last month. (Excuse the cat photobombing this and the other shots).

In addition to the table top being flat (handy to use as a dining table), David designed the top to be tilted at various angles -- from 15 to 45 degrees. Lots of smooth, rounded corners to make our artist be comfy. (Hmmm, seems the puppy decided to get in on the photobomb action too).

This is a view from the back showing how the top can be adjusted to the various angles. 

And see that dowel rod That's to make it easier for Dianna to adjust the tilt of the table. When the top is flat, that dowel rod attaches to a magnet (that white thing on the leg to the right) to keep it from bumping someone's knee. I've asked David to do a blog post going into all the detail of this project, so stay tuned. In the meantime, another fine quality piece of workmanship.

Practically Cute

It's time again to go on a power washing spree. You would not believe how quickly gunk and mold can grow here. Anyhoo, whenever I've used the power washer in the past, I donned my trusty, green Wellies to keep my feet dry and minimize the amount of grit that can embed itself into every pore of your being.

But my poor, green Wellies were starting to fall apart and my tootsies weren't staying dry. Time to get some replacements. Now any girl can go with something practical, but if you can do that and still bring in a cute factor, well, it just doesn't get much better than that.

Behold...

...paisley, rubberized, cowgirl boots! They're super comfortable and add a much needed pop of color during rainy season.

Corozal Living / Corozal Arts & Crafts

Back in March, I posted about the launch of the Corozal Living group residing on Facebook. The group is designed as a way for folks to share what they know, pose questions, and find resources here within the Corozal District. 

At the time of my initial post, I was thrilled that we over 160 people were members. Today? Well we have over 580 and it keeps on growing! 

Over the last couple of months, there have been two documents added to the group's file list that may be of interest: a Corozal Town visitor's map and a listing of recommended local contractors and businesses. 

In case you're not on Facebook, you can also access these documents here on our blog. The map is located on the top right of the page, right above our local weather link. The recommended businesses link is shown right under our blog banner.

Another Facebook group that may be of interest to those visiting/moving here is the Corozal Arts & Crafts page. Here you will find a growing collection paintings, drawings, hand made jewelry, furniture, and other handiwork from local arts and crafts people. 

If any of our blog readers/followers want to be part of these growing communities, simply click the "join" option on the respective group pages.

Slices of Life From Belize: January 26, 2014

Ever had one of those months where the days feel like they just zip right by? That's what January has been like for me. I really thought we would settle back into our normal routines once the holidays were over. However, stuff just kept coming up and, the whole month, so far, has felt a bit disjointed, as will this post in all likelihood.

Hopefully, the turns in topics won't throw you into a tailspin.

Permanent Residency Update: One step closer

Way, way back in June of last year I posted about where we were in our quest for residency. At that point in time, we were hopeful that we would receive our official stamp around August or September. All that was left to be done was have Special Branch in Belmopan run an Interpol check, forward the application to Special Branch in Corozal, have an interview there, then go back to Immigration in Belmopan for our final interview. And everything might have gone according to plan, if there hadn't been a scandal in the Immigration Department. I'll spare you all the details, but allegedly some officers in the Department were essentially selling passports and citizenships. 

When the news broke around late August, the government decided to shut down the Immigration Department in Belmopan. That meant, while they were investigating, reorganizing, doing whatever else, all of us with residency and citizenship applications were in limbo. It took until early this month for the Immigration Department to be up and running again.

Earlier in January we called to get a status of our application and were eventually told it was still with Special Branch. Then we started calling Special Branch to find out why it was taking so long to do the Interpol check. After David was transferred five times, he finally spoke with a gentleman who seemed to know what was going on. He agreed that it shouldn't take that long for the the check to be done and after some digging, said that Special Branch in Corozal had our file. He was kind enough to give us the name of two officers in that office that we could speak to.

As soon as David got off the phone, he drove down to the Special Branch office in town. The two officers, whose names he was given, weren't available. But another officer was. After about 15 minutes of scrolling through his online files, he found ours. An appointment was set up for the following Monday for our interview. The officer made it very clear that we needed to bring all of our documentation, including land certificates, utility bills, references, and the like.

We arrived on Monday to find that the officer David spoke to the week before wasn't around, but another officer could see us. I whipped out all of our paperwork, and was at the ready to hand over whatever information would be needed. Turns out the officer only wanted to see our passports and our references. He told us that once the references were checked, our file would be transmitted back to Immigration in Belmopan sometime in the next two weeks.

At this point, I have to admit that I wasn't incredibly hopeful that the two week turnaround was going to happen. But lo and behold, that Thursday we found out from the friends we listed as references that they had been contacted.

We then called Immigration in Belmopan to find out when they might schedule our final interview. We lucked out and got connected to a woman who really seemed to be on the ball. She let us know that she would need verification from the Corozal Immigration office that we were up-to-date on our monthly stamps. As we needed to go there anyway last Thursday for our January stamp, we could get it taken care of then. After providing photocopies of the last few stamps in our passports, along with the pages with our pictures and passport details, the Corozal office faxed everything off to Belmopan.

When we got home, we called the woman in Belmopan back and she let us know she would keep an eye out for the fax and, we should check back in the next week or two to schedule our final interview.

Crazy, no? But we're far closer to the finish line than we've been in the past and hope springs eternal that we'll be official Permanent Residents before our February stamp is required.

===========================

Running Demons

While all of the residency stuff was going on, we had another episode of Lizi escaping the yard. I really have no idea what makes her do this. Ninety-nine percent of the time she is quite happy, plays with Sam, runs around with Olivia, and seems not to have a care in the world. But then some sort of running demon possesses her and she figures out a way to bolt. 

Our runner, Lizi

It took almost two hours for David and Fernando to corral her and it was only because she exhausted herself that they finally could get a leash on her. This dog was running down the airstrip that is behind our house! She crossed the highway and somehow made it back across without being hit! Fernando brought her back and immediately gave her a bath, because she was covered in who knows what. And at no time did she look penitent. I'm beginning to wonder if exorcisms might work on dogs.

=========================== 


A Graceless Week

When Lizi got loose, I tried to help the guys nab her. Unfortunately, as I was walking down the lane and keeping my eyes on her, I failed to notice a rock in my path. Down I went and ended up skinning my knee and bruising ribs on my right side.

It took a couple of days for my ribs to start feeling good enough to want to play Wii tennis again. I am hopelessly addicted to it. So as to not aggravate my ribs, I decided to try and play left-handed. That worked out well for a bit, until I went for a shot and slammed the top of my left hand into the mahogany front door. A bruised knuckle was my trophy.

A couple of days after that brilliant move, I was carrying our full coffee cups out to the porch. My toe caught the edge of the living room carpet and coffee went flying. Fortunately, none of it hit the carpet, I didn't fall, nor did either of the cups break. I did, however, twist my ankle a tiny bit.

As this was the third time in a week I had demonstrated my graceful qualities, I decided I was at my quota. Knock on wood, I've been accident free since then. Well until the next time I do a bonehead stunt. In the meantime, David is seriously considering encasing me in bubble wrap to help minimize future bodily damage. A fashion statement, it isn't.

===========================

Winter in Belize

This portion of the post I know will not elicit any sympathy from readers in North America, but...

It can get downright chilly here. We had a stretch where our temperatures during the day were in upper 60s, low 70s and at night hit the low 50s. There also wasn't much sun to be found. Doesn't sound too awful until you remember that few, if any, of us have heaters and many homes don't have hot water. Without the sun to warm up concrete, those of us who have block houses were feeling the chill. Add tile floors to walk on and it's easier to understand why most of us have been wearing socks and shoes instead of flip flops, while digging out long-sleeve shirts and pants.

A reasonable indicator of how chilly it gets:

The coconut oil solidifies.

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Steppin' Up

The cool weather also played havoc with David's latest project. A friend of ours, Colleen, asked if David could make some steps to help shorter friends of theirs get into the raised bed in their spare room should they spend the night.

David figured out the design, bought the wood, and went to work. Unfortunately putting on the coats of varnish had to be delayed a bit because it was too cold. But finally the weather started cooperate and he could finish the piece.

 

Pretty, isn't it? Princess Kitcat was supremely disappointed to find out this was not her new throne.

And while I'm sorta', kinda' on the topic of pets, here are a few more shots of our brood:

Olivia - who can resist this face?

 

Sam and Lizi wrestling on their dog beds...

 

...then just hanging out.

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Behold the glory of CHEESE!

We were very spoiled while living in the States, especially when it came to having access to a variety of lovely cheeses. We had one whole drawer in our fridge that only housed cheese. We were/are addicts.

When we made the move here, we knew that getting our hands on cheeses of any quality would be the exception than the rule. We've come to being content eating wedges of Happy Cow (the Belize version of Laughing Cow). 

But then a wonderful thing happened. A company by the name of Caves Branch Artisan Cheeses opened in the south of the country. We were fortunate enough to sample some of their offerings (thank you Colleen and Bruce!) and were so impressed that we recently placed an order (thanks Judy Y. for organizing that).

At this very moment, we have (from left to right): 

Spressa - a semi-hard cheese with "a hint of a tart texture yet a light fruity after flavor."

Camembert (Triple Creme)

Cheddar

Parmesan

Mr. Stinky - "A rich lingering flavor of Rouquefort blue, but a dryer texture."

Our cheese drawer in the fridge is full! YAY! Check out Caves Branch on Facebook.

===========================  

So there you have it -- a rather mixed bag of what has being going on at Casa Wright. Maybe in the coming weeks we'll get back in our normal groove. 

Ahhhh, probably not.

Our Journey to Permanent Residency - Part Four: First Interview

On our June 11 jaunt to Belmopan, we came away with our residency package being submitted to Immigration and an interview date for yesterday.

Our appointment was scheduled for 9:00 am, so we hit the road around 6:00 am, armed with our paperwork. I took the wheel for the 2 1/2 hour drive down and was treated to being passed by a bus on a curve, playing chicken with oncoming traffic trying to pass slow trucks, and a severe downpour while on the Western Highway. Oh, and one speed bump that came out of nowhere. In other words, a typical driving experience for these parts.

One of the few elusive signs to let you know about bumps in road

But we arrived safe, sound, and even a bit early for our interview. One other couple was standing outside the interview office, so we figured we may not have to wait real long before our turn came.

A few minutes after 9:00 a.m., an officer opened the door and asked all of us inside. The gentleman we were assigned was very nice. Turns out he lives in Corozal and knew exactly where we live.

Other than wanting to know why we wanted to live in Belize, the entire interview consisted of him asking questions that had been covered on the application form. The whole thing took no more than 10 minutes. He let us know that our packet would be sent to the Special Branch office at the Corozal police station and to expect a call from them for an interview in the next couple of weeks.

That was it.

With the interview over, we hopped back in the car and made the reverse trip home. We thought about stopping for lunch, but it was still fairly early. I must say though that there was one little place on the way back advertising armadillo on their menu board that made us pause -- but we gave it a pass. In a weird sort of way, we ended up having almost the same driving experiences coming back as we did going down -- bus passing on blind curve, games of chicken with oncoming traffic, and more downpours.

We got home tired, but satisfied this stage was over and done with.

You might also like:

Our Journey to Permanent Residency -
Part One: Hopping on the Crazy Train
Part Two: Chasing Paper
Part Three: Road Trip to Belmopan

Our Journey to Permanent Residency - Part Three: Road Trip to Belmopan

With our issues with the local Immigration office seemingly resolved and our Permanent Residency packet pulled together, it was time to organize a road trip to Belmopan. There we would arrange to have our police record taken care of, submit our entire packet to Immigration for acceptance, and hopefully come away with a confirmation number and appointment for an interview.

Dave and Dianna Rider decided to join us, as they had some final touches to put on their paperwork to become citizens of Belize. So at 5:00 am on Tuesday, we all piled in our car and started the trek.

The drive to the nation’s capital is about 2 ½ hours. And other than passing through an occasional village, there is almost nothing to look at except vast expanses of bush and sugar cane. One might think you could put your car in cruise control and relax. But we’re talking about driving in Belize. When you aren’t inadvertently playing a game of chicken with oncoming buses and trucks barreling down the highway in your lane, there are the oh-so-subtle speed bumps that seem to come out of nowhere.

Sometimes there is a sign letting you know a bump is coming up, but most of the time the signs are non-existent. Trust in the fact, if you hit one of these bumps doing any speed, you, your passengers, and car will feel the effects. To illustrate this point, there was one bump that snuck up on us and ended up breaking the mechanism that holds the passenger side mirror to the car. While we could have had Dave – who was riding shotgun – hold the mirror in place for the entire trip, David busted out his MacGyver moves and did a quick repair.

Behold the power of duct tape

We reached Belmopan around 7:30 and headed directly to the Police Headquarters.

We had been advised by friends to be sure and get there by 8:00, so we were in good shape. When we walked in, there was only one other person in the waiting area. The closer the clock got to 8:00, more and more people showed up. Around 8:15, a woman came out and distributed police record application request forms to those in the room. It got interesting because there are few flat surfaces to write on and not everyone had a pen.

The application form was straightforward, with spaces to enter your name, address, passport particulars, etc. You also need to provide three color passport-sized photos. As a point of reference, the one-day turnaround to get your police record is only available on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays.

In the meantime, more and more people came into the room. The woman who earlier distributed the forms came back out and asked everyone to form two lines. Now here’s the thing about this sort of request here in Belize: do not assume that just because you were the first one to enter a room that you will be the first one served. To be frank, people just butt in line. It’s been very hard to adopt this practice, as that kind of move is generally considered bad manners in the States. Here? Not so much. We did manage to get closer to the front of one of the lines, and as most of the people in front of us only needed the application form, our turn to be served came fairly quickly. We handed our completed applications to the officer, along with our pictures, got a receipt, and could now find our way to Immigration.

A short ride around the corner, we found the office and parking area. When we entered the Immigration office there were two long lines. Turns out that most of the people in front of us were there to get passports. However, the line for nationality and residency quickly grew and snaked out the door and down the outside walkway. Inside we at least were out of the sun, but as there are was only one chair outside the door we needed to go into, everyone cooled their heels by standing.

A young guard at the Nationality/Residency door ushered people through, though not always by who was next in line. Our turn finally came and after a bit of wait inside the office, met with an Immigration officer. If body language was any indication, the young lady we met with was the poster child for ennui. Oh so slowly she paged through our packet. She examined David’s application and when she saw he was retired and there was a copy of Sworn Declaration of Support (a.k.a. Chattel Form), she pulled my application out of the mix. Then she looked at the copies of our passports. If you recall, we had them copied together on one sheet of paper, then cut in half. She let us know that wouldn’t be acceptable. Each passport needed to be copied on a single sheet of paper. Fortunately, there is a small kiosk in the parking lot, which could do the copying job.

When she looked at our medical exam forms, she wanted to know where the results of our TB tests were. I said that we didn’t have any TB tests done, because it wasn’t on the checklist. After showing her the checklist, she sighed, and gave us a pass on that one.

Ultimately, she let us know that she would accept our application, but we had to provide the passport copies and, of course, our police records. So off we went to the kiosk in the parking lot, leaving Dave and Dianna waiting in line for their turn.

I must say that the woman who runs the kiosk, Copy Express, was cheerful, helpful, and incredibly efficient. By the time our copies were ready, Dave and Dianna had taken care of their business and were waiting at the car. We didn’t look forward to having to stand in line again just to drop off the copies, and decided we would try to follow Belize line protocol and butt our way forward. Turns out, we ran into the young guard on our way in. We explained we just needed to drop off copies, and he escorted us not only to the front of the line, but inside the office. At the first opening, we presented our copies to the officer.

Much to our surprise and delight, she wrote out a confirmation receipt of acceptance and gave us an appointment date/time for our interview. All that was left for the day was to stop by the Police HQ in the afternoon, pick up our police records, and get them to Immigration before their 5:00 pm closing time.

We practically did the Snoopy Dance all the way back to the car. With that one, little piece of paper with a tracking number, we knew there should be no more hassles with our local Immigration office. And while we will still need to pay the monthly $100 stamp fee for each of our passports until we are approved for residency, we felt confident it would only be for a short time.

When we rejoined Dave and Dianna at the car, we decided this momentous occasion called for a celebration of sorts, which only means downing a Belikin or two. As we had already decided we would spend the night in Belmopan, we made the drive our hotel to grab some drinks and see if we could check into our rooms.

I had made reservations at the Yim Saan Hotel a few days prior. Its website advertised they not only had a restaurant on premises, but coffee makers, AC, and WiFi, plus the rates seemed pretty reasonable.

While the restaurant didn't open until 11:00 am (we were about 30 minutes early), we asked the woman behind the counter if we could check into our rooms. She directed us to go back outside and down the walkway to find the door to do that. On our way, we ran into the owner who directed us back to the restaurant where his wife would help us out. After a bit of discussion, which at times was a tad convoluted, we were shown to our rooms.

On the downside, there were no coffee makers. But the rooms were clean, hot water was plentiful, and there was air conditioning. I immediately grabbed the AC remote to get that cool, dry air going. Only problem was that all the control buttons were in Chinese. Fortunately, there was a helpful, hand drawn instruction sheet taped to the wall:

Just loved to see that we could "sleep the wind." 

All the rooms on our second floor came with a small balcony. There was just one tiny problem with Dave and Dianna's door leading out to theirs. The door handle was gone. Dave checked with the woman back down in the restaurant, and she came up to show him how it's done: Just open the sliding window next to the door, reach your hand out, unlock the door, and voila!

After getting settled in, the restaurant was open for business. After downing a couple of beers and lunch, we decided to do a short exploration of local Belmopan stores. To be honest, there's not much to see or do in town, unless you have some business with the government offices.

But we did spy this interesting building:

 

We learned from a passerby that it might be a casino, but what a funky style. And why finish the top bit, but not the rest?

Anyway, after exploring the area we headed back to the hotel. After cooling down a bit, it was time for us to head back to Police HQ. We figured that as they told everyone the police records would be available around 4:00 pm, the place would be packed. And sure enough, even though we got there about 3:15, there was not an empty seat to be found.

We went up to the window and asked the officer if our reports were ready. He had mine, but David's wasn't available at that point. We hung around until the next batch of reports arrived, snagged that, and hightailed it to Immigration. As an aside, I'm sure you will all be relieved to know that we aren't wanted criminals.

Before we went into the Immigration office, we did a quick pit stop at the Copy Express kiosk and had a copy of the police reports made for our records. Then it was off to the office. Compared to the lines we encountered earlier in the day, the place was empty by comparison. In short order we handed in our police reports and our work was done. I can't begin to describe what a feeling of relief it was.

We hooked up with the Riders back at the hotel, and a bit later headed out to a restaurant we saw earlier in the day to have dinner. The Blue Moon Restaurant is, in my humble opinion, one of the best places we've eaten at since moving here. The food is excellent, the service is great, and the owner is welcoming. Located at 1533 Constitution Street, do give this place a try.

After a long day of driving, running around, and whatnot, all of us were exhausted. Sleep came easily and a good night was had by all.

The next morning, the four of us checked out of the hotel in desperate need of coffee. We headed to the market (located near Police HQ) and made a beeline to the first place we saw serving food. The owner brought out four large mugs and after a bracing cup of Nescafe -- no brewed coffee around -- and breakfast, we hit the road to Belize City.

It took about an hour to reach our destination. After a few missed turns, we found the stores we were looking for, loaded our purchases in the car, and headed for home after a stop around Orange Walk for lunch.

At the end of the day, we were happy to be home and thrilled we were able to accomplish our mission to submit and have our residency package accepted.

The next step? We head back to Belmopan for an interview with an Immigration official on Friday, June 21.

Be sure to check back to see how all that goes.

You might also enjoy:

Our Journey to Permanent Residency -

Part One: Hopping on the Crazy Train

Part Two: Chasing Paper

Our Journey to Permanent Residency - Part Two: Chasing Paper

While things seemed to come to a screeching halt for obtaining the forms needed to apply for Permanent Residency, we started hearing and reading about other folks who were encountering similar problems with the Corozal Immigration office. And while it was comforting to know we weren’t the only ones having issues, the question still remained on how everyone could get correct and consistent information.

In a series of emails and conversations with fellow expats, any of us having problems were directed to send our experiences to the Director of Immigration. A number of us sent her emails, but it initially seemed that no action was being taken.

But then came the first whiff that change was in the air when we had to go back to get our stamp from Immigration this month. We were told in May that we would have to wait until we were living here for at least 14 months before we might be given the application packet. We had also heard that we should be prepared to hear that we must apply for a work permit, even though we have no intention of employment.

In the meantime, a couple we know needed to make a trip to the main office of Immigration in Belmopan, and offered to pick up the forms we needed. With those in hand, we knew we wouldn't need to cope with the guy at the Immigration office on that front.

So when it was time to go and get our monthly stamp, we decided that our best course of action was to be polite and agree to whatever Mr. Big Fish in a Small Pond had to say at Immigration. When he looked through our passports, he said that since we’ve lived here a year, we should apply for the QRP program. We explained that we had already paid duty on all of our belongings when we moved here, and been living here a year already, so it really wasn't the program we were interested in. The officer then said that we should apply for permanent residency. We resisted the urge to bang our heads on the counter.

We asked if he would be able to give us the forms (even though we had them, we were curious to see what his response would be). His answer: Yes, he could give us the forms. He found the application and medical forms, which he promptly handed over. I asked if there was some sort of checklist for whatever other documents we may need. He initially said there wasn’t and that it was all spelled out in the application. But right after that, he dug one out and handed it over. I then asked, because I couldn’t resist, if he could check off which items applied to us. He couldn’t. On the high side, we at least made some forward progress. However he was adamant that the next time we came in for a stamp, we needed to show that our application packet had been accepted and be able to provide the confirmation number.

With the basic application packet in hand, we could move ahead tracking down the other forms, get copies made, and have everything notarized.

We started with the Application itself. With Belize being very much a male-dominated society, it was no surprise that it is assumed the man is applying for residence, with the woman being a dependent. The information needed to complete the form is relatively straightforward. For instance, supplying your address, nationality, marital status, DOB, names of dependents (if any), work history, etc.  There is a spot where you are requested to insert a dollar amount of held capital. Per solid advice from friends, we entered the amount of our property and car here in Belize. We were also advised to fill out a form for each of us.

Our Land Certificates (sorta’ like Deeds) were our evidence that we acquired land in Belize. We also had our birth and marriage certificates.

The only other items left to track down were getting our local bank and income tax statements, having a doctor complete our Certificates of Health, including the blood tests for HIV/VDRL, and getting the Sworn Declaration of Support form.

So bright and early one morning, we headed into town. Our first stop was the Income Tax office. The purpose of this form is to let Immigration know we receive no taxable income from running a business in Belize or that kind of thing. The gentleman at the desk couldn’t have been more pleasant or helpful. In no time at all, he had the form completed, stamped, signed, and in our hands. Cost: $0.

From there, we went to Atlantic Bank where we have a checking account. Now as a point of reference, when government forms state they want a “bank statement,” it’s not what you may think. What it means is a letter from your bank that essentially says that you’re a customer in good standing, maintain an account or accounts at that financial institution, and either an average or specific amount of those account balances.

The customer service rep at the bank knew exactly what we needed and promised to have it ready by 8:00 am the following day, which is exactly what happened. Cost: $0

Then we were off to get passport photos. There’s a little shop here in town called Dave’s Photos. The owner, whose name is -- you guessed it -- Dave, is awesome. We walked in and were immediately taken behind the partition to have our pics taken.

Do yourself a favor and make sure your shoulders are covered. I was wearing a tank top, because it was beastly hot and humid. Dave’s assistant (who I think may be his son) went in the back room and came out with a T-shirt for me to put on over my tank top. Granted, it was a bit small, but what customer service! As Dave has a digital set-up, in no time flat we had multiple, color photos. And do make sure you get at least three copies of your photos, because you’ll need those extras for when you request your police record and if they get misplaced during the approval process. Cost: less than $20 BZD /  $10 USD for 16 color photos.

The other great thing about Dave is that he can also make photocopies and is a Justice of the Peace. They act as notaries and, believe or not, are not allowed to charge for their JP services. But we still had a few things to do before we were ready for this piece of the process.

Off we went to see Dr. David Reyes located just a couple of blocks away. We walked in thinking we would be making an appointment for later in the week. So we were really surprised when he popped out of his office and, as there were no other patients, were told he could do our exams and blood work on the spot.

We had heard that some doctors will just fill out the medical form without doing an exam, basically taking your word that you’re in good health. Dr. Reyes, however, gave each of us a fairly thorough going over. As far as our blood work, instead of having to draw a vial of blood and have it processed by a lab, he took a couple of drops from each of our fingers and popped it into small test kits to check for HIV and venereal diseases. In a matter of seconds, the blood work was complete. Cost: $214.00 BZD / $107.00 USD for both exams and blood work.

In the space of just a few hours, we had the majority of our paperwork. If someone had told me that was possible, I would have laughed myself silly. All that was left was obtaining our police record and tracking down the Sworn Declaration of Support.

Now if you go to a local police station, it can take about three months before the report is complete. However, if you go to the Police Headquarters in Belmopan, they can turn it around in a single day. Don’t ask me how or why, it’s just the way it is. We figured we would wait until we went to Belmopan the following Tuesday and get the report then.

That just left the pesky Sworn Declaration of Support. No one seemed to know what we were talking about. While we were told we could get the form in Belmopan, David decided to run the gauntlet at the Immigration office to see if our favorite officer could be of any help.

He walked in fully expecting to come out empty handed. But lo and behold, there on the counter were forms for the taking, including everything to do with residency. And behind the counter, two new people. The woman couldn’t have been more helpful. When David inquired about the form we were looking for, she guided him right to it. He came home in a state of shock.

But then it was my turn to be shocked when I read the form. Remember when I mentioned that Belize is a very male dominated society? Well brace yourself. Here is what the Sworn Declaration of Support form is all about (the following quoted text is verbatim from the form):

The husband/common-law husband/father/brother or whatever other role a guy might have with a wife/common-law wife/mother/sister/fill-in-the-blank female has to “solemnly and sincerely declare that they have known the female/dependent for X number of years. She is (fill in the blank) Nationality having been born at (fill in the blank location) on the (fill in the blank date). I have been living with (fill in female/dependent name) for over X years. She is my (fill in the blank relationship, i.e. “wife”). It is my wish to support her application for Permanent Residence. I hold myself fully responsible for her financial support during her Residence in Belize. I earn an income $ (fill the blank amount) monthly.”

See what I mean? Some of us, only half-jokingly, have come to call this the “Chattel Form.” I mean, really, in this day and age only a man can provide an income? What about women of independent means? What if they want to live here and can easily provide for themselves? Would they still have to have a man vouch for them? Aaaarrrgghhh! I'll step off the soapbox now.

Now that everything, except the police report, was in our hot little hands, we could take the next step of having copies made and having everything notarized. But just to be on the safe side, a good friend of ours offered to have our packet looked at by people in the know to ensure everything was in order. Turns out we were in good shape – all the pieces and parts were in order.

As far as copies go, I wanted to err on the side of having too many than not enough. Yes, more trees had to be sacrificed, but after hearing stories of misplaced paperwork, it was worth the extra paper and cost. We opted to have three copies made of everything except our photos, which we already had plenty of copies.

A lesson we learned is that if you are a couple, do not have both your passports copied on a single sheet, then cut apart. While you may save a few bucks initially, you will end up having to copy them individually on a full-size sheet of paper. Apparently, Immigration wants that extra space to use for whatever stamps they need to put on the document copies. Oh, also remember to copy the front and back cover of your passport, along with any blank pages.

While we had used a company here in town to make our passport copies, we ended up going back to Dave’s Photos to have everything else done and to have him notarize every single sheet. I don’t know how he did it and not have hand cramps from all those signatures, but everything was done the same day.

Now all that was left to do was to make arrangements for a road trip to the Immigration office in Belmopan to submit our packet.

Part Three of our journey is coming up!