Short version: I had applied for renewal of my permit and the migration board forgot to process the file. They needed a reminder about one and a half months later.

My husband and I had applied for renewal of our B-permits around the middle of December. My permit is dependent on my husband's. He got his within 2 weeks or so. At the beginning of January, we went to the Kreisburo to enquire about the status of my permit. We were told that it was probably still being processed and that since my surname was different from my husband's, mine would take much longer to process. However, this had not been the case the previous times. So we came back and 2 weeks later I again go there to enquire. The same lady tells us that we should not be asking "so soon" since it takes about 6 weeks. So again we return and go there again in the second week of February. This time there was another lady who was much more efficient and actually made the effort to enquire. She called the migration office and also told us that processing is independent of surname - families get dealt with at one go. So she found out that the people at the migration board had simply forgotten to process my application. After that reminder I got my permit by registered post a week later. I can't imagine how something like this can be simply forgotten!! & these people talk about SWISS efficiency!!

Not a big deal was it? mistakes happen.

Swiss people are still people. They are not robots. I'm glad it all turned out well in the end and you got your permit renewal settled.

I would disagree- I mean, this seems not to be the point of the OP.

As far as I understand the issue is more on the numerous attempts to contact the service and the lack of actual verification.

So it's not a "mistake", but a succession of failures: when a citizen contact them about a process in progress, they should be able to simply and quickly tell that person what's the real status, what is happening.

Especially if the delays are usually over weeks, you don't want to wait weeks to be told at the end of that process that a mistake has been made. Then it's wait again for more weeks.

So yes mistakes do happens, no it's not acceptable to tell cr@p to citizen just because they fail to verify.

PS: yes Swiss efficiency is a myth, it's like advertising. Especially that many administration offices are overcrowded and fail to handle the extra tasks efficiently.

But it's about civil servants, paid to do a specific job.

In that example, are you trying to justify that they lied to the citizen, and failed to make the proper verification?


PS: it turned out well, but what if they relied on their permis for any other admin task, or border or whatever? Will the admin accept the mistake and assist? Or will the citizen be left on their own having to deal with a public service failures?

So where is the problem? Swiss authorities listen to you, be proud of it, very few people can say that.

Some civil servants lied to the citizen, and failed to make the proper verification.

That's still not half as much as the lies I had to endure from private businesses. And I left France saying very vulgar words to the EDF and the phone company.
I've also been treated like a criminal by Danish immigration office, not treated at all by the Norwegian one and Göttingen public library claim from me books that are on their shelves. It's life, dear, and none of it is half as indecent as what people do to each other in most families. So no, the OP has no problem.

May nothing worse happen to you during you lifetime
If you knew how many times citizens told me (a civil servant) the most outrageous lies just because they forgot to do something, blamed me afterwards for their faults and told me to cope with it just because "you are payed with my taxes".

OP had a problem.
Civil servants are not suppose to lie.

The fact that you choose to ignore problems does not change that there is actually a problem.

Dealing with it is another issue.

And where is it stated that they did?

Tom

Nobody told you that people lie? Ouch, sorry I revealed it so abruptly to you. Be strong, you a man now.

Serious side: I was as mad and outraged as the OP when dealing with the Göttingen library officer or with the Oslo immigration officer who found new ways of mispronouncing my name each time she had the opportunity to do so. The secret is to calm down early enough to get back to reality. OP is not there yet, you obviously either. I was there, I know the feeling.

PS: it's your life.
In mine, I decided to avoid being screwed by anyone, even if that implies heavy process such as making a formal complain to the "Court of Administrative and Public Law"*
http://www.vd.ch/themes/etat-droit-f...dministrative/

*which is available in all Swiss cantons.

PS2: One sure thing, is if no one complains like you, those admin dictators will keep their power and influence over other citizens.

The results of an overloaded system where nobody thanks the person behind the counter.

Anyone surprised?

I think they dealt with it perfectly well. First, the standard reply (you need to wait) then someone takes time to really check and they rectify the error.

I think even the OP is happy in many ways.

because someone forgot to process your permit in a timely manner?

You're funny.

At the beginning of January, we went to the Kreisburo to enquire about the status of my permit. We were told that it was probably still being processed and that since my surname was different from my husband's, mine would take much longer to process. However, this had not been the case the previous times. So we came back and 2 weeks later I again go there to enquire. The same lady tells us that we should not be asking "so soon" since it takes about 6 weeks. So again we return and go there again in the second week of February.

The citizen came to inquire about an admin procedure in progress. The civil servant (or the liar) did not made any verification and told some inaccurate information, based on nothing.
Same went after for the 2nd time.

Additionally, the first liar said the longer processing was due to the surname, but then it was later denied by the good civil servant: "She called the migration office and also told us that processing is independent of surname" .

So as far as I know it's "lying" (as per this definition and my own understanding:
1. A false statement deliberately presented as being true; a falsehood.
2. Something meant to deceive or give a wrong impression.).


Also, it gave a wrong impression because the OP falsely believed based on those lies, that the waiting time was normal and that the application was in progress.

Wow, you do have an issue with administration. You should talk to somebody about it... really.

However, the functionary believed it to be true, hence it is NOT a lie!

Tom

Nae, in general. It's a response to the guy who had more serious matters "I've also been treated like a criminal by Danish immigration office, not treated at all by the Norwegian one and Göttingen public library claim from me books ..."

You're not able to understand an answer?

So in the OP's topic, yeah, not much admin complain to make- Maybe a written letter just to explain what happened and how they should improve.

But in case of "treated like criminals", etc... one should not just ignore.

Clearer?

FTFY.

Tom

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