20 Nov 2009, Friday

Finally it's Friday. It's been a real hectic week for me running up and down to try to get
medical report and doing medical checkup for my visa approval.

Well...apparently, I was supposed to be on a business trip(to some XXX ctry) from 15-21Nov.
But my trip has been delayed time and again due to some pending approval for visa.

What is actually happening? I have no idea until I wrote in to the immigration feedback
that the whole thing is not moving.

I then understand that the country immigration has put down a marker on my name that
everytime I apply for a visa to that country, I have to go through a medical check up as 10
yrs ago, whilst on a student visa, I was anaemic with medication.

Therefore, they have marked my name. I wonder why..It's not like I am having some contagious or deadly disease and I am only there for a week. Yes, I am on medication and I am not healthy, but that doesn't mean they can sterotypde me.. I feel that I am being profiled.

The worse thing is I do not even know about that until I write in the feedback to the
immigration. Is this marker transparent to me? If they have decide to put that condition
for my visa application, they should have informed me years ago during my student visa day,
such that when I need to apply for visa to that country again, I can do it 2-3mths in
advance and it will not delay my travel plan. Does it means there is something wrong in
their process?

Here is what happen.
11th Nov - I applied for a business visa. Usually it gets approve within 24hrs.

13th Nov - Called up and SG CSO of that country immigration mentioned they are pending that
XXX country decision if I should do a chest x-ray. As I have just did a chest x-ray 2 weeks
ago from a government hospital in Singapore, I decided to take my own initative to send in
my own chest x-ray report to prevent further delay. Obivously, there was no response from
them on that day

16Nov - Seeign my chest x-ray report cleared, theyare not satisified. They mentioned to get
a doctor's memo saying I am on oral medication and do not need blood tranfusion. I did that
immediately. They came back telling me my x-ray report was not from their SG panel of
doctor (Their panel of doc is supposed to meet their country requirements and standard)
*FAINT*. If that is the case, why even trouble me to get a memo from my doctor?

They then mentioned that since my student visa day, they have mark my name to have a
medical check up and Chest X-ray from their panel of doc. If that is the case, the first
day I apply for visa, they should have tell me, why need to wait until 13th Nov then tell
me pending decision if I should go check up when the condition is "I HAVE TO GO". Silly
right? This is really ridiculous.

17Nov - Decision has come back from that Immigration is that I have to go. I did it
immediately that very afternoon. The funny thing is that immigration was saying it takes 7
days minimum for the immigration to review get back to them on the SG medical report. Even thou their panel of doc may have given them a good report with x-ray cleared, they may
not be satisifed with the result and need the see the chest x-ray plate that will reach
them in 3weeks time.

If they are not satisfied, this will further delay the approval as they may want my medical doc in Singapore to write them a report about my condition which will end up taking 2 months. Since they mentioned their selected panel of doc are those that will meet their requirements and standard, why should they be unhappy about the medical report provided by their panel of doctor or distrust their judgement? I really feel they are either being paranoid or trying to be difficult. Now I can just sit and wait as there is nothing I can do.
How fast I can get approval depends on how fast the immigration do their work and how
difficult they want to be....can't believe such absurb things can happen. Even my boss from that countrywas puzzled I am not contagious and not like I have diabetics or some kidney problem or big health problem that they have to be so difficult.