It might just look like a fancy piece of plastic with a cool picture on it, but that little card is like gold to us! Today, May 20, almost nine months after arriving in country and applying, we finally received our Permesso di Sorggiornos. In terms of our long-term status as immigrants to the country, this is the most important day we'll ever have.
A Permesso is good for a year after the date of approval (for us, January 15--eight months remaining!) and is our proof for virtually every important step we need to take to be fully established that we are here legally. Aquiring a Permesso is a great introduction to life in Italy. Even though we have Visas that are good for a full year, we are required to apply for our Permessos within eight days of entering the country. So we applied on September 3--our first full day in Italy. We got a letter in October telling us that our "appointment" at the Questura (basically the immigration office) was set for December 20. Even though you have to give them every imaginable piece of paperwork when you apply (copies of passport and visas, letter of employment and insurance, copies of translated birth certificates for all the kids, proof that your body will be expatriated should you die. . . ), you show up at the Questura with even more papers, more photos, your kids (they want to see that who you're claiming actually belong to you) and a prayer. We'll save our Questura appointment story for another day, but needless to say it was Patzo (CRAZY!).
After that appointment, where we're fingerprinted, we then have another appointment, at a different location, to get more fingerprints done and a palm-print made. Then you wait. And wait. And wait. You're suppose to receive a letter when your Permesso has been processed and is ready to be picked up. We have staff in Rome who have been here for 2 1/2 years who have still not received their Permessos. In fact, one family just had to move back to the States, after serving in Rome for 3 years. The wife received her Permesso two days before they left the country. It's also not uncommon to receive your Permesso AFTER it's expired. So for us to have eight months left--it's a big deal.
We had been told we'd receive a letter telling us they were ready sometime in March. It never came. Finally today, Cody went down to the Questura at 6am to wait in line to get a number, to hopefully ask about what the hold-up was (they open at 8:30). He was number 28. While he was waiting, he went to the bathroom, and he happened to run into the guy who had initially processed our Permessos at our December 20 appointment. Cody remembered him because he is the BIGGEST Italian we've ever seen. Tall and built. The guy had asked Cody if he played American football because he was a part of a league here in Bologna. They were always looking for players. Cody was really excited about the opportunity but never heard from the guy.
So in the bathroom, the guy recognized Cody and said he had lost his number (OK because the team had had a terribe season). When he found out why Cody was there, he said, "I'll take care of it." Walked into an office and came out with all our permessos--they'd been sitting there for a while. Who knows when we might have received a letter telling us to pick them up. . . All of that aside, it was a MIRACLE! Hallejuah! We can now officially become residents, we can start the process of getting an Italian Driver's License, we can buy a car. . . the list goes on and on.
And Cody and this guy traded numbers so that Cody can join the off-season practice for the football team--a treat for him.
A huge, huge day for us! All over a little piece of plastic. Seven full months before we have to start the process all over again. :)
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