Update: "Well That Was Interesting"

Our post on December 5 was all about our first experience at the Barbados Immigration Office. Well, today we made another trip wearing our long pants, button down collar shirts and black shoes, so we could collect our Passports. We had flip-flops and tank tops with us in our bag that we could change into once we were done.

Our "Extension Of Stay" application was supposed to be processed and completed within 21 working days (from December 5), and we gave them a couple extra days due to the Christmas and New Year's holiday break. We needed to get a new stamp in our passports to allow us to legally remain in Barbados for another three months. It cost us Bds$100.00 each (CAN$75 each) to apply. We think it's just a money grab by the Barbados government and their Ministry of Immigration. Apparently, Canadians are allowed to remain here for six months without having to get an extension. Even though we indicated on the incoming immigration card that our intended stay was six months, they purposely stamped our passports for three months. They know that we will pay to stay longer and go through the long and tedious process to get another stamp. Other Canadians here have shared the same story for their long term stays.

So, we get there and walk into the reception space and there is only one person in line. Last time there were 40 people in front of us! After a big gasp of relief from both of us we walk through the metal detector and up to the front of the queue and the single person in the line was now being seen by the Immigration Officer. We quickly pulled out our receipts to show that we had already paid, and so we were ready with our info. Then we were called. He found our passports in his file cabinet, checked them to see that they had been stamped and handed them back to us after we signed for them. Whew! All is well again - we get to stay in Barbados until March 29, 2017.

With all of that good luck on our shoulders we decide we should carry on with our errands today and look into getting new passports. Our existing passports expire in mid January 2018 (one year plus a few days). Apparently we can apply for new passports from the Canadian High Commission here in Barbados, and save the cost of a trip to Canada. So we grab a taxi and head over there.

We planned ahead, just in case all went well with the Barbados Immigration Office...we had already found, printed and prepared a rough draft of the forms we needed for passport renewal - all systems go.

We found out that the Canadian High Commission is very secure. They wanted to see ID from us, and our cell phones, before they open the door. They keep that ID along with our cell phones and place them in a locker (they specifically asked us to relinquish our electronic devices before we were allowed to enter their security room). They hand us the keys to the locker where our cell phones are kept, along with two visitor cards to be worn around our necks, and then buzzed us in. Right inside the door is their hand bag scanner, and next to that, the metal detector that we had to walk through. They scanned our band and then showed us the image and wanted to see what was in there... apparently they didn't like my camera and my Kobo, and they promptly added those to the locked up cell phones. Ooops!

So, with draft forms in hand and an embarrassed look on our faces, inside we go to find out if we can get a ten year passport renewal. We spoke to two nice ladies who were very helpful about clearing up what we needed to do. Apparently, renewing a Canadian passport that has more than a year left on it is an onerous and difficult task to carry out, as a long letter of explanation is needed from us first, and that is then reviewed by the Canadian Passport Office in Ottawa. Seeing as we were remaining in Barbados for another 3 months, they suggested that we should just wait until we were inside the one-year-to-expiry time frame. Then we could use the "simple renewal" form - which they then very kindly handed to us - for a speedy unencumbered process. Alrighty then.... sounds like a plan. We agreed to come prepared to see them again in February. They thought it would take only just a couple of weeks to order and produce our new passports once they have our completed applications. Whew! - again.

As it turns out, there is a difference in cost to us in doing the renewal from Barbados. It is only $160.00 each to get a 10 year passport if you are applying from within Canada, but when you are outside of Canada it costs CAN$260.00 each... sigh.... but I suppose it's a lot cheaper than flying to Canada and staying in a hotel while all of this done.

We are now waiting for February to roll around the corner. But we need to remember to keep our existing passports (they usually take them away) as we have that all important stamp in our existing passports that say we can remain in Barbados until the end of March... We are crossing our fingers that all will go well, and that we can get the new ones sent to us here in Barbados before we travel to Grenada.