Soz for the rant, but...

 

My girlfriend, Tess, is supposed to be going to Canada for 7 weeks, but not if the admin staff of the world have anything to do with it!

 

She's basically doing a part-time degree, which is hard enough as it is. As part of that she does 2 placements every year, but her college said placements don't have to be in this country- providing you sort them out, they'll support you the whole way and do all the adminny things necessary.

 

8ollocks!!! :smash:

 

So starting in about November last year, my better half negotiated something out in a hospital in Toronto. In February her direct involvement finished and it was over to her college... silence.

 

She pestered them for 4 months- if she was lucky enough to get a reply each time, "they were working on it". Turns out the hospital had requested certain insurance was paid for by Tess's college as the placement was for their course. The college said no- she'd be working in the hospital, so the hospital should pay for it.

 

"You pay for it"... "No, you pay for it"... "Nooooo, YOU pay for it"... for FOUR F*CKING MONTHS!!! :headvswal

 

So eventually they say there's a problem. Not what it is. Then a few weeks later they actually tell her what the problem is, she does all the research and sorts out the insurance herself- couple of hundred quid. Can't believe all the fuss when no other bugger goes abroad- the college should take a bit of initiative.

 

So we think that's it. Of course then she needs a visa. But before she can apply, she needs a letter from the hospital stating she has an authorised placement there. Needs to be on headed letter paper of course. Also, she needs a medical as part of the visa application- can they tell her what's needed so she can deal with that in the meantime? Noooo, of course not- she'll only be POSTED that information once her application is being processed. So 10 days later the letter eventually turns up, by now it's mid August. Dashes into London, hands in the application, comes home. The next instructions turned up 2 days later (actually quite impressed by that). So off she goes, has the medical, once again the doctor's report has to be posted off... more days waiting.

 

So now that her visa is in the system, she's told what else she needs- gets her GP to fill out a form giving evidence of previous jabs and the like. Only she gets home and finds most of it blank- turns out they didn't have half of the ones she needs on record. Goes back and has a few jabs, but is told that one of the tests isn't performed in this country at all. She checks with the hospital in Canada and if she doesn't have it, she can't work over there! Turns out the receptionist told her a load of twaddle and any travel clinic can do this particular test. So that's booked in for next week.

 

Then today she goes back over some old correspondence and finds reference to some other insurance that hasn't been specifically mentioned before. Called one thing in one email, then another thing in the letters she's been sent. Only 2 1/2 weeks to sort it our now, and now after SOOOOO much hassle and stress she's talking of calling the whole thing off!!!!!!!!!!!

 

She's already booked flights as they go astronomical if you leave it too late. Then with all the insurance, doctors fees, jabs, whatever, over a grand in total, not to mention the stress, all for a 7-week placement!

 

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrgh.

 

Mark

 

Edit: having calmed down a bit (thanks Glen Morangie), I know there are much worse things going on in the world, but some things don't half get on my t!ts!

Cant find this Glen geezer in the rides section anywhere.

Who is he Mark??

That all sounds so f**ked up buddy. Sorry she had to go through all that. Student visa's or even Temp visa's are so simple to process in Canada and the Employer should be responsible for all of the processing.

Its only when you go for perminent residence status that you get all the rest of the crap. Maybe different rules for working in health care I guess? I'm on a temp visa at the moment and didn't have to do anything.

 

Toronto is a nice place though, sure she will enjoy it. She can pick you up loads of tuning goodies cheap whilst she is out here. Be worth it just for that. ;)

 

Andy

Bubbles- you don't know Glen?! Always there for you, and somehow makes things seem alright!

 

Andy- Yeah- healthcare has all sorts of legal implications, so that's why there are so many hoops to jump through. And it's her college that aren't geared up for it at all, even though they say they are. If they hadn't faffed around for 4 months then things wouldn't have got so tight. :(

 

Assuming things do get sorted out then I'll be heading out there for a week in November- car shops hear I come! After I've said Hello of course... :D

 

Cheers,

 

Mark