Subject: Re: Making slow progress in Portugal
Hey oddhack.

Coincidentally I just had my renewal interview with AIMA this morning. This
is a relief because my initial residency expired last March. As you note,
however, they don't have ICE agents waiting around to pick us up and ship
us to El Salvador.

You're probably aware that AIMA was a newly created agency and has been pulling
everything together in a makeshift fashion on the fly. At my interview location
there were obvious signs of a hastily assembled processing area (folding tables,
tape on the floor, etc.) Also it appeared that less than half of the workers
were Portuguese, i.e. most of them immigrants themselves. Overall I had a good
experience this morning. All my documents had been uploaded to their website, so
after a cursory review, I was processed within 30 minutes.

Like you, I'm unhappy with the proposed rule to extend citizenship from
5 to 10 years' residency, but I can still apply for permanent residency
(without citizenship) in less than 3 years -- which will put the renewal
hassles behind me.

-Rubic