Fugitive from the law

Oh dear.

If the next post comes from the United States, here's the explanation.

I learned today that I've overstayed my visa by a month. Long ago, when I applied for a year-long visa from the SF Consulate, I received an unusual stamp that said "Duration of Stay: 90 Days" and "Validity: 1 Year." I pointed out to the US Consulate in San Francisco that I needed a year-long visa, as specified on my form; they assured me with a wave of the hand that it was fine. I left.

Upon arriving in Brazil, after registering, I was given a stamp which reads "Permanencia: 13/11/09." I was also given a protocolo, a precursor to an ID card that read "180 Dias." I assumed that my visa was valid for 180 days, at which point I'd ask to extend it.

I recently lost my protocolo, the little slip of paper, and went back to the Federal Police to ask for a new one. The official at the desk took a look at my passport and said, "This is expired. You have to leave [Brazil] now, and pay a fine." I was shellshocked, and asked for a clarification.

It turns out that the visa only is valid for a stay of 90 days; the protocolo itself is not a visa, but is valid for identification purposes only for 180 days. The assurances at the SF Consulate were wrong, and I was wrong not to try and correct them.

I pointed out that I had applied for a year-long visa in San Francisco, and showed him the original paperwork. He went behind his desk, consulted with someone else for a few minutes, and returned to say that my other option was to go to Itamaraty, the Ministry of External Affairs, to plead with them to change the visa.

So I stopped by Itamaraty, which has perhaps the most laughable business hours in the entire Brazilian bureaucracy: 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM, weekdays. They were closed when I arrived.

I'll go back tomorrow; I'm at their mercy. I don't know what I need or what it costs, but each day in Brazil (since 13 November) is now costing me an additional R$9.90.

Sigh. In the words of my brother Valmore Henrique, "ah, meu povo, me mata, me mata" ["oh, my people, you kill me, you kill me"].



For no particular reason, here's a photo of a deer defecating at the Federal University of Mato Grosso's zoo.