How to gain Dutch residency

The first and most aggravating process of moving to a new country: registering yourself as a new resident. When you enter the country, you get a stamp in your passport, a tourist visa, good for three months. Then you must leave the country.

If you intend to stay, you need to register for residency with the city first, then send all sorts of papers to the Immigration people. Family visas are one way to stay- reuniting family members, married partners, or regular partners/bf/gf. This is the visa I am on, a partner visa.

After going to the city hall, first thing, we knew we had all our papers in order, followed the directions, and were ready to pay our 830 euros (830!?!?! that is so much money! First sign they really don't want me here in Holland). But this man who served us didn't seem to really know what was going on, he wanted to make an appointment for us to come back in 3 weeks, to 'go over the paperwork and see if everything is there', to pay the money and to get my temporary visa in my passport. This was rather aggravating because we KNEW all the info was there and we were ready and willing to pay. We are educated people who can read directions and have been preparing for this for months and months. The sooner we pay, the sooner they submit the paperwork to the IND... if we had to wait 3 weeks, that is 3 more weeks that I will be uninsured thru M's health insurance, and 3 more weeks that I will be unable to legally work (how am I supposed to then contribute and be apart of Dutch society...they want me to integrate, correct?). The next day we called the city back and M talked to someone else who said that we could come in on Friday of that week and pay and get my sticker. It was all taken care of within 10 minutes, once we got there on Friday. I have the most expensive sticker ever made within my passport. Its only valid for 6 months. Technically, what is supposed to happen, is that I will get a ID card from the IND within 6 months..but that is a big IF.

So overall, with some sidesteps, that actually didn't go too bad. We did go in circles with these people sometimes, but it I had a sticker...it was ok.

Now, its up to the IND. The typical waiting time is 4-6 months to hear on the status of your immigration papers/visa. They say that you should have a reply within 6 months. M said he'd call every week to check up on them (...like that will help!). But hopefully it won't hurt anything.

So within those 6 months, I am not allowed to work, legally. After I get my permit, then I can apply for a work permit, which could also take several weeks. So at this point, it is pointless almost for me to apply to any jobs, because I don't have the right papers to do so. But that doesn't mean I'm not looking.

In the mean time, I need to find things to do to keep me busy because I will get rather bored, quickly, I'm sure. A few weeks of not working, its like summer vacation...but I need some structure and routine in my life or I get irritated. And I want to make some money, because I want to be able to buy what I want or to travel. It won't be able to happen on a single income at this point. For now, I'm a haus frau, doing the grocery shopping and hanging out with the bunnies.