ADMINISTRATIVE BULLYING

       The day began with thick, grey clouds and a heavy drizzle, not unusual for winter in Auckland. I wrapped myself up in rain gear and boots not made for temperate, rainy climates. I felt upbeat in the morning because I looked forward to finalizing some administrative paperwork for which I had been sent reminders: one from the immigration office, telling me that I had to submit my paperwork to renew my visa, and the other from the financial aid officer telling me to submit my signed paperwork to process my US federal loans for the upcoming year.

I arrived at the University intent on completing the renewal application for my student visa and did not anticipate any problems. I arrived on campus with about an hour to spare – enough time for me to fill out the application, to make a copy for myself, and to print out another copy of my re-enrollment letter for the 2014 to 2015 school year. The graduate centre had sent me this letter to facilitate the processing of this required paperwork and thus I did not foresee problems. At the very least, I assumed that they clerks would receive my application and then complete the processing of the paperwork once all the needed information was received from another office. The re-enrollment letter sent by the graduate centre was essential, which I had in my possession.

Keep in mind that I went through this miasma of seeming confusion last year when I transferred from Massey to Auckland University. Then, I was told by an employee at the graduate centre that I would need to submit a registration confirmation along with my student visa renewal application in order to complete the process. In addition, I was to see the financial aid counselor to get a letter informing the immigration office of my approval for another year of US Federal loans. I was also instructed then to request that the financial aid counselor at Auckland contact the person at the international office who compiles the paperwork for international students in preparation for review by the immigration office.

The immigration office has a policy of processing the student visa application in partnership with education providers, presumably to reduce the cost of the renewal fee for students, who obviously cannot work full time. NZ$165 is the renewal fee, but varies slightly depending on when the application is submitted.

About 48 days ago, I received the e-mail from the immigration office regarding my student visa renewal. I was advised to submit my renewal application a minimum of 30 days before the expiration date (1 August 2014) of my student visa. Since I knew the workers at the international office and the financial aid counselor – I have made several trips to both offices to clarify and obtain information for and from them – I did not anticipate that they would create the same obstacles for me, consequently making it (a) hard to receive my loan funds in time with the balance that (due to rent and food payments) could be in danger of depreciating to zero (thus, leaving me with no living allowance), and (b) put me in danger of deportation if the immigration office decides that submitting my student visa renewal application 7 days before the expiration date is not allowable. (Someone at the international office assured me that the 7 day deadline was okay, which contrasts with the advice given to me in the email from the immigration office).

Last year, in the course of getting immigration advice for changing my education provider and how to go about doing it, I was bounced from one office to another. The Palmerston North immigration branch told me to get the information from Massey, which only resulted in that office telling me to go back to the Palmerston North office. To help facilitate the process, I was eventually informed by Auckland Uni graduate centre that I should submit my registration form, but surprisingly this failed to do any good. It began to dawn on me that someone might have been intentionally obstructing this transfer (the next blog clues you into who this person might be), especially after making contact with the contact person at Auckland, who advises international students on such matters. In spite of the presence of the provisional registration form, this person told me that I still needed to be enrolled before they can process the student visa and change the education advisor. My enrollment date then was set for July 1, 2013, but I could not officially enroll until the education provider was changed on my student visa. This gap in my situation was difficult for the administrative staff to reconcile. To me, the reconciliation was the provisional registration form, as the graduate centre had advised me to submit with my student visa renewal application. However, the international office refused to help make the connection.

This year, the same problems emerged. I was bounced from one office to another. And, when I showed them the re-enrollment letter sent to me via e-mail from the postgraduate office, they denied its legitimacy and denied its existence. “Can you read what that says?” I asked one of the clerks in the international office? Silence. In one sentence, the notice unmistakably states in black and white print “you have been re-enrolled for the 2014-2015 school year. This year is 2014 is it not? Since I enrolled at Auckland on July 1 2013, it is understandable to interpret this re-enrollment notice as one that would allow me to study for another year until 1 July 2015. After fighting with me about the letter she must write and sign for the immigration office in support of my student visa renewal application, she acknowledged that it was indeed a re-enrollment letter. (Is it not true that the reason the postgraduate office sent the re-enrollment letter was to facilitate rather than obstruct the application?)/

In the end, I paid another transportation fee to speak with an international program officer, and she advised me to get the letter from the postgraduate office. I pointed out again the presence of the letter sent to me by email, but she insisted that I physically (unnecessarily) obtain another letter from the graduate centre. So, in the end, I had to repeat the process, get a second enrollment letter, and experience another spate of frustration at the operational disconnect between administrative departments at Auckland, one that leads to failure to communicate and to lack of synchronization of actions, which only harms the international student. Ironically, the content of the 2nd letter was essentially the same as the 1st - a declaration that I was re-enrolled until 2017 this time rather than 2015. (This 2017 extension of my graduation date is connected to another curious development in my program, of which I have not been consulted or informed prior to changes being made. So much for treating individuals with dignity and transparency. Another reason to do battle with Auckland).     

When I stepped back out onto Symonds Street to catch a bus home, the rain held at bay for a few hours, began to fall in large droplets. The grey skies and cold winds equaled my mood. Several days later, the student visa application still has not been filed, I was told to sign my promissory note by phone, the first notification of which was sent in an e-mail that I did not receive, and I am apprehensive because I do not know if it is true that submitting my application 7 days before the expiration date is in fact true.