aaoaahq

I'll update once the floods recede but if anyone has any specific queries on a particular line I'll do my best.

I know the floods haven't completely receded yet, but are things any clearer as to the recommencement of any delayed work? Also (and I know this is a long shot), has there been any update on the tendering of the extension north of Mo Chit?

Apols that I missed your query. No update that I am aware of as still sorting out the issue of finding a suitable depot. I post any significant news if and when it happens.

All very silly as mentioned previously, the smart thing to do would be to divide the ext up and get the section from Mo Chit up to Major built as a start now (or 4 yrs ago!!) which would add 3-4 stations to the line which could thus be serviced by existing rolling stock (esp as by the time it opened all 35 Suk line trains would be 4 cars by then).

Many thanks!

Congrats - it seems teh Yingluk govt is more foreigner friendly than Abhisit..

The outgoing Interior Minister signing before he left is more likely actually - period before being replaced = less to do, new guy new position = very much to do, OK?

Signing PR applications for foreigners is very low down on the priority list. Unfortunately

I was at immigration this morning around 11:00 a.m for my 6 month extension and the officer told me that we may get approvals within 2-3 months because the new minister has already taken the charge of his ministry, tell me where they dispatched your approval letter your work address or home?

Many thanks to skippybangkok and aidenai for the congratulations! It has been a long haul and I expect that other approvals will be coming soon.

In answer to skyaslimit, immigration sent the approval letter to both my work and home addresses.

One thing that might need to be amended in Camerata's excellent guide to PR, is that when you request to be put on the blue tabien baan you take a letter from the district office back to the police station where you received your alien registration document and not to immigration. The police office will then issue you another letter to take back to the district office. By far the most time consuming part of finalizing the procedure since receiving my approval letter has been the district office. It takes about 3 visits to get put on the blue tabien baan. At least that has been my experience.

The best of luck to everyone else!

The best of luck to all of you who are still waiting. It seems the logjam has been freed and your letter will be coming soon too!

Interesting. May I ask in which year you applied?

I applied in 2006, but due to being short of 1 day on my full 3 year extensions (4th year extension landed on a Saturday and I applied on the Friday) I had to reapply in December 2007. They let me know that I was short of 1 day, 6 months after my application had been accepted.

I applied for PR in 2007 with the assistance of our local company lawyer who handles all our visa applications, renewals etc.

They called yesterday to say that my PR would be approved within the next month (or two) and I should prepare the fee and tabien baan.

To be clear, the fee is the official fee. There's no 'additional fee' or agency / broker fee.

I hope others who have been waiting all these years are receiving similar good news. Perhaps the new administration has decided to clear the backlog.

For anyone offered a chance to get one of a small quota of PR approvals for an additional fee, I'd suggest you wait a little longer and see if the backlog is indeed being cleared.

I'm not popping any champagne corks yet until I see the approval letter but it's the first positive news I've heard since I submitted my application.

Anyone else?

I hope that congratulations will be in order.

Thanks but as I said, I'll believe it when I see it.

Hopefully others are getting the same indications and we see the long wait come to an end

I received my PR letter from immigration last week and have been rushing around getting the resident permit, alien registration document and trying to get put on the blue 'tabien baan". The latter being the most hassle as they initially refused to register me as they said I was not a Thai national. Anyway, after some firm but polite direction, they are now proceeding and hopefully tomorrow I will have finished the process. I did not pay anything other than the normal fees for the residence permit and alien registration document, but then I did the application by myself so there wasn't any law firm/broker involved.

Unfortunately, it looks like I am going to be rotated out of Thailand in the coming months, so won't be able to use the PR to its full potential. However, it will be there for a rainy day as long as I return to Thailand each year.

The best of luck to all of you who are still waiting. It seems the logjam has been freed and your letter will be coming soon too!

I haven't received anything either. I wonder whether your friend had any high level contacts in the MoI?

Best of luck to all those waiting!

?

Actually this kind of update is very useful for PR applicants who have been waiting many years for approval and are keen for any news on their applications, so thank you very much thaiowl for letting us know the latest from immigration. I hope others will continue to do so.

As no applications were accepted in 2010 I feel that some changes are in the pipeline. Whether these potential changes will benefit new applicants I have no idea, but I assume it will not effect applications from 2006-2009.

Let's hope we have some good news in 2011!

This is an interesting discussion.

In my line of work we categorize staff as either support or professional staff. For support staff we require a high school diploma and for professional staff we require a minimum of a BA degree.

However, many of our support staff actually have masters degrees in some discipline or other and can progress to professional staff if they undertake specific training or are involved in programmatic areas that provide some kind of work related experience.

As mentioned, professional staff need a minimum of a BA degree, but most positions require a masters degree related to the position description. However, we will hire applicants that have a BA degree plus 4 years of relevant experience as a substitute for a masters degree. This experience has to be in the field that the applicant is applying for.

I have been involved in many selection committees and it all depends on what the position entails. If the position is technical in nature that cannot allow any margin of error (i.e. engineer, physician etc) then of course you need to hire someone with the necessary educational qualifications and experience. If you need a researcher then hire a PhD. However, I would almost always hire someone with a BA degree with relevant work experience over someone with a MA or PhD who doesn't have any work experience, especially for operational positions.

So it depends on what the candidate is being asked to do, but as has been mentioned in this thread, finishing a degree does show some kind of commitment to ones own future in this day and age.

If a moratorium is in place (thank you for linking that fascinating thread!) due to a possible change in rules/entitlements for PR then it might make more sense to stop accepting new PR applications until they have changed the pertinent provisions.

I will be applying for Thai citizenship in January as I see little point in just sitting around waiting for PR approval (applied in 2006) when I can apply for citizenship as the spouse of a Thai national. The application seems no more onerous than applying for PR and might even get approved before my PR does.

It seems that they have indeed stopped accepting new PR applications, at least for this year. Two friends who were planning to join the PR backlog this December have been told that the window won't be opening this year, confirming pip101's information. I don't think they were even given the feeble "change of personnel" excuse or told to check with the website in case the personnel difficulty got resolved in time to open for applications. As an aside, they should probably look at some redundancies in that department (and at the Interior Ministry) to save the taxpayer money, if the staff will have nothing to do next year. I would think that the Foreign Chambers and maybe even some of the less somnolent embassies should now take up this issue to ask the government to provide some sort of clarity over the PR application process. The government, of course, has the right to set whatever immigration policies it deems appropriate but in the interests of encouraging foreign investment, it has a duty to make these policies clear to interested parties.

I would think that others bogged down in the PR moratorium might also want to do what you suggest and apply for citizenship without waiting for the outcome of their PR applications. It doesn't affect me as I already have PR but I wonder, if Special Branch can accept concurrent citizenship applications from people who are applying for PR, or whether you would have to withdraw your PR application first.

Up until (Dec) 2006 immigration would publish all approvals from the immigration commission on their website assuming that they would automatically be granted (approved) PR by the Minister of Interior within a few months. As there has been no such announcements since then I would assume that immigration are not at all confident the the MoI will approve these applications or they do not want to advertise that these applicants have indeed passed the criteria for PR but are sitting in a vacuum. Despite the present political uncertainty, i do not see how the approval of a couple hundred PR applications submitted under the current guidelines (and approved by the immigration commission) would effect the current status quo.

I am surprised though, that no one out of the hundreds of applicants, seems to know what is going. It would be interesting to hear from 2009 applicants as they would still be in regular communication with immigration and might be able shed some light on what is happening.

If a moratorium is in place (thank you for linking that fascinating thread!) due to a possible change in rules/entitlements for PR then it might make more sense to stop accepting new PR applications until they have changed the pertinent provisions.

I will be applying for Thai citizenship in January as I see little point in just sitting around waiting for PR approval (applied in 2006) when I can apply for citizenship as the spouse of a Thai national. The application seems no more onerous than applying for PR and might even get approved before my PR does.

It seems that they have indeed stopped accepting new PR applications, at least for this year. Two friends who were planning to join the PR backlog this December have been told that the window won't be opening this year, confirming pip101's information. I don't think they were even given the feeble "change of personnel" excuse or told to check with the website in case the personnel difficulty got resolved in time to open for applications. As an aside, they should probably look at some redundancies in that department (and at the Interior Ministry) to save the taxpayer money, if the staff will have nothing to do next year. I would think that the Foreign Chambers and maybe even some of the less somnolent embassies should now take up this issue to ask the government to provide some sort of clarity over the PR application process. The government, of course, has the right to set whatever immigration policies it deems appropriate but in the interests of encouraging foreign investment, it has a duty to make these policies clear to interested parties.

I would think that others bogged down in the PR moratorium might also want to do what you suggest and apply for citizenship without waiting for the outcome of their PR applications. It doesn't affect me as I already have PR but I wonder, if Special Branch can accept concurrent citizenship applications from people who are applying for PR, or whether you would have to withdraw your PR application first.

If you are applying for citizenship, I don't think that there should be any objection to having applied (concurrently) for PR as well.

In fact, having a PR is a perquisite for applying citizenship.

What puzzles me is that since the chances of getting PR these days is slim, does it mean that one cannot even apply for citizenship (unless he is married to a Thai national) ?

Second thing which is puzzling me is what will be the fate of those who have already applied for the PR and have been waiting for more than 4 years ?

It seems that I spoke too soon.....

Logically one would assume that they would now clear their desks and approve the applications that have stacked up since 2006, many of which have been approved by the immigration commission, but heaven knows what is going on.

If Zoowatch is correct then it seems that they might be preparing to change the application guidelines (and benefits) for PR. He also mentioned that they are waiting for constitutional changes that could pave the way for these revisions, but as Arkady has pointed out, PR is not even mentioned in the 1997 or 2007 constitution so I'm not sure what the hold up is.

I do hope someone will be able to clarify what is going on soon.

woo hoo - wonder if it will really happen...

It would certainly be welcome if they made logical changes to the non B and work permit like combining both in one visa that can be extended in country.

It is a pity that the JFCCT didn't address the current freeze on PR approvals.....

Ironically the only person on this forum who seems to have received their PR approval from the Minister since December 2006 is grtaylor, but was unable to take up the offer due to relocation to the Philippines for work. I wonder how many other applicants have relocated in the last 4 years.

I am aware that PR for foreigners is far down the list of priorities for the Thai Government, but you would assume that the type of foreigner who is able to pass the somewhat stringent application process would be the type of foreigner the Thai Government would like to attract to Thailand. Most of the applicants would be a benefit to Thailand in one way or another, whether running successful businesses in Thailand or working in senior positions in MNCs etc.

Apart from the odd letter in the Bangkok Post or Nation, I haven't seen any press exposure related to the standstill on PR approvals. I understand that PR applicants would be loath to make their PR plight public out of fear that their application would be arbitrarily canned. The 4 year freeze on PR approvals puts even the Purachai era in the shade.

I was intrigued and pleasantly surprised to the read the topic by Zoowatch that Arkady kindly linked to this ongoing thread on PR, but I still can't fathom why the backlog of PR approvals are gathering dust in the Interior Ministry. As long as the immigration department continues to accept PR applications then you would presume that they expect them to be approved based on the existing PR requirements.

As we move towards year 5 of PR application purgatory I hope that this issue will be given more exposure in the mainstream press.

May be Interior ministry want to see us so old that when and if we acquire the Thai citizen ship we remain here as use less citizens.

Just my thoughts:(

Maybe you are right or maybe they want you to be dead first, as the Royal Bangkok Sports Club found many applicants were when they finally cleared their entire waiting list after virtually blocking new memberships from it for 20 years. Anyway your citizenship application could take another 10 years or more after you get permanent residence.

An interesting explanation as to why the Interior Ministry is dragging its heels so long over PR applications is given here by a poster called Zoowatch http://www.thaivisa....hai+citizenship . Based on his discussions with friends who are senior Thai civil servants, Zoowatch, who is also Thai, opines that Interior Ministry officials have quietly implemented a moratorium on PR approvals because they are waiting for amendments to the constitution which they presumably feel might affect the process. This is a little strange because, as Zoowatch himself notes, the 2007 constitution has been promulgated since the moratorium begun and there was no change to any provisions to with citizenship (PR is not even mentioned in the constitution). However, I can believe that the freeze may be in anticipation of some sort of anticipated legal change. It is odd that the moratorium applies only to PR and not to citizenship (contrary to Zoowatch's belief), although applications for the latter do proceed at a snail's pace, once in the black hole of the Interior Ministry.

Having a moratorium on applications that have previously been approved by the immigration committee (that includes the Interior Ministry), but sitting in the Ministry waiting for a signature, does not make much sense as they have already met and passed the requirements set out in the current PR guidelines.

If a moratorium is in place (thank you for linking that fascinating thread!) due to a possible change in rules/entitlements for PR then it might make more sense to stop accepting new PR applications until they have changed the pertinent provisions.

I will be applying for Thai citizenship in January as I see little point in just sitting around waiting for PR approval (applied in 2006) when I can apply for citizenship as the spouse of a Thai national. The application seems no more onerous than applying for PR and might even get approved before my PR does.

I don't see how unblocking the logjam of PR applications would do much for Thailand's public relations deficiency, although of course it would do no harm. Permanent residence is a matter for individuals and those interested in it are a very small minority of the people Thailand's overseas public relations effort needs to address. By definition those applying for PR are already sold on the idea of Thailand. Employing professionals to get the government's message across abroad would be more helpful. They just need to look at what Thaksin does. Also some more incentives to corporate foreign investors would be helpful. In fact the JFCC did make some detailed suggestions to the government about permanent residence a few years ago before the applications logjam appeared. These suggestions were very sensible and included doing away with the certificate of residence, alien book and work permit for PRs and introducing a Thai equivalent of the US green card which should easily be possible now that Thai ID cards are electronic. Unfortunately the JFCC didn't even receive a reply to these suggestions. Nevertheless, there would be no harm in the JFCC trying to tackle the PR issue again, now that the government seems to be asking for suggestions from foreigners. They are probably the best pressure group for this, as they have many individual members interested in PR. Perhaps they should also suggest reform of the Foreign Business Act, although I doubt the Abhisit govt will want to grasp that nettle.

I agree that the JFCC would be the most appropriate and legitimate group to lobby on behalf of PR applicants still waiting for approval, as I am sure some of their members are in the same predicament. Are there any JFCC members waiting for PR approval willing to take this forward?

I wonder how many of those who applied for PR in 2006 and 2007 have already given up on the process or have moved abroad during this protracted delay in approvals. With the prospect of parliament being dissolved in November, the chances now of any PR approvals happening before then or for 6 months afterwards would seem highly unlikely. Even more frustrating is that applicants have nowhere to go in order to gain information. The immigration department does not know and gleaning information from the MoI is next to impossible.

Furthermore, many of the applicants from 2006 and 2007 with a Thai spouse would now be eligible to apply for Thai citizenship, however, it is apparent that one would gain more points in the application process if one had PR already. It is also unclear whether the PR application would be made invalid as soon as you applied for citizenship.

As the current PR application process is similar to that of the Thai citizenship application (excluding the actual application form, ability to sing the National and Royal anthem and cost), it is a pity that eligible PR applicants that have already been approved by the immigration committee and waiting for approval from the Minister are not given the choice to just convert the PR to a citizenship application. This would kill 2 birds with 1 stone for many PR applicants waiting for the Minister’s approval, but I know pigs would fly before that happens.

I also wonder whether the 2008 applicants have gone through the immigration committee yet and whether the 2009 applicants have any movement on their applications or has the whole process come to a grinding halt?

Just to revive this thread for a minute.

Today we received a 'FYI' letter on the status of my wifes citzenship application, telling us that the investigation has been finished from the police side and the case has been forwarded to the appropriate committe at the Ministry of Interior and is awaiting consideration there.

As an attachment they attached a copy of a letter from 18 months ago (August 2008) from the Special Branch police to the Minister of Interior saying that my wife and I meet all the criteria and that they recommend that the case be handed over the the MOI for processing.

So a small sliver of light into a rather opaque system.

Congratulations Samran, I am happy to hear that someone is making their way through the MoI bureaucracy!

If they scrap the need for a re-entry permit, there isn't much need for a Certificate of Residence to collect all the re-entry visas. There is not much point in duplicating entry and exit stamps in it as well as in your passport in the way they do. The Alien Book is also a rather cumbersome and old fashioned document. One can see why police had to register aliens in their district decades ago when they didn't have much in the way of immigration restrictions and Chinese immigrants could pour in but there is not much point now. In fact Immigration now registers the aliens and sends the information to your local police station to fill in the book. With computerisation, you would think they could replace both books with a PR ID card and save all the photocopying of these multi page documents. It would nice if they could do away with the need for work permits too but, pigs will probably fly first.

It would make sense, if a review were in process, as there is much that can be modernised using technology already avaiable in district offices. However, that would not appear to be a reason to freeze new approvals. If they make PR more attractive, you can be sure they will raise the bar but Thailand rarely makes regulations retroactive, so those who have already applied should expect to remain under the old rules.

Yes, it would make a lot of sense to have a PR ID card and do away with all the redundant books etc. However, I doubt that they would introduce a 2 tier system for PR as I honestly do not think there are enough existing PR's or applicants to make it worthwhile. I have understood from the PR section at immigration that the total applications for PR per year are now around 350 persons including the Chinese and Indians, so it seems they have already risen the bar to such an extent that most people can't be bothered to apply.

Apparently the MoI convened a meeting about 2 months ago to solicit inputs from the expat community (chamber's of commerce, MNC's, International Organizations etc.) on issues relating to visas, PR and Thai Citizenship etc. In regards to PR, apparently issues related to the delay in approval of applications since 2006, the need to do away with the re-entry permit and work permit were brought up and maybe this is part of the overall process that writeshack was referring to.

On my last visit to immigration to get an extension of stay for my PR application, I brought up the issue that many applicants have now been waiting 3+ years for approval. The response was that unless you know the Minister then you should be prepared for another 2 years (total 5 years) as nothing is moving in the MoI. She didn't seem to be joking and was genuinely upset that they are receiving the brunt of the complaints from PR applicants regarding the delay when the bottleneck is with the MoI.

Given the current political climate, I think her prediction of 5 years is probably spot on.

I am sorry to drag this old post up, but I have been searching through the forum and have not see any particular reference within the civil code (section 1577) or posts as to whether a parent can build on land that is owned by their children, i.e. the land is in the name of a minor, is this possible?

I would be really grateful if any of the law experts on the forum could provide some guidance or point me in the direction of the relevant section in the civil code that covers this.

Many thanks for your help!

I'm not a law expert but I do remember reading somewhere in the forum that building on land that is owned by a child is complicated. You need to get the approval from the courts and they will only allow this being done if it is in the best interest of the child. I took this to mean that basically if you build on the land, the house most likely needs to be in the name of the child, not in the name of someone else.

Thus my suspicion is that a parent can build on the land (with the approval of the courts) but the child will be the owner of the building.

Thank you donx! I am not concerned about the children owning the property, but wouldn't want to go to court to get building permission as it would probably be a long drawn out affair. I have read through the civil and commercial code, but can't find specific reference to building on land held by minors. Maybe the easiest way is to just ring the land department. Thanks again for your help.

So without any intervention to the contrary, a wife, acting as legal representative, could cause the property to be sold, mortgaged or otherwise disposed of to the detriment of the child.

Hmm. This is getting interesting. Have a look at section 1574 of the civil code which seems to contradict what you have just stated (http://www.thailawonline.com/thailand/civil-code), but at the same time see section 1577 which seems to (sort of) support it ... it says that land can be given to a child as long as it is not managed by a person who is "exercising parental power".

At the same time I have been advised that in many cases the Lands dept people simply will not accept a child signing an agreement when it is clear the child is too young to understand what they are doing.

Can I ask anyone reading this, who has been through this process, to mention their experiences? In particular, how old was the child? what paperwork did you have to complete? the nature and value of the property? any other issues that were raised?

I am sorry to drag this old post up, but I have been searching through the forum and have not see any particular reference within the civil code (section 1577) or posts as to whether a parent can build on land that is owned by their children, i.e. the land is in the name of a minor, is this possible?

I would be really grateful if any of the law experts on the forum could provide some guidance or point me in the direction of the relevant section in the civil code that covers this.

Many thanks for your help!

Thanks for the clarification writeshack. I am one of the many waiting for PR approval having applied in 2006.

Doing away with the re-entry permit and work permit (as WormFarmer mentioned) would certainly make PR much more attractive for all those contemplating going the through the rather lengthy process!

The information came from a Thai lawyer who is very much involved in efforts to streamline the laws relating to immigration and residency issues. Sorry, I can't name him. The committee involved has made submissions to the prime minister, but little seems to be happening

Thanks for that! By chance do you know of any of the recommendations the lawyer has made to the PM re streamlining residency, as that might be one of the reasons for the delay in approvals?

Thanks for the somewhat depressing news. Did you get this information directly from someone in the Ministry of Interior and are the 8 approvals recent or spread over the past 3+ years?

Arkady, has there been anything published on this or is "word of mouth" communication from the Special Branch?

I would also be interested to know whether this is word of mouth or not.

Given the extraordinary delay in approvals for PR, I assume that many of us who applied for PR 3-4 years ago would now be eligible for citizenship; certainly the applicants with a Thai spouse, especially given that most of us would have either been on a relevant extension of stay or tabien baan for more than 5 years.

With the current naturalization guidelines, are we eligible or not?

Many thanks!

Ok everybody, a non-update.

I went to Chaengwattana yesterday to get my latest 6 month extension.

Found my way around the new place fairly easily, and to section D where these are processed.

Spoke to one of the old regulars from Suan Plu, and when I posed the usual 'when?' question (she must be as sick of hearing it as we are of asking it), she looked at me and simply said with resignation, 'I don't know'.

There you go.

One other comment. There was only this one lady handling all the extensions and applications etc. when I was there (approx 10:30). No idea is this is usual at the new office. But in true 'Thai style' I was allowed (instructed) to interrupt the poor chap who was in the middle of making his application. If he reads this, sorry about that!

The silence is deafening! Does anyone have any updates on PR applications for 2006, 2007 and now 2008? I had understood that they were going clear the applications for 2006/2007 by the end of the year, but that now seems wishful thinking.

Any updates would be very much appreciated.

grtaylor, I am happy to hear that you received your approval letter (and congratulations!) despite the fact that it isn't the best timing for you. However, it begs the question whether other 2006 applicants have received their approval letters? Surely you can't be the only one? When I phoned the PR section they categorically said that no 2006/2007 applications have been signed by the Minister of Interior.

If anybody else has received their approval letter please speak up.

The plot seems to thicken......

Just had an email from my former place of employment in BKK saying that a letter has arrived saying my PR has been approved (2006), and that I have to deal with it in 30 days . . . . .

This is SO FRUSTRATING, as I'm out of the country, not working there, and won't be back until mid-December.

I really can't see any way out of this . . . . . I'm stuffed, and all that work in applying is wasted! Does anyone know a good lawyer, who might be able to negotiate on my behalf?

G

Well, you have the choice of coming to Thailand (calling in sick at work, applying for a well-needed vacation, use your phantasy) or forfeiting your application. If you don't live in Thailand, you are not a "permanent resident" anyway, so please do not complain about the Thai government if they don't recognize you as such. How would you defend being a permanent resident in Thailand while being permanently in another country and cannot even come to Thailand to receive your *permanent* residency? I don't get your point, kindly explain.

For the rest of us (who really are permanent residents), thank you for the good news that 2006 applications are being approved eventually.

For your information I will explain.

I lived and worked in Thailand for nineteen years, legally, with a work permit, and decided almost three years to apply for PR. I had decided that Thailand was the place to be, for good. I was told at the time it would take around 18 months for a decision.

Unfortunately, since then two things over which I had no control, happened:

• political problems (presumably) changed the length of time it takes to process applications
  
• my job here finished, and, as I found no other suitable job in my field in Thailand, had to search overseas
  

I do not consider myself "permanently in another country", I consider myself temporarily absent whilst looking for a suitable job to return to.

My frustration is purely that I did what I thought was the right thing, but, circumstances (and I say again) over which I had no control, have ruined my chances.

As a teacher I can't "apply for a vacation" in the middle of a term, nor is it my work ethic to call in sick when I am not.

I think I am entitled to feel very disappointed at the way it has turned out . . . . . .

As Samran says, it is worth making some effort to finalized your PR, if you are sure you want to come and live in Thailand again in the future. I don't think they ask to see your WP or scrutinize your passport to check that you are still resident here but things may have changed. So beware of that point, even if you can come here. It is bad luck how things have worked out but bear in mind that you are no longer technically qualified for PR by virtue of having taken up full time employment in another country.

On another note, it is good news that they are now approving the 2006 batch. Most are probably already qualified to apply for citizenship by now.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news (maybe good news for grtaylor), but I phoned the PR section today to ascertain whether the 2006/2007 applications have actually been signed by the Interior Minister or not. The answer given was that none of the applications have been signed yet and that they are still sitting in the MoI. Apparently they have even started sending 2008 applications to the MoI as well. They also could not give a timeline for the signatures either. You can phone directly yourselves on: 02-141-9899

So it seems like we need to wait a little longer.