GNIB - your experience?

MadsL · 29-09-2015 02:33PM #1

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/garda-measures-aim-to-tackle-long-visa-queues-1.2369711

This has been happening for years, although GNIB claim they are in the final stages of testing an online system, this treatment of people who are generally in Ireland legally is an utter disgrace.

My experiences with them has been that of incompetence, rudeness, lack of processes and the sheer depression of seeing them treat people with cavalier attitudes. Even once you manage to speak with a member of GNIB, it is next to impossible to have any followup on details as telephone calls are unanswered.

Anyone have a good word to say about them?

The_B_Man · 29-09-2015 02:37PM

That online ticketing system is this one:
http://codeforireland.com/portfolio/q-app-2/

It says its live, according to that site.

brevity · 29-09-2015 02:38PM

"Meaures are being introduced this week to counter long queues outside the Garda National Immigration Bureau on Burgh Quay, according to the Department of Justice.
The announcement comes after hundreds of foreign nationals queued overnight in Dublin city centre last week for work, study and re-entry visas.
A Garda statement said: “Commencing this Wednesday, new registrations will be dealt with on Monday and Tuesday each week. Wednesday to Friday is reserved for renewal of registrations ie for those who have an existing GNIB card."

I had no idea what the GNIB was so pasting this as an FYI for others

fleet_admiral · 29-09-2015 02:41PM

Can these foreigners not queue somewhere in their native cork?

MadsL · 29-09-2015 02:43PM

That app is simply an updated grocery ticket queue system. A new way to herd the cattle, and that is the root of the problem, the fact GNIB feel like they can treat people like cattle.

Any other civilised embassy/immigration system uses an appointment system, not the first-come first-served bullshit GNIB have been dishing out for years.

Nodin · 29-09-2015 02:43PM

fleet_admiral wrote: »

Can these foreigners not queue somewhere in their native cork?

They would, were it not for sporadic flooding along the de banks of de lovely lee.

kneemos · 29-09-2015 02:44PM

The_B_Man wrote: »

That online ticketing system is this one:
http://codeforireland.com/portfolio/q-app-2/

It says its live, according to that site.

Don't think that's the appointment system,just tells you how big the queue is.

MadsL · 29-09-2015 02:46PM

The_B_Man wrote: »

That online ticketing system is this one:
http://codeforireland.com/portfolio/q-app-2/

It says its live, according to that site.

It uses customer experience, there is no link to the actual GNIB system, nor do GNIB seem involved.

We are looking to work with GNIB on this

eviltwin · 29-09-2015 02:48PM

I worked around the corner from there in 09 and it was a mess even then

kneemos · 29-09-2015 02:50PM

Should do what all Government departments do...set up five minute interviews at twenty minute intervals.

MadsL · 29-09-2015 02:56PM

An explanation of why GNIB cards need to be renewed every year (my US Green Card is valid for 10 years) and cost 300 euro a year, yet take at least 3 hours in this hellhole annually to process the same information would be a good starting point for reform.

This is NOT, in case anyone is wondering, a refugee office, it is the Dublin facility that any non-EU resident has to use. High-flying MNC executive? Here, sit your ass down next to the vomit no-one has cleaned.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/garda-national-immigration-bureau-dublin

Nodin · 29-09-2015 03:08PM

MadsL wrote: »

This is NOT, in case anyone is wondering, a refugee office, it is the Dublin facility that any non-EU resident has to use. High-flying MNC executive? Here, sit your ass down next to the vomit no-one has cleaned.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/garda-national-immigration-bureau-dublin

A picture of that with "Discover Ireland" on it would be good.

Muahahaha · 29-09-2015 03:08PM

MadsL wrote: »

That app is simply an updated grocery ticket queue system. A new way to herd the cattle, and that is the root of the problem, the fact GNIB feel like they can treat people like cattle.

Any other civilised embassy/immigration system uses an appointment system, not the first-come first-served bullshit GNIB have been dishing out for years.

Its really bad how GNIB run this. I've seen women with children camping outside their offices overnight in order to get to the top of the Q.

GNIB seems to do queues the same way the HSE does appointments for consultants. They know a consultant can see X amount of people from 9am to 1pm. So they tell every single one of the patients to show up at 9am. You might get seen at 9.15am or you might get seen at 12.45pm. You just don't know and can be left sitting there like a spare eejit for nearly four hours. It is so dis-spiriting that you just want to go home but if you do that you might have to wait another 6 months for an appointment. Its shameful how HSE Administrators treat people, they suck the dignity out of you. I'd imagine the people who have to use the GNIB service feel the same.

josip · 29-09-2015 03:16PM

They've been incompetent as long as I've known them.
I used to queue with my wife in 2001-2005 when they were up in Harcourt St.
It's unnecessarily inefficient for all and degrading for those queuing.
Some of the people on the other side of the counter might have been seconded from a Hungarian border unit.

At the time however, they weren't alone. The UK embassy would have people queue up from 5am to be one of only 20 that they would process that day for a UK visa.
If you were 20-40 in the queue they'd give you a ticket for the priority queue the next morning.
Soul destroying stuff all round.
Cead mile failte mo thon.

biko · 29-09-2015 03:49PM

I know a lot of fordners and no-one has anything good to say about them.
Understaffing and undertraining seems to be the problem.

They weren't able to handle the usual quota from Nigeria etc the last few years so I can't see how they will handle the Middle East asylum seekers now.

Ruu · 29-09-2015 03:56PM

'Drains beneath the seats to catch their victim's tears'.

Link

somesoldiers · 29-09-2015 04:07PM

Joe Duffy has taken up this "scandal" in the last few days so expect a resolution very soon folks, he even got them to open last Saturday to deal with the backlog

MadsL · 29-09-2015 04:36PM

Ruu wrote: »

'Drains beneath the seats to catch their victim's tears'.

Link

Crying chair?

TeaBagMania · 29-09-2015 04:36PM

As a foreigner that would like to move to Ireland in the future.

I consider it an honor and privilege to live in Ireland and if that means I have to stand in line for 12 hours once every year or two I’ll gladly do it without complaint.
If the day comes I don’t like the Irish bureaucracy or waiting my turn in line ill move back to my native country

imitation · 29-09-2015 04:38PM

somesoldiers wrote: »

Joe Duffy has taken up this "scandal" in the last few days so expect a resolution very soon folks, he even got them to open last Saturday to deal with the backlog

Thats good. Unfortunately foreigners aren't voters so once again our government isnt too pressed about it, despite the fact most of the people coming have to pay hefty amounts for school fees and visa fees, cant claim and benefits and need health insurance, so they are effectively a net gain.

Id say a lot are panicking too as the english college rules are becoming restricted on the 1st oct, the 3rd year is getting the chop and you can only stay for 8 months now, so if you can't get through the queue now you are out of luck i guess.

seagull · 29-09-2015 04:55PM

We had to renew my wife's stamp earlier this year. We finally got in on the 4th attempt. That was after I joined the queue at 4:30, with well over 100 people ahead of me, so that she could get the children up and drop them at a neighbour at a somewhat more civilised hour. We finally got seen some time in the afternoon. The cherry on top was then having to wait almost half an hour after we were done for them to open the door.

Their rules state that the EU member must be present, so I also had to be there every time. Adding up the various trips and the wasted travel and queueing time, it took about 20 hours * 2 people. From my work perspective, it was 3 days of logging in late, and one day completely wasted. That queue is costing the country a lot of money.

It would be nice if they could update their work practises into the 20th century, and their attitude out of the medieval period.

Actually, quite a few people in that queue are voters.

ebbsy · 29-09-2015 04:58PM

When it was up in Harcourt street it was much worse than now. You would get a ticket at 9am and been seen at 5 or 6pm if you were lucky.

This is probably just a bad patch with all the students. They should have a seperate line as opposed to the stamp 4's and re entries etc.

kneemos · 29-09-2015 05:07PM

TeaBagMania wrote: »

As a foreigner that would like to move to Ireland in the future.

I consider it an honor and privilege to live in Ireland and if that means I have to stand in line for 12 hours once every year or two I’ll gladly do it without complaint.
If the day comes I don’t like the Irish bureaucracy or waiting my turn in line ill move back to my native country

Hopefully "your country" doesn't have women and children queuing half the night and day.

TeaBagMania · 29-09-2015 05:12PM

I agree no one should have to wait that long and the system could certainly use a revamp and streamline, but at the same time I consider myself a guest in Ireland and don’t have the right to complain.

MadsL · 29-09-2015 05:28PM

imitation wrote: »

Thats good. Unfortunately foreigners aren't voters

Many of them become voters, a fact that few politicians seem to grasp. It is not exactly a complex problem to solve;

1. Schedule renewals on two days a week, most renewals take 5 mins interview. Have online information updates and only call for interview if really necessary

2. New application appointments within an two hour window.

3. Deal with the coffee break culture, windows are rarely fully staffed.

Nichard Dixon · 29-09-2015 05:49PM

This place is a disgrace to the State and there is no need for it. Only now do they seem to have discovered that there are lots of students this time of year and that they can send someone to DCU or UCD to process these!

LDN_Irish · 29-09-2015 06:31PM

imitation wrote: »

Thats good. Unfortunately foreigners aren't voters so once again our government isnt too pressed about it,

Ah sure they sweeten them with gaffs, replacement buggies and cars.

29-09-2015 06:35PM

Not too fond of them - some I encountered a while back had no interest in doing their jobs, yelling at people, threatening people who were there perfectly legally, etc

MadsL · 29-09-2015 06:41PM

TeaBagMania wrote: »

I agree no one should have to wait that long and the system could certainly use a revamp and streamline, but at the same time I consider myself a guest in Ireland and don’t have the right to complain.

As a US permanent resident I didn't have to endure any such treatment, scheduled interview, pleasant experience with INS presenting myself at the airport and no need to deal with them for ten years. I can change my address online.

No idea why Ireland puts people through this hell, completely unecessary.

Martial9 · 29-09-2015 07:47PM

MadsL wrote: »

Any other civilised embassy/immigration system uses an appointment system, not the first-come first-served bullshit GNIB have been dishing out for years.

The US embassy in Ballsbridge do pretty much the exact same thing. Give a hundred odd people the same appointment time. You all queue up outside, in you go and get patted down by an armed guard or 'agent', put your belongings through the detectors, they confiscate your phone, you get a ticket and wait for ages for your number to be called.

Currently dealing with the GNIB with a family member. No issues. Have all your paperwork in order and you will be grand.

Martial9 · 29-09-2015 07:50PM

seagull wrote: »

Their rules state that the EU member must be present, so I also had to be there every time.

Yes, as the non EU citizen is in the country on the basis of their EU spouse exercising their treaty rights. Hardly unfair to ensure that they are still together if it is the non EU citizens sole basis of being in the Irish state.

GNIB - your experience?

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