National Permanent Residence Permit

So sorry, perhaps it is time to hire a lawyer?
Perhaps you need to get legally married here in Hungary?
Don't feel too bad, I was married for over 40 years to a HU citizen, mother of a HU citizen, retired with monthly income from the US we owned a flat . had family ties in HU and I was sent a letter of deportation during the months I was trying t get a resident permit.
Had to get an extention to stay but in the end it worked out, some sort of paper mix up. We almost quit Hungary  during that time, almost put our flat up for sale and was going to walk away from here.
If you like your job and life here it might be worth getting a professional to help with the paperwork.Good luck.
PS because of the paper mix up and the time given to submit more paperwork, we got married on paper again in Hungary inside the city hall. It was very informal, just a lady at a desk and us signing we are married . Cost wasn't much either.
Maybe your local city hall office can help you get your papers in order?

Thank you Marilyn for your response.

Why did they sent you a letter of deportation ? Were you overstay ?

I talked to some lawyers and they did not gave me impression to help, just to make money no matter what the result would be.

As far as I know, being married to a HU citizen is not a requirement, it's just an advantage, same as having HU citizen children. You were married for 40 years to a HU citizen and they still gave you troubles. I have a HU citizen child and they still did not care. No logic behind...

They have the right to say NO, but at least with valid reasons, not senseless ones.

At some point, they even asked me some strange things such as the papers I signed when opening my bank account in HU 5 years ago...luckily I never misplaced them.

In fact, they never tell you precisely what they want, what is missing. For example, they can say you need to have XX amount of money in the bank, you need to own a house (you were the owner but still...), etc.

To be honest, it sucks...!

Thierson1 wrote:

This year I had a baby girl with a Hungarian woman, she is 1 yr old now. So I tried to apply again this year considering my daughter as my tie

Did you actually marry the mother? 

Thierson1 wrote:

Thank you Marilyn for your response.

Why did they sent you a letter of deportation ? Were you overstay ?

I talked to some lawyers and they did not gave me impression to help, just to make money no matter what the result would be.

As far as I know, being married to a HU citizen is not a requirement, it's just an advantage, same as having HU citizen children. You were married for 40 years to a HU citizen and they still gave you troubles. I have a HU citizen child and they still did not care. No logic behind...

They have the right to say NO, but at least with valid reasons, not senseless ones.

At some point, they even asked me some strange things such as the papers I signed when opening my bank account in HU 5 years ago...luckily I never misplaced them.

In fact, they never tell you precisely what they want, what is missing. For example, they can say you need to have XX amount of money in the bank, you need to own a house (you were the owner but still...), etc.

To be honest, it sucks...!

I was a one off, we had all the papers but I had with me only my marriage certificate, which is a short form. Good enough for all legal issues in the US, What they asked for was just one more paper, the long form we filled out at the court house in Las Vegas way back in 1978. They never gave us a copy of that long form because in the US no one on earth ever needs to see it and it is not a paper the court house usually hands out. I had the details of where my parnets were born and exactly where I was born and some other details. It was super slow coming in the mail and my deadline to hand it in was passed. So dumb, just more useless stress. In reality my father was born in Poland and his mother my grandmother in Hungary, former Hungarian lands but the less compiicated things are with immigration the better off you are.I'm just glad it finally worked out before we sold out.
I'm considering applying fr HU citizenship but that might be another nightmare I don't need?
If you are legally married to the babies mother it might help. I know they say you just need to be in a relationship for 2 years or so but maybe it would help out?
The reason we ask if your are legally married is because of issues like what happened to me. Married but still needed extra  papers to prove it. I have no idea how these civil unions work here with immigration since I had so many issues. At the immigration office they sent us to one desk in another building that had marriage records. They got online and noticed I was the mother of someone Hungarian who had married a Hungarian in Hungary just a few years before. I was listed as his mother. It was my son, even that didn't help my case. They wanted the paper in hand from the courthouse in the US. Just saying, who knows for sure how these things go?
Yes, lawyers are only interested in what's in it for them, sad.

atomheart wrote:

Thierson1 wrote:

This year I had a baby girl with a Hungarian woman, she is 1 yr old now. So I tried to apply again this year considering my daughter as my tie

Did you actually marry the mother? 

Is that actually required?   These days not everyone is married when they have a kid.

I had to sign papers numerous times that the kids were mine but apparently that none of those things seem to have filter through to or from the registration office.   At that time, we had never actually told the authorities we were legally married (in the UK).    I'm on the kids birth certificates as the Dad.  They do know we're married as they have a copy of the certificate and its translation but don't seem to be able to get 2+2 to add up to 4 elsewhere in the system.   My extract from the registration database shows all these details.  The kids have HU and UK passports and bear my name.  Yet I still have to sign papers here and there.  Never really understood why.

Outside of the kids, we've had to provide the marriage paperwork multiple times on some really ridiculous things like passing a car registration to my wife.   Apparently it's for lower rates of tax as cars are considered like real estate.  Convoluted system.

Not sure how to write this without coming off the wrong way.
I have a gay friend here who seems to have more rights with his partner then a person who is an actual parent of a HU citizen.
Hate to say it but the saying is true it's who you know or who you....!
My friend is here a long time and able to stay for years on end and is from what they call a 3rd country, so not even an EU citizen.
I wish to take nothing away from him but being a parent and being afraid you might have to leave is not a joke.
Best of luck again.
I've heard of people with just a civil arrangement being given resident papers so not sure who or what is wrong in this situation.
My husband said that my issue was because we were "going for the gold" a  5 year resident permit and then a 10 year permanent one.
Once they give those out it is harder to get rid of you, I guess.
Now that I have become aware that my granny was a HU citizen I could get HU citizenship even without my marriage I think. Just such a hassle to get all those old documents even though I know exactly where she was born.I always asumed hiring a lawyer was the easy and quick way to go but perhaps not as easy as I thought after all.

I came at some point to think that even refugees are better considered than people with HU ties, economically contributing to the country through the taxes they pay, etc.

I came at some point to think that sometimes it's better to cheat. They seems to better understand and issue positives decisions when cheating than having positive intensions.

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

Not sure how to write this without coming off the wrong way.
I have a gay friend here who seems to have more rights with his partner then a person who is an actual parent of a HU citizen.
Hate to say it but the saying is true it's who you know or who you....!
My friend is here a long time and able to stay for years on end and is from what they call a 3rd country, so not even an EU citizen.
I wish to take nothing away from him but being a parent and being afraid you might have to leave is not a joke.
Best of luck again.
I've heard of people with just a civil arrangement being given resident papers so not sure who or what is wrong in this situation.
My husband said that my issue was because we were "going for the gold" a  5 year resident permit and then a 10 year permanent one.
Once they give those out it is harder to get rid of you, I guess.
Now that I have become aware that my granny was a HU citizen I could get HU citizenship even without my marriage I think. Just such a hassle to get all those old documents even though I know exactly where she was born.I always asumed hiring a lawyer was the easy and quick way to go but perhaps not as easy as I thought after all.

I was reading something about this only this morning as part of a job I'm on which has a human rights dimension.

The gay thing is easy to answer and nothing to do with who you know.   There was a court case in the European Courts (discussed here in these forums several times) and 3rd party nationals who are spouses of an EU national. It doesn't matter if the EU person is gay or Hungarian or from Timbuktoo.  The 3rd country nationals are entitled to accompany their EU spouses to Hungary - the law doesn't specify opposite gender at all - it's just "spouse".  It also  allows both partners to work.  That's despite all HU political nonsense on gay marriage, Christian values and so on.   Moreover the HU state must provide services to gay married couples the same way as straight couples and because they don't allow that here, but do allow civil partnership, the same applies.   

HU cannot go against the EU on it as the law is clear.  It even applies to accession nations who must comply with the latest laws in their national legislation.  They won't get in unless they have proper (and acceptable) LGBT rights legislation.

Despite all that, it doesn't solve the OP's problem.  As an British person, I think I'm going to get it in the neck next year.  I also think sometimes about leaving, perhaps going to UAE for a few years and come back here with a retirement angle to any paperwork.  Who knows what rights we'll have post-Brexit.

My Fluffy, I know you just have to do what I did, go to immigration and get sorted with a resident permit.You've been here so long and have children, a business a wife , you should be a shoe in to get a permit .
Just a bit of a paperwork hassle but can be done. If we did it anyone can.
I'm glad my gay friend is allowed to be here, he is funny and kind, we need more people around like that.

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

My Fluffy, I know you just have to do what I did, go to immigration and get sorted with a resident permit.You've been here so long and have children, a business a wife , you should be a shoe in to get a permit .
Just a bit of a paperwork hassle but can be done. If we did it anyone can.
I'm glad my gay friend is allowed to be here, he is funny and kind, we need more people around like that.

It's a little complicated. 

Us EU folks (including the UK for the moment) have registration cards rather than residence permits.  We didn't need residence permits.  Registration cards were issued on demand. We just had to apply for the permit if we'd been here over 5 years but it wasn't absolutely necessary as it was essentially optional here, people didn't bother.   The registration card was more than enough.

Way back when, before accession to the EU, I had a brown residence booklet which I needed at the time and I had to use that so rarely it was in a box in a drawer.  I could have gone and got the card 5 years after post-EU accession. But I just didn't bother as never in my wildest imagination would I have believed the UK would actually leave the EU!

Now of course things are different and post December 2020, they will be very different for British people in the EU.  Many of us are hoping those morons in the UK and Brussels are going to come up with something to protect our rights for residence and free movement. I can see the former working only for the current country but the latter, no chance.

ATM not many of us have access to free movement with this C-19 thing going on.
If I were you, I wouldn't worry too much. If anyone has a case to stay it is you.

By the way guys, any idea on how long it could take to get a response after submitting an appeal ? I asked the agents at the immigration office but their answer was '' we don't know, just wait, maybe 1 month, maybe 2''

My sincere apologies, but if you have a (and it sounds well payed) as a sales manager in Hungary you should not worry too much, if a sales manager you could even start your own company if needed, unclear what is your country of origin, but why worry if you have such skills (and probably assets).

The world is not honest that is clear, people with good jobs in Hungary have a much better position then (also) clever people from eg Sri Lanka or Bangladesh.

If you are a sales manager indeed you have loads of opportunities (and in my view to be a resident of Hungary if indeed you are employed for so many years). If you are indeed a sales manager I think a bank account of just HUF 2 mln is a bit modest,

Far too little clarity on your case in your posts. I might sound cruel but having a baby (just for me personally) is no argument to obtain a residency permit.

I just do not get it, if you have loyal employer (you have been as I understand) who really appreciates you I am sure he should be able to arrange things. (NOT YOU, in my career my employer helped me in my residency challenges).

cdw057 wrote:

.....

Far too little clarity on your case in your posts. I might sound cruel but having a baby (just for me personally) is no argument to obtain a residency permit.

In fact it's in the law regardless of why the child appeared.

If you are the parent of a dependent HU child then you have a different position to not having a HU child.  It's one of my own potential levers against residence issues down the line. And of course I'm married to Mrs Fluffy who is Hungarian.

This is the link to the Immigration Office on residence permits for third country nationals.

That link shows it's possible to ask on the grounds of family reunification although their explanations are as clear as mud (deliberately I expect).

What has been unclear is if the OP has actually acknowledged (signed the paper) to say the child is his.  I did that multiple times for different reasons.  My name appears on the birth certificate and in the notes section it says I'm a British citizen.

Let me bring some more clarification on my case as for some, it sounds unclear or weird.

I'm from Cameroun (Central Africa) and indeed I'm a sales manager in a multinational company here in HU. I have continuously been working here for the past 5 years, and to answer one of CDW057's question, yes my employer is the one who sponsored my work permit including renewals. They are also the one who sponsored my national permanent residence permit application last year when I turned eligible, BUT unfortunately that wasn't enough to get an approval. So yes, everything was prepared and managed by the contractor law firm/agency, they needed me only for signatures and to provide documents, that's all.

With last year negative result and expense wasted from my employer, they could not help this year anymore, I mean financially and sponsoring speaking. So I did it by my own, thinking that with my additional new status of being a father of a HU citizen would positively impact the decision, because one of last year' rejection reasons was ''no tie with the country''

2M saving for someone in my position could sound a bit modest for some opinion like cdw057 right, but again they don't even specify clearly how much one should hold and FYI I showed 3M last year but still. Yes I could have shown more than that this year but unfortunately some unexpected situations happened to me meanwhile which required financial actions. Anyway...for me it is still not a reason of rejection but they are the bosses !

Yes it is nice to start your own company but not everyone is mean to be an ''entrepreneur'' and it requires to have a project, a budget and does not guarantee at all a permanent residence unfortunately (correct me if I'm wrong) ! No bank will give a loan to someone like me in a temporary permit, I know what I'm saying because I tried and almost ALL banks told me the same: ''You need to have a pink plastic address card (lakcim kartya) with is only issued when holding at least a permanent residence permit...I was told at the immigration office''

What else...?

Back to my question, does anyone knows how long it could take to get an answer after submitting an appeal ?

Thanks for all your reactions, I appreciate.

oh I forgot to answer fluffy question:

Yes, the original birth certificate has my name as the father and of course it is signed, otherwise I wouldn't officially (I mean verbally) claim the paternity.

Coming back on employer, for me working in the US I would ask HR to deal with it, your employer should really have an HR and legal department to deal with things for you, why should you do it yourself?
I have worked for international companies and they just dealt with it for many of my colleagues (HK, US, GB, Australia).
If you are a sales manager you have value, let your employer deal with it rather then dealing with such headache yourself, your employer should have experience not put the burden on you.

Thierson1 wrote:

oh I forgot to answer fluffy question:

Yes, the original birth certificate has my name as the father and of course it is signed, otherwise I wouldn't officially (I mean verbally) claim the paternity.

OK, so this is good news.  So why not appeal and say:

1) You've got a job which pays sufficiently
2) Registered correctly and doing all the right things administratively
3) Father of a HU child you need to support and have access to

Wouldn't that be enough?

I wish it would but... Not!

All these you have just said were mentioned and proved in my application, documents were submitted.

Do I need to repeat this to them million times when they have all evidences on the table which can even be tracked in their "system"?

Maybe now you understand better why I'm that much susprised and disappointed with the decision.

If this is how legal immigration sounds and looks like, I would rather give a credit to illegal immigration.

Thierson1 wrote:

I wish it would but... Not!

All these you have just said were mentioned and proved in my application, documents were submitted.

Do I need to repeat this to them million times when they have all evidences on the table which can even be tracked in their "system"?

Maybe now you understand better why I'm that much surprised and disappointed with the decision.

If this is how legal immigration sounds and looks like, I would rather give a credit to illegal immigration.

Sorry about it but I have no idea. Unfortunately the atmosphere at the moment towards immigrants and anyone different is politically terrible anywhere.   It's no comfort to you.

If you were in another country  like the UK, you could probably claim if you went back you'd become a victim of political violence in Cameroon.  The fact that you have a steady job and have been here for ages and you have ties via your child would be in your favour.

I agree with the other posters, your employer should stop messing around and help you.  Perhaps it's time to see an immigration lawyer. 

I've been in meetings where one Hungarian arguing with another one has brought a proper result.  If I'd been arguing we'd have got nowhere or ended up fighting over the desk. Here in this country, it's often who you know, not what you know.

I totally agree with the last comment of Fluffy "it's often who you know, not what you know"
A multi-national company has to have (apart from legal and HR) also connections, should really not be an issue (working since 2016 already shows some appreciation (this should materialize).
Best argument is that you can give extra time to your company rather then finding out the wheel yourselves.
Perhaps I am mistaken but sales manager sounds like a well paid job (even in Hungary).
Perhaps you can negotiate and commit for lets say another 4 years in return for arranging a residency.

As a personal side remark, I went into early retirement from my prior job (not liking politics and stress), being Dutch having lived in The Netherlands, UK, Luxembourg (admittedly within Schengen), still my employer (AFTER LEAVING the company) gave me massive support in setting up a company, residency permit (not difficult though), clarity on what to do when moving to Hungary.
I mentioned before but I have quite some colleagues outside Schengen and even EU and helped them in getting all arranged. For me it was (and honestly still is) a given that the employer deals with everything (including residency permits if needed).
To me it is almost an outrage if he does not.

Thierson1 wrote:

By the way guys, any idea on how long it could take to get a response after submitting an appeal ? I asked the agents at the immigration office but their answer was '' we don't know, just wait, maybe 1 month, maybe 2''

Hard to say how long immigration takes to do anything. Like I mentioned from the day I went in until I got my 5 years resident permit it took well over 6 long stressful months. It was so messed up that to this very day my Hu husband has such a bad taste in his mouth about his country that he still talks about moving away. Our plans on reding our flat were stopped and never have fixed anything here in 14 years of ownership. My husband still hasn't totally unpacked everything we shipped over. Crazy but that's how he rolls.He escaped HU in the 70's and says in many ways things haven't changed since then.I seem to like it here more then he does. Everyday he says we are moving back to the US or S. America. I don't think so but that's how mad immigration here made him. He doesn't trust any system.
My husband was so hurt and so upset about the way I was treated, he was personally insulted to his core.

Thierson1 wrote:

I came at some point to think that even refugees are better considered than people with HU ties, economically contributing to the country through the taxes they pay, etc.

I came at some point to think that sometimes it's better to cheat. They seems to better understand and issue positives decisions when cheating than having positive intensions.

My husband says the same thing at times about refugees being treated better with free travel etc.
Not sure though, he was a refugee in several countries and it wasn't a ton of fun. He was young and had friends going through it with him so that part was fun but overall it was terrible to be unable to communicate and have no way of making money legally and not being able to ever go home again.
He never thought he would see his mother again in this lifetime when he left Hungary. I probably wouldn't be able to leave knowing I'd never be allowed home again.
Then again, that was nearly 50 years ago and now days people do seem to bend over backwards to be PC and help poor refugees...The US took him in for several reasons only he was young ( god tax base) and had an in demand trade.
He was just really upset with immigration in HU because of all the centuries his family lived in Hungary and that's the thanks he got, no welcome home for him.
Our son brought his Japanese wife to the US ( brought in his ex- too from Hungary) and has gone through the hoops and paid the fees in the US for the two of them.
He divorced his HU wife before she was able to become a US citizen but she was allowed to stay anyways. He paid and paid and did everything with the US immigration for his Japanese wife, last payment of $900. and her studying for her US citizenship but over a year later they still hadn't sent her a date to swear in. They just moved to Japan because the time was right to leave the US but no refunds from immigration.Don't feel bad all countires play these games.

About insulting, my wife is from the Soviet Union, I am from the Netherlands when living in the UK it was not possible (without a VISA) for my wife to visit the Netherlands (and also her family through marriage). which is fine (rules are rules (even if married to a Dutch man)). I happen to play chess and so does my wife so we used a short-cut through our Luxembourg connections (for a Schengen Visa).
Still it was not easy at the time, but I have to say if you have to do things without your employer or other means things admittedly can be difficult.
As mentioned by Fluffy knowing people can be useful (when we went from the UK to visit the Czech Republic (for holidays, chess and a nice time) we went through the Lux embassy (with employer support we could have (and looked) for the Dutch embassy (a line of 24 hours waiting (INCREDIBLE!!), the Lux route no waiting times at all.

Of course now I do not have a job (since 6 years) but still I believe that my ex-employer can help me if needed (moving to Georgia or Turkey (currently on my post-covid agenda)).
Doing things yourself is much more challenging, but the threadstarter claims or has a good job and the multi-national employer should do things (just repeating myself).

Over the past 2 days or so, sorry, when I worked for my company, I also had a colleague (one of my employees) from Cameroon (no problem whatsoever for a job in France and subsequently in Luxembourg. Again HR and legal dealing with things, afterwards his sister (nurse as qualification) came to Luxembourg as well. (no real problems).

I think if you are good you are treated well (and so is family), perhaps treated too well, but that is the decision of the company and HR.
Bottom line if you are a good employee your company will help.

If you are not being helped in a good way I AM SUSPICIOUS about the story.

If you are really honest, please disclose your company, perhaps one of the members might have contacts with them and use it (provided they are convinced that Hungary indeed would benefit from you having a HU wife and child), I have many (ex-)colleagues (and some friends) from as mentioned Cameroon, but also Indonesia, Surinam, India and honestly such a vague story sounds to me like scam (perhaps it is not). Your story sounds good but I have some doubts. Schengen is Schengen and good employees will get what they want (Cameroon is a "safe" country for that matter).

By the way, you conceived with your women a child but are you actually married? (I am a bit conservative and so is the HU legislation I think, if you are married where is the problem?)

cdw057 wrote:

..... (Cameroon is a "safe" country for that matter).

Yes "safe" depends on one's definition of safe.  It was relatively safe but it's rapidly going wrong with lots of unrest.  Not a good situation.

Only 4 days ago, kids were murdered in a school.

True on the unsafe part I heard from my friend/ex-colleague, but 4/5 years ago it was definitely still good, situations are changing and parents of my friend are in a dire situation, but then again if compared to the EU most of the people in this world are in a dire situation, the people I know in South Africa are more scared than the ones in Cameroon. Having said that in the EU it is of course much better.

The world is changing (fast) and Corona is a big driver and/or excuse.
It does not mean to my opinion that (NOT LINKED to the post) young courageous men should get the benefits, it should be women, elderly, sick who should get the benefits. I am personally a bit upset that refugees tend to be young and male.
Again the thread is on another topic, perhaps genuine (in which case I SUPPORT), perhaps scam in which case I would be negative (very much so). I have to be convinced.

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

....He escaped HU in the 70's and says in many ways things haven't changed since then. I seem to like it here more then he does. Everyday he says we are moving back to the US or S. America. I don't think so but that's how mad immigration here made him. He doesn't trust any system.
My husband was so hurt and so upset about the way I was treated, he was personally insulted to his core.

Even Mrs Fluffy has started complaining about leaving HU and this is her country.  But where could we go?  They are all in turmoil one way or another.  It's all a giant mess and no-one is welcome anywhere.  Obviously immigrants don't vote so easy to demonise and make scapegoats wherever they are.  Ridiculous  system. Personally I like Germany but Mrs Fluffy remains unconvinced.

I am hoping Biden will help change minds but he's no convinced friend of the UK - he sees Boris as the British Trump (notwithstanding Boris's former US citizenship).   Trump is likely to be worse for stability.

Maybe the OP would like to go for the US green card lottery?  It's free and easy to do. 

Mrs Fluffy and I applied way back in the 1990s and we were selected on a first attempt.  We were young and wanted the adventure.  We then saw George Bush come to the throne on a wave of BS and we decided we couldn't face that guy, the short holidays and distance.  So we went to Amsterdam as we knew it would be easier to be there.  Gotta love the Netherlands.

Off topic but George Bush almost seems like a pussycat to Trump although Bush had his war.  Trump is likely to end up fighting with China over Taiwan if he has a second term.

cdw057 wrote:

By the way, you conceived with your women a child but are you actually married? (I am a bit conservative and so is the HU legislation I think, if you are married where is the problem?)

According to EU law, if they were married, it's a requirement for third country spouses to be allowed in and to work.  It should be automatically granted to keep the family unit together.   

There's EU legislation on it - nothing to do with HU immigration deciding this and that. They have to obey that EU law regardless.

It's been discussed multiple times in these forums.

Totally agreed, hence my skepticism on the story

Thanks guys, I read all your comments.

I'm replying to satisfy (if I can of course) the doubts of cdw057.

My company fully supports me since the very first day of my transfer procedure from the country I was living before arriving here. They did EVERYTHING for me to get here and I did not spent any single coin. Once here, ALL the renewals of my residence permit were/are handle by them.

Last year when I turned eligible to the national permanent residence permit (at least 3 years residence in the country), I was the one who requested them to help me get that one instead of renewing again and again the temporary one I always have (2 years validity) and they obviously accepted without any problem.

The hassle started at the HU embassy in Nigeria which covers nationals of Cameroon requests since there is no HU diplomatic representation in Cameroon. I was asked by the immigration here as requirement to have my birth certificate authenticated at the HU embassy. I get in touch with the HU embassy in Nigeria (via email) to know how it works. They clearly told me that I first have to legalized the document at the ministry of foreign affairs in Cameroon then bring both the original copy of the birth cert and the legalized document from the ministry. Choice were giving to either bring them in person or send a representative with an authorization (NO post, NO DHL, etc.)

I did everything as prescribed and sent a representative with all the required docs. When he gets there, they strangely refused to to collect my documents and said they don't accept representative, ONLY applicants in person...weird !!!

My representative tried all he could but they stick on what they said. He even showed them the email I exchanged with them but nothing, and very upset, he nearly fight in there...

I wrote back to them and told them how can I be required to travel and show up in person just to get a stamp/signature and this was even not the only option given in our first emails...same they said I have to apply in person.

I reported this to my company as a feedback, we checked together how much it could cost for me to travel. Since the embassy did not tell me precisely how long it could take to have the doc authenticated, it was hard to estimate how long I will have to stay there and thus how much the cost of the trip would be. They (the embassy) were talking about weeks (at least 6) and I got some feedback that they are very careless and it used to take months. My employer as well as me got discouraged. They were willing to pay for the return flight ticket and couple of days of accommodation if known, but not knowing the exact frame time was not helpful even for the Business because I had to work. Yes I could work remotely while waiting but there are many challenges over there such as electricity and internet daily issues.

Not being able to submit this doc as required by the immigration office here, even though a letter was written explaining the whole situation (which they didn't care about), they time given was over and the application was stopped there with a negative decision (obviously).

That's the story of last year application and to be honest, I can not blame my employer, they've tried.

Like already mentioned in the previous comments, we are not yet married and marriage is not a requirement, it's a plus. The same way I didn't intend to have a child for this purpose, I don't see why I should do a senseless wedding to please them or convince them. Don't get me wrong, I talked about "senseless" not because marriage does not mean anything for me, but simply because I don't want it to happens at a time not planned just because of papers. It means much instead, so it shouldn't happens with such influence...I may be wrong, but that's our opinion. We don't want any "papers" condition in our engagement, I don't want to look like "I married her for papers", sorry but my dignity also counts.

What happens in HU also happens in many countries in the world of course. it is just sad to see how the world can change people's consideration, how the world can push people to have bad intension, how the world can push people to cheat...

Thierson1 wrote:

....
The hassle started at the HU embassy in Nigeria which covers nationals of Cameroon requests since there is no HU diplomatic representation in Cameroon. I was asked by the immigration here as requirement to have my birth certificate authenticated at the HU embassy. I get in touch with the HU embassy in Nigeria (via email) to know how it works. They clearly told me that I first have to legalized the document at the ministry of foreign affairs in Cameroon then bring both the original copy of the birth cert and the legalized document from the ministry. Choice were giving to either bring them in person or send a representative with an authorization (NO post, NO DHL, etc.)

I did everything as prescribed and sent a representative with all the required docs. When he gets there, they strangely refused to to collect my documents and said they don't accept representative, ONLY applicants in person...weird !!!

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To my mind, this doesn't make any sense. 

If you have an original birth certificate in your possession, you should be able to get it authenticated at a Cameroon Embassy in Europe - like in Germany or France.   Embassies are outposts of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs so should provide this service to Cameroon citizens.    Maybe you need to call them for advice.

Legalisation and notarisation are quite difficult subjects - depends on conventions which the parties agree to.

You didn't get it dude, let me repeat it once again for you:

The immigration office in HU requested the birth certificate to be authenticated at the Hungarian embassy covering my country, NOT the Cameroonian embassy.

I even asked the Hungarian embassy in France if they can help considering I will first legalize the birth certificate at our Cameroonian embassy in France but they said NO, the matter should be covered by their peers in Nigeria.

Thierson1 wrote:

You didn't get it dude, let me repeat it once again for you:

The immigration office in HU requested the birth certificate to be authenticated at the Hungarian embassy covering my country, NOT the Cameroonian embassy.

I even asked the Hungarian embassy in France if they can help considering I will first legalize the birth certificate at our Cameroonian embassy in France but they said NO, the matter should be covered by their peers in Nigeria.

I did get it.    I just didn't bother checking on Cameroon's position.  I have subsequently checked.

I know something about authentication of documents because I had to deal with this once before for something I was working on.

If Cameroon was party to the 1961 Hague Convention, then an apostille (certificate of authentication) would be attached by Cameroon and job done.  That then should be sufficient for Hungary as they are signatories to the Hague Convention to accept apostilles. 

It seems in this case, Cameroon is not a party so needs double authentication.  Cameroon ought to sort that out.

There should be a route for stamping at a Cameroon Embassy with jurisdiction over your place of residence (which presumably would be Berlin or Paris as you live in Hungary) and then for authentication here in HU at the MoFA.   It would be strange if there wasn't a mechanism for documents to be authenticated here.   

Doesn't help much but clears up a few things.

If Cameroon was party to the 1961 Hague Convention, then an apostille (certificate of authentication) would bee attached by Cameroon and job done.  That then should be sufficient for Hungary as they are signatories to the Hague Convention to accept apostilles.

It seems in this case, Cameroon is not a party so needs double authentication.  Cameroon ought to sort that out.

Exactly, unfortunately they were not one of the signatories of that convention, that's why authentication from our ministry of foreign affairs or whatever diplomatic representation of Cameroon is not enough. It should go again through a HU diplomatic representation covering my country of origin, that's why I had to deal with the HU consulate/embassy in Nigeria.