An Icelander and his Dominican wife, who has a valid residence permit in Iceland, are having trouble getting a residence permit for their daughter, despite having “fully acceptable” paperwork, their lawyer contends.
The child in question was born in the Dominican Republic in December 2008. The mother has a valid residence permit, and is married to Icelander Skúli Þór Hafsteinsson, but a residence permit for the child is still pending, because the Office of Immigration contends that the paperwork they have submitted does not satisfy all requirements.
A birth certificate is not enough, the office contends, as the parents need to prove that they are the guardians of the child in question. The parents contend that they have done this, and their lawyer agrees. All of their their necessary forms detailing their guardianship of the child have been stamped by a notary public, law enforcement officials, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, all verifying that the child is theirs.
Skúli submitted this paperwork with the office before leaving for the Dominican Republic to bring his wife and child back to Iceland. The family is now stuck there, RÚV reports.
Hreiðar Eiríksson, director of the permits department of the Office of Immigration, told reporters that when it comes to matters involving children, they have to be extremely careful. He said that the office is doing everything it can to work out a solution for the family.