MA35: Opera singer on hold for years

The artist, who has been living in Austria for 30 years, is not the first to accuse employees of the office, in addition to lengthy proceedings, as well as unfriendliness and poor courtesy. It was only four and a half years after his application for Austrian citizenship that he received it, as he told the Ö1 lunch journal on Saturday.

“Deciding about the life of whole families”

The tenor studied at the Mozarteum Salzburg and is employed at the Metropol in Vienna. The youngest son was born in Austria. Four and a half years ago, Velazquez applied for citizenship for himself and the three children. He had previously proven his excellent knowledge of German with a C1 test, but: “The lady who then took over the documents for me said ‘No – but it has to be B2 because it says B2’. I wanted to explain that C1 has more value than B2 and she didn’t understand that. “

Velazquez felt passed out and gave in. He also passed a B2 exam for around 250 euros. “You know, they’re very rude. They are really extremely unfriendly and if I wanted to talk to the manager or something, she would have been totally offended and my case would have taken even longer – if that’s even possible, it would take longer. As foreigners we all have the same problem that the employees of the magistrate have full power, they decide about the life of a person or even entire families. “

According to the Ombudsman’s Office, the act was left behind for two years

For two years, the MA35 did not deal with the case at all, the Ombudsman Board found. It took four and a half years until Velazquez and the sons were granted Austrian citizenship in mid-July this year – just before the birthday of the eldest son: “Thank God one day before his eighteenth birthday, before he comes of age – if citizenship is not granted before this date he would have had to start the whole process from scratch as an adult himself. And I don’t wish that to anyone, ”says Velazquez.

Again and again he had to bring documents again, translated and otherwise notarized, said the opera singer. A spokeswoman for the MA35 replied that the approximately 450 employees would process 150,000 applications per year in highly complex procedures in accordance with federal legal requirements – to the best of their knowledge and belief. Reforms are planned. But the accusation that the employees are unfriendly is rejected as a blanket allegation.

Explicit praise for the last editor

Velazquez also has praise for the last speaker responsible.
“The friendly, nice lady managed everything within three months that her colleagues couldn’t do in four and a half years. She really made an effort. ”Perhaps it was because he had hired a lawyer and, with the help of the ÖVP councilor Patrick Gasselich, had initiated an article in the daily newspaper“ Krone ”, the tenor said.

According to the Ombudsman’s Office, the two years of inactivity by the authority resulted in damage of 14,000 euros. Because the mother of the two older children did not pay any alimony. If they had been Austrians, the state would have paid the alimony as an advance payment. “My children were awarded these alimony from their mother by a judge here in Vienna. In the amount of 300 euros for each child, so two children are 600 euros a month. “

“Proud Austrian”

Despite the waiting time and the financial expense, Rene Velazquez is very happy to be in Austria: “I am a proud Austrian. I am very proud that I finally have the citizenship, also because it corresponds to the security of my children, that they can continue to live here quietly even when I am no longer there, and that they also feel comfortable and at home here. “

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