Okay so I am feeling pretty disheartened. We went to get the exit visa today and the official now tells me I need to get a lawyer to draw up a letter that shows both my niece’s mother and I are in agreement about my niece coming with me.

I already showed her a letter approved by the village police chief that my sister-in-law fingerprinted to say she is putting the child in my custody when leaving Cambodia but the official says we need a letter that both of us have signed, not just the mother.

I feel like they just make it up as they go and I imagine if I go back with a letter tomorrow they will have some other paper they want.

I am at the Aeon mall looking into the Khmer passport option but of course the application form counter is closed for lunch now.

I’m supposed to be back at my job in Australia today so I am feeling a bit desperate.

Does anyone know a certified lawyer in Phnom Penh that can draw up this letter I need ASAP?

I am pretty sure that you need an exit visa even if the child has a Khmer passport.

fax wrote: ↑Mon Oct 07, 2019 12:52 pm I am pretty sure that you need an exit visa even if the child has a Khmer passport.

Not if the child is traveling on the Khmer passport.

Username Taken wrote: ↑Mon Oct 07, 2019 12:46 pm As frustrating as it is, it is a good thing that they are making you get the document from a lawyer. You are not the child's mother.
You sound like a nice person, but how are they to know that you're not a people smuggler?

Actually am surprised you can get by with ONLY the moms signature an not the dads as well.
as stated ur not the dad or mom or, I assume, Khmer.

Guess your going to be a bit late for ur job .Do you already have tickets?

Good luck

fax wrote: ↑Mon Oct 07, 2019 12:52 pm I am pretty sure that you need an exit visa even if the child has a Khmer passport.

Why would you? Afaik a Cambodian leaving Cambodia with a Khmer passport doesn't need an exit visa regardless of what other passports they hold. Haven't tried leaving yet though so don't have first hand experience of doing it, but it sounds highly unlikely and completely nonsensical.

Bubble T wrote: ↑Mon Oct 07, 2019 2:10 pm

fax wrote: ↑Mon Oct 07, 2019 12:52 pm I am pretty sure that you need an exit visa even if the child has a Khmer passport.

Why would you? Afaik a Cambodian leaving Cambodia with a Khmer passport doesn't need an exit visa regardless of what other passports they hold. Haven't tried leaving yet though so don't have first hand experience of doing it, but it sounds highly unlikely and completely nonsensical.

^true

did it a zillion times

Username Taken wrote: ↑Mon Oct 07, 2019 12:46 pm As frustrating as it is, it is a good thing that they are making you get the document from a lawyer. You are not the child's mother.
You sound like a nice person, but how are they to know that you're not a people smuggler?

Very true!

the irishman wrote: ↑Mon Oct 07, 2019 2:04 pm

Username Taken wrote: ↑Mon Oct 07, 2019 12:46 pm As frustrating as it is, it is a good thing that they are making you get the document from a lawyer. You are not the child's mother.
You sound like a nice person, but how are they to know that you're not a people smuggler?

Actually am surprised you can get by with ONLY the moms signature an not the dads as well.
as stated ur not the dad or mom or, I assume, Khmer.

Guess your going to be a bit late for ur job .Do you already have tickets?

Good luck

True - but her dad (my brother) is dead so I have his death certificate in Khmer and English that also has to be shown to them every time we do anything. I guess that stands in for the signature.

I told my boss I won’t be coming back anytime soon. She’s not impressed, but luckily I work in local government so she also can’t just fire me

So I paid a lawyer a gazillion dollars (well maybe not quite that much) to draw up the letter in both Khmer and English, and only discovered tonight (after business hours and after paying him already), that he has only done it in English. Like wtf?! Would it still even be valid?

In my dealings with him, whenever I have questioned his “advice” in regards to what the immigration department will say, he says “There will be no problems. You have my business card. Tell them to call me”.

I’m worried it’s just the usual pomp that lawyers have. You have to be a matter-of-fact kind of person to succeed in law but it still doesn’t mean you’re always correct.