Immigration Nightmare

A week ago today I went to the immigration office to get my GNIB card which allows me to come and go from the country easily until next August when my program is complete.  I arrived there with a group of other postgraduate students at just after 8am.  There was already a long line!  When I got to the head of the line outside, I met the meanest, nastiest Irish person I have yet to encounter. Not only was he extremely rude but he spoke to me as if I were an idiot.  Apparently my health card is not enough proof that I have insurance...he needed to see it exactly in writing that I had specific coverage in Ireland.  I argued with him for a few minutes because the head of our Graduate Student Union had said to stay firm with them and not back down.  Well, I didn't win...and rather than pulling out the real claws, I decided it would be better to NOT get thrown out of the line and the country.  So I stepped out of line to seek the advice of the GSU president.  She told me to get a timecard from him and tell him I would go print out the specifics of the plan.  I did...and by some miracle he gave me one.  I then ran back to campus and printed out the details of my health plan but nothing on there said specifically that I was covered in Ireland.  I am freaking out!!  So I call my mom - despite the fact it is about 1am in California and of course scare her to death.  I spend the next couple of hours waiting for my timecard to be called and continuing to worry that I do not have sufficient information to prove I have health insurance coverage.  Well thankfully I stayed because 2.5 hours later when I got to the window, that guy didn't even check my insurance paperwork!!!!!!!!!  And he immediately issued me a card.  As usual, all that stress and worry for nothing.  I then waited another hour to get the actual card.  And then finally after a total of 4.5 hours of stress, I am legal in the country!