Several days ago, I had one of those experiences that just about any expat could relate to - you prepare your documents, make your appointment, triple-check everything - and then get confronted with "Oh no, that's not how it works." It's funny how very real, important issues like visas and immigration are ultimately the decision of a single person. If that border guard or that police officer or that consulate official decides they don't want to grant a visa... that's bad news for the expat/tourist/traveler/whatever. Even as I type this, tons of stories friends have told me are springing to mind - and now I have one to add to the pile.
Since this blog exists to track my expatriate progress, I feel obliged to write about it, especially because I would like to think that someone else might learn from my mistakes. So even though this story only proves that I don't know everything and I kind of hate that, I will explain what happened when I got turned down by the French consulate for a long-stay visa (see the previous post for the whole story as well).
All of my paperwork was perfectly in order and I made it to the French consulate in LA on time. The man I dealt with there... I'll call him FC. I had already filled out a Schengen Visa application form and bought in three copies, but FC told me I needed to fill out a long-stay visa application (note: these forms are 99% identical - the only difference was that everything was in French on the forms he gave me, and I had printed my copy from the French consulate website). I explained my situation to FC, told him about my friends in Paris and showed all types of proof that I could stay with them. FC told me "you don't need this visa at all, you can just use your passport."
Well, I replied, I am traveling for 8 months, and my US passport only allows me to stay in the Schengen area for 90 days...
No, no, he replies. You have 90 days in each country, and you can, for example, go to France for say, 10 days and then take a week off and go to Spain... when you return to France you will still have 80 days left. Stay in France for 20 more days, and go to Italy for 10 days. When you get back to Paris you will still have 60 days left. And every six months, this renews, so as long as you don't spend more than 90 days in France in a 6-month period, you can just keep doing this forever (that's me paraphrasing his words).
Sounds great, but it's just not true. In the most polite way possible, and without accusing him of being wrong, I said "it was my understanding that Americans get 90 days in the entire Schengen area, and I was advised to get a visa if I wanted to stay for 8 months." He tried to talk me out of it. It was the most surreal experience, to have the "administration" talk me out of following the rules, while I tried insist that I really only had 90 days to stay in the entire Schengen area with my US passport. If I leave the Schengen area and come back, I think I can do that once in a 6-month period. The law is set up so that I can't just keep flying to Turkey every three months. So in the end, my visa was denied - because FC said it just didn't apply to my situation. He still encouraged me to go to France, travel as I want, and just use my passport.
I was flabbergasted. I got in touch with an immigration lawyer in the states, and she backed up everything I know to be true, and confirmed that what FC told me is wrong. Could I fight it? Maybe. Do I want to? No. First of all, getting turned down for this visa cost me $175 USD, which still aggravates me. Secondly... France isn't even where I want to live. I know that schengen visa/long stay tourist visa would have come in handy and backed me up during my time in Amsterdam, but my passport already has a French visa, and a French titre de sejour from 2005-2007, and if I stuck another one in there and then eventually tried to permanently relocate to Amsterdam, things could get confusing.
So that's that for France. I emailed the lawyer and put forth this situation. "Let's say I arrive in Europe on 21 April and stay anywhere in the Schengen area until 20 July (three months). On that date, I'll fly to Belgrade or Sarajevo or somewhere that is not an Schengen/EU country and will stamp my passport. I'll stay in that area until say, 28 July (which I wanted to do anyway to research the documentary). Then when I arrive back in Schengen-Area-Europe, I'll have another three months. So I'll have to go back to the US on 28 November." The lawyer told me my plan was perfectly safe. I'm also pretty sure that I will find something else out there that contradicts this advice, and yes, that is frustrating.
I'm obviously not thrilled with the way the situation turned out, but that's mostly because my ego was a little bruised, since I had been confident that this would work. But honestly, the more I think about it, the less worried I am. More and more I think that my best way into Amsterdam, and into a real life in Europe, is either school or work - simple as that. My Binger Filmlab application went out a few days ago, and I am really pleased with how it came together. Even if I don't get accepted, the application process gave me a good kick in the ass - I spent many nights staying up until 2 or 3am after a long day at work, writing and re-writing my documentary treatment, researching everything I could about my topic, writing my essays, and updating my resume and website. I also learned more than I ever wanted to know about how to wire money from an American bank account to a Dutch bank (for the application fee). In addition to Binger, there are two Masters Programs at the University of Amsterdam that really, really appeal to me, so I'm going to go ahead and apply once I decide which one suits me better. And there is the possibility of a job at the editorial company in Portland/Amsterdam - I have a meeting on Friday morning to talk about that very topic.
I feel very fortunate to have such great friends all over the world that are rooting me on. The other day, I wrote an email to some of my friends that live in Paris and Amsterdam, telling them what had happened with the French consulate. I received some really sweet replies and more offers of help, suggestions on how to do things differently, or just to say "don't worry, you'll figure something out, you always do, and we can't wait to see you in April." Well, I don't always have everything figured out, but as long as I learn something important from the experience, it's worth it.
But I'm still really annoyed about that $175.
Showing posts with label Long-Stay visa. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Long-Stay visa. Show all posts
February 28, 2008
Paperwork
Jumping right into this topic.
As an American, I am allowed to stay in Holland - and the entire Schengen Area - for three months with just a passport. I know three months isn't enough time for me to figure out if I can make my desire to live in Amsterdam a reality, so I'm applying for a long-stay Schengen Visa, valid for about eight months. Because I'm flying into Paris, I need to apply to the French Consulate - France is my "port of entry" into the Schengen area. This visa won't allow me to (legally) work or declare residency anywhere, but it will serve one very important purpose - I won't get deported for staying in Europe for more than three months if someone asks to see my passport.
Since right now my plan is to stay in Europe from 21 April - 22 December 2008 (at the very least), I need to cover myself. If someone stops me on a street in Amsterdam come October, I need to be able to show that I was granted permission to travel within the Schengen area and that I'm just another tourist.
It's not exactly a fun process to get this visa, which shouldn't come as a surprise. First, I need to get a police report that says I have no criminal record (if you do, I don't know what that means, but I assume it makes things more difficult). To obtain that report, I have to go to the police station in the county where I reside (which is currently Los Angeles). The police just need to see a valid ID that indicates I live in the county that they serve, then they look me up and print out some kind of official letter stating I'm not a criminal. However, as of this morning, I did not have any ID that shows I live in California - my drivers license is from New York (pay attention, Americans, this is important for you to know). So that meant that this morning I had to go to the Department of Motor Vehicles and exchange my New York ID for a California ID. It took about two hours, cost $26, and they required me to provide a thumb print, pass a 36-question written test, take a vision test, and tell them how much I weigh. California is strange.
Now that I have an ID that clearly indicates I live in Los Angeles County, my next stop is the Records & Identification Division of the Los Angeles County Police Department for the police clearance ($15). After that is accomplished, I just need to gather every single piece of documentation imaginable (birth certificate, social security card, etc.) and take all of that to the French Consulate in Los Angeles this upcoming Tuesday, 4 March. Here is an important thing to keep in mind if you don't live in a major US city - there are exactly ten French Consulates in the entire United States. There are just five Dutch Consulates. It is possible to do everything by mail, but be aware that will take much longer than doing it all in person.
What exactly do you need to prove to get a long-stay visa? The most important thing is finances. Somehow you need to convince your Port-of-Entry country that you are not going to seek any paid employment or government services, and that you have enough money to support yourself for the duration of your stay. You also need to have already purchased your flight tickets that clearly indicate your return date to the US (yes, before they grant you a visa, you need to spend the money on the plane tickets). You need to have health insurance that is valid in your port-of-entry country and be able to prove you have a place to stay when you arrive. You will also have to write a letter stating why you want the visa and promising not to seek employment AND if you've done any traveling in the past three years, you need to be able to list that (just go by the stamps in your passport).
Health insurance is easy - there are a million places to buy "Travelers Insurance," and it's not terribly expensive. France requires coverage of up to 37,000 Euros, and Specialty Risk is just one place that offers very comprehensive policies at about $30 a month for European travel (not that I'm surprised, but rates double if you wanted to be covered in the US). As far as a place to stay - I'm lucky that I still have very close friends in Paris that will host me and submit the information I need... and it's a lot of information. They need to write a letter stating they will host me, provide a copy of their lease and proof of income, and explain their relationship to me. If you know people that might help you out like this but don't have a real, legit, legal lease/housing contact - it won't work.
My flight tickets have been purchased, so that's done. Now the only issue is money and my letter - which will be almost entirely honest. I will say that I plan to travel through Europe for 8 months to visit friends, be a tourist, and check out graduate schools. I'm going to leave out the part where I hope to stay in Europe and live in Amsterdam. Because who knows? Maybe I'll change my mind, right? As far as finances go, I can show my recent paystubs and prove that I'll have enough savings before I go.
It does seem a little weird to be doing all of this through France when the idea is to live in Amsterdam. If I was flying into Amsterdam, I would have to apply for the same type of visa, but to the Dutch consulate. Even though it's hard for me to believe, the Dutch immigration laws are even more strict and rigid than they are in France in a lot of ways, and I would rather avoid Holland even knowing that I exist until I figure out a legal way to live there. I also don't have any friends in Amsterdam that I would feel comfortable asking to vouch for me the way my friends in Paris will. The couple in Paris that is helping me out have been my friends for several years, and know and trust me.
I hope this isn't too confusing. I know that not everyone who is looking for advice on this type of thing will find all the details I provided helpful, but my point in explaining it is to point out that there are a lot of ways of staying in Europe, even if it doesn't seem obvious right away. An Australian friend of mine who moved to Berlin over a year ago recently told me a couple things I never heard before (if Amsterdam doesn't work out, I think I really will try Berlin). These are her words, which I edited down a bit just to get to the end of this post already:
In Germany, there are multiple visa options.... A) the Freelance visa. This is the magic ticket for most Americans/Australians/etc. in Germany. It's name might not be obvious... on all official websites etc. in Germany, this looks like a visa for people who want to set up a business, but in fact you can get it for any freelance work. B) the Student visa. Magically, in Germany, student visas aren't just for people enrolled in degree courses. You can also get a student visa for up to two years to study German. You need proof of enrolment at a language school (but you don't need to enrol more than say 3 months to get a two year visa).
This long-stay visa is something I've done before, and this time around I actually got guidance from an immigration lawyer. If I run into any trouble along the way, I'll be sure to write about it. I have received so much assistance from friends (and strangers!) over the years when it comes to this type of stuff, and I hope that I can help others learn through my experiences. Plus, keeping a blog is a great way to procrastinate when I really should be gathering my paperwork, updating my resume, and finding my plane tickets.
And thanks to all of the folks who have gotten in touch with me lately to offer encouragement or advice. It's always great to hear from anyone who is reading!
As an American, I am allowed to stay in Holland - and the entire Schengen Area - for three months with just a passport. I know three months isn't enough time for me to figure out if I can make my desire to live in Amsterdam a reality, so I'm applying for a long-stay Schengen Visa, valid for about eight months. Because I'm flying into Paris, I need to apply to the French Consulate - France is my "port of entry" into the Schengen area. This visa won't allow me to (legally) work or declare residency anywhere, but it will serve one very important purpose - I won't get deported for staying in Europe for more than three months if someone asks to see my passport.
Since right now my plan is to stay in Europe from 21 April - 22 December 2008 (at the very least), I need to cover myself. If someone stops me on a street in Amsterdam come October, I need to be able to show that I was granted permission to travel within the Schengen area and that I'm just another tourist. It's not exactly a fun process to get this visa, which shouldn't come as a surprise. First, I need to get a police report that says I have no criminal record (if you do, I don't know what that means, but I assume it makes things more difficult). To obtain that report, I have to go to the police station in the county where I reside (which is currently Los Angeles). The police just need to see a valid ID that indicates I live in the county that they serve, then they look me up and print out some kind of official letter stating I'm not a criminal. However, as of this morning, I did not have any ID that shows I live in California - my drivers license is from New York (pay attention, Americans, this is important for you to know). So that meant that this morning I had to go to the Department of Motor Vehicles and exchange my New York ID for a California ID. It took about two hours, cost $26, and they required me to provide a thumb print, pass a 36-question written test, take a vision test, and tell them how much I weigh. California is strange.
Now that I have an ID that clearly indicates I live in Los Angeles County, my next stop is the Records & Identification Division of the Los Angeles County Police Department for the police clearance ($15). After that is accomplished, I just need to gather every single piece of documentation imaginable (birth certificate, social security card, etc.) and take all of that to the French Consulate in Los Angeles this upcoming Tuesday, 4 March. Here is an important thing to keep in mind if you don't live in a major US city - there are exactly ten French Consulates in the entire United States. There are just five Dutch Consulates. It is possible to do everything by mail, but be aware that will take much longer than doing it all in person.
What exactly do you need to prove to get a long-stay visa? The most important thing is finances. Somehow you need to convince your Port-of-Entry country that you are not going to seek any paid employment or government services, and that you have enough money to support yourself for the duration of your stay. You also need to have already purchased your flight tickets that clearly indicate your return date to the US (yes, before they grant you a visa, you need to spend the money on the plane tickets). You need to have health insurance that is valid in your port-of-entry country and be able to prove you have a place to stay when you arrive. You will also have to write a letter stating why you want the visa and promising not to seek employment AND if you've done any traveling in the past three years, you need to be able to list that (just go by the stamps in your passport).
Health insurance is easy - there are a million places to buy "Travelers Insurance," and it's not terribly expensive. France requires coverage of up to 37,000 Euros, and Specialty Risk is just one place that offers very comprehensive policies at about $30 a month for European travel (not that I'm surprised, but rates double if you wanted to be covered in the US). As far as a place to stay - I'm lucky that I still have very close friends in Paris that will host me and submit the information I need... and it's a lot of information. They need to write a letter stating they will host me, provide a copy of their lease and proof of income, and explain their relationship to me. If you know people that might help you out like this but don't have a real, legit, legal lease/housing contact - it won't work.
My flight tickets have been purchased, so that's done. Now the only issue is money and my letter - which will be almost entirely honest. I will say that I plan to travel through Europe for 8 months to visit friends, be a tourist, and check out graduate schools. I'm going to leave out the part where I hope to stay in Europe and live in Amsterdam. Because who knows? Maybe I'll change my mind, right? As far as finances go, I can show my recent paystubs and prove that I'll have enough savings before I go.
It does seem a little weird to be doing all of this through France when the idea is to live in Amsterdam. If I was flying into Amsterdam, I would have to apply for the same type of visa, but to the Dutch consulate. Even though it's hard for me to believe, the Dutch immigration laws are even more strict and rigid than they are in France in a lot of ways, and I would rather avoid Holland even knowing that I exist until I figure out a legal way to live there. I also don't have any friends in Amsterdam that I would feel comfortable asking to vouch for me the way my friends in Paris will. The couple in Paris that is helping me out have been my friends for several years, and know and trust me.
I hope this isn't too confusing. I know that not everyone who is looking for advice on this type of thing will find all the details I provided helpful, but my point in explaining it is to point out that there are a lot of ways of staying in Europe, even if it doesn't seem obvious right away. An Australian friend of mine who moved to Berlin over a year ago recently told me a couple things I never heard before (if Amsterdam doesn't work out, I think I really will try Berlin). These are her words, which I edited down a bit just to get to the end of this post already:
In Germany, there are multiple visa options.... A) the Freelance visa. This is the magic ticket for most Americans/Australians/etc. in Germany. It's name might not be obvious... on all official websites etc. in Germany, this looks like a visa for people who want to set up a business, but in fact you can get it for any freelance work. B) the Student visa. Magically, in Germany, student visas aren't just for people enrolled in degree courses. You can also get a student visa for up to two years to study German. You need proof of enrolment at a language school (but you don't need to enrol more than say 3 months to get a two year visa).
This long-stay visa is something I've done before, and this time around I actually got guidance from an immigration lawyer. If I run into any trouble along the way, I'll be sure to write about it. I have received so much assistance from friends (and strangers!) over the years when it comes to this type of stuff, and I hope that I can help others learn through my experiences. Plus, keeping a blog is a great way to procrastinate when I really should be gathering my paperwork, updating my resume, and finding my plane tickets.
And thanks to all of the folks who have gotten in touch with me lately to offer encouragement or advice. It's always great to hear from anyone who is reading!
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