If you read this last August, you know that getting Chloe's Spanish student visa was a nightmare (the gory details begin here). After a last-minute trip to the Spanish consulate in San Francisco, she got it on time, but the visas issued in the US are temporary, lasting only 90 days. The students are to apply for their permanent student visas when they get to Spain.
The travel agent said to bring USD$15, one passport photo, and a copy of the visa affixed to the student's passport. Because the requirements change so fast, I harbored no illusions that the officials in Pamplona would be happy with only that. They weren't.
Originally they went to the police station to get their visas. But they needed four passport photos and a lot more information. Chloe's not sure what because Alicia's mom took charge of gathering the correct documents, which included information about the host parents. She was happy because she got out of school early to travel to the police station. Ana was given a list of documents to provide and another appointment, in November, about six weeks hence.
Again, they got to leave school early for that appointment, but Ana didn't have everything required, including multiple copies of the documents requested the first time. Chloe said she and Abby didn't have to go back to the police station a third time (no more leaving school early), but that Ana could send whatever else they wanted. And that's the last they've heard.
It's now nearly the middle of February. Chloe's temporary student visa expired the first part of December. She heard that sometime in February or March they'll be contacted to provide fingerprints. They'll believe that after their fingertips are blackened. None of the other American Rotary girls have their visas, either. Are they there illegally? Will anyone ever ask to see the visa? What happens if she never gets it and we're traveling among European Union countries? The two times they've been to France was no different than driving between states here, but are all countries like that? How about traveling to a non-European Union country, the kind that's fond of border patrols?
We complain about US bureaucracy, but everything I've read and the limited personal experiences we've had indicate that the US is a bureaucratic cake walk in comparison to just about every other country.
Comments