The visa drama

During my last 3 years of stay in US, I have applied for visitor visa atleast 6 times to various countries and each time it has been an experience of its own. Some have been a piece of cake like Canadian and Swiss visa and some a real pain where Italy tops the list followed by France and all this considering the fact that I was already on a valid L1 US visa, was applying in New York and each one of those were just visitor's visas for less than 10 days.

Canadian visa was just a 2 hour work and that was all the time I had. My flight was in the same afternoon of the day when I was appearing first time at the Canadian consulate. I had my forms and documents ready, we all have but who knows what might creep up at the last minute.After submitting the papers and paying the fees I waited for my turn which just did not seem to come and I was nervous about my afternoon flight. After half an hour of wait I went to the security guy to ask why weren't they announcing my no. when I was actually third in the line. He asked me sit and wait.

So I waited yet again confused and a bit bewildered and finally after fifteen min I saw my no. coming up on a corner counter, I rushed with remaining documents and they handed over my passport. For a moment I thought was this rejection but actually it was a stamped passport. So actually there was no interview no unnecessary documents required. It was all done in 45 min and I received my passport back. The experience at the Swiss consulate was similar only that they asked me to come back in two hours to collect the passport. There was hardly any crowd, no waiting line, no prior appointment required.

Lets see how frustrating it is to get a schengen visa from Italian consulate.My travel agent warned me that this was going to be a painful experience and so I should change my itinery and apply at the Belgium consulate. But well my main travel destination Italy and I am not going to change that. Anyhow I included brussels in the plan and went to the Belgium consulate. They refused asked me to apply to Italian consulate only. So I did have less choice. I took an appointment over phone for 2 days later so that I could get the other visas meanwhile before my passport got stuck there.

So 2 days hence on a chilly and windy morning I joined the long queue outside the door which seemed to lead in an underground tunnel ending into the basement. After standing there for close to an hour, the door opened and the security woman checked us in one by one and we waited in the hall. There was a separate line for returning applicants which was four times the original which meant that on an average people go back and forth 4 times before they manage to get the visa!Scary! As I waited patiently I could see that 90% of the people ahead of me were asked to come back with more papers and no arguements please. I was completely prepared to come back again with more docs.

My no. was called and the lady over the counter looked at my itinery. Okay so you are travelling to Italy then few other places and then Delhi but where is the return ticket? I was definitely not prepared to answer that one. Noone ever asked me that question and checklist just said itinery and this was mine. I told her with a surprised look , well I am not coming back. She looked at me from over the counter, what do you mean. Then after I explained her that I was transferred to my India office, she wanted my transfer letter and no. of days of vacation. Okay ma'am will get it next time. Fortunately for me second time was my last time and they gave me the visa after keeping the passport for 10 days.

Let me also add that that this was the only place where I had to go through two interviews. The passport was not returned on the same day, infact they kept it for ten full days. And even the process of picking the passport was a painful one. Once again the same queue on a chilly and windy afternoon, the security check and waiting room everything all over again. And to my surprise they were refusing people even now asking them to come back again. It was only after I received the passport in my hand did I breath a sigh of relief. It was like a great achievement and rest of the people were smiling at me giving appreciate and congratulatory looks.