The Long and Complicated Journey of Obtaining a Visa!

As some of you may know, I have had some complications with getting my visa. I applied for a student visa in the US, like I was supposed to, with plenty of time for getting the visa. I waited and waited and waited…and waited some more. The two weeks before I left, I was a nervous wreck. I didn’t know what to do without my visa. I kept calling the Consulate in Chicago, but all they could tell me was that it was “Pending.” Supposedly that’s all they could see (yes, I know, it doesn’t make sense!) I was emailing all two email addresses for people in Switzerland that could help me, but everyone was on vacation. Finally, I asked my professor from Calvin (the one who helped me get this opportunity) and asked if he knew what to do. He sent out an email to all the school contacts he had and I finally started getting responses. I knew that I could go to Switzerland without my visa, but it would be on a Tourist Visa. The Tourist Visa is an implied visa, where you can go to Europe (within the Schengen Zone) for a maximum of 90 days within a 180-day period. That means, if I came here and never got my visa, I would have to leave after 90 days, wait another 90 days to finish the 180-day period, and only after that could I come back. There’s no way I can take University classes and everything if I’m only here for a maximum of three months at a time. Also, that defeats the purpose of intending to spend a year abroad, not to mention it’s a giant bill of plane tickets back and forth. Absolutely none of that sounds fun!

Once I got here, a woman from SalZH, who has been helping me the whole time with visa things, got in contact with the Migrationsamt (Migration department) and asked what was going on with my visa and why it was still pending after more than 13 weeks in their office (the standard application time is 8-12 weeks). After several phone calls, we found out that I filled out the application incorrectly, which caused it to be forwarded to a different department, where they decided I couldn’t get the work visa and were just “sitting on it.” I meant to apply for a student visa though. If you’re confused, I understand—I was/am too. It’s all rather confusing!

We were pretty convinced for a while that this would mean I would have to go back to the US at least to pick up my visa. There was a chance that I would even have to go home to start the visa process all over again, which meant probably missing three months anyway. Of course this was not ideal, but in the end, all I wanted was a visa. I sent an email to a gentleman at the Migrationsamt explaining my error in the visa and asking if there was any way to continue with my application, without having to start over completely. His email responses were brief and vague, but eventually I got in the mail my “Ermächtigung zur Visumserteilung” (Authorization for the Issuance of a Visa). I was told that I needed to go to the Swiss Consulate in Stuttgart, Germany in order to get my visa. I had to bring a new application, but would be able to pick it up the same day!

Last Friday, Dorina and I had the day free, so we went to Stuttgart together. I needed to be to the Consulate between 9-12, but everything has to be to them by 11 (I don’t know what is allowed between 11-12…) Stuttgart is about 3 hours away by train from Winterthur, so I had to get up at about 5am to get there on time! That was not fun—anyone who knows me, knows I am NOT a morning person. I was so excited to finally get my visa, though, that I didn’t care…that much. :-)

We almost couldn’t find the Consulate, but asked some official-looking businessman and he was able to point us in the right direction. I’m lucky I had Dorina with me :-) We got there, took a number, and eventually I was called to the counter. They took my things and told me to come back at 2pm. At 2, I went back and my visa was all ready. All I had to do was go back to Winterthur and register with the city, saying that I’m living there, and then I would get the Residence Permit. Dorina and I spent the rest of the day shopping in Stuttgart, since it’s so much cheaper than Switzerland!

Yesterday, I went to the Einwohnerkontrolle (Residents’ Registration Office) and registered. Everything went smoothly and the woman was really really nice! There are still a couple more steps (as there always seem to be) but I shouldn’t have any problems with those. They’re baby steps compared to what I’ve had to do so far!

I am now the proud holder of a Student Visa. Finally. :-)