interesting experience to get a schengen visa....
Sep 12, 2012, 2:35 pm
#16
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Witnessed tons of these rude interviews at the german consulate in CCU and Chicago when I went there to get my passport renewed etc. That said the US consulate in FRA was equally weird to Germans, especially the (presumably low wage) screeners who check the applications. This consulate is used as a best practice training facility for all Europe/Asia consulates 
The same goes for the Indian consulates too: Munich and Stockholm had some dimwits working the applications ... you just supress your and have a G&T after its done.
That said I know the lady who used to run the German visa desk in CCU (now retired) personally and asked her why she was so rude. It seems frustration set in after a while when you process montains of applications and hundreds of interviews where the applicants try to say what they think you want to hear and not the full truth, which would have been sufficient to grant the visa.
The same goes for the Indian consulates too: Munich and Stockholm had some dimwits working the applications ... you just supress your and have a G&T after its done.That said I know the lady who used to run the German visa desk in CCU (now retired) personally and asked her why she was so rude. It seems frustration set in after a while when you process montains of applications and hundreds of interviews where the applicants try to say what they think you want to hear and not the full truth, which would have been sufficient to grant the visa.
Sep 12, 2012, 3:06 pm
#17
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US ACS-assigned personnel are generally very nice with Americans. My experience with such in a private capacity in many countries on three continents has been very good. However, as different as night and day, the experience of myself as an American dealing in a private capacity with US embassies/consulates will differ from the experience of many a foreign visa applicant ..... especially when dealing with "local" staff/contractors.
Sep 12, 2012, 7:12 pm
#18
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US ACS-assigned personnel are generally very nice with Americans. My experience with such in a private capacity in many countries on three continents has been very good. However, as different as night and day, the experience of myself as an American dealing in a private capacity with US embassies/consulates will differ from the experience of many a foreign visa applicant ..... especially when dealing with "local" staff/contractors.
May 26, 2016, 12:49 am
#19
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sorry for resurrecting an old thread but i thought i must give an update of my experience this past saturday evening....
my wife & i were attending a friend's dinner party & the same visa counselor from 4 years ago was there as well....at first i didn't recognize her but kept thinking i had seen her somewhere before....after a while it struck me that this was probably the same girl....
i asked the hostess who this girl was....it turned out she was the wife of one of the host's friends but she didn't know her well or whether she worked for the dutch embassy....curiosity got the better of me so i asked her to introduce me to her....we walked up to her & after the introduction i asked her if she worked at the dutch embassy....she confirmed that she used to work there but hadn't done so for a number of years now....
i then started to narrate the incident that took place & my friend the hostess had a good laugh while this girl seemed a little embarrassed....i asked her why she left her job at the embassy & she said she moved on to another job....i told her i hoped where ever she was working now she was treating the people she came across with a little more respect & humility than she showed me....
my friend sensed the sarcasm in my voice & took it upon herself to find out from common friends what happened with her employment at the dutch embassy....turns out she was asked to leave because the people at the embassy got a few complaints about her & were not happy with her performance....
hopefully the embassy replaced her with someone more respectful & knowledgeable....
my wife & i were attending a friend's dinner party & the same visa counselor from 4 years ago was there as well....at first i didn't recognize her but kept thinking i had seen her somewhere before....after a while it struck me that this was probably the same girl....
i asked the hostess who this girl was....it turned out she was the wife of one of the host's friends but she didn't know her well or whether she worked for the dutch embassy....curiosity got the better of me so i asked her to introduce me to her....we walked up to her & after the introduction i asked her if she worked at the dutch embassy....she confirmed that she used to work there but hadn't done so for a number of years now....
i then started to narrate the incident that took place & my friend the hostess had a good laugh while this girl seemed a little embarrassed....i asked her why she left her job at the embassy & she said she moved on to another job....i told her i hoped where ever she was working now she was treating the people she came across with a little more respect & humility than she showed me....
my friend sensed the sarcasm in my voice & took it upon herself to find out from common friends what happened with her employment at the dutch embassy....turns out she was asked to leave because the people at the embassy got a few complaints about her & were not happy with her performance....
hopefully the embassy replaced her with someone more respectful & knowledgeable....
May 26, 2016, 1:05 am
#21
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over the last 15 years i have usually applied at the french embassy where i have always received a 2 year visa....one time each i applied at the belgian & greek embassies & received a one year visa each time....
May 30, 2016, 11:30 pm
#22
Join Date: May 2016
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sorry for resurrecting an old thread but i thought i must give an update of my experience this past saturday evening....
my wife & i were attending a friend's dinner party & the same visa counselor from 4 years ago was there as well....at first i didn't recognize her but kept thinking i had seen her somewhere before....after a while it struck me that this was probably the same girl....
i asked the hostess who this girl was....it turned out she was the wife of one of the host's friends but she didn't know her well or whether she worked for the dutch embassy....curiosity got the better of me so i asked her to introduce me to her....we walked up to her & after the introduction i asked her if she worked at the dutch embassy....she confirmed that she used to work there but hadn't done so for a number of years now....
i then started to narrate the incident that took place & my friend the hostess had a good laugh while this girl seemed a little embarrassed....i asked her why she left her job at the embassy & she said she moved on to another job....i told her i hoped where ever she was working now she was treating the people she came across with a little more respect & humility than she showed me....
my friend sensed the sarcasm in my voice & took it upon herself to find out from common friends what happened with her employment at the dutch embassy....turns out she was asked to leave because the people at the embassy got a few complaints about her & were not happy with her performance....
hopefully the embassy replaced her with someone more respectful & knowledgeable....
my wife & i were attending a friend's dinner party & the same visa counselor from 4 years ago was there as well....at first i didn't recognize her but kept thinking i had seen her somewhere before....after a while it struck me that this was probably the same girl....
i asked the hostess who this girl was....it turned out she was the wife of one of the host's friends but she didn't know her well or whether she worked for the dutch embassy....curiosity got the better of me so i asked her to introduce me to her....we walked up to her & after the introduction i asked her if she worked at the dutch embassy....she confirmed that she used to work there but hadn't done so for a number of years now....
i then started to narrate the incident that took place & my friend the hostess had a good laugh while this girl seemed a little embarrassed....i asked her why she left her job at the embassy & she said she moved on to another job....i told her i hoped where ever she was working now she was treating the people she came across with a little more respect & humility than she showed me....
my friend sensed the sarcasm in my voice & took it upon herself to find out from common friends what happened with her employment at the dutch embassy....turns out she was asked to leave because the people at the embassy got a few complaints about her & were not happy with her performance....
hopefully the embassy replaced her with someone more respectful & knowledgeable....
Jun 9, 2016, 1:05 pm
#23
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Great story and I am glad you stuck it to her!
sorry for resurrecting an old thread but i thought i must give an update of my experience this past saturday evening....
my wife & i were attending a friend's dinner party & the same visa counselor from 4 years ago was there as well....at first i didn't recognize her but kept thinking i had seen her somewhere before....after a while it struck me that this was probably the same girl....
i asked the hostess who this girl was....it turned out she was the wife of one of the host's friends but she didn't know her well or whether she worked for the dutch embassy....curiosity got the better of me so i asked her to introduce me to her....we walked up to her & after the introduction i asked her if she worked at the dutch embassy....she confirmed that she used to work there but hadn't done so for a number of years now....
i then started to narrate the incident that took place & my friend the hostess had a good laugh while this girl seemed a little embarrassed....i asked her why she left her job at the embassy & she said she moved on to another job....i told her i hoped where ever she was working now she was treating the people she came across with a little more respect & humility than she showed me....
my friend sensed the sarcasm in my voice & took it upon herself to find out from common friends what happened with her employment at the dutch embassy....turns out she was asked to leave because the people at the embassy got a few complaints about her & were not happy with her performance....
hopefully the embassy replaced her with someone more respectful & knowledgeable....
my wife & i were attending a friend's dinner party & the same visa counselor from 4 years ago was there as well....at first i didn't recognize her but kept thinking i had seen her somewhere before....after a while it struck me that this was probably the same girl....
i asked the hostess who this girl was....it turned out she was the wife of one of the host's friends but she didn't know her well or whether she worked for the dutch embassy....curiosity got the better of me so i asked her to introduce me to her....we walked up to her & after the introduction i asked her if she worked at the dutch embassy....she confirmed that she used to work there but hadn't done so for a number of years now....
i then started to narrate the incident that took place & my friend the hostess had a good laugh while this girl seemed a little embarrassed....i asked her why she left her job at the embassy & she said she moved on to another job....i told her i hoped where ever she was working now she was treating the people she came across with a little more respect & humility than she showed me....
my friend sensed the sarcasm in my voice & took it upon herself to find out from common friends what happened with her employment at the dutch embassy....turns out she was asked to leave because the people at the embassy got a few complaints about her & were not happy with her performance....
hopefully the embassy replaced her with someone more respectful & knowledgeable....
Jun 9, 2016, 2:29 pm
#25
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Indeed interesting experience. From your report it appears that you enjoyed her obvious misunderstanding of your "arbitration".
What language did you communicate in with what accent. Was it Flemish with Chinese accent?
Get over it. And next time when you realize someone did not get your answer - give a full sentence detailed response.
You all forgot that the visa granting personnel needs to be regarded as investigators/police charged with duty not to grant visa to morons, terrorists, and other undesirable elements ;-). Visa is a privilege not a right.
What language did you communicate in with what accent. Was it Flemish with Chinese accent?
Get over it. And next time when you realize someone did not get your answer - give a full sentence detailed response.
You all forgot that the visa granting personnel needs to be regarded as investigators/police charged with duty not to grant visa to morons, terrorists, and other undesirable elements ;-). Visa is a privilege not a right.
Jun 9, 2016, 2:36 pm
#26
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Indeed interesting experience. From your report it appears that you enjoyed her obvious misunderstanding of your "arbitration".
What language did you communicate in with what accent. Was it Flemish with Chinese accent?
Get over it. And next time when you realize someone did not get your answer - give a full sentence detailed response.
You all forgot that the visa granting personnel needs to be regarded as investigators/police charged with duty not to grant visa to morons, terrorists, and other undesirable elements ;-). Visa is a privilege not a right.
What language did you communicate in with what accent. Was it Flemish with Chinese accent?
Get over it. And next time when you realize someone did not get your answer - give a full sentence detailed response.
You all forgot that the visa granting personnel needs to be regarded as investigators/police charged with duty not to grant visa to morons, terrorists, and other undesirable elements ;-). Visa is a privilege not a right.
how did you know that????
wait a minute, are you the same girl who took my interview????
shame on you....learn to treat people with more respect....
Jun 9, 2016, 5:21 pm
#30
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Perhaps there is the remote possibility that woman at the consulate office issuing the visa mistook "arbitration" as some convoluted variation of the Dutch word "arbeider" which means worker; she may have assumed that the OP was going there looking for work.