interesting experience to get a schengen visa....
Sep 11, 2012, 6:55 am
#1
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interesting experience to get a schengen visa....
my current schengen visa is due to expire in another couple of weeks & i have a trip coming up to the netherlands & belgium later this month so last week i applied to get another visa....since my next destination is the netherlands, i decided to apply with them & not through belgium or france, which is where i have always applied....
my current visa duration was 2 years & also the fact that i have already been to france, netherlands, germany & belgium since the beginning of this year & have future trips planned for the netherlands, belgium, greece, italy & france before the year is over, gave me the impression that this would be yet another routine application....
yesterday my ta informed me that i have been called for an interview before my visa can be issued....it seemed strange given my travel history but since i didn't have a choice i took an appointment for this morning....
i had submitted all my documents when making the application, which included my passport, pictures, covering letter, bank statement, it returns, copies of my ticket to amsterdam for later this month & again in november, hotel bookings as well as my tickets for trips to athens & paris in november & rome & paris in december....the only thing they asked me to bring were my old passports....
i arrive at 10am & am made to wait about half an hour....then i make my way in & am made to wait another half an hour inside while other interviews are being conducted....the room is a small circular room with 2 counselors sitting behind the glass....the gentleman (middle age & of indian origin) on the left seemed to be giving a young newly married couple a hard time while the girl (young girl, late 20s or early 30s & also of indian origin) on the right was grilling some students on why their university was sending them to the netherlands for a school trip....i could hear most of the questions being asked & while they seemed quite silly, i tried to ignore it & kept reading the book i got with me to pass the time....
around 11am my turn came up & i was called by the girl sitting on the right....i apologize in advance for the length of this post but i was just amused by the whole process & thought i must share....the exchange that followed went something like this:
her - why are you traveling to the netherlands????
me - i'm going for work....i have an arbitration later this month....
her - arbitration????for what????
me - i am not at liberty to disclose the topic of arbitration....i am representing abcd against wxyz on the ___ of september....the venue is the __________ at the hague....
her - no, i mean what do you mean by arbitration????
me - an arbitration is a legal method of resolving disputes outside the courts....
her - who told you to do this arbitration????
me - i'm sorry but i don't think you are getting the concept of what an arbitration is....
her - take a seat....i'll be right back....
after a 5 minute wait, she calls me back again....
her - ok, what is the weather like in amsterdam currently????
me - i don't know....
her - don't you think you should know what the weather is like before you visit a place????
me - my trip is still over 2 weeks away....i will check what the weather is like closer to my travel date....
her - where are you staying in amsterdam????
me - i am staying at the ________....
her - why are you staying there????why did you chose this hotel????
me - because it is centrally located & easy to get to from wherever i need to go....
her - how do you know its location is good????have you been to amsterdam before????
me - yes, multiple times....
her - then why are you going there again????don't you want to go somewhere else & have your arbitration at a place you have not been to before....
me - i still don't think you understand what an arbitration is....its not up to me where it takes place....that is decided by the parties involved or is at the discretion of the courts....& i have been to pretty much everywhere in europe so any place i go to now would be a repeat visit....
her - ok, take a seat....i'll call you back....
another 5 minutes go by & she calls me again....by this time i am the only person left in the room....
her - have you booked your flight????which airline are you traveling on????
me - yes i have....i'm flying ________ to london & then ________ from there to amsterdam....
her - why are you going to london????
me - i have an arbitration in london before i get to amsterdam....
her - are you doing the arbitration in london or in amsterdam????
me - i have a separate one in london & another one at the hague the following week....
her - i don't understand....
me - miss, think of it as 2 separate cases on 2 separate days in 2 separate locations....
her - ok....please take a seat....i'll be right back....
this time i am only made to wait 2 minutes before she comes back....
her - ok, thank you for coming....we will now make a decision on whether to issue you the visa....you can check the status of your application tomorrow between 1pm-4pm....
this whole time there was not a single smile on her face....she was curt & rude with her questions....the questions about me not knowing what the weather was like or why i couldn't have my arbitration somewhere else were full or sarcasm....
i have been to interviews at the us & uk embassies & have come across counselors belonging to those specific countries & they have always been polite, knowledgeable on visa specific issues & have not asked stupid questions....this girl who interviewed me was definitely not the most intelligent person i have come across, she was rude, asked stupid questions & was clearly on a power trip just because she has the power to decide who gets a visa or not....the gentleman sitting next to her was no better....
since i don't have more experience with stuff like this, i can't say whether this was a one off or not but i have heard from a lot of people that when they come across indian nationals working in these embassies then they get the feeling that these people believe they are superior to the ones applying for the visas....anyone else come across something like this????
my current visa duration was 2 years & also the fact that i have already been to france, netherlands, germany & belgium since the beginning of this year & have future trips planned for the netherlands, belgium, greece, italy & france before the year is over, gave me the impression that this would be yet another routine application....
yesterday my ta informed me that i have been called for an interview before my visa can be issued....it seemed strange given my travel history but since i didn't have a choice i took an appointment for this morning....
i had submitted all my documents when making the application, which included my passport, pictures, covering letter, bank statement, it returns, copies of my ticket to amsterdam for later this month & again in november, hotel bookings as well as my tickets for trips to athens & paris in november & rome & paris in december....the only thing they asked me to bring were my old passports....
i arrive at 10am & am made to wait about half an hour....then i make my way in & am made to wait another half an hour inside while other interviews are being conducted....the room is a small circular room with 2 counselors sitting behind the glass....the gentleman (middle age & of indian origin) on the left seemed to be giving a young newly married couple a hard time while the girl (young girl, late 20s or early 30s & also of indian origin) on the right was grilling some students on why their university was sending them to the netherlands for a school trip....i could hear most of the questions being asked & while they seemed quite silly, i tried to ignore it & kept reading the book i got with me to pass the time....
around 11am my turn came up & i was called by the girl sitting on the right....i apologize in advance for the length of this post but i was just amused by the whole process & thought i must share....the exchange that followed went something like this:
her - why are you traveling to the netherlands????
me - i'm going for work....i have an arbitration later this month....
her - arbitration????for what????
me - i am not at liberty to disclose the topic of arbitration....i am representing abcd against wxyz on the ___ of september....the venue is the __________ at the hague....
her - no, i mean what do you mean by arbitration????
me - an arbitration is a legal method of resolving disputes outside the courts....
her - who told you to do this arbitration????
me - i'm sorry but i don't think you are getting the concept of what an arbitration is....
her - take a seat....i'll be right back....
after a 5 minute wait, she calls me back again....
her - ok, what is the weather like in amsterdam currently????
me - i don't know....
her - don't you think you should know what the weather is like before you visit a place????
me - my trip is still over 2 weeks away....i will check what the weather is like closer to my travel date....
her - where are you staying in amsterdam????
me - i am staying at the ________....
her - why are you staying there????why did you chose this hotel????
me - because it is centrally located & easy to get to from wherever i need to go....
her - how do you know its location is good????have you been to amsterdam before????
me - yes, multiple times....
her - then why are you going there again????don't you want to go somewhere else & have your arbitration at a place you have not been to before....
me - i still don't think you understand what an arbitration is....its not up to me where it takes place....that is decided by the parties involved or is at the discretion of the courts....& i have been to pretty much everywhere in europe so any place i go to now would be a repeat visit....
her - ok, take a seat....i'll call you back....
another 5 minutes go by & she calls me again....by this time i am the only person left in the room....
her - have you booked your flight????which airline are you traveling on????
me - yes i have....i'm flying ________ to london & then ________ from there to amsterdam....
her - why are you going to london????
me - i have an arbitration in london before i get to amsterdam....
her - are you doing the arbitration in london or in amsterdam????
me - i have a separate one in london & another one at the hague the following week....
her - i don't understand....
me - miss, think of it as 2 separate cases on 2 separate days in 2 separate locations....
her - ok....please take a seat....i'll be right back....
this time i am only made to wait 2 minutes before she comes back....
her - ok, thank you for coming....we will now make a decision on whether to issue you the visa....you can check the status of your application tomorrow between 1pm-4pm....
this whole time there was not a single smile on her face....she was curt & rude with her questions....the questions about me not knowing what the weather was like or why i couldn't have my arbitration somewhere else were full or sarcasm....
i have been to interviews at the us & uk embassies & have come across counselors belonging to those specific countries & they have always been polite, knowledgeable on visa specific issues & have not asked stupid questions....this girl who interviewed me was definitely not the most intelligent person i have come across, she was rude, asked stupid questions & was clearly on a power trip just because she has the power to decide who gets a visa or not....the gentleman sitting next to her was no better....
since i don't have more experience with stuff like this, i can't say whether this was a one off or not but i have heard from a lot of people that when they come across indian nationals working in these embassies then they get the feeling that these people believe they are superior to the ones applying for the visas....anyone else come across something like this????
Last edited by Keyser; Sep 11, 2012 at 9:22 am
Sep 11, 2012, 11:57 am
#2
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This is hilarious…looks like the girl is completely out of her depths and has no clue about business. I have an even lower opinion of those who thought she is fit to adjudicate visas... I think the European consulates believe the people who come there requesting a visa are the low life; but I’m not sure how long either the Euro or the European Union will survive.
Sep 11, 2012, 12:32 pm
#3
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This is hilarious…looks like the girl is completely out of her depths and has no clue about business. I have an even lower opinion of those who thought she is fit to adjudicate visas... I think the European consulates believe the people who come there requesting a visa are the low life; but I’m not sure how long either the Euro or the European Union will survive.
Sep 11, 2012, 5:36 pm
#6
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since i don't have more experience with stuff like this, i can't say whether this was a one off or not but i have heard from a lot of people that when they come across indian nationals working in these embassies then they get the feeling that these people believe they are superior to the ones applying for the visas....anyone else come across something like this????
Let's just say that an "Indian" male going up to a younger Indian-origin passport control agent in Europe is far more likely to get (bad/hostile/suspecting) attitude from such passport control agent than someone with less of a chip on the shoulder, say an older male passport control agent of the receiving country's dominant majority background.
That something not much different takes place when dealing with embassy/consulates for visas is to be expected, unfortunately.
Sep 11, 2012, 8:23 pm
#7
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Keyser,
I am sorry for your pain and discomfort. A gin and tonic or a beer were in order post interview!
Your post is absolutely hilarious and maddening. I read this one out loud to my wife. You poor unfortunate man.
I am so looking forward to visiting your country. I expect to experience a range of emotions - most likely from moment to moment from everything I hear.
Regards - Savuti (Jim)
I am sorry for your pain and discomfort. A gin and tonic or a beer were in order post interview!
Your post is absolutely hilarious and maddening. I read this one out loud to my wife. You poor unfortunate man.
I am so looking forward to visiting your country. I expect to experience a range of emotions - most likely from moment to moment from everything I hear.
Regards - Savuti (Jim)
Sep 12, 2012, 1:56 am
#8
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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, 2:23 am
#9
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since i don't have more experience with stuff like this, i can't say whether this was a one off or not but i have heard from a lot of people that when they come across indian nationals working in these embassies then they get the feeling that these people believe they are superior to the ones applying for the visas....anyone else come across something like this????
Also in the US embassy in CCU, the general impression is that if the interviewer is Indian, then better be aware..
Sep 12, 2012, 4:35 am
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financially it doesn't make a difference to me since my client pays for all aspects of the trip including visa costs but this is extremely frustrating....specially if i have to go back for another interview....
they knew i have already made a number of trips to schengen countries earlier this year & have even more scheduled for later this year, including another trip to the netherlands....i had submitted my air tickets & hotel bookings for my amsterdam, athens & paris trips in november, & my rome & paris trips in december....the only conclusion i can come to is that they did this just so i am forced to apply for another visa to make my november trip....
Sep 12, 2012, 4:44 am
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Basically its a big harassment for folks.. end to end cycle is anything from 2-5 days and thats a big time to spend for this..Money apart, arranging and sending all documents etc is time consuming ..Unfortunately, there are some consulates / embassies which make issuing visas a big big deal..
Check out the lengthy process to apply for a simple business visa for Austria / Czech / Slovakia / Russia etc etc and its simply
.. Am not even speaking about Work permits here..Something similar is followed by Thai embassies in Asia for some reason.. I have a Thai Work permit and long term visa .. My wife wanted to apply for a multiple entry tourist visa but they said, they can and will only give single entry visas .. so at the end we have to apply for a tourist visa every couple of months incl all the documents ..( We could not get a dependent long term visa for some reasons yet, and VoA only gives 15 days stay allowance whereas tourist visa gives 60)..
Sep 12, 2012, 5:25 am
#12
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Did you go to the VFS office or to the consular section of the Dutch embassy? I would write a friendly letter to the head of the consular section highlighting the confusing treatment received by you with the agent interviewing you failing to grasp even the basics of your travel purpose.
Sep 12, 2012, 5:44 am
#13
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Did you go to the VFS office or to the consular section of the Dutch embassy? I would write a friendly letter to the head of the consular section highlighting the confusing treatment received by you with the agent interviewing you failing to grasp even the basics of your travel purpose.
i plan on writing a letter to them once i get back....i'm leaving for dxb in a couple of days & then for lhr on the 21st....won't have time to follow this up till i get back in the first week of october....
Sep 12, 2012, 6:39 am
#14
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Wow... that sure is a bad experience. I'm somewhat ashamed that this happened at the Dutch embassy.
Don't you have to state what kind of Visa you are applying for as in single or multiple entry and the required time period? Or do they just decide what to grant you?
Don't you have to state what kind of Visa you are applying for as in single or multiple entry and the required time period? Or do they just decide what to grant you?
Sep 12, 2012, 6:51 am
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you can state, but they decide the duration....nothing you can do about it....