Originally Posted by
hyderago
There are many other things to think about- visa fees, cost of travel/lodging/sightseeting in the foreign country (can be ridiculously expensive in Switzerland), food, etc.
As PVD suggested, read the previous posts to get a better idea of issues that your friend may face.
Indeed.
And yes it is one thing that the embassy takes one week. But do your friends have all the paperwork ready? Bank statements, muktiple year IT returns, pay slips, employer letter, specific sized photos, travel insurance docs etc etc etc. All of this for each applicant.
Will they be prepared with all that immediately as soon as the gift lands in their lap? Have you accounted for that prep time as well, in addition to the week the embassy wants.