Well, after months of gathering documents, making phone calls, filling out paperwork, and getting fingerprints, a very brief trip to Chicago has concluded the process of applying for my Greek student visa.
Yes, it’s kind of ridiculous, but the nearest Greek Consulate is in Chicago, so a friend and I drove all the way to and from Chicago in the span of two days.
But hey, we ate great food, took some fun pictures and I even got to see the Chicago broadway production of Disney’s Aladdin!!!
So now that I have completed the process, and my trip on the “visa struggle-bus” has ended, I want to make a brief post with 10 straightforward tips on how to make your own visa-obtaining process a little smoother:
- If you need to get an FBI Report, go straight to http://fieldprint.com.
- Always communicate with consulates over the phone! Leave a voicemail, and/or continue calling for at least 30 minutes straight if the line is busy. And don’t give up! It can be discouraging, but you can do it!
- If you are having your visa mailed back to you, make sure to use either a UPS or FedEx courier envelope, and wait to purchase this until right before your appointment, in the city of your appointment. That way, the UPS/FedEx store will be familiar with what you need, and the process of how to print you the correct label with the consulate address.
- Stay in contact with your advisors to make sure you have the right documents, and don’t be afraid to ask questions.
- Do your best to remain flexible and patient. Trusting in others and talking to advisors has really kept me grounded.
- Use a checklist for all of the documents you need.
- Bring photocopies of personal and school IDs, as to save the Visa Officer some time.
- Make copies of EVERYTHING. Make a file folder with the name of you trip, and collect copies of all important documents, in case you lose something on your way to the consulate.
- Try to bring exact change for the price of your visa. Call the consulate a few days before your appointment to double check the latest exchange rate and price for your visa.
- When in doubt, ASK FOR HELP 🙂 !
Now go get yourself a visa!