How many times have we wanted to go somewhere and we realize we need a visa? Well if you are from a lucky country such as the US or a country that belongs to the EU, you might not know much about this, but in countries like mine (Mexico), visas are a must for almost anywhere, and not only that, but you also need to learn all the things that come with having a specific type of visa.
I decided I would make some comments on the visa experiences I’ve had in the last couple of years.
(Cuban Visa)
One of the first visas I had to get in my life, was a visa to visit Cuba. However that wasn’t really a problem, because the travel agency did everything for me. Don’t forget that when you travel over there you will have to pay to get out, so don’t spend ALL your money before leaving the airport. I remember also when I arrived, I asked them to stamp my passport, but they said no, coz I would have problems later trying to get my US visa… well… I listened to them.
(US tourist VISA)
Now lets talk about the famous US visa. I will tell you my story on how I got my first US visa. As many Mexicans do, one day we decided we needed the visa, so we (my mom, bro and I) first got our passports, and we said we would make the appointment, however my brother was to stubborn, so he decided he was old enough to do it on his own… well done smarty pants, he got his application denied… WHY?, because he was a young guy that just went to ask for it with nothing but a… hi, I want my visa, I’m studying high school, and I want to go there on vacation…, rite, first mistake, he didn’t show an income or how he was supposed to pay for that trip, so of course they said no. However when we all went as a family to ask for it, with some bank statements, my moms wage receipt, and some letters from our schools proving we were studying, we got it without a problem. So basically they need to make sure you are going to go there to spend, not to stay.
The best way to go through the process of getting a visa though is if you are old, I’m not trying to be nasty, but being old is amazing, I went there to get my grandma’s visa, and it was everything so fast, fist we called and set up our appointment, of course you need to pay to get that appointment at the embassy, but this does not mean you will get the visa, this is just an extra charge to have the right to go there and apply for it. Anyway, we had our appointment, but you know how long grannies take to get ready so, of course we were late to the appointment, but I guess they know this, because even though we were late, we had no problem going trough, we didn’t have to make any lines or anything, we went straight to the counter. A very nice guy was helping us with everything we needed to fill, and as soon as we got to the window, where the guys that accept or deny visas are, the woman asked my grandma, why do you want to go… she just said… to see… the woman then asked, do you have an income? My granny said she received her pension every month, and that was it, she didn’t even need to prove anything about that pension, she just got the visa, we paid for them to send it and it was all. We were out of there in less than 20 minutes. So, I am telling you, being old is GREAT!. Lol
(US student Visa)
Now that was for a tourist visa, but what about a student visa? Well this is not that easy. First of all you need to apply for the school, once you get accepted, you need to ask the school to send you your I-20, which is the paper that proves that you will be studying over there and you will need to show that to the consul. But hey, ok, now you are accepted, you will be studying there, but you are not going to be allowed to work, so how are you going to pay for all this? Well, this is all that they are concerned about, so prepare to show them bank statements that show enough activities, to pay for the full tuition (unless you prove you have a scholarship) and for your room and board, plus extra expenses for the time you will be living there. I know, that is a fortune, but there are tricks around this, for example, I didn’t have that much money in the bank, so I asked someone I knew that would have it, to write me a letter saying he would take care of all my expenses while I was there, with some bank statements. Of course he never gave me a cent, but that was enough to prove what the embassy wanted me to prove. If you can show them this, that is it, you can be sure you will get it.
(I-20)
Once you are there, as stated before, you are not allowed to work, unless is on campus, there are several jobs on campus, and some of them can be fun and give you enough money. For example I worked as a Resident Advisor, so I would get housing for free, and then I would also have my salary, which covered my extra expenses. Remember that every time you leave the country, you need to sign the I-20, otherwise, you won’t be able to get back, or you will, but it will be a mess, they will have to contact your uni to prove you are really studying there and so on. Also, you should NEVER EVER EVER EVER, use your tourist visa when you are studying over there, always use your student visa, otherwise they will keep you in their records as tourist, and when you try to apply for the OPT, they will deny it.
(OPT, CPT)
Now, OPT? what is that?, well, there are two ways of working legally in the US without getting the green card while you are a student. One is with a CPT, or curricular practical training, which you get trough the international student services office at your uni, to have an internship, OR once you graduate, you have the option to get your OPT, or optional practical training. This means you have a year after you graduate in the US to look for a job, and prove them they want you so bad that they will get you your green card and all your paper work. This OPT application is also available at your ISS office.
(EU VISA)
Mexico, just like many other countries in the world, do not need a visa to enter to any country in the European Union, as long as you are traveling as a tourist. We have up to three months, without worrying about paperwork. Once you have been in the EU for three months, you need to leave the EU and wait at least 6 months before you can go again for another three months, its not as easy as just going to Africa for the weekend and coming back and reset those three months.
Notice that I am saying EU, not an specific country, because if you spend two months in France, you only have a month left, it is not like you can spend three months in France, then three in Spain, then three in the UK, NO, you only have 3 for the EU.
And remember that as a tourist, you are not allowed to work in that country.
(Student Visa, Spain)
Now this is funny, because they ask for SO MUCH. I just got this visa a few months ago, and it was frustrating. There are different types of student visa, if you are coming for less than three months, you don’t need one, if it is from three to six months, you need one type, and if it is for a year, you need to get one for 90 days, and once you are in Spain, you need to get your Spanish student ID, with your NIE, (número de identificación de extranjero) within the first month of you staying there.
This last one is the one I had to get, so it is the one I will describe. First, you need the acceptance letter from your uni, where you prove that you will be studying at least 15hrs per week, and that you are already enrolled. Then you need to get your flight tickets, I know it is stupid, because you don’t even know if they will give you the visa yet, but you need to show your tickets. Then you need to get a health and repatriation insurance, that is right, they don’t want to take care of your body if something happens to you while you are in Spain. You will also need a health certificate saying you are no threat to the Spanish community according to the international health institutions. If it is for graduate studies, you also need a certified official transcript, and your diploma from uni. And last but definitely not least, the three last bank statements proving that either you or your parents have enough money in the account for you to spend 1000 euros per month, for as long as you will be there. In here you can do what I did for the US student visa, actually, I did, and it was fine.
This is, of course, because just like in the US, you are not allowed to work either, except for internships, unless you change your student visa for a work visa.
So this are some of my hints and tips or just experiences about getting visas, for at least the ones I have applied for. I hope they are useful to at least one person.
