Mastercard?

Well, I suppose it's time to write again. Let's start off with the good news (at least for me). In the last three months, we have managed to successfully obtain 23 visas! I say we because it takes more than just one person. I did much of the research and leg work, but it couldn't have been done without a whole group of people. If you've ever tried to obtain a visa, then you may understand what an undertaking this is. For those who haven't, here's a little insight.

Lesson #1- Communication - Depending on how nice you are to the individuals in the consulate, your communication with them may be great. Communication between embassies, however, is non-existent.

Example: The Taiwanese embassy in Miami says non-US Citizens must apply for Taiwanese visas at the consulate nearest their home (Nepal must apply in India, Venezuela must apply in Venezuela) and that Chinese students are unable to travel to Taiwan as tourists. They need a green card to enter the country. The Taiwanese embassy in Chicago says that everyone can apply in the US, but the process for the Chinese students will take longer, however, they cannot apply in the Chicago office due to the fact that we were at the time traveling in Colorado. That leads us to Kansas City - the embassy for the Colorado area. We were able to work out a system to get all of the visa information necessary there and obtain many of the visas.

Lesson #2 - Destination - The answer of one embassy may not be what you want, and therefore it is necessary to not take the word of the first embassy as a final answer. Much like buying a new car, it is important to shop around first.

Example: The Mexican consulate in Denver said it would need to have all of the visa applications approved through the Mexico City office, a process which could take up to a month. The Mexican consulate in Miami took our applications and the visas were obtained the next day except for one who needed to be cleared through Mexico City due to a name issue.

Lesson #3 - Preparation - There is nothing that can help you more than having all the necessary paperwork filled out and ready to go. Calling ahead is a great way to ensure all necessary documents have been prepared.

Example: When going to the consulate where they have told you that as long as you have the applications, the passports, and one other authenticated document your visas will be no problem- don't let said documents fall out of your bag in the van. If you choose to do so, be prepared with the number of people who can bring documents to you.

Lesson #4 - Determination - When the consulate who you have sent all the information to informs you that you will need to go through a separate avenue to obtain a visa for a certain country, it is important to follow through.

Example: When the Taiwanese consulate in Kansas City tells you that the Chinese students need to fill out additional paperwork, you do it. When they tell you they need to talk to your sponsors in Taiwan, you give them the number. When they tell you to fill out another set of papers, you do it. When they tell you that the applications need to be handled in Taiwan, not the United States, you contact your team in Taiwan who sends you forms to fill out. You do it. The sponsor submits information and you are given a new set of forms to fill out. You do it. The Chinese students may have to fill out 4-5 sets of forms before they are given the right ones. When the embassy tells you they are not sure of the process for certain nationalities - ask them to be more specific, as they are the authorities on the subject.

The process is long. The process is hard. The process is time-consuming. Then you get hugs from the students as you hand back their passports with newly-obtained visas and you see the smile on the face of the Chinese student who is so excited to be the first person she knows to be able to visit Taiwan... and it's all worth it.

~Molly