Visa Application
I hope this will teach you, yet to apply for a visa student, to prepare your documents before heading to the Japanese embassy of your choice.
The Certificate of Eligibility sent out by my Japanese university arrived in England while I was in the USA, and as the visa application has to be done in person at the designated embassy (London for me), I had no choice but to wait until my return to England. Luckily, the embassy processes the visa right away and it should arrive by mail within 3 working days.
So the day I decide to set out, this is my to do list:
- Copy Certificate of Eligibility in city library
- Print visa application forms in library
- Get prepaid special delivery envelope at post office
- Try to find train station (I got lost and it took 30 mins longer)
- Train ride to London
- Get there at 4pm (embassy closes at 4.30pm)
- Get stressed and barely make it to the embassy
Okay so most of those items weren’t actually planned. Once I’m there, I go through security and take a ticket. When it’s my turn, I realize I haven’t filled out the visa application form yet. So I’m sent back out again. After filling it in, sweaty and wanting to die, I go to the counter again.. hand everything in, look for my passport photos.. gone. I must have lost them somewhere on the journey. The person on the other side of the counter is understanding and tells me to take a reference slip, go have my pictures made and hand them in with the slip at reception. 15 minutes and £10 later, I return for a third time and am welcomed by a laughing security guy. Soooo, back in, hand in stuff at reception. Done! ..right? When I was back outside, I realized that they still had my passport and I didn’t even pay anything. So, back in again, wave at my new best mate, the security guard, only to find out that American citizens aren’t charged and the visa is sent back in my passport.
Moral of the story: preparation -> less frustration and stress.
19.09.2009 10:33 
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