Permanent residents

[Milky]

i can't get a visa on time. I'm getting the documents for the permanent resident option ready. Do we get one easily? Please say yes, else I'm out of options. If I leave the country go to germany will it re-new the 3 month period? or do I have to go to a third world country? I'm lost. help.

[Elssha]

US get 3mon without a visa... can't get the study one in that time?

[remember]

Forget about the resident card.. you'll be fine if you just cross the border to Germany before the 3 month period. Get your visa this summer to avoid this headache in the future.

[Milky]

oh really? I can cross over to germany? or any European union country? A friend said that it had to be a country outside of the union, like turkey or china or whatever. Please correct me if i'm wrong.

[Milky]

HOw about I not do anything? Like, will they detain me at the airport in the summer? I don't wanna go to jail....

[Elssha]

i'd suggest doing things as legal as possible... you don't want avoidable trouble.
You have 3 legit months after entering to work out a visa. Use them to get it. Simple.

[remember]

Elshaa is right... do it the right way. I don't really know much about the 90 day rule because I had a visa while I was in Poland. Some of my friends had to cross the border at Germany to get their passports stamped and it didn't sound like much fun because Germany is 9 hours away by train. When exactly do you move? If I had 2 weeks I would overnight my passport and visa application along with a pre-stamped overnight envelope to the nearest Polish embassay. To my surprise they expidite this process very quickly and I got my passport back within 1 week both times. If you call ahead of time or put a letter in the package to them requesting urgency due to your flight coming up soon I think they would get it done fast. That's just my opinion though... it's a risk if you don't have much time, but it will save you the headache of doing this while in Poland. Maybe you can call the embassay and tell them when your flight is and if they will be able to process your visa in time. Doesn't hurt to ask.

Oh yea, here is the website of the US Embassay in Warsaw in case you have to get in contact with them while in Poland.

US Embassy Warsaw, Poland (http://poland.usembassy.gov/index.html)

[Milky]

Thanks for the advice. I called the consulate here in LA and they want a 30,000 euro insurance letter. That's redicioulas. Where the heck do I get that from. I'm hating this already. I hope the permanent resident thing works out.

I hope these two years fly by becuase I can't stand big headed people. My german cousins said that Poland is full of thieves, robbers and the most arrogant people in the whole of Europe.

[edit] Do I need anything besides an American passport at the airport? I have a friend picking me up instead of the hmi agents. They're not gonna ask for any financial documents or anything. right?

[remember]

WOW... that is crazy. I never had this problem.

All I did was fill out the visa application, make a copy of my admission letter, and mail it off with my passport & passport photos (along with a return envelope). I didn't even have to pay for it. I don't know if it has changed or not, but they didn't require Americans to pay for visas.

I think I put that I am getting health insurance through the school on the application... I can't remember what else, but it was pretty simple. Did you tell them that you're a student? What a bunch of morons, sucks that happened.. but don't stress out.

I never got asked for financial documents or anything in customs. They just looked at my passport and sometimes asked what I was doing in Poland. I had a visa so obviously I said I'm going to school there. I'm sure they don't require people visiting in Poland to casually have 30,000 euros lying around.

You will not have a problem getting into Poland for sure. For all they know you are just visiting. Just ask around about the 90 day thing when you get in Lublin and do that for this semester... and get your visa taken care of for the following years! I have no idea about the permanent resident.. but considering the retarded mess you just went through, I can only imagine it being 10 X worse in the country itself.

Don't worry... this is not as complicated as you think. I saw people work this situation out numerous times.


ADDENDUM: I just took a look the visa information on the Los Angeles Polish Embassy Website (http://www.losangeleskg.polemb.net/index.php?document=73). I guess they do require all that information.. however, I never sent any of it in. Like I said before, the only information I sent them was the visa application, 2 passport photos, letter of admission, my passport, & a prepaid return envelope. That's it. I never paid a visa fee either because they don't require that from US citizens (It's stated in dark grey right under the 'General Information' paragraph on the website). On the application it asks about how you are covering your costs, I wrote down student loans & parents. Under the health insurance part I wrote that I will recieve it once I arrive in Lublin and register with the school. So I don't know... I guess I actually didn't fill it out properly, but they took it anyways.

[Elssha]

i think what they meant was a $30,000EU (what is that now, $50,000USD?) health insurance policy in case something happens... aka be insured for at least that much in case of car accident, etc... not that you need $30,000EU in your pocket. AKA proof that in case bad stuff happens you won't be SOL or looking to mooch off their citizen services or some such deal.
Doesn't HMI provide insurance? I thought they did, and I'd assume that would qualify. Didn't you get a visa app with your packet? I did and though I didn't read it (don't need it) it looked like a 'fill out and send in' thingy.
Look your packet over one more time.

[Milky]

I did read the packet thing, and it also states I need insurance. Whatever. Hopefully I can get it cleared in Poland. Thanks again for your help/advice.

[Elssha]

does the permanent resident thing not require insurance?
HMI provides insurance, doesn't that cover the requirement? Call HMI, that'll probably help more than we can at this point.

[Milky]

I found out I can go to ukraine, only 2 hours away. I rather do that than go to Germany. Thanks everyone for putting up with me :)

[chillout1]

Embassy girl told me that get a one year visa from here and get a temp. resident card from there, once I get there. Had anyone applied for the temp card there before?

[Elssha]

if you're gonna do that might as well invest a little extra time and go to Slovakia on a booze run. If I remember right they (at least used to) have the cheapest liquor around.
Not sure how US friendly they are, though *shrug*

[Milky]

ha. lol, i don't drink. I love food though, don't mind trying that. :D

[chillout1]

Does campus has good food cafe? I heard warsaw has indian restaurants. Is there any in Lublin?

[remember]

I found out I can go to ukraine, only 2 hours away. I rather do that than go to Germany. Thanks everyone for putting up with me :)

This is not true, you have to get your passport stamped in a non-Schengen country in order for your 90 day limit to be renewed.

[remember]

Does campus has good food cafe? I heard warsaw has indian restaurants. Is there any in Lublin?

There are a lot of awesome restaurants and cafes in Old Town Lublin with a variety of cuisines. I think there is an indian food delivery service but they don't have a restaurant. I don't know about that one.. you can find out when you get there. The campus is not like a traditional campus that you would see in the US. The buildings are spread out somewhat so there is no specific square boundry desegnated to the school but they are all in the same general area. I don't think they have a cafeteria, maybe in the hospital? I never looked.

Lublin also has a brand spankin new mall that opened about 2 years ago and they have some fast food joints like what you see in the States. Most of us went there for our Subway cravings. Oh yea, the only American fast food places operating there are Pizza Hut, KFC, McDonalds & Subway.

[Milky]

This is not true, you have to get your passport stamped in a non-Schengen country in order for your 90 day limit to be renewed.

crap! what the hell is schengen now? is germany one?

[edit]: um ukraine is non-schengen..., this is the list of schengen countries...almost had a semi-heart-attack...

Austria
Belgium
Bulgaria
Czech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Iceland
Italy
Latvia
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Malta
Netherlands
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Sweden

[Elssha]

erm... wasn't germany one of the initial ones?

[remember]

Completely disregard what I said before. Sorry about that. :shock:

I read some conflicting information about if they stamp passports if you're traveling within the Schengen countries. I think what I read applied to EU passport holders, it's probably different for US passport holders.

Ukraine... totally dropped the ball on that one. No one got their passport stamped there for some reason. I don't know why.

[Elssha]

no...
EU is now on a no boarder sys, like the states, so going between countries in the EU won't get you a stamp... US passport or any other kind. No one there to stamp it except on the boarder (of EU, not the countries themselves)

[Milky]

ah...well i'm sure there is a way to clear things. And I'll be in touch so anyone else going through the same b.s. can be, hopefully, guided. Thanks guys :)
And please excuse my outbursts and language...

[Elssha]

Best of luck ^_^
you'll be heading over soon, right?

[JoeBoogie]

I just got to Poland. Its a little cold.:shock: Between London and Warsaw my (US)passport was stamped. idk rules but the guy didnt ask or say anything just stamped with out looking at student Visa.

I was stuck in London for the past two days snowed in.. IT SUCKED REALY BAD!!!! Most of the flights in EU were cx... Wish everyone better luck.

I saw a post about Slovakia, People were very friendly to me a few years back when I fell asleep on a train to Austria and ended up in Kuty and Bratislava by accident. Cheap food and drinks like someone stated.

[caplan]

I am a US citizen in the 4 yr program. Will I face any problems if I enter Poland without a Visa. ??

[Elssha]

the short of it would be yeah, probably
Right now, since Poland has entered the EU, it's harder to do the 'go in and out every three months' thing (time allowed for US citizens to stay in PL without a visa). Honestly its far less hassle to just get it done.