Okay guys, I am in a bit of a dilemma! I am slated to leave for Madrid on August 26th for my year abroad, but I haven't even received my student visa APPLICATION yet! Here's the thing though:

I have to apply to the New York Consulate because I am from Pennsylvania.
I have called/emailed/faxed my info to them (weeks ago), but STILL have not received any info in the mail.
I have the application for the Chicago consulate (because my study abroad program gave us that consulate's stuff), but I hear that the requirements are different and thus the forms MAY not be the same.
My flight is already booked, but they say it can take upwards of 4 WEEKS to process the application, so I have NO IDEA what to do?!

Any advice?! I am really getting scared and I have received nothing but run-around information when I call the consulate either getting brief recordings or women who just don't care despite my many pleas... they just tell me to "send my info again!" How quickly do these really take to process? Is there any way I can confirm that the forms I got are the same as the ones needed for the NY office? If you guys have ANY info, PLEASE let me know!

With sincerity and thanks,
Brian

Hey Brian --

I suppose the first question is, how close to the consulate in NYC are you. You are from PA, but are you closer to NY or closer to Ohio?

Reason for this question is the following: My experience with the Spanish Consulate in NYC is that you have to be firm and direct. Ask to speak to the person responsible (the manager) for handling student visas. If you get bounced into voicemail, dial "O" and you will be bounced directly to the switchboard operator. Once you get the person in charge on the phone, get their name. Use their name in the conversation a couple of times, offer (if you are close enough) to come personally to the office to deal with all the paperwork.

I had to fly back to the USA to pick up my visa (to reunite a family not a student visa). However, prior to flying out, my husband called and did what I mentioned above on the phone. When I got to the consulate, I asked for the person whom he dealt with on the phone. What is normally a 2 week process (so they say) was done in 4 hours. Easy as pie. I have learned (and many who live here in Spain can attest to the fact) that customer service is almost nil. You have to be pushy, firm and demanding or you won�t get what you need done.

Good luck!

I suggest that you call the consulate everyday and every hour of the day until you receive an answer. If they approve your application, then you should go pick it up in person! If you want your visa on time, then you need to be persistent. Don't wait for it to arrive in the mail.

Hey DizyDevil, at the risk of sdounding like your father, "You should have started this process much earlier"

But seriously, you got some great advice from Chica and Saenz, keep at them and if you have to go back to pick up your student visa, then that is the way it may have to be.

You have 3 months here legally as a non-visa holding "visitor" to Spain so I would not worry too much about it. The only bad thing will be the added expense and hassle of having to go back home and pick up the visa

Saludos,
jer...

I'm also from PA and have been through the student visa process twice. I suggest you actually go to the consulate to submit the information--I know this might be a pain depending on how far you live from NYC, but talking to them on the phone doesn't seem to be getting you anywhere. If you go to the consulate you don't need the actual application ahead of time, you just pick it up when you get there and fill it out there--just be sure to bring all the other documents (letter from school, doctor, etc.) with you at the time.

If you go to the consulate I suggest that you get there early, even before it opens. When I did this 2 years ago I was there an hour before it opened and there were already people waiting. They'll give you a number, but they are incredibly slow in there. I was number 4 for student visas and I still ended up waiting for 3 hours After I submitted everything it took about 2 weeks to get my passport back with the visa in the mail. I brought a priority mail envelope with me so they could send it back that way.

However, it is possible to speed up the process because the first time I did this (4 years ago) they actually processed the application and gave me the visa all in the same day, but that's only because my mom yelled at them enough! Anyway, just be firm with them and tell them when you're leaving and that you need it before then because they'll keep your passport while they're processing the application so if you don't get it back in time you won't be able to leave with or without the visa. Good luck.

Hey SuperGuiri, bringing that priority mail envelope for them to send you the stuff back in was a brilliant idea! I feel that with these agencies one should make it as easy as possible for them since they have sooooooo much work (or are soooooo lazy, whichever you prefer).

Saludos,
jer...

I agree with everyone on this board, except I didn't go through the problem of waiting. I got my student visa in the same day. I went to the actual Spanish embassy. I got there at 10:30 and waited for no more than 10 minutes and I went back at 1:00 and my passport was ready.

I live in Richmond, VA and DC was just a train ride. Embassies always give you the student visa much faster than consulates.

Things may have changed, but that's another option. Fly down to DC and see if you can get the visa the same day.

Good luck,

Shawn

Hey guys,

Thanks for all the info, I really appreciate the wide range of responses. I now have what I believe to be the visa application! YAY. It is actually the materials for the student visa for the Chicago consulate, but I read that they are the same forms, just slightly different requirements with photocopies and stuff for the other consulates. I think I am just going to submit these forms to the NYC consulate and hope for the best. Also, since I live in Pittsburgh, (ie far from NYC) I am considering Redwood's idea of just going to the embassy in D.C. Can anyone confirm whether or not it is possible to get my student visa there? Redwood was unsure whether it is still possible to do that, and I just can't leave anything to chance at this point. As a general consensus, do you guys think that 4 weeks is enough to get everything processed and back to me from NYC? The EXTREMELY HELPFUL secretary at the consulate (can you note the extreme sarcasm in my writing?!) said that I should include a small note saying that I had problems getting my application and that if I tell them when I have to leave they will speed up the process. Any thoughts about this or anything? I seriously appreciate everyone's help. You guys are truly a life saver! Mad props to Jer, especially!

Ciao chicos,
Brian

Tanx for the kudos DizzyDevil!

Can you call the DC embassy and see if they still process VISAS?

Please let us know here what they tell ya.

The Spanish consulate in NY has long running fame for being super slow in these matters

Saludos,
jer....

I'm not absolutely sure but, I think you have to go to the consulate for your district. Call to make sure. 4 weeks is not a lot of time. At the Los Angeles consulate, I waited about 1 or 2 weeks, and even then, I had to do everything in person! Luckily, I live only 10 miles from the consulate. I think I had to pay somebody for faster service, otherwise I would have waited about 3 weeks. I'm not sure if that was for my visa or passport though.

Hey guys,

I wanted to once again thank you for everything and let you know that my visa application has FINALLY been submitted! YAY. Okay, so your tips paid off! I have seriously been calling so persistently to the New York consulate that they decided to throw in the hat with there apparent gudge against me and the lady FINALLY answered all my questions today, allowing me to send the app in. I kinda lucked out actually, because the lady was new to the job and so she had to check with her superior on a lot of questions thus allowing me to get some definitive answers. I guess they haven't trained her to be rude yet! Now I just gotta hope that it gets back to me before the 26th, when I'm scheduled to depart! The lady told me to attach a note mentioning my need for urgency, and that it will most likely be returned in time. I followed the whole express mail tip, too, so I should be able to track its return. Thanks again you guys!

Jer, as a thank you for this wonderfully helpful site, do you want me to bring you anything from the ole USA? Mmmm....Bagels.... perhaps!? Let me know! ;-)

Ciao chicos,
Brian

Yeeeeeehaaaaa! Chalk one up for persistence

Way to go DizyDevil, keep us posted on the VISA thang as it progresses.

Saludos,
jer...

p.d. I do this out of my love for Spain and all things Spanish and because I feel that the more people who discover Spain the better but bagels would be a GODSEND as would be any of the items listed on the famous "WHAT TO BRING JER IN MADRID THREAD", check it out

Jer, I haven't even arrived in Spain yet and I've already roped my friends into bringing bagels and cream cheese when they come to visit. I think I've got November through February covered and don't worry, I'll share.

Sharing is caring

You are gonna be SOOOOOO set up

I remeber when I first moved here and when I was studying here for the first time about 7 years ago. LOADS of friends cam to visit me, each with an extra suitcase full of goodies I was missing from the good old U.S. of A It was good for them too since they used to fill that extra suitcase with souvenirs and Spanish delicacies.

Saludos,
jer...

Um... doesn't cream cheese go bad without refridgeration?