Countdown
Residence permits and visas. These are required to visit or live in another country depending on your citizenship, your destination, and your length of stay. Requirements to get them vary considerably and depend upon the political climate of the time. As a citizen of the United States, I can visit the European Union for 90 days until I either must leave or procure a residence permit or visa. Since I am planning to stay in Austria long-term, I need a residence permit. And so my saga begins.
In May 2017, I began collecting documents so that I could apply for my residence permit. I needed my birth certificate, background check, proof of employment and health insurance in German and English, and a few months of paystubs. Most of these had to be apostilled, which is basically an internationally recognized notary. I also had to fill out an extensive application in German and set up an appointment with the consulate in Washington D.C. to deliver everything in person. At the consulate I would also pay the fee and have my fingerprints taken. It was during this time that the postman decided that after 9 months I no longer lived at my residence and returned some of the documents and other items I needed in order to procure the required documents. I had planned to go to D.C. in June but had to push back the trip to July.
In July, I went to the consulate. It was my first time to Washington D.C. and I was both nervous (consulate) and excited (tourist!). The appointment at the consulate was quick and easy. The official thought I might need another document from the Austrian labor department giving me permission to work there, but that could be requested and delivered via email. Once the consulate received that document, they could forward my application to Vienna for consideration. I found out I didn't need the document and sent proof in German from an Austrian contact.
Mid-August, I received notification that I needed to supply more information about my health insurance and in German by September 1st. I procured the information and sent it in by the deadline. A couple of weeks later, I received an email stating that I had been denied a residence permit because they did not receive the health insurance information. I also received a letter in the mail stating the same thing. One of my colleagues delivered it personally to the office in Vienna toward the end of September. My application was again put forth for consideration. Then we waited.
October came and went with no word, and I departed for Austria on November 1st. Mid-November my teammate and I went to the office to check on the status. We found out that there was a bureaucratic hitch. My application could be reviewed because the consulate in D.C. had not yet notified the office in Vienna that I had received the official rejection. Until that happened, there was nothing they could do. I forwarded the notice I had received showing that I had indeed received it. Again, we waited.
On 22 December, I received an official letter in Vienna that I was being denied the residence permit because 1.) my health insurance wasn't good enough, 2.) I did not have a place to live for the long term, and 3.) I didn't make enough money to live here. Fortunately, these are somewhat easy to correct. 3.) The original paystubs I submitted were from before I moved to Vienna and did not reflect my housing allowance and increase in salary. Print off new paystubs. CHECK. 2.) When I first applied I had a sublease until the end of Decemeber, but I had since gotten my own apartment with a 3-year lease. Make a copy of the new rental agreement. CHECK. 1.) This is where the difficulty is. I have excellent insurance through Aetna, but for some reason the government did no think it was good enough. We think it is a translation issue and have since procured private Austrian insurance to cover me for the time being. Unfortunately, this is very expensive as I cannot cancel Aetna and must pay for both. I also have 3 weeks until I can no longer cancel the Austrian insurance and am stuck with it for 3 years. Not check.
As you can see, timing is an issue. And it gets (somewhat) worse. The letter was dated 15 December and said I had 2 weeks to fix everything or I would receive the final denial on my residence permit. I didn't receive the letter until the 22nd, and with the holidays we are unsure of when exactly the 2 weeks ends. Time is of the essence. My teammates have also had a hard time getting their visas renewed for the same reasons with health insurance. There was an issue years ago where a person came to Austria to live and work but did so on simple traveler's insurance. That person had major medical issues and then sued the Austrian government for medical expenses. Since then, the government has been very particular about expatriates' health insurance. My teammates and I have gotten letters from the free church organization here in Austria saying they will cover any medical expenses that out medical insurance will not cover and a new letter from Aetna reiterating what is covered.
Yesterday, my teammates' visas were renewed. We are hopeful with all of these letters and new documents that my residence permit will be approved as well. We are going Thursday, 04 January to the office with a lawyer friend to drop everything off. Please pray for favor in the eyes of the officials. It is doubtful that I will receive a decision right away. Remember at the top of this post where I wrote Americans have 90 days until they must leave or get a visa? I arrived in Austria November 2nd which means my 90 days ends February 1st. And my items that are to ship from the US next week? I need a visa so customs will allow them into the country. Yeah....
Time is of the essence once again. Please pray for favor and speed. Don't worry--if I don't receive my permit by February, we do have back up plans. The adventure always continues!
UPDATE: I received an official denial of my visa on 23 January. The reasons stated were the same as in the letter I received in December. We have begun the appeal process, and in the meantime, I must leave the Schengen zone. I'm off to Ireland for 90 days!
In May 2017, I began collecting documents so that I could apply for my residence permit. I needed my birth certificate, background check, proof of employment and health insurance in German and English, and a few months of paystubs. Most of these had to be apostilled, which is basically an internationally recognized notary. I also had to fill out an extensive application in German and set up an appointment with the consulate in Washington D.C. to deliver everything in person. At the consulate I would also pay the fee and have my fingerprints taken. It was during this time that the postman decided that after 9 months I no longer lived at my residence and returned some of the documents and other items I needed in order to procure the required documents. I had planned to go to D.C. in June but had to push back the trip to July.
In July, I went to the consulate. It was my first time to Washington D.C. and I was both nervous (consulate) and excited (tourist!). The appointment at the consulate was quick and easy. The official thought I might need another document from the Austrian labor department giving me permission to work there, but that could be requested and delivered via email. Once the consulate received that document, they could forward my application to Vienna for consideration. I found out I didn't need the document and sent proof in German from an Austrian contact.
Mid-August, I received notification that I needed to supply more information about my health insurance and in German by September 1st. I procured the information and sent it in by the deadline. A couple of weeks later, I received an email stating that I had been denied a residence permit because they did not receive the health insurance information. I also received a letter in the mail stating the same thing. One of my colleagues delivered it personally to the office in Vienna toward the end of September. My application was again put forth for consideration. Then we waited.
October came and went with no word, and I departed for Austria on November 1st. Mid-November my teammate and I went to the office to check on the status. We found out that there was a bureaucratic hitch. My application could be reviewed because the consulate in D.C. had not yet notified the office in Vienna that I had received the official rejection. Until that happened, there was nothing they could do. I forwarded the notice I had received showing that I had indeed received it. Again, we waited.
On 22 December, I received an official letter in Vienna that I was being denied the residence permit because 1.) my health insurance wasn't good enough, 2.) I did not have a place to live for the long term, and 3.) I didn't make enough money to live here. Fortunately, these are somewhat easy to correct. 3.) The original paystubs I submitted were from before I moved to Vienna and did not reflect my housing allowance and increase in salary. Print off new paystubs. CHECK. 2.) When I first applied I had a sublease until the end of Decemeber, but I had since gotten my own apartment with a 3-year lease. Make a copy of the new rental agreement. CHECK. 1.) This is where the difficulty is. I have excellent insurance through Aetna, but for some reason the government did no think it was good enough. We think it is a translation issue and have since procured private Austrian insurance to cover me for the time being. Unfortunately, this is very expensive as I cannot cancel Aetna and must pay for both. I also have 3 weeks until I can no longer cancel the Austrian insurance and am stuck with it for 3 years. Not check.
As you can see, timing is an issue. And it gets (somewhat) worse. The letter was dated 15 December and said I had 2 weeks to fix everything or I would receive the final denial on my residence permit. I didn't receive the letter until the 22nd, and with the holidays we are unsure of when exactly the 2 weeks ends. Time is of the essence. My teammates have also had a hard time getting their visas renewed for the same reasons with health insurance. There was an issue years ago where a person came to Austria to live and work but did so on simple traveler's insurance. That person had major medical issues and then sued the Austrian government for medical expenses. Since then, the government has been very particular about expatriates' health insurance. My teammates and I have gotten letters from the free church organization here in Austria saying they will cover any medical expenses that out medical insurance will not cover and a new letter from Aetna reiterating what is covered.
Yesterday, my teammates' visas were renewed. We are hopeful with all of these letters and new documents that my residence permit will be approved as well. We are going Thursday, 04 January to the office with a lawyer friend to drop everything off. Please pray for favor in the eyes of the officials. It is doubtful that I will receive a decision right away. Remember at the top of this post where I wrote Americans have 90 days until they must leave or get a visa? I arrived in Austria November 2nd which means my 90 days ends February 1st. And my items that are to ship from the US next week? I need a visa so customs will allow them into the country. Yeah....
Time is of the essence once again. Please pray for favor and speed. Don't worry--if I don't receive my permit by February, we do have back up plans. The adventure always continues!
UPDATE: I received an official denial of my visa on 23 January. The reasons stated were the same as in the letter I received in December. We have begun the appeal process, and in the meantime, I must leave the Schengen zone. I'm off to Ireland for 90 days!
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