Sentidokomon

(Pinay Sense, Tinig Pinoy-Politis October 2008)

By Joy B. Miranda, Chief Editor

I would like to welcome Jaya to my team. Her section will tackle mostly about Greek language, lessons and all its implications. Hope readers who want to learn this language will find Jaya’s contribution useful. I also would like to thank my staff especially Ester who acts as Officer-in-Charge (OIC) of Tinig Pinoy while I am away. As you are reading this, I am probably be still in the US.Taking this US trip, I have learned many vital things which I feel obligated to share with you. When I got my US visa issued by the Consular Section of the US Embassy in Nicosia, questions were raised as to how I was able to get it fast, notwithstanding my work status, and that my being a third country national was not spared from the doubt. My answer was simple. The US government welcomes anyone, anybody for that matter provided that there is no criminal record whatsoever and depending on what kind of visa one has applied for, financial capacity should be taken into consideration. For example, if one applies for a visitor’s visa, a complete and sufficient personal data regarding financial resources should be presented. If one intends to visit the US and there is an invitation from a US resident, the host will likewise present a substantial financial resources data, for the authorities to be sure that as a tourist or a visitor, there is enough capacity (on both the visitor and the host) to provide for the expenses for the whole duration of one’s stay. But most importantly, during the interview, you should be able to convince the visa officer that you have strong ties in your original place or you have a strong reason to come back after the amount of time that you are allowed to stay as visitor in the US. In my case, I must acknowledge that the recommendation and referral issued by Mr. Dionisis Dionisiou gave weight to my US visa application thus the Nicosia US Consular Section granted me 10 years, multiple entries B1-B2 visa category. Meaning, for as long that my purpose is only business, tourism and leisure, I can come to the US in as much as I can in 10 years’ time.  Anyhow, it does not end there.  For a first time visitor like me, there is another round of interview upon arrival at any US destination airport. Again, you have to be careful with what you answer to each question, making sure that you wont give the visa officer any hint that you are a possible future migrant. Otherwise, you will be sent back to where you came from! The key is just to be ready, relaxed and confident at giving your answer, and should maintain that eye contact and smile. At Boston airport, the officer gave me 6 months of stay anywhere in the US (October 2008 until April 2009) for this first trip.

Held at Athens Airport : Another thing that I find important to share with you is about a Schengen Visa.  Boarding a Lufthansa airline at Larnaca, I was confident that my flight from Cyprus all the way to the US will run smoothly. However, I encountered a slight  problem when I arrived at Athens airport. I was held by the Immigration authorities and was not allowed to board the plane heading Frankfurt, Germany, my next stop-over.  As explained, anyone who is not a citizen of Europe should get a Schengen visa. Digging further on this issue, I searched from the internet and found its exact meaning: Traveling on a Schengen Visa means that the visa holder can travel to any (or all) member countries using one single visa, thus avoiding the hassle and expense of obtaining individual visas for each country. This is particularly beneficial for persons who wish to visit several European countries on the same trip. The Schengen visa is a “visitor visa�. It is issued to citizens of countries who are required to obtain a visa before entering Europe. The purpose of the visit must be leisure, tourism, or business. Upon the issuance of the visa, the visa holder is allowed to enter all member countries and travel freely throughout the Schengen area. It is strongly recommended to plan your journey within the timeframe of the Schengen Visa as extensions can be very difficult to obtain, thus forcing you to leave to stay in compliance with the Schengen rules and regulations. A Schengen visa allows the holder to travel freely within the Schengen countries for a maximum stay of up to 90 days in a 6 month period. So to those who wish to travel any European country, apply for the Schengen visa first. The first step in the application process is to download the Schengen Application Guide. The application guide is available in 3 languages: English, Spanish and Chinese. All Schengen countries are in Europe. However, it should not be confused with the EU (European Union). Schengen and European Union are two different agreements between European countries. A total of 30 countries, including all European Union countries (except Ireland and United Kingdom) and three non-EU members (Iceland, Norway, and Switzerland) have signed the Schengen agreement. However, only 15 countries have implemented the common border control and visa provisions.
Going back to my odd situation, the guy whom I believed is in charge of cases like mine (No Schengen visa), have negotiated with Luftansa Airline management. In my defense, it was explained that it was not my fault at all, as it should be checked first-hand in Larnaca Airport if I am a Schengen visa holder or not before allowing to fly, therefore it was a negligence on the part of the airline. After 3 hours, a lady crew managed to transfer me to another route which is understandably not included in the Schengen territory. So, instead of Frankfurt, Germany by Luftansa Airline, I was flown by Swiss Airline to an equally lovely country, Zurich!  Still overwhelmed at how things turned out, I did not realize at all that finally, my feet landed at Boston International Airport, ahead of 20 minutes from my original time travel. October (Fall) is the best time to be here, when the trees’ leaves start to turn from green to yellow and orange.  The places I visited were all wonderful yet I will leave the details in the next issue. In conclusion I would say that I am indeed very lucky and the compass of favorability was heading towards me, otherwise, this US landing will not happen knowing that I am not a Schengen visa holder myself. If its meant to be, God will show the way and all I have to do is pave it. Important: The Schengen Visa holders are not allowed to live permanently or work in Europe.