'Not interested in marrying your men': Investor on Schengen visa application process

The experience of going through a visa application process can be hectic and frustrating. An investor named Ujjavala Bothra has recently shared such an experience on social media. She shared an unpleasant encounter she had on Wednesday while applying for a Schengen visa.

Schengen visa is a type of document that permits access to a group of 27 European nations. Bothra applied for a visa to Norway and ended up expressing her frustration on Twitter. She wrote, “The amount of paperwork for a Schengen visa is insane! Why is it so difficult to understand:  1. We are not interested in marrying your men, thank you 2. We are actually adding to the GDP of your country!!”

The amount of paperwork for a Schengen visa is insane! Why is it so difficult to understand:

1. We are not interested in marrying your men, thank you
2. We are actually adding to the GDP of your country!! pic.twitter.com/ovul90ZsuQ

— Ujjavala Bothra (@ujjavalabothra) April 25, 2023

Bothra shared another tweet where she mentioned that even though her appointment was scheduled for 11:30 am, she had to wait until 2 pm. This led her to question the purpose of booking a slot. Moreover, the document checklist provided on Norway’s website was outdated. She expressed her dissatisfaction with the expensive one-page print that cost her Rs 150, and described her visa experience as soul-crushing.

Additionally, Bothra criticised VFS Global, a company that provides visa, passport, and consular services to governments and diplomatic missions worldwide. She called for more competition to break their monopoly.

Had my @VFSGlobal appt today – I am convinced every step of this process is broken :/

1. My turn, for an 11:30am appt, came at 2pm – what is the point of booking a slot?
2. Apparently, the document checklist on Norway's website is outdated – Speechless!
3. 1 page print = 150Rs!?

— Ujjavala Bothra (@ujjavalabothra) April 26, 2023

Soul crushing would be an understatement to describe my visa experience.

We 100% need more competition to @VFSGlobal – Monopolies suck!

— Ujjavala Bothra (@ujjavalabothra) April 26, 2023

The tweet amassed a wide range of reactions from users in the comment section, with many relating to her experience.

An account commented that Norway has excessively strict rules. He stated that he has been unable to bring his foreign family to Norway for visits and they always have to leave the country to meet.

norway is way too strict. i haven’t been able to bring my foreign family here once for visits. we always have to leave norway to meet

— benja (@akawrh) April 26, 2023

A user said that she understands the rationale behind the strict requirements for a Schengen visa. She stated that visa provides entry to 27 nations that have abolished border controls among them. Therefore, she said if one country grants the visa, they need to ensure that the applicant has legitimate travel plans and will not illegally immigrate to another country. She further added that this responsibility is shared among the Schengen nations, and the visa process is designed to fulfil this responsibility.

To be fair though, I’ve understood the reason. When you apply for a SCHENGEN visa, you basically get an entry to 27 nations that don’t exercise any border control.

So if one nation grants the visa, they have to be sure, you have actual travel plans and won’t illegally immigrate…

— Tanya Khanijow (@TanyaKhanijow) April 26, 2023

Another individual wrote that the reason for the strict visa requirements is that many individuals attempt to enter countries using fake documents and fraudulent methods. He said that he attended visa interviews for both the US and the EU, and individuals in the same queue as him were discovered to be using fake documents.

It is because a lot of people do try to enter through fake documents and fraudulent means. During my visa interviews for both US and EU, people in the same queue as me were found to be fake.

— debayan (@debayan) April 25, 2023

Various users, however, also expressed in the comment section that they had a similar experience as Bothra.

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