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***Warning, a lot of whining involved.
Il n'y pas lieu de s'inquiéter is what one need to tell themselves when it comes to the Visa process and the Campus France service. Up until this week, I have tried to remain calm and hope for the best. However, it is quite hard to have any patience when you're running out of time while dealing with the French Embassy. Especially when it is impossible to get ahold of someone for questions regarding your VISA! Campus France is "A service of the French Embassy to promote study in France to students and institutions in the United States." Well that sounds nice. You would think that a service like this would want to help you, not work against you. It is a tedious application process that one have to filter through in order to make an appointment with a french consulate to attain a visa. They prefer to be "reached" by email. It is almost impossible to locate a phone number to call. And if you're lucky enough to find the number, make sure to call between the hours of 8:00am-12:30pm because they stop working after 12:30pm. It's quite obnoxious.
I submitted my application about three weeks ago, and still have not heard anything back. You can check your progress by logging in to the website. There's a bar that shows where you are in the process. Mine shows that they have received my application fee two weeks ago... TWO WEEKS AGO. Now when I wake up every morning, it is the first thing I check. It's been a disappointment every time. I know I will be jumping for joy when that progress bar reach the "Application Completed" mark. How soon until I can jump for joy?
Now here is my second problem. In order to complete the visa process, I must make an appointment at one of the french consulates to be "interviewed." However, before I could make an appointment, I must wait for the completion email from Campus France. If I make the appointment without the letter, they will cancel my appointment. How ruthless. Well, that doesn't sound to bad right? Hmm... it is bad when the appointments are getting filled up and the soonest appointment is 3 weeks out. My flight is on December 31st, my current appointment (hoping I would get the completion letter and hoping my appointment doesn't get canceled) is on the 17th. It is recommended to have your appointment at least 2 weeks before your travel date. Now with the holidays in between these, I for sure have less than 2 weeks to attain a visa. This is if everything is right on schedule and my appointment does not get canceled.
It is very frustrating because it is something way beyond my control. You're probably wondering why I didn't get this process started sooner... well, in order to begin the Campus France application, one must receive an acceptance letter into the study abroad program. I did not receive that letter until late November. So now all I can do is sit and wait and hope for the best. There's no magic wand that I can wave to speed up the process. Nothing. Absolutely nothing I can do. But I am hopeful. It's a hopeless situation, but I am extremely hopeful. I know things will always work out if I can have a positive outlook on things. I think this is the most whining I have ever done publicly. But it is a part of the process. A part of the path I have to take. I'll be okay. Just kind of annoyed.
xoxo
