Any weird visa requirements?

kelly321 · November 2012

PginSA's comment in the expat baby post that she has to get a syphilis test every 2 years for her visa seems crazy to me! Anyone else live somewhere where they have to prove strange things or meet bizarre requirements to get/keep their visa?

The only frustrating thing I've had to do, and this wasn't visa-related, was that when I was trying to be admitted for my PhD, I had to show my MA, BA, and high school transcripts. What was particularly strange about that was that I got my MA from the same university I'm doing my PhD at. So they had already looked at and approved said transcripts, but that didn't matter to them. Apparently they don't trust themselves to do a good job of looking into things the first time?

I guess what seemed strangest to me was that if I managed to get near perfect grades in my BA and MA, does it really matter if I have a high school diploma? Obviously I'm managing just fine...

bandwife · November 2012

We have UK visas.

Nothing super out of the ordinary but they do make you jump through some hoops. Lots of bank statements on letter head and we had to do a biophysical (I think it was hand and eye) and an interview for the application.

Luckily I get to skip all that when DH and DS reapply/renew visas in 1.5 years because I finally got my UK passport.

GilliC · November 2012

It's not weird, but I have to provide a photocopy of every page in my passport (including the blank ones). I'm renewing my visa in a few weeks, and my passport currently has 74 pages! It took ages!

Publius · November 2012

I thought it was odd that Myanmar wanted a copy of our marriage certificate for a tourist visa.

Tofumonkey · November 2012

Not a visa requirement, but a passport one. I heard of a girl that was born and raised in the States and when applying for her American passport they requested her school bus good conduct report from when she was a kid.

Strange? Or do you guys all have to hold on to those?

What happens if you had a bad school bus conduct report? Are you refused a passport and not allowed out of the country? Holy crap, what if you WALKED to school!?!?! Or were driven???

cakenbake · November 2012

Oh gawd, I was home-schooled! I'm screwed!

NCV2 · November 2012

kelly321:
I guess what seemed strangest to me was that if I managed to get near perfect grades in my BA and MA, does it really matter if I have a high school diploma? Obviously I'm managing just fine...

I have something similar for my English teaching cert, as in to teach in England not the subject. I was able to teach in England and Wales for 4 years with my American teaching cert then it wasn't good enough any more, that in itself killed me. What all the sudden I'm going to teach your children poorly?

So to get my teaching cert I had to get my high transcripts to prove that I had equivalent levels to a 16 year old in maths, science, and English. I pointed out that I in fact had to take all those subjects at the university level. They were not hearing it! Had to get the HS transcripts. Huge pain, had to go to HS in person sign a letter, get print out as I'm so old they don't have those on paper any more.

I know two Americans whose maths or science was not accepted for some reason and they had to take exams. I would die.

NCV2 · November 2012

kelly321:
I guess what seemed strangest to me was that if I managed to get near perfect grades in my BA and MA, does it really matter if I have a high school diploma? Obviously I'm managing just fine...

I have something similar for my English teaching cert, as in to teach in England not the subject. I was able to teach in England and Wales for 4 years with my American teaching cert then it wasn't good enough any more, that in itself killed me. What all the sudden I'm going to teach your children poorly?

So to get my teaching cert I had to get my high transcripts to prove that I had equivalent levels to a 16 year old in maths, science, and English. I pointed out that I in fact had to take all those subjects at the university level. They were not hearing it! Had to get the HS transcripts. Huge pain, had to go to HS in person sign a letter, get print out as I'm so old they don't have those on paper any more.

I know two Americans whose maths or science was not accepted for some reason and they had to take exams. I would die.

kelly321 · November 2012

Tofumonkey:
Not a visa requirement, but a passport one. I heard of a girl that was born and raised in the States and when applying for her American passport they requested her school bus good conduct report from when she was a kid.
Strange? Or do you guys all have to hold on to those?
What happens if you had a bad school bus conduct report? Are you refused a passport and not allowed out of the country? Holy crap, what if you WALKED to school!?!?! Or were driven???

I keep the originals of mine in my top nightstand drawer and carry a copy at all times.

No, but in all seriousness, I did ride the bus and never got a good conduct report. I once got a so-called "white slip" for throwing a pen at someone, but they didn't give any papers saying we behaved well.

GilliC · November 2012

I rode the bus until I was 15 and sensibly began dating a 16-year-old boy who was willing to come pick me up and drive me to school every morning. (Hmm... I think he must have loved me more than my parents did, because they didn't do that for me)

But yeah, the only conduct report I got was the one I had to take home and have my parents sign when I was 12 and got sent to the principal's office for spraying hairspray in some girl's eyes. Whatever. A) It was the 90s. Hairspray in the eyes was part of the middle school experience! and It was an accident, and she totally overreacted. Plus I had to sit in the front seat behind the bus driver for a week.

I wonder if my elementary school even has a record of that. I guess if I ever lose my passport, I could ask my parents to stop by the bus driver's house. He's retired now, but his farm is near their house, so they could pop in and get him to write a note.

kelly321 · November 2012

GilliC:
I rode the bus until I was 15 and sensibly began dating a 16-year-old boy who was willing to come pick me up and drive me to school every morning. (Hmm... I think he must have loved me more than my parents did, because they didn't do that for me)
But yeah, the only conduct report I got was the one I had to take home and have my parents sign when I was 12 and got sent to the principal's office for spraying hairspray in some girl's eyes. Whatever. A) It was the 90s. Hairspray in the eyes was part of the middle school experience! and It was an accident, and she totally overreacted. Plus I had to sit in the front seat behind the bus driver for a week.
I wonder if my elementary school even has a record of that. I guess if I ever lose my passport, I could ask my parents to stop by the bus driver's house. He's retired now, but his farm is near their house, so they could pop in and get him to write a note.

This totally sounds like where I'm from!!! hahaha!! I also dated a guy who was 16 when I was 15, conveniently getting a ride from him to and from school. :-)

My bus driver was the grandmother and then mother (like an inherited position, very weird) of a girl in my class.

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