"Jim Ley" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > On Fri, 22 Oct 2004 14:21:27 +0100, "Alec"
    > <[email protected]> wrote:
    >>While it may be easier to get your Schengen visa (yes, one visa covers
    >>most
    >>of Western Europe exc Switzerland) where you live permanently, NY
    >>consulates
    >>may not issue one unless you show travel ticket to a Schengen country and
    >>evidence of booked accommodation for every day of your stay. Once you get
    >>a
    >>study visa for UK, you should be able to approach relevant consulate in
    >>London for a visa, but there's a big delay in getting an appointment for
    >>lodging an application (often 2 months or more).
    > Really? there's lots of schengen countries consulates in London, and
    > not that many people actually needing visas for schengen areas, why on
    > earth does it take so long?
London attracts very many people from countries that require Schengen visa -
African, S and SE Asian, Middle Eastern, Russia etc. Popular consulates like
French have an appointment system whereby you have to phone premium line to
make a booking (often £10 in toll) for 2-3 months ahead, then queue up early
to lodge your application. If you contact them now, you are unlikely to get
an appointment till after Christmas. It's crazy and really frustrating if
all you want is a weekend in Paris, but since 9/11 they have tightened up
procedure for visas. It's slightly easier if you are married to an EU
national (in which case you usually bypass the queue) or have permanent
residence in UK.

Alec

"Frank F. Matthews" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > Karen Selwyn wrote:
    > > szozu wrote:
    > >> What is your nationality? If you are a US citizen, you are normally
    > >> allowed
    > >> to travel in the EU and some other European countries without first
    > >> applying
    > >> for a visa. Your passport is simply stamped upon arrival. That's it.
    > > That's old news. Apparently, the US has been making life rough for
    > > students from other countries coming to the US for study. In
    > > retaliation, other countries -- I know for a fact that Italy is one such
    > > country -- are now requiring visas for US citizens studying abroad. I've
    > > seen the letters from the Italian consulate that were sent to the
    > > university where I am an active alumna. The diplomatic word
    > > "reciprocity" was used.
    > >
    > > Bottom line: the original poster is not necessarily a citizen of country
    > > "X." He's more likely one of the first group of students studying abroad
    > > to be operating under a new set of rules.
    > > Karen Selwyn
    > However, being a student studying abroad in London doesn't mean that he
    > isn't a regular tourist in the rest of europe.

Thank you. That was the point I was trying to make.

Lana

"szozu" <hoppbunny at hotmail com> wrote:

    > If you are a US citizen, you are normally allowed
    > to travel...

Bzzzt. Another overly-keen usenet-challenged 'hoppbunny' jumping in,
only to embarrass herself.

What did the OP write, hoppbunny?

"NYUStudent123" <@nyu.edu> wrote

    >> ...I'm a non-US Citizen...

cheers,

Henry