Adminstrative Question - How do consulting firms apply to visas for their consultants while they are abroad

Welcome to the consulting's first-world problem faced by their 3rd-world consultants :) We fly out way too frequently that we cannot apply for visas to travel even more :) 

It is a big hassle that we always have to work around it somehow (the below is mostly relevant for Dubai/Abu Dhabi embassies/consulates):

• Try to apply to all your Schengen/US visas as soon as you join (because the first couple of weeks are reserved for training, you can forgo your passport for that period)
• If you are on the beach (not staffed on a project), then apply to Schengen countries that have tendencies to give their visas for more than 6months (e.g, France, Germany)
• If you are staffed, then apply to the countries that can accept that you withdraw your process right after submitting your application (e.g., Portugal) and take your visa appointment on Thursdays (because you should be in your home office)
• Try to get a letter from your company's office in that target country (e.g., France or Germany) that states that you intend to fly frequently in the coming period for training and meetings - this usually helps increase the chances of getting a 6-12months visa
• If all other things fail....then plan your vacations in countries that don't require you to have a visa :) 

I hope this helps, 

Khaled

Hi Anonymous,

Unfortunately visa requirements are also valid for consultants. Some thoughts on that:

• In some areas you might not necessarily need a passport to travel - sometimes an official personal ID card is enough.
• If you are required to travel in other destinations with visa requirements, you/admin staff needs to care about it on time. Sometimes you might be on the beach 1-2 weeks before starting a new project, and in some countries a valid argumentation can speed up visa applications enormously.
• Some countries issue even multi-year visa for business travel - that helps in the long term.
• If for administrative reasons you can't get a visa, either you will join the project later on-site or somebody else will do it who already has a visa.

Long story short - unless you have your visa already, you need to plan for it. Not always easy and fun, but also consultants are mere mortals travelling in this respect.

Hope that helps - if so, please be so kind and give it a thumbs-up with the green upvote button below!

Robert

Hi!

I had to go through this many times! 

As mentioned by the other expert here, it is better to apply for Schengen and US visas while you are on the beach. Though, I would advise you to check if you can apply right after you join (as you may be staffed right away, and it would not be ideal to stay in Dubai, while the rest of the team is in Riyadh).

Especially for your bi-annual training events, you may need to travel to Europe. If your project leader is okay with it, you can stay in Dubai for a week or two, and work remotely while waiting for the visa. In some cases (which happened to me), I applied for a Schengen visa in Riyadh and stayed in the city for a weekend (as I had to work on the client's side, so I couldn't afford to work remotely).

Hope this is useful.

Best,

Deniz

Hi there,

In addition to the other excellent responses by the other coaches, I'd just like to add: lean on your company's HR office. When in doubt, check with them! They've done this a million times and know the drill.

Dear A,

Of course there is some routine that you need to be acquainted with. 

You can make it in advance, while you have your preparational and introductory training. Also, You can use invitations and supportive documents from the company to make this process faster. 

Actually, due to the COVID situation traveling faced so many restrictions. So consultance have to adapt on that. 

Best,

André