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**TwoThree** · March 2, 2014, 06:23 AM

Originally posted by differentcountries View Post

1) So worry that having been rejected for tourist will make it harder to get inviatation visa. Do you think that is likely? I mean, it is not the same visa.

It is the same visa. The reason of travel is just different. In the end it will still be a short-stay Schengen visa with a limited validity. And your SO is right to worry because the refusal does cast a negative light on his future applications. HOWEVER there is hope. I got my first visa on the third attempt.

I have to write an invitation letter, explaining our relationship to the Foreign Affairs office. I am really unsure of what to include in such a letter :

2) What should I call myself as his supporter? Is it best to say I am his girlfriend, or call myself a friend? They did say in the letter that as a rule, wanting to see friends is not enough... Perhaps I could show them my passport stamps /visas, to prove I travel to Turkey on a regular basis. I guess saying you are engaged only apply if you want to get a finance visa /travel to get hitched.

You could do that, but as I said in my comment on your blog post, I don't know that it would help. Him being young/poor/unmarried led them to label him as "immigration risk". Him having a Norwegian girlfriend makes him even more that. I applied for a visa to Finland with my SO as my sponsor, and was rejected because my SO was my sponsor. If I were you, I'd stick to an invitation as a friend.

3) In case I say I am his girlfriend, should I say I am married? I mean it would mean he can't immigrate through me... Or perhaps they don�t care either way.

Sorry, couldn't say.

I suppose I will have to prove a certain income and /or prove that I have enough money in my bank account....

Yes, by all means. If you do apply as his sponsor, you have to give them your bank statements, your pay slips and whatever you have to show that you can afford housing and entertaining him. If he could show proof that he works and has a regular income, that wouldn't hurt.

Anyone else with countries with strickt visa rules who managed to get their so to visit, or tried to? I will talk to his friends and so on, but would be grateful for your experience and opinions, too

Well when we started dating and planning a first visit, we wanted to spend a week together in Barcelona in the summer. I applied for a visa with the Spanish embassy and was rejected without being given a reason. I suspect it was because I didn't show enough funds for my trip. After that I applied directly to Finland, and this time even before I applied I was told by the lady at the counter that I was wasting my time and money because I was young and single, and so was he, so we would face rejection because Finnish authorities would fear we'd get married and I'd stay there (mind you I had given proof that I had a steady job here and that I was expected back). I still applied and never heard back from them (for some reason they didn't keep my passport).

I only had one alternative left, and it was applying for a visa with the French consulate. It helped that I have a cousin who is a French national and who owns an apartment she doesn't live in, so she sent me an official "hosting certificate" stamped at her city hall. I got my visa in time for the first visit. Since then I've always applied with the French consulate and now I have a visa that's valid for two years (90 days each 6 months). Technically it's cheating, but then again, my first country of entry is always France, so that's the stamp that's on my passport.

**differentcountries** · March 2, 2014, 06:59 AM

Thanks for your comments. You are right it is the same visa. All we can do is try.

He has been working the same place for six years, it is just low income. And they even wrote his income wrong in the rejection letter, saying it was only half of what it was. He also own property in Turkey (their family house /garden /farm). He has been to Germany before with no problem returning.

**TwoThree** · March 2, 2014, 07:12 AM

Maybe he should apply for a German visa? Since he has got one in the past, maybe it'd be easier to get a second? And then to do things the right way, he could fly to Norway through Frankfurt.

**Suuz** · March 2, 2014, 07:19 AM

My boyfriend is from Turkey too, and i live in Holland, so i know what a pain in the ass this visa things are!
My boyfriend came to visit me a few times now, because once you had a visa, the next ones will be easier.
I dont really know the exact rules for Norway, but its same as Holland maybe, because its both Schengen?
In Holland the most important thing is that he can prove that he will return to Turkey. We included a letter from his school at that time. Now he finished school and then we can include his contract and salary things.
Good luck, visa issues are hard, i hope he will have one soon!

**differentcountries** · March 2, 2014, 07:19 AM

TwoThree :We could, but the only one to ask in Germany is his ex... He had by invite visa when he was in Germany.

Suuz: Norway is Schengen. He has school, but he does not take classes, he just reads privately. And he has work, about 8-10 months a year, I guess it would be better if he had more steady work. Still, his workmates got it. He starts work season this month, so there is no use applying before the fall. I just want to make good preperations since we got rejected last time

**dotk** · March 4, 2014, 10:01 AM

Hey, I know the hassle of trying to get such a visa. For my bf my parents actually wrote the invitation...actually it is not so much writing a letter but going to the office (for foreign affairs) and getting a legal letter of obligation. My parents had to prove thy had sufficient funds and pay a small fee and that was that. I don't remember they had to indicate a reason actually. I don't know if procedures differ in the different Schengen countries but this was how it was here. Did you talk to someone in that kind of office (I have no idea what it would be called in proper english so i just call it "foreign affairs"

)? They should be able to explian the whole procedure...at least that happened here and that was how I learned I didn't have enough income to get the letter of obligation myself.

From how I understood things the two most important aspects for getting the visa granted were the letter of obligation and the return ticket, cause obviously Germany wanted to make sure my black African, single and orphaned boyfriend wouldn't try to sneak his way in >( but be returning to his home country.

Ads others have said I would assume calling yourself his friend is advisable since the gf but married situation would probably not help or at least be causing extra confusion. But I don't know. I still think/hope you shouldn't even need to give specifics as to that.

Good luck and good on you for preparing ahead of time

**differentcountries** · March 4, 2014, 10:32 AM

It seems I have to guarantee that I know him and that my income is not from social benifits , and show documents of my income. https://www.udi.no/Global/UPLOAD/Skj..._skrivbart.pdf I thougt I had to write a letter in addition, but maybe not. But I am sure they will call the both of us and interview us, they did interview him before rejecting his application last time. So regardless of form, I should probably decide upon a story; do I call him my friend or my boyfriend. Friend seems to be better in terms of less marriage risk, on the other hand the reason for rejection was "seeing friends is not a good enough reason".

I consider talking to the Office of Foregin Affairs. It would probably be wise to check up on what the income minimum should be, and if they look at current earnings or what I earned last year etc. I don't want to involve my parents, but another option is to have my husband write the invite because at least over summer he earns more than I do.

He will have a return ticket, but is it better if he has a flexible one? We thought to buy a cheep one with a fixed return.

**dotk** · March 9, 2014, 07:18 PM

Originally posted by differentcountries View Post

He will have a return ticket, but is it better if he has a flexible one? We thought to buy a cheep one with a fixed return.

I would think it is better to have a fixed return. So that your country knows he will definitely be leaving by such and such time.

I also thought in the beginning I'd have to write a letter but that is not the case.
But yeah, talking to the office of foreign affaris will probably be the best bet. From my personal experience the people are more helpful and friendly at those offices that are not in big cities with a high flux of international population. I don't knwo where you live in Norway and things might be different there anyways, but here in Cologne I found people to be unfriendly and not as helpful as in the rural area my parents live in where the office doesn't have to process tons and tons of applications and what not...

**differentcountries** · March 10, 2014, 08:55 AM

There is really just one office; the one in the capital. You do things online or call them. Or I may visit next time I am there. When I hand in the papers I will do it at the local police station.

**differentcountries** · March 21, 2014, 06:39 AM

I figure we will appply again in the late fall. By that time I will have been together with him a year. Something on the Foreign Affairs Office said that if you want to apply for visa as a boyfriend/girlfriend, you should be in an "established" relationship, however the time is not specified and no other criteria given for the "establishedness". Are they keeping it vague on purpose? I just called the Service phone at FAO and got some details about the Garuantee form, I have no idea why they do not rather want these things on their web page, still even she was uncertain about some things. She did t least say the main thing is what you earn right now; they don't look at former income like in family reunion cases. I did not dear to ask her straight out if it was better to go with friend or boyfriend... I mean given that both me and my husband can guarantee it would have been a legiminate question who of us would be better suited. I don't know.... I am probably not the only one who itch on the back just from speaking with public officials. I might call them again, hoping to get a different person answering.

This is what the info page says about reasons to visit:

Boyfriend/Girlfriend
The relationship must be established, and the applicant must show probabilit that he intent to return after endt stay.

Tourism/others (I think friendship visits come in here)
Visa can be approved if the applicant has strong ties to his country. (He should prefferably have been older, richer/more steady job and had children).

Just as wel we are not applying right now, I guess...

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