She’s lost another 100 euros. Sayoni Santara has once again had to shell out money to get an appointment for a visa application with her embassy. The sociology PhD candidate has been invited to present her latest published article at a conference in Princeton. That’s a big deal, since this particular conference is considered prestigious in her field. 

She clicks the mouse a few times. Squints at the screen. This month? No appointments. Next month, maybe? No appointments. She scrolls past a long list of unavailable time slots, looking for a free spot. The first available time slot? In seventy days.

Weak passports

Not every passport is of equal value. The Henley Passort Index classifies countries based on ‘strong’ and ‘weak’ passports: the stronger your passport, the more countries you’re able to visit without a visa. If you’re from India, like Santara, you’re out of luck: a mere 58 countries will let her in without a visa. In comparison, a Dutch passport gives you free access to 188 countries.  

Santara never expected the Princeton invitation would cause this much stress. ‘I thought a letter like that would open up new avenues in the visa process, but that wasn’t the case.’  

She tried everything. ‘I applied at consulates in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany.’ But every single consulate had long wait times, none of them within the window that she needed. In the end, she had to decline the invitation to the conference. ‘I contacted Princeton to ask for a hybrid option, but I was told it was only physical.  So I went to a conference in Bulgaria instead.’

Hassle

Santara isn’t the only one experiencing visa troubles. Other academics, like Shamiso Musarurwa, have them to. ‘My applications haven’t been rejected yet’, says the philosophy PhD candidate, who grew up in Zimbabwe (64 no-visa countries). ‘But I am never confident that I will get a visa. The first thing I think of when I pick a conference is how hard getting a visa will be.’

Assistant professor of migration policies Stephen Adaawen from Ghana (67 no-visa countries) has been living in Europe for sixteen years, but getting a visa is still a hassle for him. ‘Even in the African context, I have trouble travelling to different countries, just because I have a Ghanaian passport.’

I am never confident that I will get a visa

But even when it is relatively easy to obtain a visa, travelling to their destination can still be a pain for researchers. Back when Adaawen was still doing his PhD, he went to a large conference in Yokohama with a colleague. ‘At the airport there, we had a lot of trouble.’

They were stopped by border patrol. They asked if the academics were bringing drugs or other illegal items into Japan and asked them to prove they were going to a conference. ‘It took at least an hour.’

Issues like these are extremely frustrating to Adaawen and he prefers to avoid flying when he can. ‘I’m just constantly reminded that I don’t belong’, he says. ‘I’m now motivated more than ever to learn Dutch so I can apply for a Dutch passport and travel more easily.’ 

Santara has also noticed that it’s more difficult for her to enter the Netherlands than her Dutch colleagues. ‘They pass border security without any problems, but I always get held behind at the airport and have to talk to someone’, she says. ‘That doesn’t feel nice.’

Long and expensive process

The visa application process involves making an appointment with the destination country’s embassy and filling out a questionnaire. The one for the United States is infamous, says Musarurwa. ‘They ask for your family tree, which country you come from, if your visa was rejected before and links to your social media accounts, for instance.’

Next is an interview that goes over all the questions again. The process can sometimes take up to a year. ‘A PhD lasts four years, of which I’ve spent approximately two months stressing over visa-related things’, Santara says.

I’m motivated to learn Dutch so I can apply for a passport 

The application can also be fairly pricey: at least 100 euros. Sometimes researchers pay for it themselves, sometimes it comes out of their training budget. ‘In addition, you have to book plane tickets in advance and arrange accommodation. You need this for your visa application’, Musarurwa explains. 

Some embassies also require extensive bank information, which can be a problem if you’re not from a rich family. Adaawen grew up in a small village in northern Ghana and was only able to study in Europe with the help of a scholarship. 

But this scholarship doesn’t cover visa costs. ‘I had no money for a visa or rent. I needed to borrow all that money and pay off the debt later’, he says. ‘I wouldn’t be here talking to you right now if I hadn’t fought my way up.’

Student visa

While it can be easier to obtain a visa to study abroad, this isn’t always the case. ‘When I applied for a visa to study in Europe, I had some trouble’, says Santara. ‘I couldn’t start until a month later. So I had no inauguration and all the networks and friendships were already made.’

Musarurwa’s sister’s visa application was denied because she ‘didn’t show enough interest in the German language’, Musarurwa says. ‘It helps to show interest in the language of the country where you are heading, which I think is quite a big demand when you don’t even know your visa will be approved.’

I couldn’t start my studies until a month later

Because the international student visa is directly tied to being registered at a university, there is extra pressure to find a job after graduation. Highly educated people can apply for a residence permit for the orientation year, which is valid for a year.

This was a very stressful period for Santara. ‘I really struggled to find a job.’ Applying for a PhD position takes a long time, which means you can only apply to so many positions. Santara: ‘I missed my master’s graduation ceremony to go to Groningen for a job interview. I didn’t want to tell them to reschedule.’

Improvements

Adaawen argues for a more flexible visa policy when it comes to international partnerships. ‘Then you can go to conferences and project meetings and it’s just much more effective’, he explains. But there are also opportunities for the exchange of knowledge and skills outside academia. 

He has noticed that things have become a little easier. ‘The UG now offers travel grants for students and visiting professors from sub-Saharan Africa.’ But there’s still room for improvement. ‘They get 1,500 euros, but sometimes, the plan ticket alone costs more than that.’

Musarurwa is planning to attend a conference in September, and she’s already planning for it. ‘I’m setting money aside, looking at accommodation and flights.’ 

Santara is also busy planning for November, when she’ll be finishing her PhD. ‘I could get another orientation visa, or I can apply for permanent residency here in the Netherlands’, she says. ‘It’s frustrating, because a PhD is already a lot of work and I don’t want to have to think about visa stuff. But I have to.’

Dutch