<p>Wow, sounds like the Italians are really, really fussy about documents and paperwork. I thought we in the States are the only ones that love paperwork.</p>
<p>I’m sorry about what you had to go through with your car - you certainly didn’t need a complication, but as luck had it, you were at least in the right place at the right time and were able to take care of the visa. I always think that we’re always in the middle of some hectic situation, but it sounds like your experience with the visa certainly takes the cake. That’s great that all of their study abroad experiences worked out really well, and it’s especially nice when the program is free. The younger one is planning on attending Tisch in Paris, so she’s looking forward to a productive summer.</p>
<p>Actually, I wasn’t able to take care of the Visa. The door to the guy’s office was locked as he left early and so the others in the Consulate could not get it for me. There I was in Boston, right there in the office (let alone the ordeal with the car which I ended up not getting!) and no Visa in hand. The car ordeal has its own story not worth getting into. The whole deal cost a fortune between my extra stay in Provincetown, the car, and what not. </p>
<p>The study abroad was NOT free. Oy, no, no no. We paid a full semester’s tuition and more and airfare and so on. </p>
<p>My OTHER daughter who attends Tisch is a Tisch Scholar. One of the many benefits of Tisch Scholars is a free trip with them to a foreign country to work with those in the arts. This wonderful trip was a few weeks ago. It wasn’t a “study abroad” but it was an educational trip. Not sure you want to hear the last minute stress surrounding that trip a few weeks ago that was very very very last minute right before they were to leave with major changes in the travel plans. That had nothing to do with the visa, however. </p>
<p>Tisch in Paris…whoa, sounds great. My younger one would love it. I just can’t pay for summer programs while in college. My older one has been to Paris several times, five in all. Three were in the past six months or so. I was just there a couple months ago, my first time since I was 17 years old. We went to visit our D in Florence and also spent two days in Paris. Your D will have the best time. Is she in the Drama Dept.? I’m heading to Tisch in a few days actually to see D in some shows. I wonder if our kids know one another!</p>
<p>My daughter is spending a year in Ireland. She had approval through her college’s Off Campus Study office but it was arranged through another institution. What follows are the requirements for foreign students in Ireland. A visa wasn’t necessary before leaving here. Obviously a passport and proof of a return ticket were needed immediately on arrival plus she was told to carry with her the letter verifying enrollment at the college in Ireland.</p>
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<p>Things have changed tremendously since last year. For example, the requirement that US citizens show a passport upon re-entry from Canada went into effect Jan. 23. S traveled to Canada the following day.</p>
<p>Marite, What sort of experience should my d expect when she arrives/departs de Gaulle? Is it pretty much the same as the major US airports as far as security screening, etc? She’ll be carrying her laptop and purse… Any tips would be appreciated!</p>
<p>Man you should just travel with the military, you don’t even need a passport in NATO countries!</p>
<p>My D has an EU passport in addition to her American passport - thank God for the grandfather clause for American born children or grandchildren of Irish citizens! Hopefully, if she ends up going to school in the US, this will make any study abroad arrangements a little easier.</p>
<p>People…my D flew in and out of DeGaulle this past summer and there were no unusual restrictions with the carry on stuff. For that matter, I did a couple of months ago as well and carried the usual. These things change all the time at airports and so you just have to check closer to the date.</p>
<p>People:</p>
<p>I have not used CDG for a couple of years. After I read about the collapse of a new terminal, I decided I did not want to deal with CDG. The transit lounge is an incredibly boring place to be spending time in!</p>
<p>I recently used JetBlue after an overseas flight. I was told that by JetBlue standards (but not overseas ones), I was 2 lbs over the weight limit and would have to pay $20.00. I promptly removed a couple of items from my luggage in order to avoid the penalty!</p>
<p>soozievt,
I understand what happened with regard to the visa situation. Also, I’m familiar with Tisch Scholars, and I know that the program offers a free trip, which is a nice benefit. My kids are/were in Kanbar and Skirball, but my older one was involved with the Tisch Talent Guild.</p>
<p>Thanks for your replies, everyone. I’ll make sure my daughter doesn’t take EVERY piece of clothing she owns, her normal MO. She’s now making noises like she’d like to drive down alone to take care of the visa… but, I’m thinking it might be better if I went with her, in case they need something I didn’t supply her with, I’d be there to assist.</p>
<p>Irishmomof2: My daughter also has dual citizenship with Ireland and was born and resides in the US. She hopes to study in Switzerland. Does her Irish passport change any of the stringent requirements for Americans studying at American universities in the European Union, do you know?</p>
<p>Does anyone know what the VISA requirements are generally speaking for American students studying in Switzerland?</p>
<p>For a long term student visa in Hungary, my D had to document financial ability and had to register with the city/police when she arrived. Did not have to open a bank account as by all reports the hassles of Hungarian/US banking relations are not worth it. D can use her Citibank ATM card to withdraw cash from her US Citibank account. She also has an American Express “travel card,” like a debit card but you “fill it up” with cash at home prior to departure. However, the nifty thing is, a parent or other designated person can “re-fill” the card from here in the States.</p>
<p>We had to provide the SAME documentation for DS when he did a study abroad in London. He had to have our most recent bank statement along with a statement that we were providing him financial support while he was in the UK. As mentioned above, all this information was given to us from DS’s university (which runs a huge study abroad program in London). None of it was a problem, and it all made sense to us. These countries want to be sure that visitors will not be taxing their country’s resources at all.</p>
<p>DD also had to have a police statement/criminal record check notarized to say the she was not a criminal, when she got a visa to Chile. Yep, it’s a scary process because they take your passport and you never know if the visa is going to get apporoved in time, and, meanwhile, you’ve just spent a thousand dollars on a nonrefundable airplane ticket!!!</p>
<p>TheDad: Great idea - a rechargeable AmEx debit card! She could probably leave her bank acc’t credit card at home, then.</p>
<p>People, she took her own bank account debit card and I’m just as happy…the payment for housing was sent by the college go our home…I was able to deposit the check in her Citibank account here and then she could withdraw the funds via ATM there. Plus having two different cards, kept in different places, strikes me as prudent when traveling overseas. But yeah, I’m a fan of the AmEx debit card…I don’t know why they don’t advertise it more. We found out about it only because of a flyer from the “abroad” program.</p>
<p>As for timing, the paperwork from the program gave a very early deadline for getting one’s passport sent to the consulate (FedEx) for return in plenty of time for the trip.</p>
<p>Two debit cards: Yes, from recent personal experience I would definately agree. My son is in Mexico and called last Thursday to say that his wallet is gone (lost/stolen - don’t know). So gone are his license and debit card. Luckily he is with a group and has people who will loan him money short term. </p>
<p>The debit card is for his account which was set up when he was younger with my name on it as well since he was not old enough to have is own account - this has been an enormously helpful setup, especially this time.</p>
<p>Luckily in this case I happened to have an extra debit card for his account that had never been activated. Son had lost his debit card once before. In the frenetic shopping and packing for freshman year last year he lost his debit card and had to leave for school without it. That was when I found out it takes two weeks to get a replacement card. The bank said two weeks - it actually took more like 3 or 4. In cleaning up the debris left behind in the wake of son’s departure I found his missing debit card but didn’t realize I could have the hold removed until talking to the bank two weeks later to find out how come the replacement hadn’t arrived yet. When I found out they could remove the hold on the first card I got that card to son and had the hold removed. 2 weeks later replacement card arrived and I thankfully filed it away in case son lost card again. </p>
<p>So instead of having to wait 2, 3, 4 weeks for replacement card - this time I had my spare. It had never been activated so I activated it using my son’s pin number, had the bank put a hold on it while it was in transport to Mexico, had the hold removed as soon as I got the email from son saying he had received it and 10 minutes later received another email from son saying he was reconnected to the world of online banking.</p>
<p>I may have been able to do all this with the bank even if my name was not on the account but don’t know that for sure. Having my name on the account there were no questions asked. </p>
<p>There is still a hold on the missing card and a replacement coming for that. We see how long that takes to get here.</p>
<p>Not to be a corporate shill, but another thing I like about American Express is their customer service and such things as replacement time…they say next day or very nearly, at the nearest American Express office. I would rate their customer service 9+ on a scale of 10, having had very few even minor bobbles over the years. The annual fee is justified in light of value received.</p>