Best Way to Let My Family Visit Me in the EU?
Posted by Current-Radish37@reddit | expats | View on Reddit | 8 comments
Hi all,
I’m a worker who is living in Germany and I hold one of the weakest passports in the world, which is Syria. My family lives in a Gulf country that is modestly rich. I want them to visit me in Europe, but I’m hesitant to visit them due to numerous issues and concerns. I haven't seen them in years at this point.
Applying for a German visa, however, might be tough because of high rejection rates and strong asylum concerns. I’m considering having them apply to another Schengen country with lower rejection rates for tourist visas (for Syrian nationals) and meeting them there instead.
What's the better option: apply for a German visa (I can provide an invitation) or through another Schengen country? They got their tourist visa application to France refused in 2017 despite having all the necessary paperwork.
Note: they can provide all the sufficient income documents.
Any advice or similar experiences would be a huge help.
Thanks
homoeconomicus1@reddit
it depends also on your status and history in germany. Did you stay there on asylum? If so then it will be hard! If you have been there on work visa and everything with no history of asylum I do not see why germans will reject you.
Also, if you parents where they live are working and earning fair money with no potential life/political threats for syrian community.
notthegoatseguy@reddit
Tough. Maybe visit Colombia together? Looks like it's an evisa for Syrian nationals
Current-Radish37@reddit (OP)
Well, reaching Colombia requires a transit transit visa from an EU. Plus travelling that far with such weak passports is risky (we had many negative experiences).
Aika92@reddit
As you mentioned, I suppose the main reason that makes things hard is that they must prove that they will comeback and not apply for asylum. And is not limited to Germany, they would likely and immediately get rejected in any other EU country. At least in Germany, they can prove that they want to see their kid.
Unfortunately so many people abused the system this way in recent years and they just made it hard for others. I know many people just visit their parents in a 3rd country like Turkey...
Current-Radish37@reddit (OP)
Exactly.
The issue is that Turkey requires an official visa for Syrians, so they might apply for a Schengen to begin with. Plus, my parents are relatively old and travelling is tiresome to them.
Remarkable-Buyer8202@reddit
Why were they denied from France? And if they can’t meet you in a Schengen based country, why don’t you meet them somewhere in between to see them? Especially if income isnt the issue at hand? Are they in a prohibited based country?
Current-Radish37@reddit (OP)
They were denied a visa because of any asylum concerns. That's very common for people with people from warzones even if they live in a stable country. I am thinking about meeting them somewhere else but with such passports, travelling anywhere without visas is almost impossible or unpredictable. No they're not in a prohibited country.
kattehemel@reddit
I am not a visa expert but I would say a German visa is your best bet. Financial documents are important but it’s also very important for them to prove they aren’t going to stay by showing they have strong ties to their country of residence such as jobs, businesses, properties, elderly people to take care of, etc.. The evidence need to be convincing that they are not going to overstay their visa.