ITALIAN STUDENT VISA PACKET

Transcription

1 ITALIAN STUDENT VISA PACKET Instructions for students applying INDEPENDENTLY for their visa Things to know before you begin: To get a visa, you must have a passport valid for at least 3 months after the program end date. If you do not have a passport, or your passport will expire, refer to the FAQ at the end of this packet for further instructions. You must immediately apply for/renew your passport in order to have it in time to apply for your visa! You must apply IN PERSON at the Consulate. Visa applications cannot be mailed. Remember that you will not have access to your passport while your visa is being processed, so do not make travel plans that require your passport until your visa has been issued. Processing time for independent visa applicants is typically much shorter than it is for SU Abroad group applicants. Most independent applicants receive their visa within 1-2 weeks from the date of their application appointment. There are 10 Italian Consulates in the United States, and visa application requirements may vary. Do not compare notes with other students applying through an SU Abroad group submission, as their instructions will differ. Follow the instructions in this packet, which is specifically written for students applying independently for their visa. o Note: the Consulate in Los Angeles does not allow you to apply independently! Their office mandates that all students participating in an SU Abroad program apply for their visa through SU Abroad. Contact SU Abroad immediately to discuss your options. Due to the high volume of inquiries regarding visa applications, we ask that you please reference the Frequently Asked Questions (enclosed in this packet) before contacting SU Abroad with questions. We will be happy to answer your questions if you cannot find the information you need. WAIVER NOTICE: By applying independently for your visa, you accept full responsibility for the application process. SU Abroad cannot work with the Italian Consulates on behalf of independent visa applicants. If you experience difficulty or errors with your visa, you must work directly with the Italian Consulate to have them resolved. SU Abroad can provide advice and guidance, but is not liable or responsible for independent visa applicants. NEXT: Print this entire packet, and continue with the Preliminary Steps found on page 2.

2 ITALIAN STUDENT VISA PACKET PRELIMINARY STEPS for Independent Visa Applicants STEP 1: Determine which Italian Consulate you need to apply to. You may submit your application to the Consulate presiding over your permanent address or your campus address. o US citizens: Go to and click on Consulates in the USA (under the Information and Services tab) to determine which Consulate presides over your county/state. NOTE: Honorary Vice Consulates can accept your visa application. Consulate Correspondents cannot. Non-U.S. Citizens- go to and select your country to view a list of Italian Consulates and their locations o If your jurisdiction is LOS ANGELES, stop now and contact SU Abroad. Their office mandates that students participating in Syracuse University programs submit their visa applications with the SU Abroad group submission. STEP 2: Schedule an appointment- review the Consulate s website to determine if an appointment is necessary. If so, schedule it immediately! Many book appointments 4-6 weeks in advance, and will not accommodate students who wait too long to make an appointment! STEP 3: Gael Noyes at SU Abroad (gknoyes@syr.edu) the date of your visa appointment specify the location of the Consulate you are applying to STEP 4a: Use the Checklist of Required Documents to begin preparing your application. STEP 4b: Review the Consulate s website to ensure you have all of the documentation you need for your appointment Note that it takes between 1 and 2 weeks to collect the documentation and prepare for your visa application appointment- plan ahead! Next Page

3 Checklist of Required Visa Documents Bring all of the following items (plus a photocopy of each item) to your visa appointment: Official Passport: signed, and valid for at least 3 months past the program end date. One photocopy of the ID page of your passport. Long Stay Visa Application Form with photo affixed o Go to Consulate s website, click on Visas, download the Long Stay Visa Application form (stays over 90 days). o Refer to the enclosed SAMPLE when filling out the application form o Affix an OFFICIAL passport photo to the front page where designated. Photocopy of your Driver s License or State ID card, plus one additional copy International Students only: a copy of your F-1 or J-1 visa and a copy of your I-20 Photocopy of your University ID card Official University transcript o Non-SU students: obtain from your University Registrar o SU Students: obtain from the SU Registrar in 106 Steele Hall or registrar.syr.edu Enrollment verification letter from your University- letter must confirm status as a full-time student and state anticipated graduation date o Non-SU Students: Obtain from your University Registrar o SU Students: obtain from the SU Registrar in 106 Steele Hall, or call SU Abroad Enrollment letters (SU Abroad will mail your letters when you confirm the date of your visa appointment) o SU Abroad will mail you two letters, one in English and one in Italian, confirming your admission into our program. Our letters also confirm that housing accommodations are included with our program, and that you will register for your Permesso di Soggiorno and purchase Italian National Health Insurance (mandated) upon arrival. You must bring both letters, plus photocopies, with you to your appointment. Affidavit of Health Insurance Coverage use the blank form enclosed in this packet o This form verifies that you will purchase Italian National Health Insurance upon arrival in Italy (all students obtain this through our program, and the cost is included in the SU Abroad Program Fee). While the Italian insurance is helpful to have as a back-up, all students are mandated to carry their own health insurance policy for the semester. Proof of Health Insurance Coverage- you must show verification (policy number & expiration date) that you have purchased health insurance coverage for the duration of your semester abroad. Bank Documents-Proof of Financial Means: o Formal letter from your bank confirming the presence of at least $4,000 ($6,000 if applying in Philadelphia) in your bank account. Letter must be an original copy; no faxes or photocopies. o Affidavit of Support, if necessary o Please refer to the enclosed Guidelines for Bank Documents and the FAQ for specific instructions. Confirmed Flight Itinerary o Group flight travelers- request your confirmed itinerary directly from Advantage Travel ( ). o Independent travelers need to purchase a round trip ticket and bring a confirmed itinerary to their visa appointment. NOTE: There are restrictions dictating how long you can be in the EU beyond the official program dates. Please refer to the FAQ (Flight Itineraries) for specific information and book your travel accordingly! USPS Express Mail Flat Rate Envelope w/ prepaid postage from the US Postal Service (current rate is $18.30). Most Consulates will return your passport/visa to you via mail if you provide this envelope. Check the Consulate s website to confirm. IMPORTANT NOTE: You need to also review the Italian Consulate s website to see if any additional items are required for your visa application.

4 ITALIAN STUDENT VISA PACKET Passport and Photocopy of ID page You must submit your OFFICIAL PASSPORT, plus a photocopy of the ID page, with your visa application. 1. Make sure your passport is SIGNED! 2. Make sure your passport is valid for at least three months after the program end date 3. Make 2 separate copies of your passport ID. Send 1 photocopy to SU Abroad with your visa application. Keep the other for your records. DO NOT mail your passport to SU Abroad without making a photocopy for yourself first! Photocopy your ID page just as you see below on an 8 ½ x 11 sheet of paper. Do not photocopy any other items onto the page. THIS IS A Passport must be SIGNED HERE! SAMPLE CHECK EXPIRATION - must be valid for at least 3 months after program ends.

5 C Consulate General of Italy Application for National Visa (D) This application form is free... SAMPLE.... Photo 1. Surname (s) (family name(s) YOUR LAST NAME (MUST MATCH PASSPORT) 2. Surname(s) at birth (former family name(s)) (x)... FOR EMBASSY /CONSULATE USE ONLY 2. First names (given names) FIRST AND MIDDLE NAME (MUST MATCH PASSPORT) 4. Date of birth (day-month-year)... YOUR BIRTHDAY Example: December 1, 1980 should be written as: 01/12/ Sex/ Check appropriate box Male Female 5. Place of birth/... CITY AND STATE 6. Country of birth/... COUNTRY 9. Marital status: Check appropriate box 7. Current nationality YOUR NATIONALITY Example: AMERICAN/ USA Nationality at birth, if different: If you had other citizenship at birth, list here X Single Married Separated Divorced Widow/er Other (please specify)/..(..). 10. In the case of minors: Surname, first name, address (if different from applicant s) and nationality of parental authority/ legal guardian/ N/A- can leave blank Date of application: Visa application number: Application lodged at: Embassy/Consulate City hall CAC Service provider Commercial Intermediary Other Name: File handled by: 11. National Identity number, where applicable/ N/A- can leave blank 12. Type of travel document/ Select Ordinary Passport X Ordinary passport Service passport Special passport. Other travel document (please specify) 13. Number of travel document/ PASSPORT NUMBER 14. Date of issue DATE ISSUED 17. Applicant s home address and address YOUR HOME/PERMANENT ADDRESS & YOUR ADDRESS Diplomatic passport Official passport 15. Valid until DATE OF EXPIRATION 16. Issued by COUNTRY OF ISSUE Example: USA Telephone number (s)/ CELL PHONE NUMBER & HOME PHONE NUMBER 18. Residence in a country other than the country of current nationality: Check No unless applicable x N o Yes. Residence permit or equivalent/... No.. Valid until/ Current occupation STUDENT 20. Employer and employer s address and telephone number. For students, name and address of educational establishment. YOUR HOME UNIVERSITY NAME AND ADDRESS 21. Main Purpose(s) of the journey: CHECK STUDY BOX Family reunion/visiting Family Religious Sports Business Diplomatic Medical treatment X Study Adoption Employment Self employment Other (please specify) (x) In fields from 1 to 3 information must be inserted as it appears on travel documents. Name of person who received file at window: Supporting documents: Travel document Means of substance Invitation Means of transport Travel Health insurance Other Visa decision: Refused Refused for SIS non cancellable. Suspended File Issued Type of visa: D Valid: from.. until. Number of entries: 1 2 Multiplie Numero di giorni:. 1

6 22. City of destination FLORENCE, ITALY 23. State of first entry ITALY 24. Number of entries requested CHECK MULTIPLE One/... Two/...X Multiple/ Duration of the stay. Indicate number of days (max. 365 days) / COUNT THE NUMBER OF DAYS BETWEEN YOUR ARRIVAL & DEPARTURE DATE (Example: 109 days) 26. Schengen visas issued during the past three years / Check NO unless you have another Schengen Visa in your passport. X No/... Yes. Date(s) of validity /... from/..... to / Fingerprints taken previously for the purpose of applying for a Schengen visa X No/ Yes/...Date, if known/ Number of no objection document issued for family reunification/accompanying family/employment (only in case where required by legislation governing the type of being requested) N/A- can leave blank Issued by SUI of / Valid from/.....until/ Intended date of arrival in the Schengen area ARRIVAL DATE MUST MATCH FLIGHT ITINERARY 30. Intended date of departure from the Schengen area DEPARTURE DATE- MUST MATCH FLIGHT ITINERARY 31. Surname and first name of the inviting person or employer. If not applicable, in case of visa for Adoption, Religious reasons, Medical reasons, Sports, Study, Mission: address of institution in Italy: SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY IN FLORENCE PIAZZA SAVONAROLA, 15 FLORENCE I Address and address of inviting person(s) or employer Saša Perugini- DIRECTOR SU FLORENCE PERUGINI@SYR.EDU PIAZZA SAVONAROLA, 15 FLORENCE I Name and address of inviting company/organisation N/A- leave blank Telephone and fax of inviting person(s) or employer (39) PHONE (39) FAX Telephone and fax of company/organisation N/A- leave blank Surname and first name, address, telephone, fax and address of contact person in company/organisation/ N/A- leave blank 33. Cost of travelling and living expenses is covered by Check ALL boxes indicated X by the applicant himself/herself/. Means of support: X Cash/... Traveller's cheques/... X Credit card/... Prepaid accommodation/... X Prepaid transport/... Other (please specify)/...:... STATEMENT NOT NECESSARY FOR FOLLOWING VISAS: Family reunion, Accompanying Family, Employment/Selfemployed, Business, Diplomatic, Adoption. X by sponsor (host, company, organisation), Specify: SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY Referred to in field 31 or 32 other (please specify)/...: Means of support/...: Cash X Accommodation provided All expenses covered during the stay Prepaid transport Other (please specify) 2

7 34. Personal data of the family member who is an EU, SEE or CH citizen /... Surname /... First name(s) /... Date of birth /... Nationality /... Number of travel document or ID card Family relationship with an EU, SEE or CH citizen/...: spouse/... child/.../.. other direct descendant/ Place and date dependent ascendant/ Signature (for minors, signature of parental authority/legal guardian CITY, STATE AND DATE OF SIGNATURE STUDENT SIGNATURE MUST SIGN IN FRONT OF A NOTARY PUBLIC!!!! I am aware that the visa fee is not refunded if the visa is refused. N/A- CAN LEAVE BLANK I am aware of and consent to the collection of the data required by this application form and the taking of my photograph and, if applicable, the taking of fingerprints. I understand these, are mandatory for the examination of the visa application. Any personal data concerning me which appear on the visa application form, as well as my fingerprints and my photograph, will be supplied to the relevant Italian authorities and processed by those authorities, for the purposes of a decision on my visa application. Such data, as well as data concerning the decision taken on my application or a decision whether to annul, revoke or extend a visa issued will be entered, and stored in the Information System of this Consulate General, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Such data will be accessible to the competent Italian visa authorities. It will be accessible to the competent Schengen authorities in order to check on visas at external borders and within the Member States, immigration and asylum authorities in the Member States for the purposes of verifying whether the conditions for the legal entry into, stay and residence in the territory the Member States are fulfilled, of identifying persons who do not or who no longer fulfil these conditions, of examining an asylum application and of determining responsibility for such examination. Under certain conditions the data will also be accessible to authorities designated by the Member States and to Europol for the purpose of the prevention, detection and investigation of terrorist offenses and of other serious criminal offenses.. I am aware that I have the right to obtain the data transmitted relating to me recorded in the information systems and to request that data relating to me which are inaccurate be corrected and that data relating to me processed unlawfully be deleted. At my express request, the authority examining my application will inform me of the manner in which I may exercise my right to check the personal data concerning me and have them corrected or deleted, including the related remedies according to the national law. The national controlling Authority is the Guarantor of protection of personal data. I declare that to the best of my knowledge all information supplied by me are complete and correct. I am aware that any false statements will lead to my application being rejected or to the annulment of a visa already granted and may also render me liable to prosecution under the law of the Representative country under State legislation (articolo 331 c.p.p.). The mere fact that a visa has been granted to me does not mean that I will be entitled to compensation if I fail to comply with the relevant provisions of Article 5, paragraph 1 of Regulation (EU) No. 562/2006 (Schengen Borders Code) and of Article 4 of D.Lgs. 286/98 and I am therefore refused entry. 3

8 .ANNOTATIONS (Office use only)... Place and date CITY, STATE AND DATE OF SIGNATURE Signatures (for minors, signature of parental authority/legal guardian) STUDENT SIGNATURE MUST SIGN IN FRONT OF A NOTARY PUBLIC!!!! 4

9 ITALIAN STUDENT VISA PACKET Notarized Copy of Identification Place original Driver s License or State ID here and photocopy. TO BE COMPLETED BY THE STUDENT: On this date, 20, before the below named notary public; I, (day/month) (year) (your name) the document s custodian, certify under penalty of perjury that the attached document is a true, exact, complete, and unaltered photocopy made by me of my. (type of ID) Sign here when in the presence of a Notary Public: TO BE COMPLETED BY A NOTARY PUBLIC: This is not a document verification; Notaries only acknowledge the authenticity of the signature above. On the day of in the year, before me, the undersigned, personally appeared personally known to me or proved to me on the same basis of satisfactory evidence to be the individual(s) whose names(s) is (are) subscribed to the within instrument and acknowledge to me that he/she/they executed the same in his/her/their capacity(ies), and that by his/her/their signature(s) on the instrument, the individual(s), or the person upon behalf of which the individual(s) acted, executed the instrument. Subscribed and sworn to or affirmed before me on Signature and Stamp:

10 ITALIAN STUDENT VISA PACKET Copy of university student ID Card (Use this template to photocopy your home university student ID card). Place student ID card here and photocopy. SU students: SU Abroad will stamp the photocopy of your ID card for you to verify authenticity (not required for students applying independently for their visa). Non-SU students: Bring this photocopy to your University Registrar and request that they stamp or seal the page for authenticity (not required for students applying independently for their visa). STAMP OR SEAL BELOW:

11 ITALIAN STUDENT VISA AFFIDAVIT FOR HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE I, (first, middle, last name) born in (town/state) on (day-month-year) residing at (permanent address) Phone number (area code-number) BEING FIRST DULY SWORN ON OATH, DEPOSE AND SAY: That within eight days of my arrival in Italy I will report to the Italian QUESTURA for the issuance of my PERMESSO DI SOGGIORNO (residence permit) as requested by the Italian Government of all foreigners residing in Italy for an extended period of time That prior to appearing at the Questura, I will have to purchase one of the following medical and hospitalization programs: X_ Insurance policy with I.N.A. ASSITALIA, Via del Tritone 181, Rome - Bank account n which can be purchased at any Post Office upon arrival in Italy or with any other Italian insurance company of my choice, OR Insurance policy with any other private health insurance company that will cover me for the medical/hospitalization bills in line with the Italian Government standards. That the above mentioned coverage will be for my entire stay in Italy and will be granted without any sort of limitation and deduction. Place and date: (Signature of the student) SIGNATURE MUST BE NOTARIZED BY NOTARY PUBLIC SIGNED BEFORE ME ON Signature of notary public Seal of the notary public

12 ITALIAN STUDENT VISA PACKET Guidelines for Bank Documents (Independent Applicants) Italian Visa law mandates that students must have a specific amount of available funds in order to be issued a student visa. Please note that SU Abroad does not have the ability to waive/alter this requirement. All students must provide bank documentation as part of their visa application. Amount required: $4000 (semester students), $8000 (academic year), $12000 (Fine Arts Graduate students). If you do not currently have the required funds in your account, refer to the Bank Documents section of the FAQ, and contact SU Abroad if you require further clarification. Students are allowed to submit bank documentation from a parent/guardian s bank account. Students who do so must also submit a notarized Affidavit of Support, completed by the parent/guardian (account holder). A blank Affidavit of Support is enclosed in this packet for you to use. SAMPLE TEXT FOR BANK DOCUMENTS Some Consulates require a formal letter, while others will accept a bank statement in lieu of a letter. Double check the Consulate s website to confirm! SU Abroad advises to bring a bank letter, since they are accepted by all Consulates Bank statements must clearly show the bank logo, your name, and the amount of funds present in the account. An online statement is acceptable, provided it has these items. Bank letters must confirm that you are an account holder, and that the specified funds are present in your account at the time the letter is generated. If you choose to submit the bank letter, please note the following: Letters must be on bank letterhead & must have a signature of a bank representative. Form letters with electronic signatures (such as ones provided by HSBC and Bank of America) are acceptable Letters must be original copies- no faxes or photocopies Sample text is provided below. Your bank may deviate from the suggested format, as long as the primary information requested is included. August 20, 2009 To The Honorable Italian Consulate General: This letter certifies that the title of the following accounts reflects (insert student name or parent/guardian name) as an account holder. Account Type Account No. Amount * Date Opened Checking ends in xxxx $4, /01/2000 Savings ends in xxxx In excess of $8, /01/2000 *The letter may express the exact amount in the account or you can simply write in excess of $XXXX.XX. For example, it is acceptable to write in excess of $4000 for a student studying abroad for one semester. Sincerely, Signature of Bank Representative

13 ITALIAN STUDENT VISA AFFIDAVIT OF SUPPORT Required ONLY if bank letter is not in student s own name. Must be completed by the parent/guardian of the visa applicant and must accompany parent/ guardian s official bank documents. To Whom It May Concern: I,, born in (name of parent/guardian) (city, state, country) on, being duly sworn on oath, depose and say: (date of birth) That the visa applicant,, born in (name of student visa applicant), on, (city, state, country) (date of birth) is my: Son/Daughter/Dependent (circle one). That the applicant intends to pursue his/her education by attending Syracuse University in Florence between the dates of and. (date of arrival) (date of departure) That I have sufficient income/assets to responsibly cover the visa applicant s expenses during his/her entire stay in Italy AS WELL AS any and all other unforeseen expenses the applicant may incur during his/her time in Italy. That I, the affiant, will pay for the applicant s expenses as outlined above. As proof of my ability to do so, I attach original bank documentation, stating that I have at least $ in my account. ($4,000 for semester abroad, $8,000 for academic year, or $12,000 for FIA Graduate students) Further, Affiant Sayeth Not. Affiant Signature: Place and Date: Notary Public Signature: Sworn and Subscribed to before me on: <Seal of Notary Public>

14 ITALIAN STUDENT VISA PACKET FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS GENRAL QUESTIONS/ PASSPORT QUESTIONS WHAT HAPPENS AFTER I SUBMIT MY VISA APPLICATION MATERIALS TO SU ABROAD? o SU Abroad will review your application for errors/omissions and contact you if there are any necessary corrections. Once everyone s application is complete, we will contact the Consulate and request permission to send our group submission. You will be notified via when the Consulate has allowed us to mail our group submission, and again when the visas have been issued and the passports returned to our office. Note that this process takes several weeks! We offer this service as a means to help facilitate the visa application process for our students and to help ensure that all students obtain their student visa and can participate in our program. CAN I APPLY FOR MY VISA ON MY OWN, OR AM I REQUIRED TO APPLY THROUGH SU ABROAD? o With the exception of students that live in the jurisdiction of the Italian Consulate in Los Angeles, students can apply independently for their visa (students in the L.A. jurisdiction must submit their visa application through SU Abroad). Some Consulates will require you to schedule an appointment, others have open hours, but ALL will require you to appear in person to present your visa application. If you plan on applying for your visa independently, you should download the Italian Visa Packet for Independent Applicants and follow those instructions. HOW LONG DOES THE APPLICATION PROCESS TAKE? o SU Abroad does not send visa applications to the Consulates one at a time. Therefore, we must wait for the entire group of applications to be complete before it can be sent. It is also important to note that the Consulates only accept visa applications submitted within 90 days of our program start date, so the applications may be held at SU Abroad until the 90-day mark. o SU Abroad will begin requesting permission to send our group submission to the Consulate as soon as the submission is ready, and they will let us know when their office is ready to receive it. Once the applications have been received by the Consulate, it can take between 4 and 6 weeks for their office to issue the visas and return the passports to SU Abroad. o Students are notified via when the Consulate has allowed us to mail the group submission, and again when the visas have been issued and the passports returned to SU Abroad. Students should monitor their for updates on the status of their visa application. WHY DO I HAVE TO SEND MY PASSPORT WITH MY VISA APPLICATION? o A visa is a stamp permanently affixed inside your passport, giving you permission to enter Italy. In order to get a visa, a passport valid for at least 3 months after the program end date is required. SU Abroad needs to send your passport and your visa application materials to the Italian Consulate so your visa can be issued. WHEN WILL MY PASSPORT BE RETURNED? o Some Visa Offices take longer than others to process group submissions (mainly due to volume). As such, it is difficult to estimate when your passport will be returned, and we cannot provide a guarantee that you will have it back by a specific date other than our program start date. Normal processing time for group submissions is approximately 4-6 weeks, though that isn t a guarantee. Because we are unable to provide a date when your passport will be returned, it is critical that you do not make travel plans that will require your passport until your visa has been issued and your passport returned to you. WILL MY PASSPORT BE RETURNED IN TIME FOR THE PROGRAM? o Yes, provided your application materials were correct and sent to the Consulate as part of our group submission. SU Abroad continually works with the Consulates to ensure that students receive their passports in time to depart for the program. I DON T HAVE A PASSPORT, OR MY PASSPORT EXPIRES WITHIN 3 MONTHS OF THE PROGRAM END DATE. WHAT SHOULD I DO? o Apply for or renew your passport immediately! SU Abroad strongly recommends that you pay the additional fee to have your passport application expedited to ensure you have your passport in time to apply for your visa. Passport application/ renewal information can be found at: o Once you have applied for your passport, begin working on the remainder of your visa application materials (leaving passport information blank), and submit them to SU Abroad by the published deadline. Include a note with your visa materials informing us that you have applied for (or renewed) your passport. Include the date

15 when you submitted your passport application. This will allow us to review your visa application for errors/omissions while you are waiting for your passport to arrive. o Once you receive your passport, sign it and overnight it to SU Abroad (remember that you should always use a shipping method that includes tracking when mailing your passport)! I HAVE ALREADY MADE TRAVEL PLANS THAT REQUIRE MY PASSPORT. WHAT SHOULD I DO? o If you have already made travel plans that require your passport before the start of our program, you must contact SU Abroad immediately. We will need to know the exact dates of your travel plans to determine if you are able to participate in our group submissions. SU Abroad may determine that you must apply for your visa independently if your travel dates interfere with the timeline of the group submission. VISA APPLICATION FORM *Please note that a SAMPLE application form is included in the visa packet- refer to it when filling out your visa application. WHAT DOES IT MEAN WHEN IT SAYS THE APPLICATION MUST BE NOTARIZED? o Your signature on the visa application form must be verified as authentic, a service provided by a Notary Public. You should not sign your application form until you are in the presence of the Notary, who will watch you sign your name, then verify your signature. o Students applying independently for their visa do not have to have their visa application notarized. Instead, you will sign your application in front of the Consulate, thus verifying that your signature is authentic. WHERE CAN I FIND A NOTARY? o Check with your bank first, as banks provide notary services for their customers, usually free of charge. You can also try FedEx/Kinkos/UPS locations, most of which offer Notary Public services for a nominal fee. I PLAN ON TRAVELING BEFORE OR AFTER THE PROGRAM. WHAT DO I WRITE DOWN FOR DATE OF ARRIVAL/DEPARTURE and DURATION OF STAY? o Your date of arrival/departure on the visa application form should always match the exact travel dates on your flight itinerary. o Count the number of days between your arrival date and your departure date- this is your duration of stay. o Remember that there are restrictions on how long you can be in the EU beyond the dates of the program; refer to the section on Flight Itineraries/Personal Travel for more details. FLIGHT ITINERARIES AND PERSONAL TRAVEL The Italian Consulate requires a confirmed flight itinerary as part of the student visa application. This means that you must purchase your travel to/from Florence before the visa deadline. SU Abroad does not have the ability to alter/waive this requirement. I AM TRAVELING ON A GROUP FLIGHT. HOW DO I GET MY ITINERARY? o Advantage Travel will automatically send SU Abroad the documentation required for your visa application. You do not need to include anything with your visa application. I DO NOT WANT TO TRAVEL ON A GROUP FLIGHT. WHAT DO I NEED TO DO? o You must purchase a round trip ticket and include the confirmed travel itinerary with your visa materials. DO I HAVE TO BOOK A ROUND-TRIP FLIGHT? o YES. You cannot obtain a visa without a confirmed arrival and departure from the EU. I HAD PLANNED ON TRAVELING BEFORE/AFTER THE PROGRAM. WHAT CAN I DO? o U.S. and Canadian citizens are allowed 14-days outside of the dates of your visa for travel. Your visa will be issued for the exact program dates (not your exact travel dates) so you must be certain that your arrival and departure from the EU fall within the allotted 14 day window. For example, if you plan on arriving to the EU two days before the official program start date, then you must exit the EU within 12 days after the official program end date. If you arrive in the EU on the official program start date, then you must exit the EU within 14 days of the official program end date. There are no exceptions, and failure to comply could result in immediate deportation and/or criminal charges. Plan your travel accordingly! Syracuse University will not be responsible for students who fail to comply. o NON-U.S. and NON-CANADIAN CITIZENS: You may only be able to enter the EU on the program start date and must exit on the program end date. Plan your travel accordingly! BANK DOCUMENTS

16 Bank documents are required by MOST Consulates, but not all; Refer to Checklist of Required Documents in your visa packet to see if you are required to submit bank documents as part of your visa application. WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE BANK DOCUMENTS? o The Italian Embassy mandates that all students must show proof of funds to support themselves for duration of time they are in Italy. The Embassy uses a daily rate to determine how much money students need to have. Per the Embassy s formula, students need to show proof of funds in the amount of $4000 in order to be eligible for a semester long visa (the amount is roughly $1,000 per month and our program lasts 4 months). o SU Abroad is not able to alter or waive this requirement. It is important to note that the $4000 visa requirement is in no way associated with the tuition or program costs billed by Syracuse University. WHAT CONSULATES REQUIRE BANK DOCUMENTS? o Group Submission Participants: almost every Consulate requires bank documentation, but the Consulates in Boston, Chicago and Detroit do not require bank letters from students participating in the SU Abroad group submission to their Visa Office. o Independent Applicants: bank documents will be required of any students applying independently (to any Consulate) for their visa WHEN IS AN AFFIDAVIT OF SUPPORT REQUIRED? o If the student does not have $4,000 in their bank account, they may submit bank documentation from a parent/guardian s account with their visa materials. Students who do so must also submit a notarized Affidavit of Support, completed by the parent/guardian (the account holder), which states that they will be supporting you financially while you are abroad. A blank Affidavit of Support is enclosed in the visa packet for you to use. I DON T HAVE $4000 IN MY ACCOUNT.WHAT DO I DO?. o The first suggestion is to ask your parent/guardian if they can provide the bank documentation for you. Students may submit a bank letter or statement from a parent/guardian s account with their visa materials. If so, the Affidavit of Support is also required (see above). o If your parent/guardian cannot assist you with the bank documents, you should contact SU Abroad to discuss your options. I AM GETTING A FINANCIAL AID REFUND. CAN I SUBMIT A LETTER FROM MY FINANCIAL AID OFFICE CONFIRMING THAT I WILL HAVE THE REQUIRED FUNDS? o Unfortunately, the Italian Consulates do not accept proof of financial aid in lieu of a bank letter. Students need to make arrangements to get the bank letter for their visa application. CAN I SUBMIT DOCUMENTATION FROM A STOCK PORTFOLIO OR RETIREMENT ACCOUNT? o Statements from retirement accounts, 401k and stock portfolios are not accepted by the Italian Consulates in lieu of the bank letter. The bank documentation must come from a traditional U.S. bank.