VISA ISSUANCE –International Relations

1. KEY STATISTICS Period of operation: 1 April – 20 June

Total number of visa letters: 919

Total number of visa delegation receivers: 3900

Total number of individual visa receivers: 800

Number of paid staff: 2

Number of Volunteers: 0

Cooperating departments: Delegation Services, Honored Guest Services, Medical services, Media services, Sport Services, Volunteers, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Embassies

2. HIGHLIGHTS Manage to provide even at the last minute the clients with visa invitation letters and after a small pressure to the Embassies to set as priority in their appointment system our clients and get their visas on time.

3. FAs MAJOR ISSUES & RECOMMENDATIONS List all major issues encountered by your FA during the Games and your recommendations on how to resolve/avoid these issues

N Issue Description Recommendation o 1 The first issue that we had to deal with was the As far as it concerns the lack of information on luck of information in personal details. There were delegation members, we were requesting from the cases that even in the GMS system the details delegation department over and over again to were wrong and we could not proceed on the contact their regional directors, in order to send us issuance of visa invitation letters, as far as it back all the missing details. The communication was concerns the delegations. done via e-mail or sometimes via telephones.

2 The second issue was the lack of information The solution for mistakes or lack of information sending to us mostly concerning the ASFs and the concerning the ASFs/MVPs dealt between our MVPs. Sometimes the application forms that were department Mrs. Skondra, Mr. Koutsiouris, Mr. sent back to us were not concluding all the Seimenis, Mr. Lianos , Mrs. Oikonomou and SOI Mr. relevant information such as, hotels’ name, Glass or even with direct communication with the duration of stay in Greece. New additions and person itself via e-mail. new applications were added even after the beginning of the Games.

3 The third issue was the boundaries that we had to Despite the difference in time (hours and date of

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overlap with the Embassies – Consulates. The operation) between the Countries around the world, communication between our department and the we were trying to contact the embassies, which seek visa department of the Embassies-consulates was information from our department we were staying not always feasible. This was happening as there at the office as long as it was needed in order to was a difference in dates and hours of their contact the Consulates. operation.

4 The biggest challenge of all was the issues rising The Greek Embassy in New Delhi was requesting with the Embassies and Consulates. Most of the from the ASF clients to pay for their visas. Consulates were asking for clarifications, i.e. Unfortunately, it was not clear to the insurance cover, visa fee waiver, the people that Embassies/Consulates whether the ASF/MVP clients were mentioned on the visa invitation letters were not paying their visa fees. As a department we were accurate and how they were nominated and sent the Memoradum and we explained that the by whom. word “officials” in the Memoradum was includes also the ASF and MVP clients. Of course, we also had the support and the guidance of the Ministry of the Foreign Affairs.

5 There were times that the Consulates or When an Embassy or Consulate was not accepting a Embassies were denied to accommodate delegation or an ASF/MVP, we were suggesting to delegations or our clients (ASF/MVP). the client to transfer all the relevant documentations to another Embassy. We were asking from the clients to contact the Embassy/Consulate whether they were able to facilitate and accommodate the clients. As soon as we had a positive reply, immediately we were sending all the requested documents and we even calling at the Embassies in order to make sure that they received the documents.

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6 Concerning family members, there were problems We were not always the favorites of the on appointment booking, especially at the French Consulates/Embassies, as most of the times we Embassies, as they are having a specific system were going beyond our jurisdiction and we were appointment via phone, which cannot be trying to convince them that they should not be so overridden. strict, especially with the delegation members and their families as the situation was not so common and it was a vital for them to participate to the Games. Most of the times, we had their support and they were willing to help us out in any way. Unfortunately, we came across with opposite situations, where there was no reply at all or they were strict on the rules. As there was a daily communication with the Embassies, even with the Ambassadors in person, our department succeeds to receive their respect and created a bridge between us. Having the knowledge of the requested standard duration that it is required in order for a person to receive a Schengen Visa (12 to 14 days at least), we were giving the best of our selves by requesting and pressing the Embassies/Consulates to book either earlier appointments or even sometimes to ‘skip’ some procedures. At this point, we were making the impossible, possible and all of our clients had their visas on time.

7 There was an issue with 78 people from Ghana Directly, we contact once again the SOI, explaining signed as MVP, who were asking from us to the issues and requesting whether they had provide them with visa invitation letters and they nominated all these people to be MVPs. Their asked us to send all the relevant documentation answer was negative and that they had never to the Greek Embassy in Nigeria. At the beginning, nominated those people. Our department recalled we were surprised that they did not willing to go all the visa invitation letters, which were sent to the to a closer embassy in their Country. In order to Embassy in Nigeria and communicate to the persons proceed on the creation of the visa invitation that their visas invitation letters have been recalled. letters, the permission was given by the SOI. We got suspicious as the 78 Ghanaians, were separated in 3-4 groups of the 10,20,18,30.

8 A serious issue came up with the Afghanistan When the delegation requested from us to send all delegation. The delegation wanted first to go to the relevant documents to the Embassy in Abu the Greek Embassy in Abu Dhabi, for security Dhabi, we did send them directly. The Ambassador reasons. The embassy did not accept them. Then, explained to us that it was impossible for them to we tried through an embassy in Afghanistan and accommodate the delegation, for their own reasons, again they were denied to be accommodated by (there is no obligation by the Embassy to explain the the Embassies there. reasons of denial to us.) We sent the Relevant documentation to the other Embassies in Afghanistan but we received the same reply from that Embassy too.

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9 Another issue that we dealt with was with the We decided to call the Consulate but that was Somalia Delegation. Their documents were sent to impossible at the beginning as the lines were dead. the Greek Consulate in Sudan. We were receiving We tried through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but information from the Delegation that the even for them were not possible to reach the Consulate was not accepting them. The Consulate. As the days were passing along and we communication with the Consulate was quite tried million times to contact them, we came up impossible as the phone lines were out of order with the idea of using the mobile phone of the Head for several days. of the Somalia Delegation. We were informed that he was on his way to the Consulate and we decided to call him in order to reach someone at the Consulate. Finally, this solution worked and we contact the visa officer at the Consulate in Sudan. He explained us that the delegation of Somalia had issues as they were not willing to provide all the requested obligatory documents (the visa invitation letter and the personal details are not enough in order to provide someone with a visa) that the Consulate was seeking for. At this point we are not allowed nor had the power to intervene on the Consulates prerogatives.

4. MAJOR ISSUES WITH OTHER FAs N Functional Area Issue Description o 1 Delegation Services The cooperation with the delegation services, In the cases of names’ misspelling by the system, which constituted the bulk of our clients, was which were a lot, brought us in a difficult position as continual and close. Delegation services we had already sent the visa invitation letters to the communicated with all the delegations and Consulates. The solution was to rewrite the requested them with the relevant info so as the invitation letter with the correct details and resent it visa invitation letter to be issued. to the Embassies and Consulates as a correct However, we came across with many mistakes on reproduction and in some cases we had to do it the details that were imput into GMS , i.e in more than three times, as the departments that passports’ numbers, passport expiration numbers, were responsible for the information gathering were spelling mistakes on the names of the delegation not providing us with the correct details. . As soon as members. There were also new additions for a delegation provided all the relevant info the letter delegation members the last minute, literally just was issued with no delay most of the times within 2 or 3 days before the start of the Games. the same day.

2 Ministry of Foreign affairs The cooperation with the Greek authorities in the There were cases such as concerning Greek Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs was Embassies that they were not having the human exemplifying. The ministry did its upmost to help resources in order to provide the huge amount of the visa issue process sometimes above the people requiring visa. The Ministry contacted them contractual obligations of the letter of and asked them to do the best of themselves, which understanding and cooperation that defined its they did, and they gave priority to those who obligations. wanted to come for the Special Olympic World

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Summer Games Athens2011. 3 Other Functional areas Cooperation and communication with the other Again as soon as the visa department got the functional areas was very good. All had informed relevant info the invitation letter was issued within their respective clients with the info need for the the same day. visa issue. However many times the info was delayed by these clients or was fragmented, delaying the process.

5. SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL Please list of all supplementary material that you would like to include in the transfer of knowledge process (i.e. publications, staffing numbers, presentations, etc.)

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