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Visa Information for Exchange Programs Visa Information for Exchange Programs In general, you will want to start this process 2-3 months before you plan to travel, or as prompted by your program. You may need to travel to another city to personally make application. For example, the closest embassies/consulates for Greece, Norway, South Korea and China are in Chicago. There are visa service providers, such as Travisa, which will do the legwork for you, saving ​ ​ you the travel. However, please note that it will cost more to acquire your visa through these services. Documentation ● Some documents, such as a letter of admission and verification of housing, will be provided by your program. ● Others, such as verification of insurance and a certificate of enrollment, will be provided by Augsburg. ● You may also be asked for tax returns or bank statements to verify funding, a health form, college (and possibly high school) transcripts. Augsburg University Exchange Partners 1) American College of Greece 2) American University of Beirut 3) Arcada University 4) Hong Kong Baptist University 5) iCLA Yamanshi Gakuin University 6) NTNU Norwegian University of Science and Technology 7) Nord University College 8) Oslo Metropolitan University 9) Østfold University College 10) Sejong University 11) Sungshin Women’s University 12) UiT: The Arctic University of Norway 13) United International College 14) Universidad Centroamericana 15) University of Warwick 16) Volda University College 17) Western Norway University of Applied Sciences 18) Yonsei University A merican College of Greece Fee: $124 ​ Travel to Chicago: varies ​ Cost of background check: approximately $50 ​ Cost for photo: $15 ​ You are required to apply for you visa in person at the Greek Consulate in Chicago (650 North Saint Clair ​ Street, Chicago IL 60611), and will need to make an appointment in advance. For more information, you ​ ​ may call at +1 312 335 3915 6-7 ext. 831 or send an email to mail to: [email protected]. Hours are ​ ​ Monday - Friday: 9:30am-2:00pm. See: https://www.mfa.gr/usa/en/visas.html?mission=chi ​ ​ ​ See also information provided by ACG: http://web.augsburg.edu/global/APA/Exchange Docs/ACG Student Visa Guide.pdf http://www.acg.edu/admissions/study-abroad/student-visa/ You will need to provide the following: ● Visa application (Typically the Type D- National Visa if you are there for 90+ day OR Schengen Visa if ​ ​ less than 90 days) ○ Can be found on their website: http://www.mfa.gr/usa/en/visas.html?mission=chi ​ ​ ○ Guide to completing visa application ○ Fee Appx. $214 ● ICAO Standard Photo for the application (basically a passport photo) ● Valid Passport ● Medical Certificate (provided by ACG) ● Acceptance letter directly from Greece (ACG upon acceptance) ● Background Check: these allow you to register online, then go to a local office and complete the ​ process electronically: ○ Fieldprint ○ SureID ● Proof of Travel Insurance (this will be provided by Augsburg and posted on your Global Gateway account) ● W-2 (for the last two years to be safe) ● Bank Statements ○ Minimum balance of $2,000 (For the semester, they average $500 per month for four months) ○ If you don’t have a balance of $2,000, bring your parents’ bank statements to combine WITH a letter of affidavit (a signed document saying that they will be covering you financially while ​ ​ you’re away) ● Flight itinerary (if you haven’t purchase a ticket, bring a copy of what flight you think you’ll be ​ ​ buying) ● IMPORTANT: The Greek Embassy WILL keep your passport until they approve/reject your application! If you DON’T want to have to make a trip back to the embassy to pick it up, bring a prepaid UPS or FedEx envelope and give it to them to send back to you. A merican University of Beirut Cost: $150 http://www.aub.edu.lb/oip/international/accepted/Pages/visas.aspx A one month (extendible to three months) single entry tourist visa granted at the airport This option applies ONLY to citizens of some countries. Click HERE to find out if you are eligible. This ​ ​ short-term tourist visa is valid for one-month, renewable for three-months. For citizens of certain countries, this visa is granted free of charge. (Students who travel outside Lebanon within these three ​ months and re-enter Lebanon, will be granted another one month entry visa renewable for 3 months.) A 6-month multiple entry visa from Lebanese embassy or consulate. You may obtain a 6-month multiple entry visa to Lebanon from the nearest Lebanese Embassy or consulate in or near your hometown. In order to obtain the 6-month visa, you must first be officially accepted to AUB. Once you have received your official letter of acceptance, you must send an email to [email protected] with the subject line: “Certificate for Visa Purposes Needed”, and state ​ whether you wish to receive your certificate via e-mail attachment or by fax. For a complete list of documents needed, refer to the Lebanese Embassy in your country. International students joining AUB, who do not hold a Lebanese passport or a Lebanese identity card, ​​​​​​ must have their foreign passports valid for a period of no less than 13 months from the date of joining the university. All such students should also check with the nearest Lebanese embassy or consulate in their country as to whether they require an entry visa in order to legally enter Lebanon or are eligible ​ to obtain a one-month entry visa at the airport. A rcada University Cost: $375 VISA and Residence Permit The best way to make sure that you have all the documents needed for studying abroad, is to check this with the Finnish embassy of your home country. The requirements varies depending on which country you are coming from, how long you will be studying in Finland, what you are studying and if it concerns only studies or practical training. The Finnish Immigration has compiled the following information for ​ exchange students regarding VISA and residence permit. In brief: ● Submit an application for a residence permit online at https://enterfinland.fi/eServices ​ ● Apply for your residence permit abroad, not in Finland. ● Visit a Finnish embassy/consulate in person for identification and fingerprinting. ● Contact the embassy or consulate in advance to arrange a visit. In Minnesota (for other states): ​ ​ Honorary Consulate of Finland 2429 Girard Avenue S. Minneapolis, MN 55405 612-374-2718 [email protected] ● Your application will be processed only after you’ve visited a Finnish embassy. Also the estimated processing time of your application starts from the day you visit the embassy Requirements include: ➔ A study place: ◆ Acceptance letter from a Finnish education institution ◆ If your acceptance letter was sent to you by e-mail, include the forwarding e-mail from the Studyinfo.fi service/ the school in Finland. ➔ Health insurance ◆ Your insurance must cover both sickness and accident related medical expenses up to at ​ least 100,000 (approximately $117,000) € ◆ Your insurance must be valid throughout your entire stay in Finland. y Make sure that there are no restrictions to the number of days within the period of validity. Travel insurances are often valid for 90 days per trip -> not acceptable. (This will be provided ​ by Augsburg CGEE). ● The insurance must also be valid if you want to travel in Finland or the Schengen area after your studies. ● Acquire an insurance document which indicates the following information: ● Your personal details ● Period of validity of insurance ● Geographical area in which your insurance is valid ● Insurance coverage ● Insured amounts ● Amount of deductible, or a mention that there is no deductible ● Do not terminate your insurance! Otherwise you will be responsible for the ​ costs yourself ➔ Sufficient funds You must have 560 /month (approximately $650) as a bank deposit or as a ​ € ​ scholarship or grant. ◆ A bank statement from your own bank account: Make sure the statement indicates you ​ as the account owner. A shared account or a written guarantee of sponsorship from a private person is not accepted ◆ A certificate of a scholarship granted by a state, an organisation or an educational ​ institution. The certificate must indicate the recipient, amount and duration of the scholarship. A bank statement is not necessary if the scholarship fully covers the requirement. ➔ A passport and a passport photo Make sure your passport is valid for at least one year from the ​ ​ date you plan to arrive in Finland H ong Kong Baptist University Cost: $20 ​ Photos: $15 ​ https://intl.hkbu.edu.hk/student-exchange/incoming-students/preparing-for-your-exchange-at-hkbu/vis a 1. Download and complete the form ID995A “Application for Entry for Study in Hong Kong” ​ 2. Courier your completed form ID995A together with the following supporting documents to the International Office: ● Photocopy of the personal particulars page of your passport; and ● Evidence of your financial standing, e.g. bank statements, savings account passbooks, scholarship letters, etc. 3. HKBU will complete form ID995B “Application for Entry for Study (Sponsor)” and will ​ ​ hand-deliver your full set of student visa application documents (ID995A + ID995B + supporting ​ documents) to the Hong Kong Immigration Department for processing. ​ 4. If your application is successful, HKBU will collect the student visa on your behalf and courier it to you. Please note: ● Your passport should be valid for at least six months beyond the intended stay in Hong Kong. ​ ​ ● Do NOT submit your student visa application directly to the Hong Kong Immigration Department as that will slow down the process. ● It normally takes at least six weeks for the Immigration Department to process a student visa application. When you receive the student visa, please attach it to a blank page in your passport.
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