Chathuranga

Sorry this is going to be a long rant.

I'm Chathuranga Balasooriya from Sri Lanka. For the past 2 years i have been trying to visit my girlfriend in Portugal who i met online, and to see her parents. but my visa is getting rejected by the France Embassy(there is no Portugal Embassy in Sri Lanka). Reasons mentioned on both times were the same as following,

"the information submitted regarding the justification for the purpose and conditions of the intended stay was not reliable"
"your intention to leave the territory of the member states before the expiry of the visa could not be ascertained"
For the both points i have provided more than enough information.

Very Detailed Travel itinerary for each day of my stay(Where we will go what time, bus number, train time) with the places that we were going to visit(tourist destinations) Letter from my girlfriend proving our relationship. (1 Typed 1 hand written) Skype conversations, Chat + Video Screenshots. Facebook conversations. In-game conversations of the games we play.
I am the COO of a startup company. All the documents to verify my employment. letter of employment, promotion letter.(since 2016) salary slips, EPF membership certificate (Employee Provident Fund) , and payments for it. Our company CEO was the opening Speaker of TEDxColombo 2017. So included photos that shows he is a TEDxColombo speaker and photos that the team got together of our milestone. etc I own a vehicle which is worth $10,000 (Selling Price) so included the vehicle certificate + valuation certificate. I live with my parents having fixed assets worth more than $100,000+ (House + another vehicle + Lands), so included those valuations too.
All these documents were sorted with the help of a professional agency. The Visa Centre in Sri Lanka(well respected agency)

Still got rejected.

And then i thought i should go for an appeal. called the embassy and asked how to submit an appeal. i was told to make an appointment and submit the appeal. went to the after making an appointment. The lady who came to collect the documents said i shouldn't have made an appointment to submit appeal. if its an appeal i should leave the appeal letter at the guard post. lol, right? and also said to my face, i quote

"even if you appeal it will get rejected"

This happened inside the French Embassy in Sri Lanka. I was stunned, can they talk to me like that? As hopeless as i was, i left the appeal letter and documents. And then sent an email to the embassy of the whole situation i get a reply like this,

"" Sir,

I believe that you misunderstood : there is no appointment to submit an appeal (without doing a new application).

When you came, after checking your file again, we informed you that the appeal was refused because the decision of the Embassy has not changed.

It is useless to leave at the gate of the Embassy (which is not the visa section) some documents.

If you still insist to apply for a visa, you can :

or submit a new application (new process with a new appointment at VFS Global
or make an appeal to the CRRV as it is mentioned in the refusal letter given to you.
Regards,

The visa section Embassy of France in Sri Lanka & the Maldives ""

They did not check my documents.

For the last 2 years i've tried 2 times, went to Singapore between that period for 14 days.

So at this point i am hopeless and desperate. What can i do?

janisj

>>For the both points i have provided more than enough information.<<

They do not think so.

>>When you came, after checking your file again, we informed you that the appeal was refused because the decision of the Embassy has not changed<<

That sounds pretty definite/final.

>>What can i do?<<

Nothing we can tell you will help. She will just have to visit you . . .

Sorry

Chathuranga

People are suggesting me to apply visa to another country and then go to Portugal, isnt that illegal ?

Ackislander

There are a great many Sri Lankans working in Italy. It would appear to be easier to get a visa for there. Perhaps she can meet you in Rome.

Sassafrass

The rejection letter says, "Your intention to leave the territory of the member states before the expiry of the visa could not be ascertained."

That seems to be a huge issue and all the misc. stuff you gave them, like all the conversations, games you played, Skype connections, etc. probably played against you because, rather than indicating you are really going for just a visit, all those things indicate a long term relationship which might make it more likely you would not depart Portugal in a timely manner.

All the other stuff is not useful either. I doubt they care where your CEO was a speaker, or what museums, etc. you may visit in Portugal, or the number of a bus you may be riding on. All nonsense, IMHO. Think about it. You are not giving them what they are asking for.

What they want to know and be assured of, is that you will return to Sri Lanka!!!

You gave them nothing to affirm that. As a matter of fact, what you gave could, IMHO, lead to more suspicion that you would not return.

Did you show proof of a return flight ticket? Maybe you did, but you did not mention that. Did you show proof of formal commitments to anything in Sri Lanka which would force you to return? Enrollment in school? Parents or family responsibilities?

Could you and the young lady meet someplace else for a few days to get to know each other in person?
Could she come to Sri Lanka for a couple of weeks?
Could you arrange to go to school in Portugal and get a student visa?
Could she arrange to go to school in Sri Lanka and get a student visa?

You are stuck on the visa to Portugal thing, but if meeting her and getting to know her is what you want, you do have other options.

Chathuranga

Thank you for the detailed reply.

yes i showed. I thought proving my job importance and saying my parents depend on me is enough.

What if i apply now again, without submitting the relationship stuff? will it get automatically rejected.

What if i apply to another schengen state without mentioning the relationship and then go to portugal? is that illegal.

marvelousmouse

Well, we're not the French embassy so we can't say for sure. But the website mentions two things you don't: a letter of invitation from the people you are visiting and a confirmed travel itinerary from an approved travel agent. Why would they need bus and train numbers and tourist sites? I would think flight tickets and hotel reservations would be of more interest. I'm kind of wondering about assets...unless I'm misunderstanding, you own a truck and your parents own everything else. How much money do you actually have for the trip? I don't know much about Sri Lanka but assets of $100,000 is probably poverty level in most places.

Has your girlfriend visited you? Have you met her in real life at all? If you merely want to spend time with her, why not buy her a plane ticket?

marvelousmouse

And as far as I understand it, a Portuguese visa IS a schengen visa. That's what you were rejected for. You can't visit schengen without a Visa; therefore, even if you got a visa to a nonschengen country, you couldn't get into Portugal b/c you would be refused entry into Schengen.

But yes, I think any country would reject you as well. Every country wants to be sure that you won't overstay your visa and I don't think you proved that. Girlfriend is just a mnother red flag, but I think the main problem is that you haven't provided proof of ties to Sri Lanka and onward travel (plane tickets).

Chathuranga

No no, u misunderstood. i did include my ticket(return) from Hemas Travels. And hotel booking from booking.com. i provided an extra document which says i will be here at this time on this day, this is the bus i am taking etc.
i did include a invitation letter from my girl friend as mentioned.

i had $4000+ for 12 days trip

No, i am meeting her for the first time, since i want to meet her parents for approval.

KTtravel

Since the option of you visiting Portugal is not looking good, I would try to arrange to meet her elsewhere. Get to know each other in person first before trying to meet her parents.

thursdaysd

Approval for what? If you have never met her in person, seems it would be simpler to fly her to SL for a first visit. After the first visit you may decide that you are incompatible.

marvelousmouse

Ah. Well, I think it may be a cultural difference. And your problem is then that you haven't proved that you have sufficient ties to Sri Lanka. Appealing is not going to help.

1. Meeting the girlfriend's parents for approval when you haven't met the girlfriend just sounds weird. I could definitely see that as insufficient justification for the trip.

2, if it doesn't sound weird, the only other interpretation they could come up with is that this is a serious relationship and you basically plan to stay with her.

so either way, you've got problems. Just suggest that she comes to visit you. As a tourist, not as your guest, or she too could get rejected. (And as a side note unless your girlfriend's parents are of the same culture as you, I think your trip is in vain. I can't see my parents meeting an online boyfriend with a straight face much less giving him their "approval". For what, exactly?)

LoackerReturns

Agree with Sassafrass.

Why on earth did you bring up the gf. This is a huge red flag and I'm sure it's the reason the embassy thought you might overstay your visit.

I mean screenshots from Skype? Really? Photos from TedEx? WTH?

Next time you apply for a Schengen visa, forget for a second that you have a GF. Apply for a "tourist visa" and show them your hotel bookings. You need not mention that you'll be seeing your GF. The embassy doesn't care about your love life.

And yes, you can still visit Portugal even if you apply to a different embassy. The Schengen visa is technically valid for all Schengen countries unless stated otherwise on the visa.

However, if you get your visa from Italy, you should aim to spend more days in Italy than in Portugal.

The rule is that you have to apply to the embassy of the country which is your main destination.

LoackerReturns

"What if I apply to another schengen state without mentioning the relationship and then go to portugal? Is that illegal"

No, as I said before the embassy doesn't care about your love life. She's your GF, not your wife, anyway.

You're a tourist visiting Italy and Portgual for a few days. Who you plan to meet there is no one's business.

In my opinion, "visit visas" have a bigger chance of getting rejected. So choose "tourism" as the reason for your visit, and book a hotel instead of asking your GF to send you an invitation.

Christina

<<Meeting the girlfriend's parents for approval when you haven't met the girlfriend just sounds weird.>>

I suspect it isn't weird in certain cultures. After all, this is an online relationship and if they have plans to eventually marry, I think the parents' approval is needed before this goes any further. This doesn't even sound that weird to me given the background of this couple and doubt if this woman can just fly off on her own to meet up with some man she met on the internet in Sri Lanka. Many parents would not at all like that idea, in fact, I wouldn't like it. Some people on this thread don't appear to understand this culture, that's all, parental approval is important to pursue a relationship and she's not flying off to Sri Lanka on her own.

Also, the itinerary is one of the requirements for visa application, but it must be from an approved travel agent. It sounds like that requirement was not met, right? The application says it must be a confirmed itinerary from an approved travel agent. Did you do that or not?

Your parents depending on you really doesn't mean much since you could easily send them money from elsewhere. In fact, many illegal immigrants in the US do just that, and that's why they go to the US, to earn more money to send home. I just wonder if there isn't some immigration lawyer with more experience there who might have some idea.

Did you include a letter from your employer saying that they have approved your leave for a certain time period? I think that is required, not just that you have a job (which you could quit).

hetismij2

I don't think applying to another country will help. It is a Schengen visa, and applications go into a central database.

Arrange to meet her in a country for which you do not need a visa.

LoackerReturns

Well some embassies tend to be more lax. They don't all have the same rejection rates.

But in any case, he can reapply to the same embassy and make sure the requirements are met this time.

janisj

>>Well some embassies tend to be more lax. They don't all have the same rejection rates.

But in any case, he can reapply to the same embassy and make sure the requirements are met this time.<<

I would think with two rejections already -- changing some 'small' details (like omitting one's girl friend, etc) would not help. There is already a big red mark next to the OP's name, two attempts, two quite firm denials, they aren't going to all of a sudden say "Sure, come on in".

marvelousmouse

Christina, we don't even know if his "girlfriend" is from the same culture he is of. I doubt it. I agree that her parents are probably leery of letting her off like that, but assuming she's not a minor, she's equally capable of flying to Sri Lanka, and doesn't need their permission.

I have a really hard time believing that either set of parents really think this is going to end in marriage. I've seen this scenario play out a few times. Sometimes it turns into a lasting relationship and they make it work. Mostly they don't. But the point is, to get a chance, he's got to stop applying for a visa, and find a place where they can meet. Heck, her parents could come along and chaperone if they really do think it's a potential marriage situation. That just seems so incredibly unlikely to me, but maybe.

OP, have you "met" her parents on Skype or the phone? Do they have any opinion?

I mean, so you have an important job in Sri Lanka. If you're right, and you think this is a long term relationship, how do you see this playing out? If you expect her to move to Sri Lanka, then shouldn't she visit Sri Lanka? If you think you're moving to Portugal, then how do you plan to support yourself there, if your important job is in Sri Lanka?

Chathuranga

Did this really turns into whether or whether not my relationship will last. We have been together for almost 2 years now, we still dont have trust issues.
Before all my future plans play out i need her parents consent, thats the right thing to do. i cant just run away with her.
This was a short stay visa request for 12days.
Christina seems to understand what i am going through.

@christina i did include my flight itinerary from Hemas Travels and a hotel reservation for the full trip duration.

I was trying to give a NOC(No Objection Certificate)from the employer, through the appeal process. but the what i had to go through inside the embassy was really bizarre. i gave up on the appeal. + i do own a vehicle, cant i use that as a guarantee that i am returning to my country.

Should i apply to the same embassy or not? without mentioning my girlfriend(since that seems to be the problem)
Or to another schengen country and then go to Portugal with that visa.