Long story short, I need a study visa and I definitely can't get one in time before I leave for Italy. Basically I'm wondering if I can go to Italy, start my courses, mail my passport and all my application documents back to the States (that's risky, I know), have a study visa issued, and then have them mail it back to me at my residence in Italy. I don't know if that makes sense, but I know I can stay in Italy for 90 days without a visa, so shouldn't it be ok if I get a visa within that period of time? I don't know. I'm just desperately trying to make this happen and I would really appreciate any insight.

Thanks!

the only source that can give you a definitive answer is the Italian Consulates in the U.S.

No absolute experts here I think on that.

When do you leave for Italy?

And why couldn't you get it?

Also contact the school you are studying at and or your home college study abroad office for advice.

YOu are in a bind.

This reminds me of some other post on here, I think a somewhat similar situation for a woman in Spain. Of course we don't know what she ended up doing.

Won't you be in deep doo-doo if you need to show your passport? Also, I thought to get a student visa you had to have documentation from the school you were to attend as to dates. So won't that look a little strange, how will you handle that?

Also, wont' they ask to see your student visa in Italy? I mean I know you can enter and pretend to be a tourist, but doesn't the school want to see it? Maybe not, I have no idea. But I also thought that if you were applying individually for a student visa (not the school applying for a bunch of students), you had to go in person to the consulate for an interview? I thought you had to do it by personal appt and appear. Also, it sounds like you are intending to lie on the visa form when it asks your date of arrival?

YOU should contact someone who knows the answers to these important questions.

Your question can only be answered by the Italian consulate. Don't try to second-guess anything. Things don't work that way in Europe.

Have you tried to use an expeditor? My daughter needed to use a passport expeditor a few years ago and it was well worth the money to have them quickly able to get the visa she needed.

It won't work. You need to submit your application in person at an Italian consulate in US. No third-party application.

You are going to have to change your plans/study course. As Alec says -- you must apply from home and in person..

How many Italian consulates are there in the U.S. - You mean to say that someone in a state hundreds of miles away from the nearest consulate must go to a consulate to get the mandated visa - seems odorous - now if Honorary Italian Consulates qualify they are indeed dozens of them but still none in say Hawaii - so Hawaiians must go to the mainland just to get the needed study visa?

You can go to an Honorary Consulate to apply for a visa and there is one in Honolulu, but yes, you still may have to travel some distance depending on where you live.

Also, there is no way according to the Consulate websites I've looked at to expedite the process. In fact, they say to allow even more time over the summer.

>>You mean to say that someone in a state hundreds of miles away from the nearest consulate must go to a consulate to get the mandated visa<<

Yep -- but there are lots of consulates.

Pal - what do you think someone in the UK or Italy has to do to apply for a US visa? same-o.

Yes - sad if you ask me - so an American living in say London who wants to study in Italy has to go home to get that Visa -can't go to consulate in London (if they could OP could maybe do that if turnaround time was quick).

Just trying to exhaust all options for the OP.

oliviar - how come you are in this situation - usually when you sign up for classes they tell you everything?

What is the turn around time for that Visa - if on the spot just go to a Consulate even if you have to delay your studies a bit.

Not sure if that would work. We don't know what type of course this is. If it's for something that lasts a whole semester you need to start when the classes do - not turn up at a random time in the middle of the year. Would the school approve him for this.

If it's a shorter course that happens several times a year perhaps he could just go to the next session, be admitted for that and start the visa process in plenty of time.

Have no idea what anyone is talking about, but enjoying this post immensely. I love the descriptions.

Oops. Wrong post.

Welcome to being a grownup. I think you are toast, but enough money thrown at the problem may help.

I would start with my university overseas study office at the same time I was getting in touch with the nearest Italian consulate. Grovel.

Don't show up in Italy with a lot of stuff and no long term visa.

Don't get mad at anyone.

If you have helicopter parents, keep your father out of this except as a source of funds. If your mother sobs well, it might help to get her involved. Italians take mother-son relationships seriously.

Pal, it's no more onerous (NOT odorous, for heaven's sake) than a U.S. citizen having to return to the USA from abroad to get a driver's license renewed in person should he or she need to. Countries have rules. No surprise there.

If a US citizen has a resident visa (not tourist visa/visa-waiver) in UK (or anywhere else for that matter), they can apply for Italian long-term visa in the country of residence. Only if they are a temporary visitor will they have to return to US to apply.

I liked "odorous". I suspect PQ does too.

"Long story short, I need a study visa and I definitely can't get one in time before I leave for Italy."

But can you APPLY for the visa before you leave for Italy?

Since OP has to submit passport for the visa to be affixed, this won't work. Even if they had a second passport, they can only enter Italy as tourist and will need get the visa activated by leaving and re-entering Schengen when they get their visa.