VISA Shenanigans...Chicago

Nothing gets me more excited than getting a new visa in my passport! This one is especially exciting because it is a work visa! I first applied for my work visa back in April after I received a contract with the university and made this big decision to go find myself in another country. The university told me it would take anywhere from 4-7 weeks to get approval from the Higher Education Council after I sent in all of my information. So, I waited and waited. Patience is not my virtue and I HATE waiting - for anything.

While I was waiting, I decided to call the consulate to ask what I needed to apply for my work visa. I chose the English option, which was clearly not the English option and then kept getting disconnected because I couldn't understand the menu. Finally, after pushing one of the numbers, I got a person who spoke English and told me that I need to contact the consulate by email. They would most likely respond. So, with apprehension, I emailed them and received a response back within a few days. I needed the following for my work visa:

1)      Visa Form (you will be able to download once you apply online)

2)      2 passport size photos

3)      Actual Passport

4)      A copy of your Criminal Record

5)      Letter from the university in Turkey and  giving details about your position, hiring date 

       and duration of stay etc. Please also include a copy of your agreement.

6)      Higher Education Council (YÖK) approval

7)      $430  in Money order payable to the Turkish Consulate General ($190 work permit fee + 

      $80 residence permit fee + $160 visa fee)

8)      A copy of your ID/Driver’s License 

I did not like all of the fees, but I knew it was going to be expensive. The university reimburses me on all of the expenses, if I bring all of the receipts.

Last week, I received all of the documents I needed to go and apply for my visa. There are five or six Turkish Consulates around the U.S., but the closest one to me is in Chicago. So, I completed all of the paperwork online and got an appointment. Then, I began the wonderful task of getting all of the things I need. I went to Police Records in Clayton and got my criminal record. That cost $4.50 and took about 10 minutes. However, when I got home, I realized that the criminal check only included St. Louis County and I have lived in the city for years. So, I decided to go back and get a copy for the city. I went down to the Police Records on Olive and after going through security, I filed out a form and received my report. In big large letters, it says NO RECORD FOUND - which is good. I guess that means I am a model citizen...or I just haven't been caught!

On Friday, I met my friend Steve at the car rental place and we started our journey to Chicago. It took us about five ours and we saw many cool windmills on the way up. The drive is not too exciting, but it went quick.

We checked in to the Embassy Suites Downtown on Michigan. The hotel is really beautiful. My friend had loyalty points, so I didn't have to pay anything except for parking. I guess it pays to have friends who travel! This hotel is really beautiful, but I think I am easy to please. I like that the room is more like a small apartment with a separate seating area, bathroom, two sinks and a large bedroom. There were two large, flatscreen tvs too. It was impressive. My favorite part of this hotel was the manager's reception where they have free drinks and snacks. I promptly ordered a martini and Steve got a white wine. The snacks were decent too. They had pita bread with hummus, feta dip with cucumbers, a chip mix, couscous, and tabbouleh.

We walked about five minutes from the hotel to the NBC Tower building and was greeted by several security personnel in the lobby. We were not allowed to stand around, so we decided to sit in a little coffee shop until right before it was time for the appointment. At 8:55 a.m., we took the elevator up to floor 29 and found the consulate. Someone else was going in the office, so they asked us if we had an appointment and then held the door for us. Immediately in front of us was a metal detector that we needed to put our things through and then walked through another one. After successfully navigating that, we were allowed into this beautiful waiting area with red seats. We waited about 15 minutes and then we were told to go straight back to the office. The lady who was waiting on me asked what I needed and I told her I wanted a work visa. She asked where I was going to work and I told her Bilkent. Then, she asked for my documents, photos, passport, and pictures. We were told to come back in the afternoon to pick up my passport and receipts.

After leaving the consulate we went back to the hotel to check out and then headed to Little Puerto Rico. We drove around some of the neighborhoods and looked at the sites. We stopped and got a few things at CVS. I enjoyed listening to the music of Pitbull while exploring a nice selection of Bimbo products.

Then, we headed back into the city to find a place to park and explore the various routes to Chinatown. We decided to take a water taxi to Chinatown based on a recommendation from one of my co-workers. We took one water taxi and then had to transfer to another, but we arrived to Chinatown 25 minutes after seeing a really unique perspective of Chicago from the water. We walked through Chinatown and then decided to eat at one of the recommended restaurants, Cai. They serve dim sum and we were starving. The food was delicious. We ordered deep fried seaweed roll, sesame balls, BBQ pork buns, and red bean cake with coconut.

After lunch, we headed back to the consulate to get my visa. Since the water taxi didn’t operate again until 6, we had to take the train back. On our way to the train, we bumped into a Chinese lady who struck up a conversation about how she had just had lunch with her friends she hadn’t seen in five years. It was really sweet. Then, we entered the train station, but there was no place to buy tickets so a really scary, but super nice old guy with a cigar told us where to go buy tickets about a block away. As we walked into the station, we were greeted by an inebriated man with his pants falling down. He was originally in the elevator, but the staff shooed him away and he greeted us on our way in. Welcome to Chinatown! As we boarded the train, some lady tried to get on the train and the doors almost crushed her. They released when they felt her pushing on them. She was brave to do that, but she got on the train safely. I actually really enjoyed taking all of the various forms of transportation and was surprised by all of the helpful people. Everything was clearly marked and it was easy to follow. 

We walked about a mile back to the consulate and then went through the same security procedures. About 10 minutes later, we were told to go back to the office and the lady gave me my passport with a beautiful new work visa (don't worry - I removed all of the identifying info)! She handed me the receipts and told me good luck. I was so excited. I guess it is official. I am going to Turkey. Now, I wait for my flight information, sell most of my things, and pack my keepsakes to take to mom and dad.