The process:
Having decided the end of May I was moving to Germany, I made it a little more official the middle of June. I filled out my registration form and took my reference letter and $480 registration fee to the closest travel cuts, as outlined on the SWAP website. I was a little nervous but I sat down with the first available travel agent and told him I wanted to register for SWAP. This agent became my “travel counsellor”. Due to the nature of the program, I spent very little time with my travel counsellor. I handed him my forms and I paid my registration fee and that was it.
My mom couldn’t believe it when I told her how much I had just paid for the registration, “WHAT DOES THAT GET YOU?!” She was right, I didn’t really know what that got me and $480 was starting to sound like more and more money. Within the next week as outlined on the site, I received my Welcome Package (EXCITING!). At the second step of the process, was it worth the money?? ...YES, YES, and YES! The Visa application form was in 4 different languages, the printing was small and I didn’t even know what some of the questions were referring to. Luckily it came with a sample form where someone had demonstrated all of the necessary information I should be including. The package also included a very detailed list of everything I would need to submit to my travel counsellor in order to get a visa. Anything else? Yep, it included a handbook specificallyy geared to working and living in Germany, where to look, and a sample Resume and Cover Letter template (because they are very different from those in Canada).
I took my time throughout the rest of June and July and didn’t submit my forms until Mid August. The package itself didn’t take too long to compose, I just couldn’t decide on when I wanted to leave! In order for your visa to be processed, you had to book a flight and purchase medical insurance. I was also saving up my work money for the support funds suggested as necessary for the trip as I would have to submit a letter from the bank with my visa application.
I submitted my application to my travel counselor and within 3 weeks, had reached part three. I received my visa, my boarding pass, and a package full of maps and Germany guide books.
As mentioned in my last post, I am moving with Matt. His job is pre-arranged and his orientation is set so my leave date revolved around that and whether we would travel or not first. The verdict: Were meeting in Paris, France a week before his orientation and spending a few days in Paris and a few days in Düsseldorf, Germany before moving into our apartment. And so September 26, 2011 (just 4 days now) is the big day when I depart from Montreal and head out on this journey!
Having decided the end of May I was moving to Germany, I made it a little more official the middle of June. I filled out my registration form and took my reference letter and $480 registration fee to the closest travel cuts, as outlined on the SWAP website. I was a little nervous but I sat down with the first available travel agent and told him I wanted to register for SWAP. This agent became my “travel counsellor”. Due to the nature of the program, I spent very little time with my travel counsellor. I handed him my forms and I paid my registration fee and that was it.
My mom couldn’t believe it when I told her how much I had just paid for the registration, “WHAT DOES THAT GET YOU?!” She was right, I didn’t really know what that got me and $480 was starting to sound like more and more money. Within the next week as outlined on the site, I received my Welcome Package (EXCITING!). At the second step of the process, was it worth the money?? ...YES, YES, and YES! The Visa application form was in 4 different languages, the printing was small and I didn’t even know what some of the questions were referring to. Luckily it came with a sample form where someone had demonstrated all of the necessary information I should be including. The package also included a very detailed list of everything I would need to submit to my travel counsellor in order to get a visa. Anything else? Yep, it included a handbook specificallyy geared to working and living in Germany, where to look, and a sample Resume and Cover Letter template (because they are very different from those in Canada).
I took my time throughout the rest of June and July and didn’t submit my forms until Mid August. The package itself didn’t take too long to compose, I just couldn’t decide on when I wanted to leave! In order for your visa to be processed, you had to book a flight and purchase medical insurance. I was also saving up my work money for the support funds suggested as necessary for the trip as I would have to submit a letter from the bank with my visa application.
I submitted my application to my travel counselor and within 3 weeks, had reached part three. I received my visa, my boarding pass, and a package full of maps and Germany guide books.
As mentioned in my last post, I am moving with Matt. His job is pre-arranged and his orientation is set so my leave date revolved around that and whether we would travel or not first. The verdict: Were meeting in Paris, France a week before his orientation and spending a few days in Paris and a few days in Düsseldorf, Germany before moving into our apartment. And so September 26, 2011 (just 4 days now) is the big day when I depart from Montreal and head out on this journey!
Wow! That was pretty simple and straightforward! Good thing you’d done the research on the visa process beforehand. It’s really important to know every step, as one mistake can get a person’s visa application denied.
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