Recently someone mailed me from abroad and said he had the feeling the local staff at the Dutch embassy was only giving out visa to people they knew. What to do?
What might be an option is to file a complaint at the Dutch Immigration Service about this practice. One can do so by sending a complaint to: Immigration and Naturalisation Service, P.O. Box 10, 7600 AA ALMELO,The Netherlands by using this form: https://ind.nl/Documents/Complaints_form.pdf But can it not be the case that someone keeps submitting visa-requests that have a hidden fault? That is why another possibility (and I think one one should try first) is to appeal against the refusal. That might do the trick.
The thing is visa can be denied for several reasons. One of the main reasons is "danger to overstay". There are some tools to avoid that: To show that people have all the intention of going back because they have social ties with family and friends back home and economic ties why it is obvious that they will return like property they own or a good job they have. So use the appeal to fight the reason why the visa got rejected by issuing proof. Someone in The Netherlands who was not the one deciding in the first place will make a new decision then based on all the facts.
It can be a good thing to ask legal advice and let some expert check why your visa was rejected. An appeal at the Dutch IND (Immigration service) does not cost a thing. Only cost people pay is for legal representation if they choose to. And in some cases you might even get subsidised legal aid.
If you have plans to stay in The Netherlands and not return home a visa will not suffice. For instance if you want to stay longer because you want to run a business in the Netherlands then you have to apply for a residence permit while still in your country of origin and proof why your business will be an advantage for The Netherlands. Please let me know in what way I can assist you.
At the moment many people contact me because they get their visarequests rejected because:
- The government is not convinced they will return home;
- The government has doubts about why they want to come (fear people will request asylum)
- The government think they are a treat to national security, public safety and health.
What can you do?
I would advice to appeal and simultaniously put in a new request for a visa.
- They are not convince why you want a visa. What is your goal to travel here. To explain that you can add documentation. For instance if you want to attend a conference on cancer treatment you could put in a copy of your degree as a doctor or you employment contract as an oncologist at a hospital or paperwork that you are studying medicine. Or if you want to check out lorries to import you can show documentation that you work for a trucking company.
- They are not sure you will leave again to return home. According to jurisprudence this is about social and economical ties to the motherland. Here you can explain for instance about your job, if you own property, bank balance, family like wife and children. Anything that makes it logical that you will return. You can even offer to put in a deposit.
- If you are refused due to national security/ public order/ national health reasons you might check if you ever overstayed on a visa, requested asylum or were convicted in the past. And are you sure none of your friends or familymembers have dodgy relations with fanatics. However I have recently see someone get refused who had nothing of that at all but was still on a refusal list. In that case ask the ambassy for information why you are on the list and get a lawyer to get you off it.
But what if you really need that visa NOW? (conference, wedding) You can go to a Dutch court and ask for an emergency measure. In that case the judge will ask why the IND refused and if it had a right to.
For questions and/or legal assistance feel free to contact me.
Comments