UK visa - check!
I was summoned via text message (yes, text) to collect my documents today. The agent, while handing me my heavy file said ” oh, I recognized your file…” Thinking something might be wrong, I started to open the file in the visa service center. The agent kindly said, “non madame, vous ne pouvez pas ouvrir ici.” I literally ran outside, tore open my file and saw with relief that my visa application had been approved. But standing next to me was a man hunched over, staring blankly at a piece of paper. He asked me in thickly accented French if I’d received good news, as he clearly had not. He held up his refusal letter. It was in English. He was from Pakistan, and he spoke no English and read little if any. I translated the reasons for refusal into French, and asked if he knew someone who could help him file a second application in English. He said yes, thank you. It was heartbreaking and made me realize how lucky I am that traveling from country to country (and living in them, too) has never been a problem. Sure, there’s a ton of paperwork, but in the end I’ve been very lucky. (And I realized that I can actually speak French now!)
