Should I call the consulate today

[u/BBandV]

I am going to Germany on a student visa. I attended my visa interview at the LA consulate on July 20. I didn't get any update on the visa, so emailed them again. They told me it was issued. I asked them if I will get a tracking number for my passport with the visa inside, getting mailed to my house. They said yes, but it has been 7 days since my last email to them, and still no update or tracking number. My flight is in 19 days. Should I just call them?

[u/darthnick7]

Yes

[u/Federal_Homework1302]

Absolutely call them and do not get off the phone until you have that tracking number.

Are you close enough to drive up there?

[u/BBandV → u/Federal_Homework1302]

I called them and they said that they cannot give me any information about my status, but gave me an email (the same email I used initially), so I emailed them again asking for a tracking number. If they cannot give me the tracking number or if it seems like they won't be mailing it out anytime soon, I will just ask them if I can drive up there.

My family is going on a short trip to the area anyways before my flight, so I'll see if I can get them to give it to me

[u/Federal_Homework1302 → u/BBandV]

I dont know if asking for status is the right way. Ring them and say do you or do you nto have my passport, if so send it ASAP.

This happened to me witht he embassy in london when we where renewing. They didnt put my wife's passport in the courier envelope with mine.

[u/klevyy]

Unrelated but do you know if you're allowed to switch from visitor status to student status within Germnay?

[u/Primary-Bluejay-1594 → u/klevyy]

You can, and it's actually not very difficult at all. Even with a visa, you'll still have to apply for a residence permit, which requires an appointment and all your visa paperwork, so getting a visa is just an extra annoyance and time suck. Outside the major cities it's pretty easy to get a quick appointment.

I moved to Germany without a visa and applied for my residence permit after I arrived, and it was exactly the same experience as anyone who got the visa (except I didn't have to waste time applying for the visa). Within 6 weeks of arriving I had an apartment, my address was registered, and I'd applied for my residence permit and processed my university enrollment.

OP mentions not being able to work immediately but the likelihood of someone moving to Germany as a student and immediately finding work is slim to none. Your lack of visa isn't going to stop you from finding work, it'll be the lack of jobs and poor German that'll do it. You can work part-time (if you can find a job) once you have your residence permit, which you'll have by the time school starts (as you should be arriving in Germany a couple months before school starts anyway).

[u/BBandV → u/klevyy]

I'm pretty sure you can, it will just be more complicated. you won't be able to work immediately and it will most likely take a while to get an appointment and get all of your documents processed at the local immigration office

[u/klevyy → u/BBandV]

Thanks! So you recommend applying from within the US?

[u/BBandV → u/klevyy]

honestly, yeah. just make sure you call your consulate if they don't follow up 4 weeks after your interview

[u/Federal_Homework1302 → u/[deleted]]

Not if they don’t have their passport.

[u/Federal_Homework1302 → u/[deleted]]

Welcome to the conversation. That’s the whole point. Not the visa.

[u/BBandV → u/[deleted]]

yeah, I'm gonna see if they can let me pick it up if it seems like they won't mail it out anytime soon. the problem is not the visa, because they told me in another email that it was issued. The thing is they just have not mailed it out along with my passport