Freaking out -- need some perspectives!

[browneyedgirl36]

Hi Everyone --

 

I have a thread about this posted in the Travel and Cultures section, but I thought I would post something similar here to see if anyone has experienced this or can give me guidance. I'll try not to ramble on and on!

 

I am heading out of the country in a couple of weeks to Europe to teach. I am not on a work visa because I am teaching for an American program that is affiliated with the college that I teach at here in the U.S., and am being paid by my school while I am abroad. The program is 90 days, which is the exact amount of time allowed for U.S. citizens to stay in certain EU countries (the Schengen Area -- you can google that if you need more info) without a visa (it's called the Visa Waiver Program, I believe). I had hoped to stay in the country where I am teaching for a bit longer after the program ends -- say 30 days. I asked around about the 90 day visa waiver thing, and everyone I talked to said not to worry about getting a visa to stay longer than 90 days because people over-stay by a few weeks all the time and it's no big deal.

 

So, I didn't get a longer-stay visa, and now it is too late to do so. Well, recently, I started to worry about this, and I started researching the penalties for over-staying the 90-day Visa Waiver period. I realize it's the Internet, and you can't believe everything you read on here, but some of the stories scared me -- stuff about huge fines, being interrogated, being barred from entering certain countries for several years to come, etc. -- and the idea that I was breaking some other countries' laws really would bother me. So....I decided to try to change my plane ticket to leave the country I am teaching in at the 90 day mark, when my program ends, and head to London, which is not part of the Schengen Area, and stay for a week or so there before flying back to the U.S. I called the airline, and I was informed that I *can't* change my return date until AFTER I have departed the U.S. Ok, no problem, right? But then, I was told that If the ticket agent at check-in or the staff at the boarding gate note my return date and see that it is over the 90 day period and I can't show proof of having a longer-stay visa, I won't be permitted to board the plane for departure! ACK! The person I spoke to at the airline said that they can't make any changes or cancellations for me - that the person in charge of travel for my program has to do it. Well, she's on the east coast, and her office is closed. I left her a long voicemail (and an e-mail) explaining my situation, but I won't hear anything back from her until tomorrow at earliest, and I am beside myself worrying that I won't be able to secure another ticket and fix this before I have to leave. I even went so far as to e-mail another person with my program, who is based in London, about my situation to see if she has any insights, but of course, it's the middle of the night there, so no response from her till later, either.

 

Does anyone know anything about ticket cancellations/changes (particularly if your ticket was booked as part of a group), boarding international flights (i.e. if they check your return itinerary to see how long your stay is going to be, etc.), over-staying visa periods, etc. I know none of you can *help* me, exactly, but it might help to ease my mind OR to give me some direction as to how to fix this -- questions to ask, alternatives for me, whatever.

 

Please, no lectures about how I should have researched all of this and figured it out sooner. I realize that, and I feel stupid, and I think my anxiety over this is more than enough punishment for being under-informed. I'm a total wreck. It is very important that I am able to get on a plane and get to my destination -- people are counting on me. I am a hyper-responsible person, and I am beating myself up over all of this.

 

HELP!

[alli]

Are you sure there's no chance that an extension can be granted within 90 days? I mean, you 90 have days for sure you can stay there, you don't think you can be granted an extension while you are there?

 

Also, what if you left the country you are staying in for 90 days & went to another for 30 days, then travelled back to the country you had stayed for 90 days & caught your flight home?

 

My guess would be that the airline would be willing to adjust your flight, but they will probably charge you several hundred dollars to do it. Also, if they won't adjust it, you could always break down & buy yourself a plane ticket home. It would certainly be expensive, but you wouldn't have to worry about hefty fines, penalties or getting banned from another country.

 

You have 90 days before this becomes an emergency. I'm SURE you will figure out a solution in that time. Just relax!!

[browneyedgirl36]

Thanks, Alli, for your quick response.

 

Actually, my concern is that I won't even be able to board the plane in the U.S. at all, so I may not even make it to Europe in the first place. My understanding (from the research I've done) is that I can't get an extension once I am in Europe. Longer-stay visas have to be secured in your home country before departure, in most cases (whcih is the case with the country I'm going to, from what I can ascertain from my research) and it's too late for me to do it now. So...I may never even get off the ground in the U.S. I'm not sure if I can cancel the return portion of my flight itinerary and then re-book for a different flight when I get to Europe -- I don't know if they'd let me on the plane in San Francisco with no return flight booked.

 

I actually just heard back from one of the people involved with the program, and she told me not to panic. I am seeing her this Saturday at a meeting, and she said we can talk then and not to get freaked out. Of course, I'm freaked out anyway, but it helped that she doesn't seem freaked out.

 

Thanks again for your response!

[renaissancewoman101]

If that person is not freaked out about it, it must be that other people have been in your situation before and the situation was resolved amicably.

 

I would think that because you are going with a group of people and for an American education program, that some slack may be cut for you (aka they might be able to cut through some red tape and deal with this issue). It's not as though you are going around that country willy nilly.

[alli]

Let us know how the meeting turns out. Hope she gets it all straightened out for you!!

 

And don't get all stressed about not thinking it through & researching ahead of time. We've all lost our minds at one or more points in time & later thought "what the heck was I thinking!!" Cut yourself some slack!

[browneyedgirl36]

If that person is not freaked out about it, it must be that other people have been in your situation before and the situation was resolved amicably.

 

I would think that because you are going with a group of people and for an American education program, that some slack may be cut for you (aka they might be able to cut through some red tape and deal with this issue). It's not as though you are going around that country willy nilly.

 

Thanks Ren. I got a mental picture of me running all over the country screaming and acting strangely when I read that "willy nilly" thing. It made me laugh.

 

I am a chronic worrier. I have been ever since I was a kid. I remember being five years old and worrying about all sorts of stuff. It's been a long time since I was really, really anxious about something, though, and I think this whole trip is bringing that chronic worrier to the surface again. This trip is a huge opportunity for me, and I don't want to do anything to screw it up. Plus, I'm really hard on myself when it comes to screwing up, especially if it's something really important to me or something that might inconvenience someone else.

 

Thanks again for your posts on this subject. You've helped to calm me down a bit!

[browneyedgirl36]

Let us know how the meeting turns out. Hope she gets it all straightened out for you!!

 

And don't get all stressed about not thinking it through & researching ahead of time. We've all lost our minds at one or more points in time & later thought "what the heck was I thinking!!" Cut yourself some slack!

 

Thanks, alli. As I mentioned in another post, I have always been a huge worrier. It's been a long time since I've made myself totally sick with worry over something, and I'm starting to do that here, so I know I need to stop and get a hold of myself.

 

This trip is a huge deal for me, and I think I have a lot of under-the-surface anxiety about screwing up somehow and ruining this chance for myself, and when faced with something that probably CAN be fixed, I've turned it into some huge nightmare, when it probably isn't at all.

 

I appreciate your responses. I am feeling a bit calmer, now.