Shot Down in Flames by Italian Consulate in Philadelphia

Editorneal:

    You are absolutely right..the system is insane.  I had the same experience at a different Consulate in the U.S.A.    This whole mess is disgusting.

We just got the same news today!!   We are leaving Dec 12th...already bought a house in Italy...paid for a car...it's waiting for ya to get the required papers....shipped our belongings and are also going to ship our dogs!!!!

What did you do???

This is so wild I have continued to read the replies to your post....I want you to know we also used Philadelphia and we sent our paperwork and Passportsto them in November 1st....they were not even looked at until November 30....after I emailed them...and then we were denied

mlbucine -

What income number were you told was needed?
Or was it some other reason for your rejection?

They never told us any exact amount...we are going in person tomorrow...we leave Monday!!

They didn't give up any exact number....we are going back in person tomorrow...our flight is Monday!!!

The Italians simply do not want us Americans to be here..Otherwise , they would not make everything so difficult...Simple.

I find that hard to believe since they get tons of income and job security from tourism mostly Americans

you may want to try with North Korea for more condescending bureaucracy perhaps... ( I am kidding) but a new wind is blowing around the peninsula, hopefully it may bring more rationality on the politics of italy

Yeah...right..Well..believe it.

romaniac wrote:

Simpson01 wrote:

First, Americans do not need a tourist visa and will not be issued one as a tourist.  Second, could you specify, for those that are required to have a tourist visa, how, and under what conditions, it can be extended?  A visa doesn't not gain one legal residency, it only allows one to enter the country legally.

First of all, this notion of entering Italy on a tourist visa and either extending the visa or changing status for the OP's situation is entirely not possible under law.

A tourist visa cannot be extended, except in cases where there is a proven inability to leave (illness, etc...).  Other long-stay categories of visas must be applied for at diplomatic missions outside the country.

Your statement that a visa does not gain one legal residency is also incorrect.  Italy has an "Elective Residence" visa (which the OP already has applied for), which obviously implies gaining residence in Italy.

Let's please avoid spreading misinformation here

Romaniac

Regarding your first sentence, that was my point and I was asking for clarification regarding previous statements that you made as to your exact meaning. 

Your second statement is completely false.  A visa is issued to grant one the right to legally enter Italy within the stated time frame, it does not give one the right to remain.  Within 8 days of arrival, one must apply for a residency permit, the permesso di soggiorno, and obtaining a visa does not "imply" that one will be issued a permesso di soggiorno, nor does it "imply" that further renewals will be granted. 

It is the consulates' job to issue visas; it is the immigration offices' job to determine whether the person will be granted, or subsequently approved for renewals, of their permesso di soggiorno.  The two different entities have two different functions.  It is misguided to tell people that if they get a visa that "implies" that they will be granted a permesso di soggiorno.  In fact, I know of two people who were issued elective residency visas, but the immigration office determined, for whatever the reason, that they would not approve their applications for a permesso di soggiorno.

As you say, let's not spread misinformation.