Visa D.

We are finally about to make the move. will be coming to Bulgaria for 2 weeks the beginning of April to finalize house. Then plan is to move in July. I would like to talk to any us citizens out there who have moved. Should my husband apply for visa d now or wait until end of april. will he still be able to travel while waiting for it to be completed. Thank you

Hello,
I don't know the answer to your questions! But good luck :) hope the move goes well, where are you moving to ?

Julia

We are moving to Koevsti near VT Can,t wait. Where are you?

Have been looking at the BG consulate site I think you need to apply here in the  US before you go?? and sould have applied 3 months before going ?? I may be wrong please let me know if I am. it would be nice if you can do after arriving but you may want to call the BG consulate to check.

Yes, I know we have to apply there. I just am not sure if you make the appointment and take application and documents   to that I'm just unsure about details

I am not really sure exactly what you are asking... but you have to apply for the visa not more than 3 months before you move here, so if you are moving in mid or late July, your husband should not apply for his visa before later April. In that case, he should come for an April visit without a visa and apply when you return.

I have heard that some consulates keep your passport while processing your visa and then mail the visa to you, but I was able to come to Bulgaria while my visa was being processed. I then had to return home (which was Turkey at the time, so not as far as the US) and pick up the visa once it was issued (so they could put it in my passport for me). So, in theory, your husband could apply for the visa, come here, then go back and pick it up. But if you want them to mail it to you, he will have to leave his passport, so he would not be able to travel out of the country except if he has a passport card and only to countries that accept the passport card.

But it would seem like the best option would be to apply for the visa in late april or early may, when you return from your trip here.

There is a manidtory interview for all D visas so yes you would have to go to the local consulate, check the BG embassy web site and see were you are closest to , for me in Wyoming it is Chichgo, I downloaded the BG immergation law helps a lot

This gives you the nearest Bulgarian Consulates to you.

U.S. citizens intending to live or work in Bulgaria for more than 90 days within six months (or more than six months within a year) must obtain a “D” visa prior to arrival. As of July 2008, U.S. citizens must apply for a “D” visa at a Bulgarian Embassy/Consulate in the country where they are legally resident.  U.S. citizens residing in the United States must therefore apply at the Bulgarian representative office (either the Embassy or a Consulate) nearest their home.  If an American citizen residing in the U.S. is already present in Bulgaria - having entered as a tourist, for example - and wishes to obtain a “D” visa to remain for an extended period, he or she will have to return to the U.S. to do so.  Additionally, an American citizen married to a Bulgarian national must present his/her marriage license when applying for “D” visa at a Bulgarian Embassy or Consulate.

Recently the EU parliament had a vote regarding on Visas and USA citizens

http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/new … 14881.html

so i am in process of doing the marriage license bit,Seems tedious but oh well. any input on where to to get previous conviction certificate. Do you need fingerprints. I thought i had read that somewhere but doesnt seem to be on application. I'm still a little unsure about interview. do you make an appointment to take everything in ? Do you just drop it off and wait for them to schedule appointment? Also do ihave to get meverything translated, if so where? I do appreciate the input

casjongb wrote:

so i am in process of doing the marriage license bit,Seems tedious but oh well. any input on where to to get previous conviction certificate. Do you need fingerprints. I thought i had read that somewhere but doesnt seem to be on application. I'm still a little unsure about interview. do you make an appointment to take everything in ? Do you just drop it off and wait for them to schedule appointment? Also do ihave to get meverything translated, if so where? I do appreciate the input


Option 1:

You can download the application form from the FBI website.

You must fill out the application form and get a set of your fingerprints.

Please mail your completed fingerprints card to the FBI along with a certified cheque or money order for the applicable processing fees, payable to the U.S. Treasury.

The FBI will send you a letter with the results of your record check. That letter will be your police certificate. You should send the letter and any attached documents to the office processing your file.

Option 2:

For U.S. citizens and permanent residents only: you may apply to an FBI-approved channeler (a third party that helps deliver your information to the FBI). They will collect your application form, fingerprints, any fee(s), and give them to the FBI.

Once the FBI completes their background check, they will send the results to the channeler. The channeler will then give you your record check letter.

Please include the FBI letter with your application, and send us the complete package.

casjongb

My advice to you is to apply as soon as you have the notary act as it takes time to get the visa, i have a friend who is waiting since December

While getting everything in as early as possible is great advice, there are consulates that will not accept a visa application more than 3 months before your intended date of departure. According to the ministry of foreign affairs, none of the consulates SHOULD accept an application more than 3 months ahead of time:

http://www.mfa.bg/en/pages/109/index.html

As for dropping off materials/making an appointment- you may want to send an email to confirm, but how it works at the Bulgarian consulate in Istanbul is that you arrive early in the morning, stand in line, and wait to be seen. Once you are let in, you submit your documents and they conduct the "interview" right then. Then, they will either mail your visa to you (you would have to leave your passport) or you go and pick it up after a certain date. It seems similar on the US website: http://www.bulgaria-embassy.org/webpage … ocedur.htm (If you translate the top, it says that people will be seen in the order that they show up, within business hours).

Ok so I have found out that you make an appointment to take application to embassy in Los Angeles. Interview done at that time. They do not keep your passport which is good as it takes 12-14 weeks for background  check and then you have to send it to the state dept for apostille. The cost is mounting too $51 for marriage certificates x2 ( just in case) $18 each for background  check +$8 for apostille.  Hope the helps others. I appreciate  your input

You do realize that you need to have the background check done and apostilled to take with you when you drop off your application, right? (Just because it sounds a little like you are planning to do it after the application).

No ,I realise that we have to have all the documents prior to going to embassy.Do you have to do everything  again a year?

Once you do everything and get your d-visa, you will not have to do it again. But you should make sure to keep all of your documents (like your background check) because you will need everything that you used to get your d-visa again in Bulgaria the first time you apply for your residence permit. (which you will do in the first 3 months that you live here). After that, for the next 5 years, you will have to apply for a new residence once a year, but you will not need as much documentation (the background check, for instance).