Paula de Pano

Review of French Consulate of Atlanta

Now since this is not the first time I'm applying ...

Now since this is not the first time I'm applying for a visa, I knew to follow the instructions and list of documents the consular officers will need from me and FOLLOWED it to the T. EVERYTHING THEY WILL NEED FROM AN APPLICANT IS LISTED CLEARLY ON THEIR WEBSITE. All you have to do is have them ready! Call me over-prepared or neurotic/OCD, but my complete documents compiled together was at least an inch thick.

I arrived at the consulate 15 minutes before my scheduled appointment with 4 applicants before me. I anticipated the wait as it is customary during visa applications. The blonde consular agent was very professional in a brusque matter of fact way. Note that she was the only one processing all applications. The office is also tiny with ~10 seats and you can ABSOLUTELY hear every question and answer that the agent asks every applicant.

Here are the circumstances that happened that were totally mind-boggling for me:

1. One was applying for a student visa, did not even have an application form! (Seriously????) The Consular agent printed him a copy to fill out. He fills it out then forgets to fill out the entire second page! Doesn't have copies of his proof of residency nor financial means! Also did not have travel insurance He was called three times by the agent and all three times he had forgotten something. At this point, me and another applicant who had been observing were in disbelief at how unprepared this guy was.
2. Two applicants didn't have photocopies of their passport information pages nor drivers license AND filled out the incorrect application form!
3. Another applicant didn't have any information on where he was staying in France AND didn't have proof of residency as well!

The consular agent did not once lose her calm and kept on getting up her desk and photocopying the missing documents for these people! The consular website specifically tells everyone that the office does not photocopy documents for applicants. They're lucky that she was very nice about it and did it for them.

I finally got my name called at 1038am since an appointment did not show up that was scheduled before me. I finished with my application at 1102am - total of 20 minutes. Now that sounds like a long time, right? But take in to account that she was discussing some matters with a coworker in the booth for about 5-7 minutes of that 20 minute time frame that I was there. FIFTEEN minutes is all that will take if you have ALL of your documents in order. If not for the four people in front of me, I would have been in and out of there in 30 minutes and that includes the 15 minute buffer that I placed so that I wouldn't be late for my appointment.

I read all of the reviews about the Atlanta consular department regarding obtaining a visa and to be honest, I was a little anxious about it due to the negative reviews about the officers/agents being 'rude' and 'inefficient'. I mean, let's be real - this office is only vetting applications to let people in to their country (let alone the entire EU!!!) and they need sufficient proof that you won't be an illegal nor stranded in their country. How can you expect to be granted a visa if you can't provide them what they need???? I even have a couple of friends who have been to this consular office and have had a negative experience but now that I've seen firsthand what these consular agents have to deal with in terms of applicants and their unpreparedness on a daily basis, I totally would understand if they exhibit rudeness and hostility! I wanted to smack that student on the back of his head for wasting the agent's time and everyone else's time for thinking that just because he is a US passport holder, he can just waltz in and out of that office without all of his documents in order and have the gall to complain that the process took too long and complicated. Well, if you had everything they needed from you, it wouldn't have been, and I wouldn't have been in that office an hour longer than I should have!