Next year, WMF and Wikimania London are hiring the company which got the visas for everyone in London Olympics! Fingers crossed. Also, unfortunately, this year we did have one person who didn't get his visa on time. One is too many for Hong Kong! :( On 15 August 2013 16:02, Nkansah Rexford <nkansahrexford(a)gmail.com> wrote:

No, the person who didn't receive his visa on time submitted everything well ahead of the deadline. It was their local Chinese Embassy which was being generally unhelpful and delaying the application beyond Wikimania. Since the application was stuck at the embassy rather than Hong Kong, there was basically nothing we can do from the Hong Kong side. The advantage of Hong Kong was that the vast majority of Wikimaniacs did not require visas to enter Hong Kong. But the disadvantage is that Hong Kong is not an independent sovereign state, therefore the bureaucracy is extra-difficult to navigate through for the few who did need visas. This is the opposite problem of Wikimania DC - huge amounts of people needed visas, but Wikimania had the support of the state department so the bureaucracy was handled quite smoothly. Deryck On 16 August 2013 00:31, Amir Ladsgroup <ladsgroup(a)gmail.com> wrote: _______________________________________________ Wikimania-l mailing list Wikimania-l(a)lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimania-l

Please read this in context: compared to normal US visa procedures. 2013/8/16 Nkansah Rexford <nkansahrexford(a)gmail.com> _______________________________________________ Wikimania-l mailing list Wikimania-l(a)lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimania-l

On Fri, Aug 16, 2013 at 4:45 PM, Lodewijk <lodewijk(a)effeietsanders.org> wrote: AIUI, there really wasn't much help from the state department for visas. (they did help in a number of ways but I think that wasn't one of them) -Jeremy _______________________________________________ Wikimania-l mailing list Wikimania-l(a)lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimania-l

One more thing - if you're from a "visa national" country that is not Cuba, Malawi, North Korea, Turkmenistan or Zimbabwe, you can apply online for the visa, which is pretty cool I guess? *Joseph Fox* enwp.org/user:foxj On 16 August 2013 09:59, Joseph Fox <josephfoxwiki(a)gmail.com> wrote: _______________________________________________ Wikimania-l mailing list Wikimania-l(a)lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimania-l

Please read this in context: compared to normal US visa procedures. 2013/8/16 Nkansah Rexford <nkansahrexford(a)gmail.com> _______________________________________________ Wikimania-l mailing list Wikimania-l(a)lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimania-l

Nkansah, I have been to more than 10 different embassies and in my experience, I have learnt that there is only so much that a third party can do to expedite the visa application process. So if I were you, I'd focus on finding out what _you_ did wrong in your last visa application, and start refining how you will make a better visa application next time. Because ultimately, the consular officer's decision will be made on how _you_ present your case. Abbas. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 16 Aug 2013 22:38:22 +0000 From: nkansahrexford(a)gmail.com To: wikimania-l(a)lists.wikimedia.org Subject: Re: [Wikimania-l] Visa Acquisition Assistance The expression "normal US visa procedures" is a relative statement. 'Normal' in one country can be 'abnormal' in another. What then is a 'normal' visa procedure for US? On Aug 16, 2013 4:45 PM, "Lodewijk" <lodewijk(a)effeietsanders.org> wrote: Please read this in context: compared to normal US visa procedures. 2013/8/16 Nkansah Rexford <nkansahrexford(a)gmail.com> " ..-Wikimania had the support of the state department so the bureaucracy was handled quite smoothly" Really? You think so? I don't think so. On Aug 16, 2013 8:59 AM, "Deryck Chan" <deryckchan(a)gmail.com> wrote: No, the person who didn't receive his visa on time submitted everything well ahead of the deadline. It was their local Chinese Embassy which was being generally unhelpful and delaying the application beyond Wikimania. Since the application was stuck at the embassy rather than Hong Kong, there was basically nothing we can do from the Hong Kong side. The advantage of Hong Kong was that the vast majority of Wikimaniacs did not require visas to enter Hong Kong. But the disadvantage is that Hong Kong is not an independent sovereign state, therefore the bureaucracy is extra-difficult to navigate through for the few who did need visas. This is the opposite problem of Wikimania DC - huge amounts of people needed visas, but Wikimania had the support of the state department so the bureaucracy was handled quite smoothly. Deryck On 16 August 2013 00:31, Amir Ladsgroup <ladsgroup(a)gmail.com> wrote: I think I have to clarify a thing: the guy that couldn't get his visa in time There was just one reason. he didn't send his documents in time. It wasn't the committee's fault at all or policy of the government Best On 8/15/13, Deryck Chan <deryckchan(a)gmail.com> wrote: wrote: helping adopted https://plus.google.com/b/103109918657638322478/103109918657638322478/posts -- Amir _______________________________________________ Wikimania-l mailing list Wikimania-l(a)lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimania-l _______________________________________________ Wikimania-l mailing list Wikimania-l(a)lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimania-l _______________________________________________ Wikimania-l mailing list Wikimania-l(a)lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimania-l _______________________________________________ Wikimania-l mailing list Wikimania-l(a)lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimania-l _______________________________________________ Wikimania-l mailing list Wikimania-l(a)lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimania-l _______________________________________________ Wikimania-l mailing list Wikimania-l(a)lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimania-l

Well, I should have beeen more specific: I was referring to the European/American/Western context. Just to give you a heads up: don't expect the British Embassy to process your visa application the way Hong Kong does. Abbas. ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 17 Aug 2013 07:59:38 +0000 From: nkansahrexford(a)gmail.com To: wikimania-l(a)lists.wikimedia.org Subject: Re: [Wikimania-l] Visa Acquisition Assistance There's no dedicated honk Kong embassy in Ghana. Chinese embassy wasn't functional during the period of visa applications. However with the support of visa assistance from the organizing team, a Ghanaian could attend the conference even with less than 3 weeks to time. The secret? The HK organization proved the real visa assistance I know of. She didn't visit any embassy nor consular - all she did was to fill a form. But she got her visa just in time. Her application was even mailed physically. The need for her to present her case wasn't even available in her case, simply because HK visa assistance was real, practical, and timely. After presenting the best of my case also, a case presented from the other side ( or the inviting organization ) is essential. If one is traveling on his own will, its a different ball game compared to winning a scholarship for conference. In the latter instance, much work is involved in assisting in visa. Rexford On Aug 17, 2013 3:31 AM, "Abbas Mahmood" <abbasjnr(a)hotmail.com> wrote: Nkansah, I have been to more than 10 different embassies and in my experience, I have learnt that there is only so much that a third party can do to expedite the visa application process. So if I were you, I'd focus on finding out what _you_ did wrong in your last visa application, and start refining how you will make a better visa application next time. Because ultimately, the consular officer's decision will be made on how _you_ present your case. Abbas. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 16 Aug 2013 22:38:22 +0000 From: nkansahrexford(a)gmail.com To: wikimania-l(a)lists.wikimedia.org Subject: Re: [Wikimania-l] Visa Acquisition Assistance The expression "normal US visa procedures" is a relative statement. 'Normal' in one country can be 'abnormal' in another. What then is a 'normal' visa procedure for US? On Aug 16, 2013 4:45 PM, "Lodewijk" <lodewijk(a)effeietsanders.org> wrote: Please read this in context: compared to normal US visa procedures. 2013/8/16 Nkansah Rexford <nkansahrexford(a)gmail.com> " ..-Wikimania had the support of the state department so the bureaucracy was handled quite smoothly" Really? You think so? I don't think so. On Aug 16, 2013 8:59 AM, "Deryck Chan" <deryckchan(a)gmail.com> wrote: No, the person who didn't receive his visa on time submitted everything well ahead of the deadline. It was their local Chinese Embassy which was being generally unhelpful and delaying the application beyond Wikimania. Since the application was stuck at the embassy rather than Hong Kong, there was basically nothing we can do from the Hong Kong side. The advantage of Hong Kong was that the vast majority of Wikimaniacs did not require visas to enter Hong Kong. But the disadvantage is that Hong Kong is not an independent sovereign state, therefore the bureaucracy is extra-difficult to navigate through for the few who did need visas. This is the opposite problem of Wikimania DC - huge amounts of people needed visas, but Wikimania had the support of the state department so the bureaucracy was handled quite smoothly. Deryck On 16 August 2013 00:31, Amir Ladsgroup <ladsgroup(a)gmail.com> wrote: I think I have to clarify a thing: the guy that couldn't get his visa in time There was just one reason. he didn't send his documents in time. It wasn't the committee's fault at all or policy of the government Best On 8/15/13, Deryck Chan <deryckchan(a)gmail.com> wrote: wrote: helping adopted https://plus.google.com/b/103109918657638322478/103109918657638322478/posts -- Amir _______________________________________________ Wikimania-l mailing list Wikimania-l(a)lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimania-l _______________________________________________ Wikimania-l mailing list Wikimania-l(a)lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimania-l _______________________________________________ Wikimania-l mailing list Wikimania-l(a)lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimania-l _______________________________________________ Wikimania-l mailing list Wikimania-l(a)lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimania-l _______________________________________________ Wikimania-l mailing list Wikimania-l(a)lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimania-l _______________________________________________ Wikimania-l mailing list Wikimania-l(a)lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimania-l _______________________________________________ Wikimania-l mailing list Wikimania-l(a)lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimania-l _______________________________________________ Wikimania-l mailing list Wikimania-l(a)lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimania-l