My girlfriend and I were dealt a hard blow from the French visa department here in Paris yesterday. She was supposed to stay until mid-July so that she could meet my parents before she went back to Taiwan and went back to the US. However, they would not give her passed June 5 (five days after her school semester ends). This not only means she won’t meet my parents but also that I won’t have an apartment for the last month I’m here.
All the information I can find says that an American can leave for a country that regularly stamps passports, spend a night, and then come back to use up three months that we Westerners get pretty much wherever we go. That doesn’t work so well on a Taiwanese passport.
However, I can’t find any information (in French or English) about what happens if one leaves after his/her visa has expired. If it’s just a fine, perhaps we can handle that. If it’s a serious criminal offense, obviously we don’t want that.
Ticker is right. She could also end up in a database that could make it harder to get visas in other countries that France shares information with (such as the EU and maybe the US).
I can’t speak for France, but here in the UK, this is what happens to students. Their (student) visa has to be extended throughout their stay, one extension will last to the end of their classes and no further. If you want to stay and graduate, you have to ask for another extension.
Staying after your visa has expired will (or can if you should be reported) result in deportation to your home country. If you try and reapply to enter the country, your past actions will count against your chances of getting another visa.
Like I said, I’m only talking about UK student visas. They’re designed increasingly to punish it seems, those who come over and pay a lot of money to stay in the UK. Its a big issue for Euros (whose dwindling populations need an injection of youth) and something we’re trying rather fruitlessly to have the government address.
Perhaps you should see if she can get a tourist visa to visit for a few weeks in June? You could take a quick trip to London for a few days and then have her re-enter on the tourist visa. Taiwan is not one of the countries for which France grants automatic visas*, so I imagine she’ll have to apply and go through all of the usual requirements.
The other Schengen Treaty countries: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Italy, Greece, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain and Sweden, and these others: Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Bolivia, Brunei, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras. Israel, Japan, Republic Of Korea, Liechtenstein, Malaysia, Mexico, Monaco, New Zealand, Nicaraqua, Panama, Paraguay, Romania, San Marino, Singapore, Switzerland, United States, Uruguay, Vatican and Venezuela.