Visa Photo Fun

To travel to Russia you need a visa.  To obtain a visa you must fill out a lengthy form with all sorts of questions pertaining to your identity, your employment history, criminal records, communicable disease afflictions... oh and side note, my results are back from the lab and I have the paperwork to prove that I am indeed disease free.  Check that form off the paperwork list.

Anyways, back to the visa applications.  The next step is the photos that need to be attached to the visa application.  I read the specifications and was pretty confident it could be a dyi project by our renowned photographer Dad.  However, when researching I was lured by the Blacks Photography Guarantee.  They are official photographers for passports and other photo ID's and claim to be the experts.

They may be the experts but the employee that was working when we came in to the store was not.  Becka was not familiar with the specifications for travel visa's nor did she have any training or resources on the subject.  She did not even have internet access but was sure there was wifi for Cat to look it up on her blackberry.  So we read her the instructions and she took the picture with the fancy camera.  The sign said "ready in 15 minutes" but Becka explained that the lab had a back up off long weekend prints in the que.  We explained that we were not requiring visas for a sunny vacation but rather for an international adoption.  This did not have any effect on Becka who still looked as clueless as before we disclosed the purpose of the photos.  Apparently nothing could be done to jump the que and we would have to wait a few hours for the prints.  Oh well, we are travelling half way around the world so what's a few hours to get the proper prints?


I returned to Blacks several hours later to find Becka still at the counter.  She handed over the prints and charged me $45 for the two 2 inch x 2 inch photographs.  I looked at them and noticed something was missing... shoulders to be specific.  Cat had no shoulders, just a neck and barely a neck at that.  I inquired about this to Becka but Becka was certain that the photo was fine.  I was in a rush so I took them and went home.

Those of you who are familiar with international adoption know the stories of paperwork glitches.  A typo can hold up a court date by weeks, even months.  We live in fear of the tiny error that can derail our delicate paperwork processes.  So when I got home I scanned the pics and sent them to my contact for the visas and asked her if I was being paranoid or was something off?  Turns out my radar was right... the missing shoulders were indeed an issue and if we submitted it then it would most likely have been returned by the Embassy.

Man I would have kicked some Becka butt if her error had caused a travel delay.  I called Miss Becka and explained the situation and since I am practicing for Russia I did it in a factual, curt and assertive way.  

Becka, you will reprint the photos following the details that I will again read to you. Becka do you have your ruler out because you need it.  Cat will pick them up later today and we expect a full refund as per your policy.  Got it Becka?

Cat went back today and Becka retook her photo at Cat's insistence.  Way to get into the paper pregnant spirit of things Auntie Cat!
Becka may hate me dislike me a little bit but I am hoping that the next person who requires a travel visa picture will benefit from our run around.

Visa application and perfect photos will be couriered to my contact (Elena the agent) tomorrow and we should have them in three weeks.  All very super spy and all very exciting.

After the reprints I had a bit of photo fun making us into the stick figures you see at the top of the post.  I needed a little laugh and a little craft therapy.

Stay tuned feathered friends for what could be "the call" on Monday

xo
Heather