Travel History

Lucky you if you are the owner of strong passport that offers visa-free access to most countries in the world. Others should worry about minimization of visa rejection reasons and making travel history.

Mostly, first visa is issued for short-time period. It’s important to know that visa to one country can bring you access to other countries. For example, if you receive visa to Latvia, it would be Schengen visa. Schengen visa allows people to move across national borders of 26 European countries. 

If you are person with no travel history you are like white peage for officers. No travel history isn’t a reason for rejecting visa. Applicant should meet the requirements that are more essential such well-grounded reason for visit, proof of financial ability.

Residence permit in Latvia makes a simplified procedure for receiving visas for a number of countries outside the Schengen zone. More welcome countries for immigration or as travel destination are:

• USA (in the top of world’s destinations for immigration)
• Canada
• New Zealand
• Australia.

Some suggestions connected with travel history:

Start make travel history from countries there you can get visa easier.

Don’t miss expiration date of the visa.

Studies or work in foreign country also can play good game for you a specially if you returned back to your home country after contract.

A strong travel history is a key requirement in most visa applications, and it is not hard to understand why. With travel history you always look better and make trust you more.

Why apply for European Blue Card?

The European Blue Card proved potent in offering good work conditions to qualified workers who didn’t have chance to reach full potential and to fully practice their professions in their home countries because of some reasons.

 

In October 2007, the European Commission adopted two proposals for the purpose of the admission of skilled and educated migrants to the EU  (EU Blue Card directive) and directive to simplify migration procedures by funneling applicants into a single application procedure (single permit directive).

What are the benefits?

• European Blue Card isn’t for all. It’s unique in some way. Excluded from the EU Blue Card are OMR and OCT nationals, EU nationals, EEA and EFTA nationals as well as UK, Ireland, Denmark, Japan, Israel, South Korea, New Zealand, Australia, Canada and USA.
• Working and salary conditions equal to nationals, but it depends mostly on the company you have been admitted in.
• You don’t need to seek employment and worry about financial side, because you must find it before arrival .
• Free movement within the Schengen area (26 Schengen countries).
• Entitlement to a series of socio-economic rights (e.g. unemployment benefit)
• You can give a chance for your family to live, study or travel. If applying simultaneously then you can include them in your online application or they can fill their own online application later.
• Perspective to apply for permanent residence. You must work for 33 months in the hosting state or 21 months while also earning the B1 language certificate which enables you to qualify for the permanent residency permit earlier. Furthermore, if you work in different EU member states and gather 5 years of work experience altogether then you are a strong candidate for the permanent residency permit.
• Age is not an important factor nor strongly considered, but it is good to be around the age of 30-40.

Are you still thinking or acting?

Steps to become foreign worker in Latvia

People shouldn’t age in place when they have idea to see the world and challenge themselves by moving out of the comfort zone. If you want to work in Latvia, everything is possible step by step. 

Steps of procedure:

1. Announcing the vacancy (employer). Before inviting an employee from a non-EU or non-EEA country, an employer must announce the vacant position to the State Employment Agency. The vacant position must be registered in the State Employment Agency for one month before the employer can proceed with submitting request for an invitation.
2. Agreement on conclusion of the employment contract. While the vacant position is announced at the State Employment Agency (30 days), employer and employee can work on an employment contract and collect all the necessary documents.
3. Collecting documents (employer or employee). In order to apply for the residence permit, the foreign worker will need to submit documents to the OCMA.
4. Submitting request for an invitation (employer). 30 days after announcing the vacant position to the State Employment Agency, concluding the employment contract and collecting the necessary documents, the employer can apply for the invitation of the foreign worker. During the next five business days the OCMA will make the decision on the approval of the invitation. In the case if the additional examination is necessary, the employer will be informed, and the decision will take another ten days.
5. Applying for the residence permit with the rights to work (employee). After the invitation is approved, the employee shall submit his application for the residence permit.
6. Notification of the decision
7. Applying for visa to enter in Latvia (employee)
8. Arrival to Latvia

Good luck! Note that consultancy companies have contacts with employer and information about necessary documents. Immigration Europe definitely has!

One of adaptation step is learning language

You immigrate to Latvia and you are so expected about that but something is not so well as you want. It’s language barrier.

86 % of people in Latvia speak Latvian as a mother tongue or foreign language. 63 % know Russian. Of course, Latvians use English and German but not all know foreign languages, for example, old generation.

If you are foreigner who wants to live in Latvia more useful will be to learn Latvian.

We suggest you some ways to learn Latvian.

Latvia offers free Latvian courses through projects at least twice a year. You also can find non-free courses that could be in group or individual and for different purpose.

It’s possible to find and visit  “Language cafe” organized by libraries, NGO. In the cafe you also can meet new people and make new friends.

Listen radio and TV channels. Brilliant chance to be informed, get information and to explore culture.

Read all texts that you see and buy magazines to read articles again and again. You can write down unknown words and search for translation.

Learn language not only through speaking but also through singing. Don’t be shy to train your tongue muscles that way. Latvians are singing nation.

Language is all around you. Brick by brick and the language barrier will be broken. As soon you will learn Latvian as faster you can pass language exam for A2 that is necessary for permanent residence residence permit.