Pro tip: Check the visa fine print before you book a flight to Lisbon

Last month I got a gig with a startup based in Portugal, they said they'd sort my paperwork. I booked a one-way ticket, packed two suitcases, the whole deal. Landed in Lisbon, super excited, and at immigration they asked for my D7 visa application number. My contact had only started the process, it wasn't approved yet. They turned me away right there at the airport. Had to fly back to Chicago the next day, out over $2,000 on flights and wasted a month of prep. The company felt awful but the damage was done. Has anyone else had a client promise to handle visas and then drop the ball this badly?

4 comments

4 Comments

victor_nelson2mo ago

Sort my paperwork" means they get the visa first.

torres.riley29d ago

Man, @victor_nelson is right, it's all just soft talk to hide the real ask. I see it all the time when people say "check in" but really mean they want you to drop everything. It just makes simple stuff way more confusing than it needs to be.

david_palmer2mo ago

Honestly, have you noticed how many normal things are just code now? It's not just paperwork, it's everywhere. People say "let's circle back" when they mean forget it, or "touch base" to avoid making a real plan. Tbh it feels like we're all just making up our own secret language to sound less direct. It gets exhausting trying to figure out what anyone actually wants.

dianawilson2mo ago

Oh perfect, so "sort my paperwork" is just the new secret code for "skip the line." Guess I've been filling out forms wrong this whole time, lol. Next they'll say "water the plants" means a direct flight to first class. The hoops people jump through to make a simple request sound fancy is wild.

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