BootsnAll Travel Community

WARNING TO OTHER READERS: This is entirely off-topic, but I'm indulging myself in good conversation. So just endure it.

quote:

Originally posted by 2wanderers:I'm not sure that SIS was ever envisioned as replacing the other systems you mention. The EU website seems to indicate different goals...with the Europol and Eurojust systems being intended to share information on organised crime, and the SIS being intended to coordinate immigration and visa policy and prevent what they referred to as 'visa shopping.'

As with all things, it's far more ambiguous in reality than it is on paper.

As you know, Europol has been forced (as with the FBI in the U.S.) to shift their resources away from OC and towards "terrorism issues" (partly due to popular trends and partly due to the relatively recent realization that the two threads often overlap and enjoy the same decentralized, cellular structures and routes.) From the conversations I've been forced to sit in on (which is nothing more than client/cop talk, as I'm not privy to the inner workings of European security agencies), there was talk of uniting the Europol-gathered intelligence dBs on undesirables (and their movements) with SIS II's dB. This was two years ago, however, and as far as I know it never came to fruition. Of course, SIS II still hasn't really been implemented, although everyone keeps referring to SIS 1b (or 1+ or whatever its official title) as SIS II in casual conversation, and both are already considered out-dated.

Whatever its future, the emerging European law enforcement agencies seem to envision the system as an as-of-yet-inaccessible LEO tool. Which may be the problem, as it was sold as something altogether different to member states. (I've never actually heard it referred to as a simple immigration tool, as it is explained on paper, but maybe that's because I hang around cops and that's not how they see it.) Meanwhile, every European agency also seems to believe that they should be charged with operating the system, and the EU itself can't seem to decide between using an existing agency or establishing a new one. Not that it matters, since it's highly unlikely that national agencies will actually share their information anyway.

Ain't bureaucracy grand.

Let me note again, however, that my knowledge of the subject comes from out-of-date conversations and I'm not caught up on recent developments, so perhaps they've chosen a specific direction since then. But I highly doubt it.

So, If I want to stay in europe for more than the allowed time frame, can I just come up with a good story (i.e. "I came to germany for 90 days, then I was in morroco for 90 days and now Im back..."). Or what would be a good country to use as an excuse that lies outside shengen europe, and doesnt always stamp your passport on entry and exit (say if I were to say I went by bike or something)? Thanks

Honestly nobody has ONCE asked me for my passport here in spain. Ive been living here for a few months now

So you really dont have to worry so much about this technical stuff.

You guys are pretty nuts about this stuff! Just get your body groovin

quote:

Originally posted by MaxPowers:
Honestly nobody has ONCE asked me for my passport here in spain. Ive been living here for a few months now. So you really dont have to worry so much about this technical stuff. You guys are pretty nuts about this stuff! Just get your body groovin

While I'm the first to tell folks not to worry too much about it, Spain is a piss poor indicator of the problems that can arise when overstaying one's visa. No nation in southwestern Europe gives two shits about an overstay (at least when it comes to tourists from 1st world nations), but northwestern Europe is another beast altogether. (As they have functioning and somewhat anal customs agencies.) What goes in Spain don't fly in the Netherlands or Switzerland. Grooving body or no.

quote:

So, If I want to stay in europe for more than the allowed time frame, can I just come up with a good story

If anyone asks, and they likely won't, a good story is indeed what matters. That said, it will be on you to prove (with receipts, ticket stubs, references, etc) you were outside the Schengen territory for 90 days or more. The "I left but you guys didn't record it" won't float with every official. Just the lazy ones.

Fortunately, most are indeed lazy, and given a choice between choosing to believe you or filling out a massive amount of paperwork, most will choose the former.

Hope that helps.

I think FirstContinental has it right.

A certain person I know overstayed in Spain, and in Portugal, they looked at his passport, shrugged, and gave him an exit stamp without a word.

This kind of treatment may exist in Spain, Portugal, and Italy, but in the netherlands, switzerland, Belgium,germany, and austria, I wouldn't count on it in the least. They like dotting their I's and crossing their T's very much. It's in their nature.

I'm also told by a friend with a similar problem, now solved by a real student visa, that what seems to be important is that you pop out of the schengen zone every ninety days, wait a few days to a week, then pop back. Technically, its not the same as the 90/90 rule, but it seemed to be the advice of those in the know.

If in Spain, Morocco is very near. Hint.
Not in Spain, more difficult as you have to go WAY east, practically to Turkey or Serbia, bulgaria. Does England count? Sure. Its not a schengen country. Just have a two way ticket. Great Britain does not appreciate one way tickets. At all.

Hint. Greece is very close to Turkey, a one day train ride to Istanbul.

Turkey is a very nice place.

So far, my worst experiences have ALWAYS been with the UK and Ireland. I now have one 48-hour deporation notice (for passing through immigration twice in two days in Dublin), and one mysterious mark next to my entry stamp from last year. Worse yet, one bad stamp seems to feed other bad ones. The number one thing I've found with them is to always have evidence of onward vogages, even if it means having to prebook your exit. Ireland doesn't count if you're entering Northern Ireland.

I have one question that I made a seperate thread about, but this thread seems more appropriate for:

I'm trying to figure out exactly what my status in regards to visit length is in Europe. I'm currently in Sweden, travelling with my wife who is a Dutch citizen. Obviously, she doesn't have stay restrictions while travelling in the Schengen zone, but I would normally have a limit of 90 days within a 180 period.

However, I think that with the family rights granted by the EU (I can travel with my wife to any country in the EU for up to 3 months), the Schengen tourist limit would not apply. I can't find much online confirming or rejecting that however.

Has anyone dealt with this before? Am I subject to the 90 day rule? If not, will I be able to convince border guards of this?