I (USC) travel to Europe monthly. We wish my wife (Colombian citizen, K1 entry w/ AOS in-process) to join me on many of these trips. We recently researched and received a Schengen visa for her (France) but it is only good for multuiple short visits and expires after 90 days. Accoring to the French granting authority (see http://www.consulfrance-washington.org/art...id_article=384) this is the longest valid visa offered... that for my wife to make multiple trips with me she must go through the time and hassle (and pay!) for new visas every 90 days?!

Anyone know of a different solution for a tourist, non-working traveler? Maybe another Schengen country grants visas with validity greater than 90 days?

Thanks!

If France is your primary destination you are supposed to apply for French visa. What kind of visa are you applying for? tourist?? From what I know no Schengen country is issuing a tourist visas for more than 90 days. So I think that she will have to go through the same process every 3 months. Maybe you should discuss your situation with the people at the embassy and maybe they can accomodate your needs.


Alex

If it's multiple entry, it shouldn't be valid for only 90 days, but rather allow your wife to stay in the EU for 90 days following her entry. Based on this info from the German consulate, the visa indicates the number of possible entries with the visa and the maximum number of days you're allowed to stay per trip. Hope this helps.

I agree with Fischkoepfin. USCs are also only allowed 90 days in (and then must be 90 days out) visa-free in the Schengen. If you are staying longer than that at a stretch, you need a visa.

Thanks for the replies - but I must have not been clear enough in my question.

I am only asking about the validity of the visa - it's clear that it's good for multiple entries and we have no interest in staying for greater than 90 days on a single entry.

My question is regarding the subsequent entries (second trip, fifth trip, tenth trip, etc.) well after her first trip, like 100 days after the first trip. My understanding is that after 90 days after her first etnry, the visa is no longer valid (it's only good for multiple entries within 90 days after first entry/use). In other words, she'll need a new visa every 90 days (if she travels every month let's say)?? Is that really true, and is it really true that there is no other type of tourist visa that remains valid for say a year or two years?

Thanks!

As the link I posted above states, the visa indicates the number of entries allowed (multiple in your case) as well as the maximum number of days allowed per entry (90 in your case). The 90 days do not indicate the length the visa is valid. Schengen visas, from what I understand, don't have set expiration dates if they are multiple entry (similar to multiple-entry B2-visas), but expire together with the passport.

Anything else would be silly and would severely increase the workloads at EU-consular posts around the world. If the issuing consulate wanted your wife to apply for a visa anytime she wanted to go to Europe, they would have given her a single-entry visa, which is the common procedure for visitors coming from and residing in less developed countries.

I thought it was 90 days in and 6 months out, if I remember correctly I almost got in serious trouble.I also was under that impression of 90 days in and 90 out.