The Visapoint system has compromised itself in many countries around the world
As is known, the main "hot spots" here are considered to be Vietnam and Ukraine. To get registered in the queue for submitting documents, citizens of these countries have to sit at computers day and night or turn to intermediaries, pulling large sums out of their pockets.
How will the new registration system differ from the current Visapoint? About this Radio Prague was told by the director of the Visa Department of the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs, David Nový.
– Currently, the Visapoint system is intended for foreign citizens who need to obtain various types of visas. According to the plans of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the new system, which will be developed, will also allow Czech citizens to make appointments at various Czech consulates if they need to get a new passport, certify documents, and so on. The main goal is to create a common large registration system for consular and visa work.
Claims that the Visapoint system does not work are not objective. Previously, there were indeed problems in Ukraine. Vietnam is mentioned in this context, and I can add Mongolia here as well. However, the essence of the problem is not that the system does not work. It's just that there are countries where the demand for document processing exceeds the capacity of Czech consular departments. Because of this, not everyone can register in the system, – emphasizes the director of the Visa Department.
The main criticism, however, was related to the fact that free slots in the queue for submitting documents are intercepted and resold by intermediaries. Moreover, it was suggested that the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs was involved in this process. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has repeatedly denied such claims.
Fighting this, emphasizes the director of the Visa Department of the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs, David Nový, is very difficult. Currently, it is impossible to recognize whether the registration is made by the actual applicant or by an intermediary.
– Unfortunately, there are various intermediaries offering such a service as queue registration, – says David Nový. – However, neither in the past nor in the present have they managed to infiltrate the system in a standard way. Moreover, they cannot resell this slot in the queue, because the registration is made for a specific person, using their data. We are aware of the existence of such intermediaries who simply offer queue registration services. People turn to them: 'I don't want to sit at the computer and try to register – register me!' That is, the intermediary is paid money for trying to register, and perhaps they succeeded. Alas, there are countries where there is a high demand for this type of intermediary service – Vietnam, Mongolia, and until recently, Ukraine.
Let us turn, however, to the new system, the implementation of which is expected in the foreseeable future, although it will not happen today or tomorrow – a tender will be announced for it. On what principle will this system work? Will it be the so-called "endless queue", or another option?
– Most likely, the second. We tested the "endless queue" in Uzbekistan and Mongolia and cannot yet confirm that the system has improved. We encountered the problem of intermediaries and so-called "dead applicants". Although people could register for any day, the queue became too long, stretching several years ahead. I do not want to say, however, that we have completely abandoned it, and I do not rule out that we will return to this option. It is too early to say what the new system will look like – it is still in the early stages of development. Currently, discussions are underway on exactly how it should look. We would like to implement it in the first or second quarter of 2018. One problem remains – it is unlikely that we will be able to accept 50,000 people per month in any country. If there is high demand for a specific week or month, no registration system will help.
In conclusion, let us remind who among foreigners, if necessary to obtain documents for staying in the Czech Republic, must use the Visapoint registration system:
– If we do not take into account Ukraine, which has its own specifics (there are state programs under which certain categories of citizens bypass Visapoint), then in other countries the system is used fully for everyone. There are currently more than 30 such countries, and there you need to register to submit documents for a long-term visa or long-term residence. This applies to Russia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, China. In all these countries, the applicant must register and receive a number for a specific day and time of submission.
For obtaining a regular Schengen visa, the registration system is used quite rarely, because in countries where we process a large number of Schengen visas, an outsourcing system is used, and anyone interested in obtaining a Schengen visa can apply at any time and any day.