1. ERASMUS MUNDUS Guidelines to facilitate visa delivery Vito Borrelli European Commission Directorate General Education and Culture Meeting of Erasmus Mundus Masters Courses 30/11-1/12/2006

2. VISAS Background Two surveys conducted among EM course coordinators (Nov 05) and EM students (Jan 06) to identify problems and suggest remedies; Among remedial measures suggested: draft of guidelines for course coordinators and handbook for students (in future); One-off Erasmus Mundus Visa Working Group met in Brussels on 29 Sep to share/discuss good practices on modalities to facilitate visa delivery to 3C students; Participants: 5 Erasmus Mundus course representatives + EAC, EACEA and JLS; Meeting outcome was production of draft guidelines for course coordinators for discussion today.

3. VISAS Working group main recommendations (1)1st Hosting University = Entry Country must be known (2)Pre-information of 3C students (3)Single visa rather than multiple visa (4)Close assistance to 3C students by all EM hosting universities (e.g. to overcome linguistic obstacles) (5)Consistency of EC, EACEA, EMMC and Hosting Univ. info letters (6)Close cooperation of partner universities (7)Need for early info of students – Possibility to advance deadline

4. VISAS Structure of coordinators’ draft guidelines “Who does what” table with main actors: EAC, EACEA, EM NSs, EM course coord., EM 1st hosting university, EC Delegations in 3C; General vs specific actions overviews; For specific actions indication of indicative timetable; Info tools overview + specific contents; List of good practices/tips for coord./hosting universities; Annexes with examples of visa-related info.

5. VISAS General issues for further analysis 3C EM students without EM grant; EM scholars: so far for max. 3-month periods tourist visas; EM student/scholar families; European students (visas for Action 3 mobility): so far for max. 3-month periods tourist visas; Check possibility of Alumni Association (EMA) to support incoming EM students.

6. VISAS Next steps Discussion of good practices with all EM Masters Courses and NSs (this meeting + NS meeting on 11 December); Agreement on final form & content of course coordinators’ guidelines for general dissemination at beginning 2007; Drafting of handbook for EM students including inter alia: –visa typology (short-term vs. long-term visas); –explanation of legal situation per EU country; –documents required when applying for a visa in 3C to enter Europe and in Europe for internal European mobility; –timing for submission of visa request; –residence permits delivery modalities; –time and money required to open a bank account; –costs of life. Ex-post verification of effectiveness of actions: second courses/students visa surveys in November 2007.