The Visa Beard Conundrum

Many years ago, I received an invitation from a fine arts university in Germany, and to seize the opportunity, I needed to obtain a Schengen visa.

I successfully conducted a master class at the university for a year and then returned to my home country.

The following year, the university invited me back, and I applied for the same visa with identical documents. Surprisingly, this time, my application was rejected.

The only noticeable difference in my appearance was my beard. After the rejection, I decided to shave my beard and sent another letter requesting a reconsideration of my case.

The university in Germany also sent a message on my behalf. With these efforts, my visa application was approved.

However, by the time everything was sorted, I had missed the semester, causing a six-month delay in my plans.

Illustration for scene 1