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Germany ends visa appeals: Costlier path for Indian students, workers
Germany has become an increasingly popular destination for Indian students and workers, particularly as visa hurdles grow in countries like Canada, the US, and the UK. But this change introduces a fresh layer of complexity for those hoping to travel, study or work there.
'In the past, on a rejected German Schengen visa application, a person could provide a remonstration letter to the consulate or embassy of Germany that rejected it,' said Mamta Shekhawat, founder of Gradding.com, a study abroad platform. 'This was an informal appeal of the application where the applicant could provide additional information or clarify any misunderstanding without going through the formalities of legal procedures. It was an affordable and convenient means of reviewing potential mistakes or oversights in the original application.'
Shekhawat said the change will affect Indian students in several ways:
Greater pressure for perfection: Small mistakes in documentation or confusion on the application could now lead to a flat rejection, requiring a full restart of the process
Increased costs and longer delays: Reapplying for a visa means paying fees again and waiting weeks or even months for another appointment
No middle ground: Legal appeals are costly and slow, often requiring a German lawyer and possibly taking up to two years for a decision
Emotional toll: Students who earlier had some hope of correction through informal channels may now find the process too stressful or uncertain to attempt
'Without the informal appeal, rejected applicants now face two main options,' said Sanjog Anand, co-founder of Rostrum Education. 'One, reapply and pay the fees again. Two, file a formal judicial appeal, which is a far more difficult, costly, and time-consuming path. A case must be filed with the Berlin Administrative Court. For many Indian students, this choice is too expensive,' he said.
Shekhawat added, 'The move also highlights the absolute necessity of filing a perfect first-time application. This requires careful preparation, detailed documentation, and expert advice.'
She said the German government's reasoning is that scrapping the remonstration process will free up consular staff, allowing them to focus more efficiently on new applications. 'It promotes transparency and creates higher documentation status,' she said.
Despite the tougher visa pathway, Shekhawat said Gradding.com's services for German university admissions remain unaffected. 'Our focus has always been on getting things right the first time.'
Anand noted, 'While initial processing might be faster, the absence of an informal appeal means that any rejection will lead to a complete restart of the application process or a lengthy legal battle, potentially causing significant delays in study plans.'
Skilled workers may hesitate to appeal
For professionals seeking to work in Germany, the impact is similar.
'The removal of the remonstration process is part of Germany's efforts to improve administrative efficiency, potentially leading to faster processing times for visa applications,' said Varun Singh, managing director at XIPHIAS Immigration.
'But on the downside, skilled workers facing visa denials will now have limited recourse, potentially affecting job opportunities and employer timelines. The formal appeal process may deter some applicants due to its complexity and expense,' Singh added.
Tourists and business travellers also affected
Visa rejections for short-term visitors will now be harder to contest.
'Streamlined visa processing could benefit travellers by reducing wait times for visa appointments and decisions,' said Singh. 'However, tourists and business travellers who experience visa rejections will no longer have a straightforward method to contest decisions, possibly impacting travel plans and incurring additional costs for reapplication or legal appeals.'
Consular Services Portal and rejection data
Germany introduced the Consular Services Portal in January 2025, offering step-by-step digital instructions for student, skilled worker, and family reunification visa applications. Early feedback from applicants suggests that the portal has helped reduce documentation errors.
'Dispensing with the remonstration procedure has released considerable staff capacity in visa sections,' said the German Missions.
In 2024, Germany rejected 206,733 Schengen visa applications, with a rejection rate of 13.7%. Indian applicants have faced some of the longest delays, with appointment wait times stretching to nearly nine months. The German Missions say they now expect this to drop to just a few days.
This change could benefit students applying close to term start dates or workers needing to relocate quickly for jobs.
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The continuous overhang of geopolitical events is keeping the trends suppressed, as the global cues still have a very deep overhang, leading to market confusion. As the trends ahead show that clarity will be something that defeats the current market trends, we need to find some encouraging triggers to arrest the bearish mindset in the days to come. Here are three stocks to buy or sell as recommended by Raja Venkatraman of NeoTrader for 29 July: SBILIFE: Buy CMP and dips to ₹1,810 | Stop ₹1,790 | Target ₹1,950-2,000 MANINFRA: Buy CMP and dips to ₹177 | Stop ₹174 | Target ₹190-195 MANORAMA: Buy CMP and dips to ₹1,640 | Stop ₹1,620 | Target ₹1,770-1,825 Market today Indian equity benchmarks started the week on a subdued note, marking the third straight session of declines on 28 July as selling pressure outweighed supportive global markets. 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A volatile environment is now part of the ever-changing market scenario, forcing the sentiment to keep changing. Risk management is critical, as the lack of clarity is greater than ever. However, there is still some value discovery happening in mid and small caps that demonstrates a bullish sentiment. Among them, the Trump Tariff Saga has the global markets oscillating. With no clarity on the outcome, we shall continue to oscillate in a range between 24500 and 25000 on the Nifty Spot. Three stocks to trade, recommended by NeoTrader's Raja Venkatraman: SBI Life Insurance Co. Ltd (Cmp: ₹1850.50) Why it's recommended: SBI Life Insurance, incorporated in October 2000, is a leading Indian life insurance company. It operates as a joint venture between the State Bank of India (SBI), India's largest commercial bank, and BNP Paribas Cardif S.A., the life and property and casualty insurance arm of BNP Paribas. Strong demand recovery in this stock from lower levels and the rebound from demand zones support price stability and growth potential. With prices trading close to the 52-week high, more room for upside is possible. Key metrics: P/E: 74.55 52-week high: ₹1,936, Volume: 1.18M. Technical analysis: Support at ₹1,730, resistance at ₹2,050. Risk factors: Dependence on trends in the insurance sector and raw material price volatility. Buy at: CMP and dips to ₹1,810. Target price: ₹1,950-2,000 in 1 month. Stop loss: ₹1,790. Man Infraconstruction Ltd (Cmp: ₹182.46) Why it's recommended: Signs of reversal from oversold zones signal potential upside. Demand at lower levels showcases optimism for recovery in the coming sessions. The daily charts indicate that the volume-based rise seen in the last few sessions augurs well for the prices. Key metrics: P/E: 46.88 52-week high: ₹262.50 Volume: 1.86M Technical analysis: Support at ₹165 | Resistance at ₹205. Risk factors: Declining revenue and profits, as well as a decrease in operating profit margin. Buy at: CMP and dips to ₹177. Target price: ₹190-195 in 1 month. Stop loss: ₹174. Manorama Industries Ltd (Cmp: ₹1687.70) Why it's recommended: Gradual accumulation at critical support levels highlights strong investor interest, supported by consistent revenue growth. Steady higher lows with a thrust above value area resistance around 300 suggest more upside possibility. Key metrics: P/E: 67.18 52-week high: ₹1,632 Volume: 118.49K Technical analysis: Support at ₹1,470 | Resistance at ₹1,850. Risk factors: Competition in the banking space and regulatory issues. Buy at: CMP and dips to 1640. Target price: ₹1,770-1,825 in 1 month. Stop loss: ₹1,620. Raja Venkatraman is co-founder, NeoTrader. His Sebi-registered research analyst registration no. is INH000016223. Investments in securities are subject to market risks. Read all the related documents carefully before investing. Registration granted by Sebi and certification from NISM in no way guarantees performance of the intermediary or provide any assurance of returns to investors. Disclaimer: The views and recommendations given in this article are those of individual analysts. These do not represent the views of Mint. We advise investors to check with certified experts before making any investment decisions.
