I submitted my application three and half months in advance. Yet I only got my visa one to two…read moreweeks before my trip. The officials here were very responsive to my emails and kept me updated. It was a bit stressful even though I ended up getting my visa in the end.

I have conducted business and personal dealings with many consulates in the New York Metropolitan…read morearea. I can safely say this is- by far- the most helpful and transparent consulate I have dealt with. I fondly recall a day when an emergency work obligation resulted in my needing to change an appointment time at the last minute. The Consul General and her staff could not have been more gracious, sincerely helpful and understanding. To be sure, the consulate´s outreach efforts and cultural program offerings have only been enhanced under the stewardship of Ms. Davies and her staff. The professionalism and inspiring humanity you will encounter at this Consulate are exemplary in more ways than one.

I just want to say, emailing them was really good. They were very nice, I wont name names but I…read morejust want to say, I am extremely satisfied with them. They are very quick to reply. Just give them about 12 hours in business days and they'll reply. Thank you a lot. -Dominic

Went on for a visa interview at the consulate. Very easy…read moreaccess to the public transport next to the new 2nd ave Q line. The gate was not very noticeable, but you can tell by the Czech flag. The front desk was very polite, they went over all the required document first to make sure not wasting each others time. When dealing with the visa officer, I was the only person there and only one counter was open. It seems they only deal one person at a time. The interview room is very small but very nice. The officer was very polite, not like most consulates. The processing time was super fast, I guess it may vary, but it only took me one day for a Schengen visa. I was able to pick up the second day. Very nice experience.

The Consulate of Trinidad and Tobago is located on the fourth floor of the building. In order to…read moreenter the building you must show your ID to the security guards in the lobby. The entrance is marked by a shiny bronze plaque. There is a security guard on this level as well. He was very courteous and acts as a concierge- finding out what services you need and directing you accordingly. There is a comfortable and spacious waiting room. I went to renew my passport and was happy to find that I was there for less than 2 hours. One of the lady's at the desk was able to direct me to a post office nearby where I was able to obtain a money order. The cost of a passport renewal is $72 if you want it mailed to you, or $60 if you are able to pick it up at the Consulate. How to renew your passport: (if you have no changes) 1. Obtain the application form from the consulate * note- I printed an application I found online however, they wanted me to complete one on legal size paper which they provided * You must provide 2 references from Trinidad who have known you for more than 3 years 2. Have a color photocopy of your passport page with your biographical information (I saw that there is a place in the lobby that can provide this) 3. Get a money order (as I described above) 4. Bring your original passport If you are mailing in your application, then you submit photos. If you go there in person, they will take your photo there. Once your application is in and photo is taken then you just need to check online to see when it is ready. Overall- not a bad experience. Everyone I encountered was polite and professional, and the process was pretty efficient.

I've been calling the consulate for almost two months with no answer. Left messages, no response…read more This is the worst I've ever seen. Ridiculous.

Most New Yorkers around the Upper East area probably knows this as home to the annual New York…read moreIndonesian Street Festival. Aside from the annual street festival, they actually do much more. For Indonesian citizens residing in the states of Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Virginia, Vermont, and West Virginia, this is where you get your passports renewed/replaced. For non-Indonesian citizens in need of more specific visa types (business, student, diplomatic, limited stay), this is where you apply for your visa. Make sure to check their website for complete list of requirements. The service has greatly improved in the past 4-5 years or so. The staff these days are much friendlier and more approachable than say a decade ago. Also, check their website for holidays closure before making appointments/plans. They observe both American and Indonesian federal holidays so the office closes on those days. #IniDiplomasi #NegaraMelindungi #IndonesianWay #IndonesianDiplomacy

Seriously, once you get there you know it because they have diplomatic cars parked all over the…read moreplace. they have a huge flag hanging out over the street. the consulate itself is only in the bottom level of the building, but the cars are all over the place. you walk downstairs and pass a couch and some set up chairs in the stairwell. they have a section where you check in and another section where you apply for documents and pay the bills. Has a shower, bathroom and a private section where you can get free magazines and publications. Local hot-dog cart on the corner was in english / indonesian. you can also learn / practice your bahasa indonesia and basa jawi. and you can drop some slang like 'kulu mboten mengertas" up on them and they just laugh, point at you and say 'orang bule pinter' while everyone is staring at you in awe, because you heard and understood that they just made fun of you in their language. has classes on Gamelan, Balinese Dance and Indonesian a few times each week. limited hours, they are open for work from like 9a to 11:30a for processing, dropping off and then from 2pm to 4:30pm for pick up only, they wont take any new applications or cases. We went here to renew passports and extend stays and update information.

"Find a job you love, and you'll never have to work a day in your life." - Confucius…read more Working in the government sector as a NYC civil service employee is a rewarding and secure career, but it all starts with applying at NYC Department of Citywide Administrative Services. Upon entering job candidates are subjected to walk through X-ray, turn off all cell phones and place cell phones in a clear sandwich resealable bag. Organization for candidates entering the test site; to exiting the grounds are very clean and orderly pass with Big Brother watching you. All civil service exams are now computerized as candidates sit in front of a touch screen computer monitor and select an answer for multiple choice. Facilities are available and are moderately clean. Exams varies month by month pending availability and the need for position(s). Personally, I apply to what aligns my professional background and experience to enhance a better career for improved quality of life.

I worked there for about 6 months. It was bizarre. I'll give you a couple examples:…read moreI wore headphones sometimes. Lots of people did. My manager told me that I have to buy smaller headphones because someone higher up thought my headphones were too big. One time it was after 5, I was working late, so I put my headphones back on. And the next day my manager and her manager had a meeting with me about the size of my headphones because someone high up, who never identified themselves, were offended by my headphones. There were no rules about headphone size. They were just regular beats headphones. It's weird that some person, apparently an important one, called my boss, and her boss in, to tell them to have a meeting with me about not wearing headphones, even after hours, even away from my desk. I was not allowed to have headphones on in the building. Not weird enough? I've got more. My manager was a sociopath so I often had to work late. At a certain point, they told me that I was not allowed to be in the building after 6. I was allowed. There was no rule against it. Others did. They just singled me out. Apparently, some prior employee had been bringing people into the office after hours to do....something with them. So they were sensitive about it. Need more weird stuff? For about a week it smelled like a dead animal in the office and then it went away. Never found out what that was. Need more? At one point, my manager told me that I have to tell her when I leave my desk. So, I had to tell her when I was going to the bathroom. I was 30 years old at the time. Again, my manager was a psychopath. At one point, her boss told me that he is actually scared of her and that she had previously worked in the Parks department and had gotten at least 3 people fired. Finally, here's when I decided to quit: My manager had a meeting with me and her boss in order to embarrass me. She brought up a project and I showed it to her. Of course she said it should be like XYZ, and I said, that's what I did the first time. She asked me to pull it up. I opened the folder with 22 drafts of this project and showed her the first one I did which was like XYZ and reminded her that she told me at the time it needed to be like ABC. She basically openly hated my guts from that point forward, and like I said, she like getting people fired. I know what it looks like when a manager is trying to get an employee they don't like fired. So I left. I get paid well over twice as much now without being abused and harassed. Also, I won't get into specific but I was also aware of a lot of things they did that the general public would not have been happy about. At one point, a developer outbid the city for a piece of land and they decided to sue him. When asked about on what grounds, they pretty much shrugged and acknowledged it was just to eff with the guy and make him waste money in court and with lawsuits as some form of retaliation for the city not getting the land.

I am one of these people who periodically needs a visa for the glorious confederation of Eurostates…read moreknown as the Schengen zone. The folks at the Estonian Consulate were superbly professional and helpful in issuing one for me within an absolutely reasonable period of time when another, larger country's Consulate closed without notice. Contacting a lot of consulates is a frustrating experience; not so for the Estonian folks, who reply almost instantly both on the phone and over email, and even call you back if they miss your call! Both the receptionist and the Consul I met were courteous, friendly, and respectful. Although there really isn't a "market" for these government services, if your visa-requiring trip or long-term stay includes Estonia, do go ahead and use the right to request a visa through these folks. Your experience will be better than at most of the larger nations' establishments.

The embassy is located in a great neighborhood in Manhattan, a 2 min walk to Central Park and MET…read more My experience at the embassy was for a Schengen visa. I had all the paperwork they needed ready. The process was smooth and the staff was friendly and accommodating. My dad and I had 2 different appointments at different times slots. The officer was kind enough to see us one after the other (they did refuse initially and said it depends on the volume, which was understandable). Overall the reviews are inconsistent on Google and yelp, I guess you have everything you need as advised, you will walk out happy.

They don't answer their phone or emails I have sent them. It seems impossible to get an appointment…read moreand this is extremely frustrating. Their website is awful and their lack of responsiveness is appalling. They're only open until 2:30 each afternoon, which makes little sense. Get it together and figure out how to answer the phone and emails. Absolutely shameful.

I was way early for my passport renewal appointment but John the officer was kind enough to attend…read moreto me in between other appointments. I handed over my existing passport, one pager form, 2 passport pictures from DOI Camera and paid $329. Whole process was seamless and I was in and out within 5mins. If only all government services operates like the Consulate General of Australia, we would all have longer lives. PS: They do not require any evidence of your lawful status (visa, green card..etc) in the US for passport renewal.

Friendly and professional. Please note that the consulate's services are mostly geared towards…read moretowards Australians, such as Passport replacement. They can NOT help anyone that is looking for a VISA to travel to Australia, a fact that is clearly sign posted. Waiting are is bright and pleasant with weird (but comfortable and functional) seats that have school like table top sliding surfaces to write or set up your laptop on.