German National Visa (Study) rejected by Mumbai Consulate for jurisdiction/residence doubts — need advice on reapplying
Applied for my German National Visa (student, Section 16b) through VFS Mumbai. Got a call from the consulate 2 days before the decision asking about my previous employment. Today I got my passport back with a rejection letter, but it's not a refusal on merits, they said my application "cannot be processed" because they had doubts about my habitual residence in their jurisdiction (Maharashtra/Gujarat/MP etc.).
Background: I worked in Gurugram for about a year, last working day was July 30th, and I've since moved back to Mumbai (my home city). All my current documents (passport, Aadhar, application) show my Mumbai address, but I think the recency of the move plus not having my relieving letter yet from my last employer made my Mumbai residence look thin/unconvincing to them.
They've refunded the visa fee (per the letter) and returned my documents (they didn't retain copies), so do I need to reapply through CSP and rebook VFS?
Questions for anyone who's dealt with something similar:
- Besides a relieving letter and stronger residence proof (rent agreement/utility bill), what else helped you prove "habitual residence" when you'd recently relocated?
- Does a cover letter explaining the timeline (recent relocation) actually help, or do they mostly just go by documents?
- Anyone had a similar bounce-back and successfully reapplied at the same consulate afterward? How long did the second round take?
- My CSP portal still shows "decision pending" even though I already have the passport back with the rejection letter, anyone else seen this lag?
- The letter says my visa fee will be refunded and to contact VFS for it, but I haven't received anything yet. Anyone know typical VFS refund timelines, or if this needs active follow-up on my end?
Trying to sort this before my October 1st move-in date for Winter Semester, so any insight is appreciated.