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Dinner time at High Grounds Cafe. It was a very long and tiring day but very much worth it. pic.twitter.com/8WgDUKDyXK — TNC Pro Team (@TNCProTeam) 13 March 2017

TNC's biggest battle has yet to beginThe moment TNC Pro Team secured their victory in a thrilling 3-game set against Mineski for the Kiev slot, they knew their toughest battle was just about to begin. That’s because in order to travel to the Major they need visas. The problem however is that there are no Ukrainian embassies in the Philippines.In an email advisory sent by the consul of Ukraine stationed in Vietnam, Philippine passport holders are advised to secure their visas through the Ukrainian embassies found in Vietnam, Indonesia or Malaysia.Earlier, it was believed that Filipinos may only secure Ukrainian visas by applying at the embassy in Japan. This would have effectively hamstrung any team's chances of actually flying out to the Kiev Major as it would have meant also securing a Japanese visa just to fly out.Regardless it still means the team must travel to one of the three countries first in order to apply. Filipino passport holders can enter Vietnam for a period of up to 21 days without a visa. Filipino visitors to Indonesia and Malaysia may visit without visas for a period of up to 30 days.The Ukrainian embassy lists the visa processing time as 15 calendar days from the date of processing, with cases that take a month or longer to complete in the event that additional documents are required by the Consul.Rush visa applications can be completed in less than 15 calendar at double the price -- providing urgent visa processing is possible. The cost of a single-entry visa to the Ukraine is $85 (~P4250). All in all it means TNC are on a very tight schedule.Business as usualWhile it is customary to celebrate after a qualifier victory, Kuku and company, together with TNC Pro Team’s owner Eric Redulfin, elected instead to have a quiet dinner and talk about the plans going forward.“It’s important for us to stay grounded and get to work on the visas as soon as possible,” said Redulfin to joinDOTA. “We don’t want to take it for granted.”Although getting a Ukrainian visa by travelling to another country is a hassle, the team and its management have already put together the necessary documents just one day after their win.In 2014, Execration also had trouble securing visas for their spot at Starladder in Kiev. The team barely made the deadline with their passports arriving by courier just in time for their flight. For the Boston Major however, an immigration snafu cost the team their shot at competing in the first Major of the TI7 season.With more than a month to go, however, it seems TNC Pro Team is more than ready to face the final boss that plagues every team that qualifies for an international tilt from the SEA region.