Tourist Visa vs Visa-Free Entry
Tourist Visa
A tourist visa is usually a sticker on the passport of the bearer that allows the holder of the visa to enter a foreign country for a predetermined time period. The purpose of the visa is tourism. This visa doesn’t authorize the holder to study, work or engage in any business activities in a foreign country.
A tourist visa can be obtained from the consulate of a foreign country that the holder wants to visit by submitting certain documents and paying a fee. Many countries also grand e-Visas and Visa on arrival for tourism, that involves getting an entry stamp on the passport of the bearer.
Visa-Free Entry
A nation’s citizens have visa-free access to the other countries based on two factors:-
- The global economic level of that nation, meaning that they would return to their nation freely.
- The nation has good diplomatic relations with other countries.
As of 2020, citizens of Japan have the strongest passport with visa-free/visa-on-arrival access to 191 countries.
Citizens of Afghanistan have the weakest passport with visa-free/visa-on-arrival access to 26 countries.
Immigrant vs Non-Immigrant Visas
There are two main categories of visas: Immigrant visas and Non-immigrant visas. Non-immigrant visas allow the holder to enter the host country for temporary visits, business, medical treatment, studying etc.
Immigrant visas, however, allow the holder to pursue permanent residency and eventually citizenship of a host country.
Most Common Types of Visas
Spouse Visa
A foreign national can obtain a spouse visa by marrying or being in a legal partnership with a citizen of the host country, that would allow him/her to immigrate to the host country.
Student Visa
A student visa is usually a nonimmigrant visa that allows you to study in a foreign country for the complete duration of a course or as an exchange student.
Work Visa
Work visa can be granted to a foreign citizen if he/she obtains legal employment in a host country. The nature of the work and the contract determine the length of the work visa.
Retirement Visa
A retirement visa is granted to foreign citizens if they meet a minimum financial requirement and fall in a certain age bracket. Many countries in Asia and Latin America give out this visa.
Business Visa
A business visa is a short-term visa that allows a foreign person to engage in and conduct business activities in the host country, attend business conferences and events.
Visa Experiences
Nationality, financial standing, marital status, age and gender are only a few factors that affect visa application. Read first-hand experiences from real people all over the world about how they got different types of visas.
Techniques on Getting Visas and Immigrating
Do you know you don’t have to buy a flight ticket to get a visa? How to write a letter of invitation? How to submit proof of accommodation for a visa? What to do after your Visa is rejected?
In 2019 alone, United States issued 8,742,068 immigrant and non-immigrant visas.
https://travel.state.gov/The Blog: Latest Content
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How to Apply for any Visa?
Any visa application process is a 7 step process.
1. Find out if you need a visa, and if yes, the type of your visa
2. Find out where to apply for the visa
3. Gather all the documents
4. Book an appointment
5. Pay the visa fees
6. Attend the interview
7. Get the visa