Visa Service – How to apply for a travel visa
Visa service is available to US citizens at the embassies and consulates of the country or countries they plan to visit. While there may be some variables that are specific to a particular country, there are many visa requirements that are common to most countries. Familiarizing yourself with these will make the visa application process much easier.
Travel visa basics
It is important to understand that a travel visa stamped in your passport is not a guarantee that you will be allowed to enter your destination country. The visa is simply permission to travel to a port of entry. It is at this port of entry that an agent will examine your documents and determine whether or not you will enter the country.
Travel visas are granted according to the purpose of your trip. The most common types are tourist and business visas. Other visas that are often available include the transit visa, work visa, study visa, crew visa, and resident visa.
Visas are not required by all foreign countries. In fact, there are a large number of destinations that US citizens can visit without the need to obtain a visa.
Travel visa processing
Visa processing is an important service provided by the consulate section of an embassy or by a country’s consulate general. It is important to follow the requirements to the letter to avoid delays in the process or even rejection of your application.
The first decision you need to make when applying for a visa concerns the type of visa you will need. You may then be able to apply for a visa with a specific validity. This is especially true for business visas. For example, Russia allows you to choose between a business visa that is valid for 1-3 months and one that is valid for 3-12 months. After this, you need to choose the number of entries you want your visa to allow. Possibilities include single entry, double entry, or multiple entry. Not all countries offer this option, but many do.
Most visa applications are brief and only ask for basic personal and travel information. Application forms can usually be downloaded in PDF format from the embassy or consulate website. However, more and more countries are switching from the paper form to an electronic application that is sent immediately after completion. In fact, some countries like Brazil no longer accept paper applications.
Processing times vary by visa type and destination. Most consulates process tourist and business visa applications within two weeks to a few days. Expedited visa service, when available, can be done as soon as the same day or the next day. Work, study and residence visas usually take a little longer to process.
Some consular services still accept applications that are sent by mail, but this is changing. More and more countries require applications to be delivered in person. If you are unable to apply in person, consulates allow you to authorize a third party to do so for you. This person can be a friend, relative, or travel agent. When none of these are available, you can hire a private visa issuer.
Visa issuance service
There are three advantages to using a visa issuer. First, you don’t have to go to the Consulate General yourself. Depending on where you live in relation to the consulate, this could save you quite a bit of time that you could use to prepare for your trip.
Two, the shipper can review your application and documentation to verify that the information is correct. If necessary, corrections could be made before submitting it to the consulate. Finally, a visa issuance service can, in most cases, get your application processed more quickly.
One downside to using an expediter is that they charge an additional fee on top of what you will pay to the consulate to process your visa application. The amount is usually not much and could be a worthwhile investment if you consider the advantages listed above.