A visa is an official permission authorizing a person to enter the foreign country that issues the visa. A visa authorization may be a document, but usually it’s a stamp endorsed inside a person's official passport.
For many countries, the rule is -- no visa, no entry.
Some countries makes it difficult, if not impossible, for foreigners to enter, even for legitimate purposes. That accusation has been raised about the entry policies of the United States government that control who, when, and how foreigners may come to America.
Since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, U.S. entry restrictions have become so severe, many say unreasonable, that hundreds of thousands of foreigners have been excluded or have just given up trying.
This has caused major economic loss, as business people refuse to suffer less than friendly treatment at U.S. airports and reroute their travel to avoid changing planes in American cities.
Thousands of foreign students have stopped applying for admission to American colleges and universities because of the time and red tape required to be admitted to the country, thus losing a chance to train a friendly needed group of future leaders whose knowledge of America will be limited.
Keeping Out the Unwanted?
It's a fact of international political life that citizens of certain countries, the U.S. among them, find travel abroad more difficult. For many reasons, some countries impose strict visa requirements on foreign nationals. It’s their way of keeping out supposed "undesirables."
In the wake of the 9-11 terror attacks, the United States greatly increased visa requirement for visitors from nations previously free to come to America without first obtaining a visa. Other nations have adopted similar post-9-11 visa restrictions where none existed before.
The U.S. already was one of the most restrictive countries in the world when it came to allowing visitors into the country, but the visa waiver program started in 1986 does allow the citizens of 27 selected countries to enter for stays of up to three months without a visa.
Official Red Tape
For American travelers headed overseas, getting a visa, when required, can be the worst part of the trip. It requires contacting a foreign embassy or consulate in the U.S. filling out forms, surrendering your passport for days or a week and paying a high fee, sometimes only with cash or a money order.
For a multi-country trip the time to get all the visas approved can take a month. It was that way decades ago, and even with the rise in global travel and online tools, that primitive system still exists today. When I visited China a few years ago it took me two weeks to get the visa, and I had to pay a visa expediting company to do it for me.
Visas Information Sources
Henley & Partners, a Zurich firm with which the Sovereign Society has worked for several years, specializes in international immigration, residence and citizenship law. On a continuing basis they analyze the visa regulations of almost all countries and territories in the world. They have just published their latest visa index and I think you may find it useful.
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines also has an excellent web site that allows you to cross check your home country with any other country in the world in order to determine if you need a visa for travel there.
The Passport Book
If you are interested in the possibility of dual citizenship, second passports and visa free travel, the 6th edition of The Passport Book which I authored is available.
In it I explain all about visas, plus how changing your country of residence, acquiring dual citizenship and a second passport can open up a world of opportunities. I show you how to obtain dual citizenship based on your ancestors, how to travel with greater safety, possible offshore tax savings and I may help you discover your own offshore paradise.
Click here for more about The Passport Book.
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