What Expats Ought to Know About Visa Requirements?

When planning an overseas relocation finding out about the visa requirements can keep you awake at night.

All sorts of questions pops into your mind like:

• Where to search for the most accurate information about your visa requirements?
• Under which visa category to apply?
• What information you need to search for?
• How and where to Apply for your visa?

Wouldn't it be great to have a firm source that you can always turn to when you need reliable advice?

Well, this is exactly what you will find in here.

So without further ado, let's get started...

The most reliable places to find accurate and updated information about visa requirements are the official government/s websites of your destination country.

The ones that are likely to have this data are citizenship and immigration, the ministry of foreign affairs, ministry of manpower, and/or the interior office of your destination country.

So, if you are planning on studying in Canada then you should search the Canada citizenship and immigration website. If you would like to work in Australia then just go to Australia Department of immigration and citizenship website. But if you are searching for Thailand visa requirements you will find them at Thailand's ministry of foreign affairs website.

In most cases you will find the majority of the information you need right there.

But what if the information is published in a language you do not understand, or maybe the websites lack essential information and visa requirements that concern only your citizenship country?

To supplement the information you already gathered, and to make sure you are not missing out on any crucial data, visit the embassy's website of your destination country in your citizenship country.

Many embassies websites have a special section about visas and immigration where you can find additional instructions about your visa requirements.

This way when you are searching for US work visa requirements, it is not enough to explore the website of the USA department of state. You should also visit the website of the Embassy of U.S.A to your citizenship country. Thus you would increase the chances of finding the most accurate data about your visa requirements.

Finding under which visa class you need to apply can be quite straightforward.

For example, if you are planning to learn at your destination country then you have to apply for a student visa. And if you are thinking about traveling and working at the same time, no problems just look for the working-holiday visa.

But, sometimes choosing your visa class can get more complicated.

Why is that?

Because of the special visa types that many countries have. Some visa categories are intended to help meet the labor market needs of your destination country, and others are a result of special agreements among countries.

Canada for example offers the live-in caregiver program, Australia has a retirement visa, and the Schengen visa is a result of the Schengen agreement among European countries.

So before you decide that a specific visa is the one you need to apply for, do a thorough research and find out if this is really the visa category that suits your circumstances and your citizenship country.

Check if there are

• New visas categories that your destination country is offering.
• A sub-division of a visa category that might match your situation better.
• A special category for visa applicants from your citizenship country.

Before you start the visa application process it is crucial to find out

1. If you are eligible to apply under that specific visa type. Are there any age, country, money, or other restrictions?
2. Are there any special visa requirements for people applying for this specific visa from your country, like medical condition?
3. Are there any prerequisites before applying for your visa? For example in many countries you can not apply for a student permit before you are accepted for studies at the education institution.
4. What is the processing time of your visa application? Usually this depends on the type of visa you are applying for, and on your country of citizenship.

   If you are applying for a student visa for example, and the visa application processing time is 4 months then, it is better that you apply at list 4.5 months before your school starts. Otherwise you might lose some school days.

5. What documents you must collect and submit with your visa application? This can be high school diploma, criminal record certificate, proof of funds, job offer from your destination country, marriage certificate, etc'.
6. Do you need to arrange for translation of documents to the language of your destination country, and what is the translation procedure? If you are moving to Belgium for example, you will need to have your documents translated to French or Flemish.
7. What can you do with the visa you are applying to, and for how long can you stay in your destination country?

   Although you might only be interested in acquiring a visa for your destination country, it is good to know if you are allowed, not only to study but, also to work in your destination country, or if your family may accompany you.

8. Will your visa give you any rights for health insurance, school for your kids, and a work for your spouse? This has a great impact on the quality and cost of living in your destination country.
9. Do you need a temporary resident visa together with your student and/or work visa permit?

Before you start with the visa application process you need to find out 2 important things:

First - Who else is involved in your visa application process?

Is it enough that only you apply for the visa or does your potential employer or immigration sponsor needs to apply as well?

In Canada and Australia for example, your potential employer will have to apply to be your sponsor. He will also have to request from the relevant government office an approval to hire a foreign employer for your occupation instead of hiring a local employee.

And if you are thinking about applying to immigrate to Canada under the family sponsorship program, then your sponsor will also need to apply and be approved as a sponsor by a Canadian immigration officer.

It is therefore extremely important to read carefully the visa application process instructions.

Failing to follow the instructions may result in your documents being sent back to you, and in you loosing precious time.

Second - Where to apply for your visa and is it possible to apply on line?

Usually you have to submit your application at the Consular department of your embassy's destination country.

But what if your destination country does not have a visa office at your citizenship country?

Then you should check where is located the visa office that is responsible for your country.

If we take Canada for example then the visa office of Canada in India is responsible for visa application of citizens from 3 countries - Nepal, India and Bhutan.

So citizens from Nepal have to apply for their Canadian visa through the Embassy of Canada in India.

And what happens if you are not living in your country of citizenship?

Let's say you are a student from India in the U.K. and you would like to apply for a student visa to Canada. Will you be able to apply at the Embassy of Canada in the U.K. or will you need to go back to India and apply for a visa to Canada at the Embassy of Canada in India?

Some countries, like Canada, allow you to apply from the country where you have a temporary resident visa, and some will ask that you go back to your citizenship country and apply from there.

And what happens if you came to the U.S.A for a visit and decided you would to stay and study at a University in the U.S.A.

Are you allowed to apply for a student visa from inside the U.S.A or do you need to go back to your citizenship country and apply for your visa from there?

U.S.A citizenship and immigrations office allows visitors visa holders to apply to change their status from visitor to student.

But, as this option is not available in all countries, it is important to check the immigration policy in your destination country.

And lastly, today more and more countries are availing the choice to submit an online visa application.

It is a good idea to check if your destination country offers the online visa application option, and if your citizenship country is among the countries that can use this service.