Visa Tips

How Long Does It Take to Apply A Visa?

The embassies and consulates stationed abroad of each country are authorized to issue visas to foreign nationals, who want to travel or immigrate to its country. Different countries have different jurisdictions, procedures for handling the visa, so the processing time after an applicant submit all the documents are quite different. Some may take as long as 3 to 5 months, even one year or longer are not uncommon, but others will issue the visa immediately after the applicant's application. It does not depend on the working efficiency, but the different complexity of jurisdiction and bureaucratic procedures. 

 Is It Difficult to Get the Visa?

Whether visa is easy to get or not varies from one country to another. The main difficulties and differences are explained by the reasons below:

1. Easier in immigrant countries (US, Canada, Australia…) than non-immigrant countries (Japan...)
2. If you have some relatives in your target country, it will be easier for you to get the visa.
3. Applicant being educated to a high level will get the visa much easier.
4. Easier to get in developing countries than in the developed countries.
5. Easier to get in countries of small population than the countries of large population.
6. More difficult to get if the applicant is considered as a stayer or to have the immigrant suspicion.
7. Easier to get if your target country has the foreign relations with the country of your own.
8. Easier to get if the economic guarantor of the applicant is more superior in riches.
9. Easier to get when there are seldom applicants to apply for.
10. Easier when the applicant is in a tourist group. 

 Distinguishing Genuine from Fake

Nowadays, there are more and more agencies which are providing the services of visa application. If you get the visa by consigning these agencies, the first important thing that you should do is to ensure it is genuine and not a forged one. The following methods are offered for your reference:

1. Have your visa checked at the issuing organizations;
2. Make comparison with others who have applied for the same visa as yours;
3. Carefully inspect the content on the visa word by word.

Generally, a fake visa is quite rough with illegible handwriting, signature and a blurred seal; even they make a mistake on the attachment to the visa page itself. In ordinary circumstances, the visa is affixed to your passport. 

 After You Get the Visa

After you obtain the visa, you should carefully check whether or not that the following preparatory work has been fulfilled, only then can you start your journey:

Whether the international air ticket, ships passage or train ticket are prepared. Confirming the seat on the plane is highly recommended. Then, the notice (the written notification is the best) to the relatives or friends in your target country is necessary, including the information like scheduled departure/arrival time, flight/ship/train number and so on;

Whether the "Prophylactic inoculation Certificate" is prepared. You had better put this together with your visa and passport so as to provide ease of access when going through customs;

If all the credentials and materials are fully prepared, including passport, visa, health certificate and other corresponding letters of introduction, photos and so on;

If your luggage is appropriately prepared. You should be familiar with the prohibition of import stipulations of your target country in order to avoid delays and potential trouble at customs. Also ensure not make your baggage overweight, and that the baggage is sound, secure and labeled.