Advice for When Traveling to Other Countries
In all countries across the world, there is a legal process to be followed in order for immigrants to: officially move to another country, visit and vacation, or temporary relocate. A passport is needed whenever a resident travels abroad or to another country. Having a valid passport, which serves as official documentation of a person’s identity, is sometimes the only requirement for short trips. However, sometimes additional permissions are needed for a person to enter and or exit a country.
When Traveling To and From Other Countries
Do Your Research on Visa Requirements
For this reason, it is always wise to check the visa requirements for when traveling to another country because each country has its own set of guidelines. These guidelines differ greatly as some countries allow for vacationers to come and go with only a passport while others, have tighter requirements with requiring travel visas. A visa provides official documentation permitting a person to travel to another country and stay for a designated period of time.
Ensure Documentation is Accurate and Up-to-date
It is for the reasons mentioned above that prior to planning a trip, travelers be diligent in checking to make sure they have an up to date passport with at least six months validity. It is also important to determine the visa types required for when traveling to your destination. Questions to research include: is a tourist or business visa required? If flying to your destination, will connecting flights impact entry it where you are going or vice versa? In other words, are any additional steps required for reentry from the location you will be flying from when returning home?
Traveling to Other Countries
If Applicable, Apply for Travel/Work Visa
This may seem like a lot of work but it is always wise to take care of things ahead of time to avoid running into issues with your airline or when attempting to go through customs. Travel visas are generally pretty easy to obtain. All that is required is that you complete the necessary paperwork / applications and of course, mail your documents. Upon following those steps and doing so correctly, there should be no issues in receiving a travel visa.
Seek Guidance When Necessary
When the visa process becomes more complicated is when a person is attempting to obtain a more permanent or extended visa due to family or employment related issues. For example, in the United States there are numerous types of visas a person can apply for so the complexity begins with deciding on the type of visa to apply for.
Visas/Green Cards/Permanent Residence
There are many reasons for why a person may be granted a visa for temporary residence, green card for permanent residence or citizenship of the US. The approval for the request for citizenship depends on factors such as the applicants: relationships to others residing in the United States, employment status and current economic state. All of these processes can be overwhelming especially for an immigrant that may be unfamiliar with the culture, language and customs.
As author Sarah Smith and Colorado Immigration Attorneys from Joseph Law Firm will tell you, immigration is a serious matter. When attempting to receive a visa, green card or citizenship it may be best to contact an immigration lawyer that can assist with the process.
