What is a Visa?

 

A visa is an official travel document that allows you to enter, remain within and/or leave a foreign country. It mentions the limits on the duration of your stay, the validity of entry, the date of entry, and the number of times you can enter. It also mentions the purpose of the visit.

The full-form of VISA is Visitors International Stay Admission. Visa can either be in the form of a stamp or sticker endorsed on the passport, a hard copy document or an e-visa.

Based on the entry and duration period, visas can be single-entry, which means the visa will be cancelled and no more valid once you leave the country and multiple-entry / double-entry, which means you can enter the country multiple times with the same visa. The validity of a Canada visa is not the same as the authorized duration of stay in some countries.

The visa is subject to permission of entry by an immigration officer either at the airport, road borders or ports. The immigration officers have the right to permit or reject the entry of visitors on arrival.  Your visa application can be rejected if you do not meet the requirements of the applied country's admission or immigration laws. Some of the common visa refusal reasons are, if you have certain health issues or communicable diseases, not submitting proper documents, criminal records, previous visa violations etc.

 The types of visas based on the method of application are –

1.      Online visas

2.      Embassy/ consular visas

3.      Visas on arrival

The types of visas based on the purpose of the visit are -

Transit visa – This visa is issued to a traveller who is transiting through a country to visit another country. This visa only allows you to pass through a country to reach your destination country. For example, if you are travelling from India to Canada, but need to change flights in Dubai, you would require a transit visa for Dubai.

Tourist Visa – This visa is issued if you wish to visit a country for tourism or leisure purpose. This visa usually has limited validity.

 Business Visa – A business visa is granted to an individual who wants to visit a foreign country to research, explore possibilities, supply, purchase, negotiate or establish a business.

 Work visa – It is a type of visa that allows its holder to enter a foreign country and work there for a particular period of time.

 Student visa – For those who wish to pursue a study program in a foreign country a student visa is issued. You need to be accepted to an educational institution in a foreign country to qualify for a student visa.

Can Visas be extended? Many countries allow you to extend the duration of your stay by applying for a visa extension.

Travellers who wish to visit another country have to apply for their visa in advance. The process and duration for acquiring a visa differ between countries. Some countries do not require tourists of certain nationalities to apply for their visas in advance as they provide visas on arrival and a few countries have also gone visa-free.

A traveller should ensure that they apply for the correct type of visa for their travel.

ORIGINAL CONTENT:- What is a Visa?