Everything You Need To Know
About Visas
What Is a Visa? | What Is a Travel/
Tourist Visa? | What Is a Work Visa? |
What Is a Business Visa? | What Is a
Student Visa? | What Is a Refugee/
Asylum Visa? | What Is a Working
Holiday Visa? | What Is a Spousal Visa?
| What Is a Transit Visa? | What Is an
eVisa? | Immigrant Vs. Nonimmigrant
Visas | What Does a Visa Look Like? |
Why Do I Need a Visa to Travel? | What
Is a Visa Policy? | Why Do Certain
Countries Have Visa Restrictions? |
When Do I Need a Visa? | How Do I
Apply for a Visa? | What Are the
Requirements for a Visa? | What Are the
Supporting Documents Required for Visitor
Visas? | What Is an Invitation Letter for a
Visa? | What to Expect During a Visa
Interview? | What Are the Fees for
Obtaining a Visa? | What Are Visa
Processing Times? | What Visa Services
Does an Embassy Offer? | What Can I
Learn From the Visa Restrictions Index? |
Which Countries Can I Travel to Visa-Free?
| How Are Travel Visas Linked to My
Passport? | Visa-Free Vs. Visa on Arrival
Vs. Visa Required | What Are the US Visa
Restrictions? | Which Countries Can I
Visit Visa-Free With the US Passport? |
How Many Visitor Visas Does the US
Accept and Reject Each Year? | Which
Countries Can I Visit With a Schengen Visa?
| When Was the First Visa Ever Issued?
| Global Visa Issuance Over Time
What Is a Visa?
A visa is an official document that allows
the bearer to legally enter a foreign country.
The visa is usually stamped or glued into
the bearer’s passport. There are several
different types of visas, each of which
afford the bearer different rights in the host
country.
Check out How Do I Apply for a Visa? for
more information.
What Is a Travel/Tourist Visa?
Travel visas allow the bearer to enter a
foreign country for touristic and leisure
purposes only and stay for a predetermined
amount of time. These visas do not entitle
the holder to work or engage in any
business activities in the host country.
What Is a Work Visa?
Work visas are required for individuals who
wish to take on employment or engage in
business activities in the host country.
There are several types of work visas that
depend on the nature of the work and
length of stay. For example, working holiday
visas allow individuals to temporarily take
on employment while travelling through the
country.
What Is a Business Visa?
A business visa allows the bearer to enter
the host country and engage in business
activities without joining that country’s
labour market. For example, an individual
may require a business visa if they are
travelling to a country to do business with
another company or if they are attending a
business conference. The visitor typically
must show that they are not receiving
income from the country.
What Is a Student Visa?
A student visa is a type of nonimmigrant
visa that allows the bearer to enrol at a
postsecondary educational institution in the
host country. High school foreign exchange
students must typically obtain a visa for
temporary residence.
What Is a Refugee/Asylum Visa?
Refugee visas and asylum visas can be
granted to individuals fleeing persecution,
war, natural disasters and other situations
in which their life is at risk.
What Is a Working Holiday Visa?
Working holiday visas allow the bearer to
undertake temporary employment in a
country through which they are travelling.
Not every country offers a working holiday
program. Australia has the most popular
such program.
What Is a Spousal Visa?
Spousal visas allow partners to visit each
other when the couple does not hail from
the same country.
What Is a Transit Visa?
Travellers may sometimes require transit
visas in order to pass through a country
that is not their destination country. Transit
visas are typically required if you have a
layover in a country of more than a few
hours.
What Is an eVisa?
An eVisa, or electronic visa, is a digital visa
that is stored in a database rather than
stamped or glued into the bearer’s
passport. The eVisa is linked to the
individual’s passport number. Applications
for eVisas are typically done over the
Internet and the applicant will receive a
paper document to present while travelling.
Immigrant Vs. Nonimmigrant Visas
Travel visas can be separated into two
categories: immigrant and nonimmigrant.
Immigrant visas allow the bearer to reside
permanently in the host country, whereas
nonimmigrant visas allow the bearer entry
into the host country on a temporary basis.
What Does a Visa Look Like?
Traditional visas can either be stamped or
glued into your passport. If your visa is
glued into your passport, it is usually a
small document that includes your name,
passport number, place of birth, reason for
travel and expiration date. Stamped visas
typically have less information on them.
They usually only have the destination and
date from which the visa is valid and
official instructions stating how many days
the visa is valid for.
Why Do I Need a Visa to Travel?
Visas are necessary if you’d like to travel to
a country that does not have a visa policy
in place with your home country.
Many countries have visa policies and
agreements that allow their citizens to
travel freely between them without the need
for a visa. For example, Canadians and
Americans do not need visas in order to
travel to each other’s countries, only valid
travel documents. However, Canadians do
need visas to travel to Bhutan, for example,
since no visa agreement exists between the
two nations.
Check on Passport Index to see if you need
a visa to travel to your next destination.
What Is a Visa Policy?
A country’s visa policy is a rule that states
who may or may not enter the country. The
policy may allow passport holders of one
country to enter visa-free but not the
passport holders of another country. Most
visa policies are bilateral, meaning that two
countries will allow visa-free travel to each
other’s citizens, but this is not always the
case. For example, Canadian passport
holders may travel to Grenada visa-free, but
Grenadians must apply for a visa in order
to travel to Canada.
There are no hard and fast rules for
countries when determining visa policies.
However, some typical considerations
include diplomatic relations with the other
country, the history, if any, of illegal
immigration from the country, cost and
tourism factors, and more.
Why Do Certain Countries Have Visa
Restrictions?
Countries have visa restrictions in order to
check and control the flow of visitors in and
out of the country and to prevent illegal
immigration and other criminal activities.
Forcing travellers to apply for a visa allows
the authorities to vet potential visitors. For
example, individuals may attempt to travel
to a country with better economic
opportunities in order to work illegally there.
When Do I Need a Visa?
When you need a visa depends on where
you’d like to go. If your home country has a
visa agreement with the country to which
you intend to travel, then you likely will not
need to apply for a visa beforehand.
However, if your home country does not
have a visa agreement with your intended
destination, then you must apply for a visa
before travelling.
See our Passport Index to find out where
you can travel visa-free with your passport.
Applying for a Visa
How Do I Apply for a Visa?
Using your preferred search engine, find the
official government immigration website of
the country you intend to visit. Once you’ve
found and read all the information,
including the visa application requirements,
fill out the required travel visa application
form. You may be able to send in the form
electronically or you may be required to
send it by mail. If your destination requires
visa on arrival, then you don’t need to worry
about applying for a travel visa beforehand.
In this case, once you get to your
destination you may be required to fill out a
visa form and pay any applicable fees.
Double check the requirements with the
relevant website or consulate as you may
need to bring a passport-sized photo as
well.
What Are the Requirements for a Visa?
Each country has its own visa application
requirements. Make sure to check with your
destination country’s appropriate
government website to find out.
Requirements typically include filling out the
visa application form, providing your
passport for stamping if required, a
photograph, and additional documents such
as your flight itinerary, hotel booking or
letter of invitation.
Many countries also have inadmissibility
guidelines when it comes to issuing visas.
Potential visitors may be deemed
inadmissible if, for example, they have a
criminal history, are a security risk, have a
serious health problem, have serious
financial problems and more.
If you do not meet the visa requirements for
the country you intend to visit it is highly
likely that your visa application will be
denied and you will not be allowed entry
into the country.
What Are the Supporting Documents
Required for Visitor Visas?
When filing your visa application with the
embassy of the country you intend to visit,
you will be asked to include supporting
documents with the main visa application.
The following is a list of commonly
requested supporting documents:
Letter of invitation.
A photocopy of the information page of
your passport.
One or two photographs of a specific
size determined by the visa office.
Proof of financial support during the
trip.
Travel insurance.
Airplane tickets.
Proof of purpose of travel.
Visa application fees.
What Is an Invitation Letter for a Visa?
Some countries, such as Canada and the
United States, may require the visitor to
include a letter of invitation with their travel
visa application. A letter of invitation is a
formal letter from the person you intend to
visit stating that they are inviting you to
visit them in that country. Invitation letters
help travel authorities vet potential visitors
by making sure that a temporary visit is
indeed the true nature of the visa request.
Check with your intended destination’s
government website for details on what
needs to be included in a such a letter.
What to Expect During a Visa
Interview?
Once you have filed your visa application,
you may be requested to submit to a visa
interview by the country you intend to visit.
Most visa applications are approved or
denied without the need for an interview,
but the visa officer may request one. The
following are common questions you may
be asked during a visa interview:
Why do you want to travel to X
country?
Why do you want to visit at this
specific time?
Do you have a criminal record?
Are you travelling with someone else?
Who will you be visiting?
How long will you stay?
Where will you stay?
Have you booked airline tickets?
Do you have health insurance for this
trip?
If you are currently employed, do you
have proper leave from your workplace
for the duration of the trip?
Will you return to your home country
after your visit?
What Are the Fees for Obtaining a
Visa?
Each country has different fees for
obtaining a visa. Check with your intended
destination’s government immigration
website to find out the costs. For example,
visa application fees for visas to the U.S.
start at US$160.
What Are Visa Processing Times?
Every country processes visa applications
at a different rate. Make sure to check the
government website of the country you
intend to visit to find out how fast they
process visa applications. For example,
visa applications from Russia to visit
Canada take approximately 8 days to
process, while Canadians looking to travel
to India are advised to submit visa
applications at least 15 days in advance.
What Visa Services Does an Embassy
Offer?
Embassies typically offer visa application
services, assistance and up-to-date
information regarding visa and travel
requirements. It’s always a good idea to
check the embassy of your destination
country to learn about travelling there.
Other Questions
What Can I Learn From the Visa
Restrictions Index?
Passport Index focuses not on the visa
restrictions but rather on the possibilities
and freedom that passports offer. The
Passport Compare tool allows users to see
which countries they can visit visa-free and
compare their passport against others.
Which Countries Can I Travel to Visa-
Free?
Check out Passport Index to find out where
you can travel visa-free with your current
passport. Currently UAE has the most visa-
free access with 175 countries, while
Afghanistan has the least access with visa-
free travel to only 30 countries.
What Are the US Visa Restrictions?
The United States has several visa
restrictions that affect whether a potential
visitor is granted a tourist visa. Visa
applications may be denied on the grounds
of health, a criminal record or other security
reasons. For example, anyone with a
significant communicable disease or a
physical or mental health disorder that
poses a safety threat will not be allowed
entry into the US.
See the United States government’s full list
of restrictions.
Visa-Free Vs. Visa on Arrival Vs. Visa
Required
Visa-free refers to the ability to travel to a
foreign country without the need for a travel
visa. In such a case only a valid passport is
required for entry and exit purposes.
Visa on arrival means that travellers must
obtain a visa in order to enter the
destination country, but it can be obtained
upon arrival. Visitors do not need to apply
for a travel visa beforehand.
Visa required means that travellers must
apply for a visa to the country before
actually travelling there.
See our Passport Index to find out where
you can travel visa-free with your passport.
How Are Travel Visas Linked to My
Passport?
In order to apply for a travel visa, applicants
must have a valid passport as the visa is
typically stamped or glued into the
passport. In the case of eVisas, the visa is
linked to your passport number in the
country’s travel database.
Which Countries Can I Visit Visa-Free
With the US Passport?
The U.S. passport has a mobility score of
166, meaning holders can visit 156
countries without the need for a travel visa.
See our Passport Index for the complete
list.
How Many Visitor Visas Does the US
Accept and Reject Each Year?
According to the US Office of Visa Services,
the US issued 10,381,491 nonimmigrant
visas in the 2016 fiscal year and refused
3,121,950 nonimmigrant visas in the same
period. This means that 28.66% of
nonimmigrant visa requests were denied.
Which Countries Can I Visit With a
Schengen Visa?
The Schengen zone comprises 26 countries
in Europe. A Schengen visa allows the
bearer to enter one Schengen country and
then travel freely throughout the rest of the
zone. The following is the list of all
Schengen member states:
Austria, Germany, Luxembourg, Slovenia,
Belgium, Greece, Malta, Spain, Czech
Republic, Hungary, Netherlands, Sweden,
Denmark, Iceland, Norway, Switzerland,
Estonia, Italy, Poland, Liechtenstein, Finland,
Latvia, Portugal, France, Lithuania, Slovakia.
When Was the First Visa Ever Issued?
The first mention of what we would think of
as a visa is in the Bible’s book of Nehemiah
from approximately 450 BC. A prophet was
given a “safe conduct” letter from the
Persian king Artaxerxes asking that he be
granted safe passage to Judah.
Global Visa Issuance Over Time
According to the US Office of Visa Services,
from 2013-2017 the US issued an
increasing number of nonimmigrant visas
each year, with an average increase of 11%
per year. Nonimmigrant visas include
tourism visas, temporary worker visas and
student visas.