What Is a Visa?

A document issued by a foreign country, which allows you to travel there is a Visa.

Types of Visas

Depending on your purpose of travel there are several types of visas issued. You can get visas for study, tourism, work, business, or research purposes.

Electronic Visa – An online version of your visa available prior to your trip

Visa on Arrival – When you arrive you get visa at the airport or border

Pre-approved Visa – The visa that is applied before you travel

In this article we discuss pre-approved visa as that is something most people who are travelling abroad on a holiday need.

Documents Required

To apply for a visa based on the territory you are visiting you need to furnish a few or all of the following documents.

Passport and photos
Employment status and proof of funds
Letters of invitation/sponsors

Vaccination requirements (not all countries ask for this)

Travel insurance

It is advisable to visit the websites to know the list of documents required to apply for a visa as different embassies/consulates have different requirements. You can proceed further once all your documents are in order as listed on the embassy/consulate’s website.

Scheduling an Appointment for Interview

To go ahead with the visa application process you need to appear at the nearest consulate/embassy. Countries like the US are quite strict with their interviews. Before appearing for the interview you need to schedule an appointment with the nearest consulate/embassy.

Sending Passport and Other Documents

You need to visit the consulate/embassy for stamping the visa if you apply for a pre-approved visa. You will have to either visit that city or send your documents by post if the embassy/consulate is not in your city and is far away. It may take between a few days to several weeks for the visa to be issued once you send the passport and documents to the concerned embassy/consulate.

Visa Services

You can avail the visa services of agencies that specialize in visa applications if you find the procedure too cumbersome. They assist you with gathering all the necessary documents and procuring a visa.

After procuring Visa what next?

Ensure that it is free from factual errors. Check your name, passport number, date of birth, number of entries, validity dates, and other information. Opt for comprehensive travel insurance, once your visa is procured, to be on the safer side and enjoy your trip!

New York looks fabulous and invitingwith white snow, colorful lights, pretty decorated trees and brightly lit stores. Though it gets really cold during Christmas, these enchanting sights of the metro city will not dampen your spirits. The Rockefeller Center is one of the main attractions in the city with a 70 feet conifer that is decorated with five miles of Christmas lights. You could also enjoy ice skating there. If nothing, just a lazy walk down the lanes of this lively city with a cup of hot chocolate in your hand and admiring the zillion sparks of colorful lights from the many many stores is a treat to the eyes.

What is Christmas without a Santa Claus? The Santa Claus Village which is also known as Europe’s Christmas capital is located the foot of the Arctic Circle. It has Santa themed parks that has a real reindeer, a tour of Santa’s workshop. Every year around Christmas this place attracts thousands of visitors from all over the world to witness the marvel of Santa Claus.

Caribbean is another classic Christmas destination. With its warm weather and a nature friendly place, you definitely do not want to miss this awesome place. The famous islands to visit are Barbados, Tobago, Anguilla, Dominican Republic. With some of the world famous beaches present here you can have a fantastic vacation with many things to do. You could also rent a Caribbean villa for a family together.

Reykjavik in Iceland offers a beautiful Yule Town Christmas with a city filled with peculiar Christmas traditions. You could also get a glimpse of the Northern Lights. The winter trips to Iceland is very exciting with its humungous glaciers, warm hot springs and geysers, epic volcanic craters and cascading waterfalls.

Provence in France has music played in medieval churches that is perfect for the Christmas festive feel. There is a huge Christmas market where people throng and celebrate with fervor and joy. The lights across these cobble stoned streets are a pretty sight which can not be missed.

Nuremberg in Germany boasts of an impressive Christmas market with over 200 vendors who put some excellent stalls to compete for the most beautiful stall design award. There are some breathtaking historic castles and museums to visit here in Nuremberg.

Barcelona in Spain is worth a stay during the holiday season. The city looks magnificent with canons, fireworks and a huge parade of camels, elephants and giraffes. The pristine beaches, the modern art and architecture, the mountains all are a beauty in Barcelona. This is one of the most cosmopolitan cities in Spain and is a major tourist attraction.

Durango in Colorado offers a mountainous Christmas with no much hype and fanfare. Its serene white snowy surroundings relaxes your mind and helps you celebrate a peaceful Christmas. You could try skiing in this famous ski spot.

Choose a wise visa agent who will advice you and even help you to arrange your visa requirements and sort out all your legal formalities.
• Check whether the agent is registered with the government or whether they have an exempt from license. Each country has certain unique regulations to be a visa agent and they must abide by the laws and code of conduct.
• Secondly, check out the years of experience, academic and professional qualifications of the agent in this field.
• Get to know about the reputation of the concern from friends and relatives.
• In addition, research online and research the visa service provider.
• Then, go for an initial consultation and understand the happenings of the firm, whether they have enough clientele or just you.
• Find the varieties of services they provide for visa processes and get the cost involved for all the services. Compare the service charges with that of other firms.
• Clarify all the doubts and never assume anything.
• Get written records about the commitments they provide.
• Never pay full amount prior to work completion.
• Do not sign blank documents.
• Discover what a service provider can do and know his limits. Do not fall prey to fraud service providers.
Apart from what is said above, you will have to do little research online about the laws, types of visas, availability of forms, submission dates, formats, passport validity of visas, and arrange other documents like copy of round trip flight tickets, sufficient bank balance, vaccination proofs, etc. Check the department website and the concerned country’s website and collect all the required information, even before going to the service provider. These are just a few of tips and document requirements for obtaining a visa. A trusted visa agent will be able to guide you throughout the documentation process.
Online visa application process is better and comfortable but not in all means. Protect yourself from frauds and scam and with a little extra service charge. With Emperor Traveline, you go hassle-free in the hands of an experienced and trusted visa service provider.

B-1/B-2 Visa: This visa is issued to those who are traveling to the United States for vacation or holiday. B-2 is issued for those who come to the U.S for medical treatment.

F-1 Visa: The F-1 visa is applicable to students who are enrolled into educational institutions and universities in the U.S. F-2 visa should be applied for dependents and spouses of F-1 holders in order to travel to the United States.

H-1B Visa: H-1B is issued to professionals and specialists who have obtained job offers from specialized companies in the U.S. Their spouses and dependents will have to get H-4 visa to enter the U.S
Similarly L visas are issued to expatriates who come to the U.S on intra-company transfers. O visas are issued to foreign nationals with specialized skills in Science, Arts, Business or Athletics. Cultural Exchange visitors can travel to the U.S with a Q visa. Performing athletes, entertainers and artists are issued P visa so as to travel to the US.

Each of these visa categories requires a specific set of documentation to be submitted in order for the visa to be processed. Tourist visa applicants who are traveling to the U.S to visit family or friends will have to submit an invitation letter, copy of sponsor’s passport and visa along with their financial documents as proof that they will return to their country after their visit. Other tourists who are visiting just for tourism will have to submit a copy of their tickets, hotel accommodation confirmation and their itinerary. People who are going on business or work reasons have to document proof of their employment and approval forms from USCIS.

Apart from these, all applicants have to submit certain mandatory documents. They are:

Passport with minimum 6 months validity.

3 Photos – 50 mm * 50 mm with white background, no spectacles.
Financial Documents – Bank Account Statements, I.T papers.
Fee receipt showing payment made to set-up appointment at the Consulate.

It always helps to make use of a professional travel agency for visa purposes. They pay the required visa fee on our behalf and also clearly indicate the documents required and set up appointment dates on our behalf without any hassle. They also give detailed instructions as to how to answer in the visa interview at the Consulate and ensure that we are successful in obtaining the visa required for out travel to the United States.

Visit Emperor Traveline for more information on U.S Visa Services and for other countries of the world.