2019 is the perfect year to start your period of studies abroad. When facing one of the biggest challenges of your life, it is important to identify each of the requirements that you will have to meet during the different stages of application to the college or university of your dreams. Among them, you will undoubtedly have to take care of fulfilling some formalities corresponding to the visa.
Regardless of where in the world your study destination is located, it will be essential to analyze all the elements related to your entry into the country. On many occasions your passport will be the key to access many countries around the world, however, you will always have to make sure if you have to fulfil certain visa requirements.
Among many countries, visa requirements are rarely the same, so here at Viva-Mundo we will tell you which are the easiest ways to find out the terms and conditions to gain authorization to enter a country.
Identify what type of visa you need
When it comes to achieving a stage of studies abroad, there are multiple types of visa to which you can apply. These will vary depending on several factors such as the country you want to go to and the duration and type of the academic course or program you choose to complete.
Generally, you must apply for a student visa, an official document that will allow you to enroll in a higher education institution as an international student in the host country. With this type of visa, you can perform all kinds of academic programs starting with language courses, going through undergraduate programs until masters and doctorates.
Likewise, there are some colleges or universities such as the University of San Diego in California, USA that offer different kinds of specialized short courses including language courses that you can take with a tourist visa. This authorization is usually granted to people who enter the country for leisure or recreation purposes. However, this type of visa allows you to stay in a foreign country for an approximate period of time of six months, enough to complete one of these academic programs. Make sure to ask with your direct contact at the educational institution of your choice if you can take your course with a tourist visa.
On the other hand, we find one of the main concerns of international students to be work visas. Usually they are granted to people who seek to participate in commercial activities in a foreign country. However, there are also holiday work visas, which will allow you to have a temporary work permit while traveling for short periods of time, as in the case of Australia. On the contrary, if none of these alternatives are suitable for you, you can request an authorization to work with a student visa.
In any case, it is crucial to know what kind of visa you need to be able to find out the specific requirements for a visa.
Query official websites
Nowadays, the internet has become a fundamental tool when it comes to finding all kinds of information. Now, among mountains of data and documents, it is difficult to differentiate between the false and the truthful. For this reason, we recommend you to consult all the information regarding the visa on official websites such as one of the embassies websites of your study destination.
In the official online platforms of different embassies, the consular affairs departments are responsible for providing users with all the information related to the host country, its trade activities, industry, tourism, education, business and of course all the requirements and regulations corresponding to passports or visas for entering the country.
Likewise, there are websites such as Visalist, a digital platform specialized in classifying visa requirements information according to different categories: type of visa; area; region and sub-region, languages among others.
Visalist gives you a list of the countries that you can enter with a visa exemption and specifies the number of days you can stay in each country. In addition, it provides information such as the country's language, type of currency, time difference and generally offers a link to the official website of each embassy.
Ask your study advisors
The study advisors will be your guide during your academic process, no matter in what stage of the program application you are, they will always be willing to help you and answer your questions.
During your contact with the study advisor, you can ask what type of visa you will need? What are the basic requirements for the visa application? How can you get in touch with the embassy of the host country? Among many other questions that you can think of. In any case, although occasionally you do not have the answer to all your questions, they will do what is necessary to get it and help you start one of the best stages of your life.
Specialized advisory agencies
Currently, there are hundreds of agencies specialized in providing advice on visa procedures. Although they are usually an option that will increase expenses in the budget of an international student, many people come to them because they provide confidence and security.
If you are interested in contacting an agency for the processing of your visa, your advisors will be responsible for informing you in detail of each of the requirements that you must meet when making your application at the embassy.
Generally, the agency is responsible for carrying out all the necessary procedures so that you will not have to worry about anything other than providing the required documentation and information.
Learn from the experiences of others
In an increasingly globalized world, you are likely to meet someone who has traveled to the country in which you want to study. So asking for advice, a recommendation or indication can be a good one when it comes to finding out the requirements for the visa.
Without a doubt we can always learn from the experiences of others, follow some advice or have timely information present when living our own experience.
However, although this is one of the easiest ways to figure out the visa requirements, often the information can be misrepresented, so it is essential that you rectify the information in any of the means mentioned above, so you can prepare yourself with complete peace of mind and apply for your visa and start your study abroad process.
Passports: Adventure Companions Around the World
Regardless of which country of the world you go to, your passport will always be a fundamental requirement when traveling. While it is possible that your study destination has visa exemption for people of your nationality, you should always carry a document that guarantees your identity and nationality in front of a foreign country, the passport.
Generally, there are some nations that maintain solid diplomatic relations with each other, so the agreements are related to the visa and the passport of a country becomes a symbol of power, good reputation and greater privilege to be able to move internationally. Among the most prestigious passports are:
1. Japanese Passport
This Japanese identification document at an international level has positioned itself - according to the Henley & Partners 2019 passport index - in the first place as one of the most powerful in the world. Thanks to the new technology of electronic visas and the prestige of Japan as a power of the Asian continent, Japanese citizens are free to visit around 190 countries without visa conditions.
2. Singaporean and South Korean Passport
In the classification unquestionably the Asian continent was undefeated, the second place was taken by Singapore and South Korea to have one of the passports with more visa waivers. The countries registered the fortune of being able to access 189 countries around the globe.
3. French and German Passport
Similarly, Europe could not remain outside the Henley Passport Index, countries such as France and Germany were ranked in the third position by having a passport that allows its citizens to travel to 188 countries.
As well as these, we can find different countries classified in the 104 positions of the list based on the data of the International Air Transport Association (IATA). The last place in the ranking of the most powerful passports in 2019 is held by the Afghan and Iraqi passports with access to 30 countries in the world through electronic visas.
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When it comes to initiating a study abroad process, it is normal to feel overwhelmed by so much information, requirements, and procedures that you must perform. However, we recommend you establish a checklist with each of the pending stages during your application process of both the academic program and the visa application.
Patience and organization will play a fundamental role in not letting you get carried away by the chaos that may eventually arise. While you may feel nervous when you start one of the most important stages of your life, you should keep in mind the reasons that led you to make the decision to study abroad.
It is important that you choose carefully in which country you want to study because although you may feel attracted to different destinations, visiting a city as a tourist is totally different from the experience of temporarily residing in another place in the world.
When wanting to be an international student, you must prepare to live a cycle of your life in a totally different place from your hometown. For this reason, we recommend you analyze the political, economic, social, cultural and academic context of your destination country. Either way, you can have the peace of mind to choose the study destination that best suits your expectations and needs.
While there are some other important aspects such as language, geographical location of the country, diplomatic relations and others, it is essential to decide on a destination that gives you confidence and security to carry out one of the most important stages of your academic education.
Requesting authorization to enter a foreign country requires time, investment, dedication, and preparation, so it is ideal to be sure you have everything in order before making your application.
Undoubtedly during your stay in a foreign city, you will have endless adventures, experiences, and lessons that you will remember for life. Motivation is essential to continue the road to your dreams, so we invite you to persist despite the adversities.
Having the opportunity to be an international student will make you enormously in many aspects of your life. So do not think about it anymore and venture to live the best experiences that will make you grow personally while you form as a professional internationally.
Have you already chose your study destination?
