World Travel Visas and the Law

As long term or slow travelers we are mostly concerned with Temporary Visas and Visa Waiver Programs. Visa Waiver Programs (VWP) are agreements between certain nations that allow entry with only a valid passport for a specific duration and purpose. Tourism is one of those recognized purposes. Example: The USA and Japan have a Visa Waiver or Visa Exemption Program. US citizens may stay up to 90 days without a Visa IF they have a valid passport with a duration of at least six months left after entry date, an onward travel ticket to another country destination and show they have enough funds to cover their stay. There are some restrictions regarding work, long term studies and others. Those requirements and restrictions are common throughout temporary travel worldwide, regardless of VWP or Visa required entry. All nations have their own “Reset” period for reentry, fairly standardized by global region.

Temporary/Nonimmigrant Visas are categorized based on the purpose of travel, with the most common types including tourist, student, work, business, transit, and family visas. According to Travel.state.gov, there are at least 34 different types of these visas for the US alone, all with extremely specific criteria to meet before consideration. You are not guaranteed entrance. Some nations even differentiate theirs between Single Entry and Multiple Entry Visas with fees and requirements to match. There is also a duration of authorization attached to each visa. For the USA the duration is typically 6 months, and not longer than 1 year. Overstay by even one day can result in a 3-10 year no reentry ban. The USA does not penalize violators with monetary fines or incarceration. It is not a USA criminal offense, by definition, it is an immigration violation. But not all countries are equal.

We have informed you in several past posts about the EU Schengen duration limit of 90 out of a rolling 180 days. This is with or without a tourist “C” Visa. Overstay by one day in the EU results in stiff fines up to 10,000EURO, possible incarceration, deportation and bans of 1-5 years. Each nation independently has their own penalties relating to the fines and bans.

A SE Asia example: Vietnam requires a valid US passport with 6 months duration minimum left from entry date. They are very strict on the condition of that passport too, no torn pages, earmarked pages, etc. or entry may be denied. Some nations, like Vietnam, have eVisas that can be done online. Others require a visit to their Consulate or Embassy. So far, we have not had to obtain Visas for our travels due to VWP and EU/Schengen requirements. Vietnam’s eVisa has two choices of a 30-day single entry or 90-day multiple entry with prices of $25 and $50 USD. Travel through tickets and proof of finances for travel duration are still required. Processing takes about 3-5 working days. There is also a Visa on Arrival option and the traditional method of going to their embassy within your nation of origin to apply. Penalties for overstay are approximately $19 to $1520USD depending on length of overstay, possible arrest, deportation, and a reentry ban of 1-5 years.

While overstaying a Visa is not a criminal offense in the USA, it IS a criminal offense in other nations like India, the UK (Ireland, Scotland, England, Wales) and the entire Schengen Zone/European Union that includes 29 nations. Another example of the USA being more lenient regarding Visas and regulations surrounding one’s time in a foreign country. Same sex or non-traditional relationship tolerance are also legally and socially more acceptable in the USA than many other countries, depending on which site you choose to research. It is literally a travel consideration with some couples we know and follow.

There are language requirements, reading, writing and spoken for a plethora of Temporary Visas worldwide, but only a couple specific ones (commercial drivers and some government jobs) in the USA.

I have chosen not to venture into Residency, Citizenship and Immigration further due to the extremely complex details and differences within and between each country. Suffice to say, in comparison to many other nations, the USA may be more lenient in some of its requirements, regulations, penalties and freedoms while being equal to others.

Digital Arrival Cards (DAC) will be our next travel experience to report on once we have done them. Our next travel will take us through SE Asia and DAC are required in all seven countries we plan to travel through, even though only 4 require a Visa of some sort. So far, we’ve only completed our research from each nation’s immigration and embassy websites to go by. As of this writing, all seven countries have a 72-hr window to apply. This can be done online, in person at very few US locations, or in person on arrival. None have fees for the filing.

*** If people request it in our Leave a Stone section, I will even do a Temporary Residency Visa comparison of several countries to show how the USA is more concerned with skilled workers and higher qualifications, while the majority of other countries are income based with other requirements that are similar to ours. Too much information for an already long weekly post. I will do my best to write in response in a timely manner. Signed, Greg aka “Don’t hate me ‘cause I’m beautiful”