How Many Types of Visa?

There are various types and categories of visas. By obtaining a visa, the visa holder has different rights in the host country for a particular period.

Following are the types of visas:

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1. Tourist/Travel or Visit Visa

Travel or Visit visa allows a visa holder to visit a foreign nation for tourism or spending vacations for a particular period. On this visa, the holder is not legally eligible to work or become a part of any business activity in the host country.

2. The Work Visa

The Work Visas are for the people who want to take up employment or become a part of business activities in the foreign country. Different countries have different policies regarding work visa according to the nature of work, and duration of stay.

For instance, working-holiday visas enable people to take up employment temporarily while travelling through a country.

3. The Business Visa

The business visa enables you to enter a foreign country and become a part of business activities. The business visa holders do not need to join the labour market of the country. For example, a person may need a visa if they want to enter a country to do business with an organization.

Also, individuals may require a business visa if they are to attend a business conference. Generally, visitors must prove they are not getting income from the country.

4. A Student Visa

The student visa is a non-immigrant visa that a person obtains after fulfilling the criteria of an educational institute in a foreign country. Upon the confirmation of admission by the college or university of a foreign country, students get a visa.

High school, foreign exchange students, have to obtain the visa for a temporary residence. Every year students from different parts of the world get admission in educational institutes of the US, Canada, UK, Australia, New Zealand and different European countries.

5. Asylum/Refugee Visa

When individuals face persecutions in the country or their origin, they seek Asylum and Refugee Visa. Also, the reasons behind applying for Refugee and Asylum visas are war, natural calamities such as earthquake, flood, famine, civil war and others.

The applicants claim that their lives are in danger in their homeland, and that is why they want to move to safer countries such the US, Canada, Australia, UK and others.

6. A Working Holiday Visa

This visa enables the visa holder to take up employment temporarily in a country where they are travelling. However, you have to check the visa policy of the country in which you wish to enter because every country does not offer a working holiday visa.

7. A Spouse Visa

The Spouse visas enable husbands/wives/partners to visit each other when one of them lives in a foreign country.

8. The Transit Visa

On many occasions, people require transit visas when they are to go through a country which is not their final destination. Typically, you need a Transit visa when you have to stay in the country for a few hours.

9. E-Visa

The digital form of visa is known as electronic visa or e-visa. Unlike conventional visa, e-visa is available in an electronic database. The authorities do not stamp that on holder’s passport. The e-visa connects with the passport number of the visa holder.

You can apply for e-visa via the internet, and applicants receive a paper document to show it while travelling. Several people are taking advantage of the e-visa facility.

10. Immigrant v Non-Immigrant Visas

An immigrant visa is a route to permanent residence in the host country. On the other hand, the non-immigrant visa allows entry to the foreign country for a particular period. Non-immigrant visa holder has to leave the host country before their visa expires else they may have to face legal proceedings. Alternatively, the host country’s immigration authorities may deport them.

What is a Schengen Visa?

Schengen Visa refers to the zone comprising twenty-six countries of Europe. The Schengen visa holder can travel to twenty-six countries that lie in the Schengen zone. Following are the countries that lie in this zone.

Austria, Luxembourg, Germany, France Belgium, Spain, Greece, Slovenia, Czech Republic, Malta, Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Hungry, Norway, Iceland, Italy, Switzerland, Poland, Estonia, Portugal, Finland, Slovakia, Lithuania, Latvia, Liechtenstein.

What is a traditional Visa?

You get visa stamp on your passport, which is proof that you are eligible to travel to the host country. In other words, the visa is a document, which contains your full name, passport number, country of origin, date of birth, the reason for travelling and visa expiry date. Typically, stamped visas have limited information. Usually, they show the destination and the validity dates (from and to) of the visa.

What is Visa Policy?

The visa policy of the country refers to the set of rules that states enforce for the entry of the people from other countries. The visa policies of some countries can allow passport holders of some nations to enter without a visa. However, this policy may not apply to other countries. Many countries tend to make bilateral visa policies, which means the two countries would allow one another’s citizens to travel without a visa.

However, this policy may change with the change of government or bilateral trade interests. Canadian passport holders are eligible to travel to Grenada without a visa, but the citizens of Grenada need to apply for a visa if they wish to travel to Canada. The citizens of the full member countries of the EU can travel without a visa in the EU countries.

Why Do Some Countries Have Visa Restrictions?

To control the influx of visitors and immigrants, the countries have restrictions. Additionally, visa restrictions enable authorities to control illegal immigration and any smuggling. Introducing strict visa policy helps countries to verify the record of the potential visitors.

If developed countries do not enforce strict visa policies, a large number of people will attempt to work there illegally.