While the world as a whole may be getting smaller by the day, it’s never a good idea to take the subject of immigration for granted. Of course, it’s never been easier to get into and out more countries and territories than ever before, but as the world’s population continually shifts all over the place in a geographical sense, nations in record numbers are tightening and in some cases closing their borders entirely. The UK is a prime example of how tricky it can be to get into a country legally and stay there long-term. You only have to look at the endless range of work permits and sponsor licences in London to get a good idea of how complex the whole situation is – and that’s in a country where you know and understand both the language and much of the law.
This is precisely why experts generally tend to recommend seeking professional legal assistance when looking to apply for a visa, regardless of where in the world you may be travelling. If you’re looking to enter any given country for any reason that goes above and beyond standard tourism, chances are you’ll benefit in several ways by speaking to those who spend their lives working on cases just like yours.
Unique Complexities
For example, it’s not until you get knee-deep in a visa application for a foreign country that you realise just how complex and convoluted they can be. You cannot assume for one moment that they will follow the same kinds of standards as the UK or even operate in a manner you’d consider to be fair or logical. As such, taking things for granted or applying without a focused ‘plan of attack’ for the country in question tends to lead to failure in most instances.
Language Barriers
Something else to bear in mind is that just because the UK tends to be rather accommodating when it comes to translating things for foreigners, the same cannot be said for A LOT of other countries. From websites to vis application forms to email and even any interviews that may be necessary, don’t be shocked if those dealing with your application literally do not speak a word of English and present all correspondence in an alphabet you’ve never even laid eyes on before.
Shortcuts and Secrets
Just as is the case in the UK, there are certain ways and means by which you can ensure your visa application is processed as quickly as possible and is inherently less likely to be rejected. Of course, whether there are any specific ‘shortcuts’ or not will vary in accordance with the country – some are rather more difficult to work with than others. Nevertheless, when it comes to making sure things are both processed as fast as possible and given the very best chance of being accepted, you’ll need a legal representative on your side to show you the way.
Pitfalls to Avoid
In pretty much the same vein, every country the world over has its own policies in place when it comes to immigration in terms of what gets you in and what will immediately see your application being rejected. Just as is the case with a job application, there are certain errors and mistakes – often very tiny ones – that will see your form go in the bin, your time wasted and your chances of being successful next time around take a plunge. You cannot of course be expected to know or work these out for yourself, so it’s worth bringing in a legal professional who can advise on all the things you should NOT be doing with your application.
Minimise Costs
Of course there’s always going to be at least some cost involved in taking on professional immigration legal advice – they’re not in the habit of doing what they do for free. However, it’s more that possible that during the course of your application, they’ll actually pay for themselves in one way or another. Put it this way – if there’s a fee attached to the application you make and you go it alone, you could end up facing a huge bill if you have to reapply several times having made mistakes with each attempt. And what’s more, if getting into the country of your choice matters to you, the cost of the legal advice really cannot be seen as unfair or anything less than an essential investment.
Chance of Acceptance
On the whole, it really is a simple case of your chances improving significantly with any and all visa applications if you side with the very best legal professionals. So if there’s somewhere you want/need to be and you need a visa to get there, this is one minor expense that’s too valuable to overlook.