Be aware when applying for a visa

JOSE Cruz, national

executive and client

services manager of HRG

Rennies Travel, and Michele

Kendall, md of Visalogix,

advise agents what to look

out for when applying for a

visa.

According to Jose, ensuring

that all the client’s required

documents are in order is

essential. “I have seen so

many cases of rejected visa

applications due to missing

documents,” he says.

“What is always tricky are

the requirements and extra

documentation that each

application needs. There

are so many countries, each

with its own interpretation

of what is necessary and its

own special requirements,”

said Michele.

She gave the example of

proof of finance. One may

require a copy of the client’s

latest bank statement,

with an original bank

stamp, while another may

require three months’ bank

statements, or credit card

statements. Another may

request an original bank

letter instead of the above.

“This is just one from a list

of, on average, 10 items,”

Michele said. “It’s not easy

for South Africans, who

often have to hand in a book

of documents.”

One document that can

cause confusion is proof

of travel insurance. Jose

explained that some

agents might assume that

their client’s credit card or

medical aid company will

automatically cover them

for their trip, but this is not

always the case. “Only if

you have a black credit card

or are on the top medical

aid scheme will you be

covered for most countries.”

He added that the criterion

was for your credit card or

medical aid provider to offer

€30 000 (R446 300) for

Schengen countries.

Concerning visas for the

26 Schengen countries,

Michele said some travellers

didn’t even know which

forms to fill out, because

they did not know which

consulate they needed

to apply at, and therefore

which requirements to

follow. “Business visas,

for example, need specific

requirements such as

legalised letterheads of

the inviting company, or a

government stamp on the

letterhead of invitation.

Some require the letter of

invitation to be translated

into their language. Different

consulates also require

different formats. “This

can be difficult for agents,

and the public, to find out,

and if the visa is incorrectly

applied for and gets

rejected, there is a domino

effect of costs and delays.”

For Australia, she

emphasised the need to

make sure one is applying

for the correct form,

explaining that filling in the

wrong form may lead the

authorities to think clients

are ‘ducking and diving’.

When applying for a US

visa, Michele said it was

best to be as honest as

possible. “Even if you had

a parking ticket, state that.

Because they will know if

you have had an incident,

even a small one, if the

police were involved.”

Michele added a few more

useful tips:

Don’t submit documents in

Afrikaans – these will not

be accepted.

Be presentable when

visiting consular offices in

person.

Double check your

requirements list.

Don’t be late – you could

be charged for another

time slot.

Be honest.

And, above all, be

patient