In my experience, I have found that many people are unsure of what to do when it comes to a visa application. They know that they need a Visa for their upcoming trip, but don’t know which process is the best one to use. There are two options: going through the embassy or applying online. The first option has been around longer and is more traditional, while the second has become popular in recent years because of its convenience and lower prices. In this post, we will discuss how each option works so you can decide which one is right for you!
Applying For a Visa through Embassy
Applying for a visa through the embassy has been the traditional way of getting a visa for international travel. It has been around for decades. With the advent of technology, online visas have quickly gained popularity and more and more countries are allowing visitors in on an eVisa or online visa. However, there are still certain types of visas and countries that still follow the traditional method. There are different types of visas that people can get for different reasons. Some people may get a visa for studies while others may get one for work or just for visiting their families in a foreign country. Whatever the reason, even if your country of destination allows online visas you still might need to visit the embassy if you are trying to get a special visa or if there is a special requirement.
Pros of Applying for a Visa through an Embassy
Let’s first take a look at the pros of applying for a visa through an embassy.
A More Hands-On Approach
One of the biggest pros is that you can get individualized assistance when applying for your visa. You will be able to visit with an international expert who specializes in visas and know exactly what steps are involved, what documents are needed, etc. ‎Because they have experience dealing with all types of visas from around the world chances are they’ll know exactly how it works for whichever country you’re trying to go to! And because embassies work directly with these foreign governments on immigration issues there’s a better chance that mistakes won’t happen or problems arise later down the road if everything was done correctly by embassy professionals. This makes their process more reliable than going through a third party online service which may not be as familiar with consulate policies and requirements.
You Learn About the Visa Process
When you visit me embassy yourself to get a visa, you learn about the entire visa process as you go through each step yourself. Once you have learned the entire process, it makes it easy for you to know about the requirements when you are applying for a visa again in the future.
You Can Ask Questions Directly To the Embassy Staff
Another positive point of going to an embassy in person is that you can ask any questions directly to the staff. There have been many times when I have gone through a third party service and had trouble getting my question answered or they got it wrong! This does not happen when you go through the embassy yourself because there are trained professionals who know how everything works and will provide you with accurate information so nothing goes wrong later on down the path.
Cons of Applying For a Visa through an Embassy
Now let’s look at some cons of applying for a visa through an embassy:
Time Consuming Process
One con is that this process takes time. You need to take off work, make sure your passport has enough pages, fill out forms, bring in documents, etc. All of these things can be quite time consuming and are not necessarily convenient when you have a busy schedule to follow! Not to mention the time you might have to spend in traffic for each visit to the embassy. And if your house is far away from the embassy or if the embassy or the nearest consulate is in another city then things can get really difficult and time consuming for you.
Costs Can Be Higher
Another con is that visa costs tend to be higher. Not only do the embassy fees go up after almost every year but many embassies also charge for express or rush processing which will cost even more money. This could end up being an expensive process if everything goes wrong with your application. And because it takes longer there’s a chance that something might come up during this time that requires additional funds from you before they continue on with the next steps of the process.
Applying For a Visa through Online Platforms
On the flip side, you can also apply for a visa online. With the advancement in technology, online visa applications have become very popular. In a few years, online visa application is going to be the most common way of applying for a visa. Technology has made our lives very easy and online visas is one of the benefits of modern technology. So let’s take a look at look at some of the pros and cons of applying for a visa online.
It Is a More Convenient Process
One pro of applying for a visa online is that it’s more convenient. You can do this process from the comfort of your home and you don’t have to take time off work. All you need is an internet connection, computer or mobile phone with access to required websites and information about your destination country required by consulate/embassy officials.
Less Time-Consuming Process
Another pro of going through an online platform is that it’s less time consuming. There are many third party services who offer their help in doing all the necessary requirements on your behalf so you don’t have too! With these platforms there are specialists available at any point during the application process if they see anything wrong which could delay things further down the path for example missing documents etc.
Better Prices
One last pro of applying for a visa online is that it’s better priced. All the money you spend on third party services goes towards paying experts who know what they are doing with your documents. This results in less delays and errors which gives you more time to plan for additional costs if needed before they continue on! And because you don’t have to go to the embassy it will save you a lot of cost in transportation as well. You can visit Natvisa to apply for an online visa for your favorite destination. The visa application process at Natvisa is very simple and highly effective.
The Cons of Applying For a Visa Online
Even though the process of online visas is very convenient and easy, there are still some cons for applying for a visa online.
You Cannot Directly Ask Questions to the Embassy Staff
One con is that you can’t directly ask questions to the embassy staff. Even if they do provide a helpline number, it’s usually only for very general and broad information. If your requirements are more specific then you will need someone with proper knowledge of what needs to be done in order to give the right guidance which isn’t possible by just calling an unknown phone number!
You Don’t Get a More Hands on Experience with the Visa Process
Another con is that you don’t get a more hands on experience with the visa process. In order to have a better understanding of what’s going on at each stage and how it works, you’re not able to follow them from start to finish.
The Verdict:
Well, to sum it all up, both ways have their pros and cons but in the 21stcentury applying for a visa online is the best way to go about your visa application. It is also an ideal way to apply for a visa during the deadly pandemic.
