Resources

When selecting the country where you’ll spend a large portion of your life, it pays to do the research to ensure the region meets all your needs. This may seem like an obvious tip, but it’s important to find out about the day-to-day lifestyle you’ll face in your new country to ensure you have the best chance of enjoying life in your new home. For example, people considering Canadian immigration might like to know the country has been awarded the highest standard of living award on a number of occasions by the United Nations Human Development Index. Small facts like these might be enough to influence your life-changing decision, so stay informed!

Sometimes, in the rush to move to a new country, you can overlook the important elements like where you’ll stay, or what money you’ll be able to live off if you haven’t been offered a job. Worse yet, there are many stories of people sending off applications for visas and discovering too late that they missed an important bit of information about eligibility that costs you both time and money. Take Australian immigration – the country offers several different types of working visas with small differences in eligibility criteria. It’s easy to slip up and apply for the wrong visa, so stay fully informed about your choices.

There’s only one thing worse than refusing to provide the necessary information on visa applications, and that’s lying on the form. Under no circumstances should you ever make up or falsify information on official documents that you intend to submit. Some countries will just reject the form, but others could go as far as blacklisting you from applying again, or worse! Telling the truth is easier and safer.

Governments don’t want to make the visa application process too difficult – after all, they want people who are passionate about making the most of their experience and working hard to achieve their dreams. To make applying easier, governments provide steps indicating what details you need, when you need to provide them, and in what order. UK immigration, for example, uses a points-based system to make the process as simple and transparent as possible. Following these steps simplifies the application process for both you and the immigration department you’re applying to – and that means you’ll get feedback on your visa sooner.

Opening a bank account in a foreign country may require a passport, photo identification, and credit card statements. To rent a house, some estate agents require bank statements, identification, work references, character references from past landlords… the list goes on. In short, bring all the details and documentation you can think of because you’ll inevitably need them.

Your passport, visa, and any other identification are the only things keeping you in the country. Lose them and you’re in trouble. Photocopy all your travel documents and keep them somewhere safe. If you do lose your travel documents, retrieving them will be a much easier process when you have your copies.

The internet is a fantastic way to reduce the time and effort involved in moving to a new country on a visa. But while most services are both professional and efficient, there are some that aren’t what they seem. A useful way to figure out whether you can trust a website is to ask yourself – “is this too good to be true?”. If the website you’re dealing with is asking for money up front (more than just a deposit), chances are they might not be legitimate.

Although you may be worried about providing too many personal details in this age of Big Brother states and 24/7 monitoring, failure to reveal certain bits of information will flag you as a potential risk – and rightly so. If you have nothing to hide, then there should be no problem with giving certain details for a document that will allow you to follow your dreams and experience new cultures abroad.

Immigration law is a serious business, and immigration laws have serious consequences. When dealing with border security, ensure you behave respectfully and answer questions truthfully. Arouse the slightest level of suspicion and you could be in for a long night of questioning (and at worst, deportation). Naïve travellers often underestimate the seriousness of their actions, so play it safe, give short and sharp answers to each question, and be on your way.

Immigration is a complex process, and some things are best left to the experts. From the complicated visa application process to issues with border security and fraud, immigration is a minefield of potential problems. For expert visa services and advice, contact the fully qualified staff at Global Visas with your queries.