For those of us whose passports don’t allow us to hop on a plane when we need to without a visa, we need to be extra thorough with our visa applications. It’s tedious and can be long-winded but just think of the joy that is on the other side.
If you have been denied or know anyone who has been denied a visa, you know the emotional turmoil/frustration it can cause. So, to avoid ‘stories that touch’, basically to avoid bad news, do the best you can when sending in your visa application and I’ll share a few ways to do this.
Send in your application long before you need to travel
Not everyone has this luxury. Sometimes you have to travel on short notice. Even if this is the case, aim to give a few weeks for your visa to be processed. Just to avoid spending more money later to re-schedule flights or having to cancel your trip altogether. If you’re a regular traveller or plan to visit one country regularly then it may make sense for you to save enough money to get a long-term visa, if the country you’ll be travelling to provides that option. With this option, you can hop a plane and leave the country as and when you need to, for a few years at least.
Make sure your application is filled properly
Read through multiple times. Make sure all your information is correct. You may not be forgiven if you make mistakes. Even if you’re using an agent, do your due diligence. Avoid exaggerating answers, as you will be required to provide supporting evidence. Make sure you provide as much supporting evidence as you can muster for what you’re putting down in the application. The saying ‘the more the merrier’ applies fully in this situation.
This is not the time to do ‘African time’
But I trust Nigerians with this when it comes to visa applications African time ceases to exist lol. They are happy to arrive hours earlier if possible. Now I don’t recommend that you get to the visa application centre hours early, but I would recommend that you aim to get there at least 30-45 minutes early. This way if you encounter any unforeseen circumstance e.g. an accident on the road that will most likely cause traffic to back up, there’s a possibility that you can still make your interview.
Pray
Before you roll your eyes, lol, just know that you can do everything right and still get denied a visa. Sometimes the processing officer may just be in a bad mood that day, and your perfectly crafted application could go down the drain. So, pray, pray that your application gets into the right hands of the right officer that will do his or her job properly. What have you got to lose?
As is with anything in life, do your best and leave the rest (the parts you can’t control). Hopefully, we’ll bump into you at the airport *wink* not literally, but you get my drift. Good luck!