As countless travellers make foreign travel plans this holiday season, numerous globetrotters lose that chance over a rejected visa, often due to mistakes in the visa application. With over 17 years of domain expertise in the visa space, VFS Global has witnessed numerous easily avoidable mistakes made by visa applicants. Given below are five of the most common ones that you should be aware of so that you don’t miss out on visiting your preferred destination.
When filling in a visa application form, it is imperative that applicants include all the information requested, in the indicated format, as per their travel documentation. Incorrect details on the visa application form – such as the name or passport number or date of birth not appearing as it is in the passport, are common errors. While this might seem obvious, most people tend to write information that is inconsistent with their official documents or identity proof. If the individual has the first name and last name written in the reverse order in the official documents, writing it in any other way will lead to your visa getting issued with incorrect details.
A checklist acts as an effective tool when putting together a fool-proof application. One of the most common mistakes that applicants make is not referring to the checklist, or referring to a standardised checklist for visa applications, thus missing out on attaching essential documents during submission.
It is important to remember that different countries have different documentation requirements. A destination-specific, customised list is readily available on the VFS Global information pages, enlisting all the documents required for a visa application to that particular country.
Even a single missing document could render the application incomplete. Therefore, cross-check information that should be submitted with the country-specific checklist before applying for the visa.
Select countries require applicants to submit their bank statements, duly attested. While it is common to submit bank statements, and most travellers are aware of this step, not having these bank statements attested is a common error. It is imperative to submit the attested bank statements to reflect your financial bandwidth for the travel, as well as your credit hygiene.
Every country has a different turnaround time for processing a visa application, which in turn varies depending on the peak travel seasons. Often, travellers leave their visa applications to the last minute, leaving themselves very little time to meticulously follow the checklist and ensure every requirement is met. Most countries accept applications up to 90 days prior to the date of travel and applying for a visa well in advance allows enough time to deal with any unforeseen delays.
The sponsor details, where required, help officials understand the applicant’s support system in the country of travel, making these details crucial to the visa decision. Therefore, it is imperative to ensure we fill in the correct details in the sponsor section of the Visa Application Form and submit relevant sponsorship documents as per the requirements of the country of travel.
While these may seem like simple oversights, they can cost a traveller his/her visa. It is best to provide each and every piece of detail, as requested in the required formats with the proper documentation, to ensure a smooth and hassle-free visa application process.
What is most imperative though is to start the visa application process well before the intended date of travel, to allow enough time for the visa process.