14 Nov 2019

Heading overseas is like becoming a millionaire. It sounds absolutely great, but actually getting to that point can be a bit of a struggle. Of course, earning the big bucks takes a lot more effort and determination than just getting yourself into another country, but the basic idea is the same – there’s a lot of stuff to get done before you can sit back and enjoy the good times.

One of the biggest battles people struggle with when they travel is sorting out their visa. Between the sneaky deadlines, the hours of forms and admin you need to fill out, and the confusing application process; getting a visa can be a daunting process.

Fortunately, there are people out there (legends, in fact) who have been through this whole ordeal already and are willing to impart their wisdom to you, to save you from making the same mistakes they did.

1. Make sure your passport is good to go

I know it seems obvious, but if your passport is going to expire whilst you’re overseas, then your visa won’t get approved. Even though your passport is fully valid for the next three months, that isn’t going to cut it for your six-month round-the-world trip.

Also, give yourself a bit of wiggle room in case you decide you want to stay a bit longer. Maybe you’ll absolutely love a certain country (or a certain person within that country) or want to experience something you hadn’t initially planned for or simply realise you’ve got enough leftover cash to extend your trip a couple more months. If any of those things happen, you don’t want to get denied just because your passport hasn’t got enough time left on it.

2. Make sure you know which visa it is that you need

A crucial piece of information that I wish I had before my last trip - countries have more than one type of visa!

What type of visa you need depends heavily on your circumstances, and reasons for travel. If you’re heading overseas to study, to be a tourist, to conduct business, or even as a competitive athlete – you’re probably going to need a specific visa and it can be a hard slog figuring out which one actually applies to you.

Tourist visas are probably the easiest ones to acquire, but if you’re traveling to multiple countries, or heading to one specific country to try and find work, then the application process could take a bit of time. If you’re heading to the UK, I highly recommend reading the next point:

3. There are organisations that will help you with the whole process

As someone who has gone through the highs and lows of applying for different visas, listen to me when I tell you it’s so much easier using a visa service. These are organisations that will look after your application for you, so that you don’t miss any deadlines, attach the wrong docs, apply for the wrong visa or make a lil mistake that will stop you from ever getting your visa approved.

If you’re heading to the UK, then Restless World is who you should be looking for to help out with your visa application. They’ve been lodging UK visa applications since 2004 and have successfully completed over 20,000 UK visa applications with a 100% approval rate. They’re especially handy if you’re keen on a working gap year because UK visas are tricky and there are often restrictions around what types of jobs you can get, how many hours you’re allowed to work and what cities or regions you can be employed in.

While Restless World does cost a little more than if ya did it yourself, I’d definitely recommend letting them take care of your visa application. They’ve also got a no visa, no fee policy* so you know you’re in good hands.

If you need some help figuring out which country to head to, check out all your options over here. Or, if you know you’re keen on the UK, check out more about Restless World and how they can help over here.  

 

 

*All NO VISA = NO FEE refunds are assessed on a case by case basis. Visas rejected based on past criminal records, traffic offences, previous refusals, any undisclosed information or historical immigration discrepancies relevant to your application are not eligible for a refund from Restless World. We reserve the right to waive the NV/NF guarantee should your circumstances warrant it, but this will be agreed in writing before progressing with your application. All applicants with a criminal conviction and/or traffic offences are not entitled to the NV/NF guarantee.