- Tourist visas can be expensive and confusing to apply for.
- The process may discourage some travelers from visiting the U.S.
- Visa policies try to balance economic and national security priorities.
It can be hard for international visitors to get permission to come to the U.S.
Onyi Apakama knows this firsthand. She’s a first-generation American born to two Nigerian immigrants, and much of her family is still living overseas.
A convoluted and expensive tourist visa application process means her relatives have missed major milestones with family here in the U.S.
“It was definitely a sad thing because it was (my cousin’s) younger sister,” Apakama said. “She wasn’t able to attend her sister’s wedding.”
For Americans, it can be easy to forget how complicated international travel can be depending on your passport.
U.S. passport holders can access 186 international destinations without applying for visas in advance according to the Henley Passport Index, meaning we almost never need to go through the hassle and expense of filling out extra paperwork or turning up at a country’s embassy to prove ourselves before a trip.
But many visitors coming to the U.S. face a process that’s much more arduous.
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According to Esra Calvert, around 40% of international visitors to the U.S. need to apply for a visa to enter. Calvert is the principal at Esra Calvert…
