ABSTRACT
Nations require their citizens and visitors to have proper documentation, in the form of passports and visas, to travel across borders. A passport is issued by the traveler’s national government and provides a standard form to identify the traveler by name, age, gender, nationality, place of birth, photograph, and in more and more instances, biometric data. The passport itself does not allow the holder to enter a foreign land. Clearance to enter into another country for a specified period of time and to specific geographic locations is granted in the form of a visa. Applying for a visa in advance of the traveler’s arrival allows time for the host country to scrutinize the traveler’s circumstances related to their financial security, health, and propensity to return to their homeland. Some countries require its visitors to deposit relatively large sums of money in non-interest-bearing escrow accounts before travel begins. This will entice visitors to return to their home country and not settle in the host country illegally.
