I’m new to traveling, and wanted to know, who exactly is a visa for? Is it for the country you’re leaving to tell them you are allowed to leave or something? Is it for the country you’re entering so you can tell them you’re been approved to enter from the previous country? Who sees it and who does it matter to?
All I could seem to find on Google is that it’s attached to your passport once you get one and that you need one. I was hoping to hear a more detailed explanation from someone who’s actually used one in the past so I kind of know what to expect!
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It’s permission for you to be in their country. A passport itself is not permission, it’s just your identification. A visa is the official recognition that you are allowed to be in the country for a specified purpose.
For example, a work visa gives you permission not only to be in the country, but to be employed and earn money. That isn’t always allowed, because countries want to protect their citizens by ensuring that non-citizens can’t come in and work, presumably for lower wages which would drive down wages for citizens.
If you’re just visiting, you get a visitor or tourism visa. That gives you permission to come in and stay for a short while.
Visas are temporary, compared to something like a green card, which are typically permanent (or at least, more permanent than visas).
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