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So, I think one of the last times I went to another country, I forgot to get my visa sorted out. It turned out to be Vietnam and I had to do a last minute visa and nearly didn't make my flight!
So we're on top of the ball for this one! Yes! We are!
Turkish Visa: ridiculously easy. Go to a site (yes, government site, yes linked from the Turkish Consulate in Australia), enter in relevant details, press 'process', and fifteen minutes later I had a pdf in my inbox that's pretty much my visa.
UK Visa: apparently nearly nobody needs one? IDEK. I'm guessing I don't because, hey, commonwealth country, but actually trying to get a straight yes/no? Surprisingly tricksy scrolling through websites. I'll check with the parentals who are going earlier.
US Visa: so they say "you don't need a visa" but the ESTA process is a thousand times more convoluted than the application for a Turkish tourist visa. I got stuck at a point; can't remember what it was right now. But they really do want to know a lot of stuff about you. Also: they want to know my social media which...no. Remind me that I need to find out exactly what US Immigration can confiscate/has a right to demand to look at. I gotta say, travelling in the USA is a rather more unnerving business six years on from 2016 (the last time I was in the US was July 2016).
Canadian visa: I apparently need one if I'm coming in via plane, but not one if I'm crossing the border from the US by car, train, boat, or bus. I'm guessing it's because Canada just relies on the US to have been sufficiently rigorous in their processes (see above) that they can just let anyone in from the US and say, "hey, they likely not a terrorists, because US immigration did our business for us". I'm still trying to work out if I'll be crossing the border by plane (Boston->Ottawa) or bus or train....
--
Also, I'm never not going to be bitter that Australia is the only country I've gone through where citizens don't get the speedy pass through immigration while foreigners have to queue for HOURS. I have to do it every time I visit someone else's country, why can't I get a fast pass back in home, dammit?
So we're on top of the ball for this one! Yes! We are!
Turkish Visa: ridiculously easy. Go to a site (yes, government site, yes linked from the Turkish Consulate in Australia), enter in relevant details, press 'process', and fifteen minutes later I had a pdf in my inbox that's pretty much my visa.
UK Visa: apparently nearly nobody needs one? IDEK. I'm guessing I don't because, hey, commonwealth country, but actually trying to get a straight yes/no? Surprisingly tricksy scrolling through websites. I'll check with the parentals who are going earlier.
US Visa: so they say "you don't need a visa" but the ESTA process is a thousand times more convoluted than the application for a Turkish tourist visa. I got stuck at a point; can't remember what it was right now. But they really do want to know a lot of stuff about you. Also: they want to know my social media which...no. Remind me that I need to find out exactly what US Immigration can confiscate/has a right to demand to look at. I gotta say, travelling in the USA is a rather more unnerving business six years on from 2016 (the last time I was in the US was July 2016).
Canadian visa: I apparently need one if I'm coming in via plane, but not one if I'm crossing the border from the US by car, train, boat, or bus. I'm guessing it's because Canada just relies on the US to have been sufficiently rigorous in their processes (see above) that they can just let anyone in from the US and say, "hey, they likely not a terrorists, because US immigration did our business for us". I'm still trying to work out if I'll be crossing the border by plane (Boston->Ottawa) or bus or train....
--
Also, I'm never not going to be bitter that Australia is the only country I've gone through where citizens don't get the speedy pass through immigration while foreigners have to queue for HOURS. I have to do it every time I visit someone else's country, why can't I get a fast pass back in home, dammit?
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