Unmarried, no kids, and a bank balance that’s a little low? Your chances of successfully getting a visa to travel just got slimmer.
Not everyone’s equal when it comes to visa applications. Factors such as your marital status, whether or not you have children, ownership of property, how long you’ve worked for the company, your bank balance, and even your social media activity can count against you.
According to Andrew MacRae, the director of Execuserve SA, a visa application partner of Corporate Traveller, these factors have been leading to a rise in visa rejections among South African travellers. Embassies consider granting a visa as “a privilege, not a right”. This puts the onus on the traveller to prove their motives for travel are legit.
“Your visa application needs to prove why you’re travelling, if you’re planning to return home and if you’re a potential threat,” he explains – hence an increase in visas being rejected after a “social media review”.
Here are 5 ways to increase your chances of getting the green light for an international visa as a South African citizen:
Check Your Passport
Before diving into your international plans, check your passport’s expiration date. Numerous countries require a validity of at least six months after your return. Your travel manager will always track these details from your profile, while Corporate Traveller’s tech automatically notifies you about expiring visas.
Chat with Travel Experts ASAP
Contact your travel manager as soon as you have a sense you may need to travel. They’ll help you determine what kind of visa you need based on your destination and nationality. Your travel manager can also hook you up with visa pros who know the ropes.
Sort Out Travel Insurance
When applying for a visa, you must show that you have travel insurance. Your travel manager can suggest insurance companies with the right coverage for your work trip.
Keep up With Rule Changes
Rules can flip overnight. Your travel manager will keep you posted about any changes that might mess with your plans, so you don’t have to worry about it constantly.
Stay Flexible with Bookings
Your travel manager can book flights and accommodation options that are less restrictive and more flexible, allowing you to make changes and cancellations as needed.
Operations Manager at Corporate Traveller Rategang Moroke, offers practical advice to improve visa approval chances. He suggests that having a TMC like Corporate Traveller can make a difference to the success of the visa application process.
The tech analyses the applicants profile, so that it can ensure passports and visas are valid. A dedicated travel agent will then ensure that bookings are refundable, if for some reason the applicant cannot travel.
Corporate Traveller also partners with visa specialists to provide the guidance to travellers that is needed to reduce the chances of being rejected a visa.