Sign In
Learn bits
World Affairs
Mahesh

24/10/23 07:15 AM IST

Visa Shopping

In News
  • The practice of ‘visa shopping’ has been gaining popularity in several Indian states, including Punjab, where travel companies often facilitate this setup for travellers.
Visa Shopping
  • Visa shopping refers to obtaining visas for countries that individuals may or may not visit during the granted visa period.
  • This is because such visas can provide a gateway for people to enter their preferred countries, particularly in Europe, even if they have obtained a visa for another European nation.
  • Additionally, people who have no immediate plans to visit a specific country are also purchasing visas for such nations.
  • This is to increase the chances of obtaining visas for countries of their choice in the future, given how the application process often takes a long time or has chances of rejection.
  • Also, visas usually remain valid for a few years after being issued.
  • According to people involved in Punjab’s travel agencies, one popular example of this is the ‘Schengen Visa’, which provides a ‘golden opportunity’ for travellers by allowing them to explore many European countries without the need for separate visas.
Schengen System
  • Through an agreement between European countries, the Schengen system was established in 1985.
  • Under it, member countries form the Schengen area and people can travel freely between them without going through border controls.
  • Once within the Schengen Area, travellers can move freely across 27 countries (including 23 EU members and Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland).
  • The visa allows travellers to enter the region for short stays.
  • The core idea is simple: get a visa for a single Schengen region country, such as Germany, France, Italy, Latvia, Malta, Iceland, Slovenia, Luxembourg, Hungary, Poland, etc., and through it, one can get entry into another Schengen region country.
  • Schengen Visa is the most sought-after visa in ‘Visa Shopping’ trend due to its unique feature.
Legality of visa
  • This practice is not illegal if the traveller adheres to the norms and guidelines of the visa process and gets valid permission to stay in that country.
  • Legal concerns arise if a person seeks a visa for a particular country but stays in another, or shows that his/her intentions were not to stay in that country but to only use it as an entry point.
  • If any person repeatedly engages in visa shopping, officials may become suspicious.
  • Sometimes, countries raise an objection at the airport if a person’s visa is of another European nation and entry is to another.
Source- Indian Express

More Related Current Affairs View All

18 Nov

AFSPA in Manipur

'The Manipur government has formally requested the Centre to reconsider and revoke the reimposition of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) in six police station areas of

Read More

18 Nov

BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel four-wheelers

'With high levels of pollution in Delhi and smog blanketing the city, the Delhi government has introduced measures to improve the air quality.' The Graded Response Action Plan (

Read More

18 Nov

India’s first long-range hypersonic missile

'The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)  conducted a successful flight test of long range hypersonic missile from the Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island off the Odish

Read More

India’s First Ai-Driven Magazine Generator

Generate Your Custom Current Affairs Magazine using our AI in just 3 steps