As we have been a democratic country now for over ten years, why do South Africans still need a Visa to.....?

Question

travel to almost every country in the world?

Answer 1

Most countries with a high standard of living (western countries) generally allow people travelling from similar countries to enter on a 90 day visitor visa. This is technically called and ETA (Electronic Travel Authority) which is generated by the airline when forwarding your details to the immigration department of the target country.

When people come from countries with a much lower standard of living (third world) then there is a substantial risk that many people travelling from those countries on a visitor visa will vanish and become illegal migrants in the target country.

Consequently people from those countries need to apply for visas individually and generally convince the immigration authorities of the target country that they have a strong connection to the country they are coming form so that they are less likely to stay illegally.

In a world of illegal migration you really can’t blame the Western Countries for taking steps to control it as best they can. It seems to me that all countries have the right to say who they want to come into the country. Most countries want people who will fit in thought education, culture or ethnic background.

Many third world countries have very strong controls on people from Western Countries migrating to that country. Look at the difficulty a European has trying to become an Indonesian citizen!

So its cuts both ways.

The best thing a South African citizen can do is try and migrate and acquire citizenship of another country and a second passport. You can work abroad, save some hard currency and return quite wealthy. Ton the current exchange rate £100,000 will become about £1,500,000 rand which will buy two or more houses in SA.

I can tell you absolutely, if you know what you are doing you can legally migrate and live a good live in those countries as long as you meet the following rules.

•Over 18 years of age.
•Not too bad a criminal record (preferably no custodial sentence longer than 12 months imposed in the last 10 years)
•No serious diseases or VERY expensive operations need. So insulin diabetics can go, people needing a heart operation can’t, but if you have just had your heart operation then you can go.
•You don’t need money or qualification but it’s a little easier if you have them

Of course, many who leave SA never come back when they get comfortable in a Western Country. Many wind up in Australia, particularly Perth, which has the same great similar climate as Capetown.

If you are really want to immigrate, try a good agent at www.immigrationunit.com

Hope this explains and helps

Answer 2

There should be reciprocal agreements (as in visa waivers); after all, I do not need a visa to travel to South Africa (I'm a US citizen).

I think the answer could lie in a lecture on Haiti by the great American orator Frederick Douglass at the 1893 Chicago World's Fair:

"...But a deeper reason for coolness between the countries is this: Haiti is black, and we have not yet forgiven Haiti for being black or forgiven the Almighty for making her black.".

Do your research: most countries in the world which have visa waiver programs only allow in people from majority-white countries. And South Africa, albeit with a very large white population, is majority black.

Answer 3

Having read the informative previous answers I am still curious as to why 'allviking' thinks we have been a democratic country for only ten years. I think most people would say that in the last ten years this country has become less democratic than it ever was. It's time people like 'allviking' looked around them to see just what an undemocratic country Britain is becoming.

Answer 4

This might not be what you wish to hear but, in assessing the bona-fides of a visa applicant, it is necessary to establish what incentive that person has to return to his or her own land. This is far easier for a visa officer at an embassy inside South Africa than it is for one outside of South Africa. Further, and I mean not the slightest disrespect to you, South Africa can be seen as a country for which statistics suggest there is a conspicuous pressure to emigrate among certain parts of the population. The only thing I can suggest as a possible alternative to going back to the RSA is having strong credentials that show to the visa officer why you must eventually return there. Anyway, best of luck!

Answer 5

A visa just gives the country you are visiting a chance to do a background check on you to insure that you are not a convicted felon, sex offender, drug runner, etc. Surely you can understand that a country would want to control what kind of people come across it's borders. South Africa likely does the same thing when others visit there. I am American, and have to have a visa to go to most countries. It has little to do with politics or your government.

Answer 6

That's a) politics (ten years is an incredibly short time in politics), b) immigration policy. We (British couple) need to get a visa to go on holiday to Australia - both countries are democratically inclined, share the same Head of the Commonwealth, have a very healthy relationship, yet Australia have a very strong hold on their immigration policy.

Answer 7

A lot of visas aren't awarded when people don't want to return to their country. Has there been much of that from South Africa? I remember a while back when they only allowed people to get so much money out because there was so much brain drain.

Answer 8

A visa is permission from the nation you are traveling to for you to enter that nation and to stay for a fixed amount of time. Most visas are stamped in your passport upon arrival. every nation has its' own rules and regualtions regarding visas and it has absolutly nothing to do with your government being democratic or not.

Answer 9

All countries require visas for visiting. Its nothing to do with democracy at all. People from UK need visas to visit SA as well.

Answer 10

ah you know everything goooo soooo slowww in another ten years from now ask the same question again maybe the answer will be better