Special Visas 101
Which Countries Offer Them And What Their Eligibility Criteria Is!
Do you know the one thing common amongst all travel enthusiasts?
It is the forever willingness to learn.
You see, the common factor between learning and wander-lusting happens to be the feeling of doing something new.
So dear traveller, we are here again to feed your insatiable appetite for the ‘new’! However, this time it’s not only with our innovative, efficient, super easy, and award-winning visa and passport outsourcing services that we seek to enlighten you- it is, indeed, with some unknown and new facts about the different visas from around the world!
Now we’ve already told you the four basic types of visas – to reiterate, they are-
- Tourist Visa – granted for pleasure travel and recreational purposes.
- Work Visa – allows you to conduct business or work in a foreign country.
- Immigration Visa – for those who wish to relocate their residences (includes relocation by marriage)
- Student Visa – for those who wish to study in a foreign country.
And, of course, you know that for any of the above visas, you have BLS’s visa and passport outsourcing services that fast-track all the visa-related processes so as to save time and money.
But here’s what you perhaps didn’t know; countries have many other types of visas too. For example, Japan tops the list with 193 types of visas and is closely followed by Singapore, which has 192 variations of visas to offer. Even the United States has over a hundred types of visas to offer.
And then there are also a few special visas that countries offer to individuals who excel in their professional capacities.
Let’s take a look at them in detail, shall we?
- The 0-1 Visa for the United States.
If you are exceptionally abled and have more awards on your walls than photographs, you might be exactly what the US is looking for! The United States actively encourages the influx of super talent into the country by providing high-ranking professionals with a special 0-1 visa.
Who is eligible for this visa, you ask?
The website states, “The 0-1 non-immigrant visa is for the individual who possesses extraordinary ability in the sciences, arts, education, business, or athletics, or who has a demonstrated record of extraordinary achievement in the motion picture or television industry and has been recognized nationally or internationally for those achievements.”
The visa is also applicable to the entourage of the super-talented human traveling.
2. The UAE Golden Visa
If it wasn’t clear by the US 0-1 Visa, let UAE’s Golden Visa make it abundantly clear- it really pays to be good at what you do.
While the US gives a non-residency visa to talented individuals from anywhere in the world, the UAE encourages them to stay within their country and conduct their business by granting them the Golden visa (in other words, the Golden Visa enables individuals to set up shop within UAE and bring their business to the Arab nation- thereby giving the Arab economy a massive thrust).
This special visa has many value-added features that further persuade exceptional individuals to relocate and operate from the UAE, like:
- Zero taxation on personal income
- Access to financial activities in UAE (banking, etc.)
- Ability to invest and work hassle free in UAE
- Access to health insurance and allied services (fun fact- did you know that the UAE healthcare scheme is ranked the best in the world? Talk about incentivizing!)
- A fully accepted driver’s license
However, these benefits and the visa are costly! The UAE requires a minimum investment of 5 million AED in a property by the individual in UAE (they must also prove that the money invested isn’t a loan procured from a bank or an individual).
3. Singapore’s Special Work Visa
Singapore isn’t far behind from the US and UAE in recognizing the value of high-profile individuals. The south-east-Asian country’s special visa called Overseas Networks and Expertise (ONE) pass is designed exclusively to attract “rain makers” to come and work from Singapore, thereby aiding the country’s profitability and productivity indexes.
To draw global talent to the country, Singapore offers expatriates and executives earning a minimum of 30,000 Singapore Dollars (roughly $21,452 USD) a month, the all-elusive special work visa. Apart from them, individuals excelling in the area of arts and sports are also offered this visa.
The rationale behind the country’s decision was explained by their Manpower Minister Tan See Leng, who said that this “global talent would aid Singapore’s development in sectors like sustainability, artificial intelligence or fintech.”
The special work visa will give individuals a five-year visa to work/live in the country; it also makes their spouse eligible for work and reside in Singapore for the same duration. However, the ONE pass will only be made available in January 2023.
The strategy of offering incentivized work visas for “global talents” has also been adopted by other countries like Thailand, Australia, Britain, and Germany. Of course, each of their terms, conditions, and incentives is different from one another.
Be it a special work/immigration visa or a regular tourist short-stay visa, no one offers a more elaborate visa and passport outsourcing service than BLS. Simply walk into any one of our conveniently located VAC Centres, and we’ll guide you through the whole arduous process of procuring a visa, making it simple and efficient.
Do you have any queries related to our visa and passport outsourcing service? Visit our website www.blsinternational.com, and all your questions shall be answered.