|
For those of you planning to sail to countries where entry visas are required, here is a tip we learned the hard way. Many countries such as Brazil and the USA require that you have your visa issued before you arrive. To do this means applying before you set sail from a country with easy communications access. But, the visa usually comes with a proviso that it must be used within a certain time or it becomes invalid. Ours for Brazil had to be used within 90 days. Since we were delayed in our departure from Africa that left us only 35 days to cross the Atlantic before we lost the visa usage. Fortunately we were able to explain this to the Brazilian Consulate in Pretoria and they reissued an extended visa. Not so easy for our friends Niki and Jamie who applied for a visa to visit the USA before they departed from the UK. By the time they arrived in the US their one-year visa had only 40 days to run. They were able to get it extended by 6 months after a bit of hassle but suggested others apply for US Visas when they arrived in the Caribbean, just a few months before their intended visit to the states. According to Niki, she would get the application in the UK so she knew what papers to assemble, then actually send it in just a few months before she needed it.
|
