Home / How to Travel Without Money in a World Where Money Runs the World?

How to Travel Without Money in a World Where Money Runs the World?

How to travel without money in a world where money runs the world. Typing “Travel for Free” in the web browser produces a dizzying amount of results that can overwhelm anyone genuinely looking to travel for free. Sifting through 761 million results doesn’t sound like it would be a good time and isn’t for most people, but there are some simple alternatives as long as someone is willing to work hard.

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World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF) is an organization of organic farms from across the world that facilitate homestays. The program allows applicants to stay at the houses of and be fed by their hosts; purely for the cost of you preforming duties around their farms or helping out on smallholdings. They will learn about organic farming and be fully immersed in that countries culture either by themselves or with a few other volunteers. Applicants also get to pick where they want to go; WWOOF is active in over 60 countries, each having many different opportunities and each with information on each opportunity like what the ‘job’ entails, where exactly its located, and the owner of the lands contact information. Applicants will always know what their getting into before landing in the country they are volunteering in and negotiate directly with the host for how long they will be there. The typical exchange in most countries is about 4-6 hours of help for the exchange of a full day’s food and accommodation. Flights and medical care are the only things that have to be paid for, however WWOOF is teamed up with different travel agencies that work throughout the countries that they work with and offer reduced flights and other special prospects.

Another option is the Peace Corps or AmeriCorps, US citizens 18 and older who want to help the world all over or stay close to home have chances to travel and offer aid anywhere. Besides for some costs for medical screenings and vaccinations to make sure applicants won’t get sick on their excursions outside of the US there are no fees associated with anything and living allowances are given while preforming Peace Corps duties in said countries. The only catch to Peace Corps is they are very limited on their opportunities for those that don’t have a degree, though there are service opportunities for those with some schooling and work experience. However, some universities have programs that partner with the Peace Corps through the Coverdell Fellows Program. This program gives varying financial assistance, internship opportunities to serve in underserved American communities, as well as a great resume booster that qualifies the applicant for noncompetitive eligibility status for federal jobs after the close of service. In AmeriCorps members can join the Network, NCCC, or VISTA, all three programs assist directly in America and concentrate on many different things. AmeriCorps Network serve with local and national organizations and address communities needs relating to disaster services, economics, education, environmental issues, medical services, and the supporting of veterans and their families, with full-time and part-time opportunities available. NCCC sends volunteers to strengthen communities, develop leadership skills, and respond to disasters, requiring full-time service for 10 months to adequately respond to each community’s needs within two tracks: Traditional Corps and FEMA Corps. VISTA is dedicated towards members assisting communities out of poverty and requires members to commit themselves for a full year, full-time for the program in order to create the infrastructure in the community to help it stand on its own.

If a short time abroad sounds more appealing then another option might be companies like Diverbo where almost anyone can volunteer to speak English at resorts around the world with the native speakers of said country so they can increase their English ability. The week-long programs that Diverbo orchestrates have a group of about 15-25 volunteers from any English-speaking country and are jam packed with conversation activities to assist with mainly Germans and Spaniards. The program is not so much about teaching English in a typical learning format, but to be there to converse with and encourage growth of language capabilities and for both the volunteers and the participants to learn and understand each other’s cultures. The main rules of the program are simple: only English, be on time to events, and no phones during activities. Some of the only costs of the program are flights to and from the place where the program is being held as well as one night’s accommodation the night before the program commences, as well as extra food and money for extra excursions during allotted free time.

Using English to get abroad can also be used by becoming an Au Pair, or someone who helps with housework or child care in exchange for room and board. Families abroad want their children to be taken care of and for them to be engaged in speaking English to enhance their abilities. Specifically, the company Au Pair World connects families in about 21 host countries with willing volunteers that receive free room and board and pocket change as payment for their services. Au Pair is available as a Gap Year for anyone wanting to take a break from their education to experience a completely different culture but it can also be used for as little as a month stay all the way up to 2 years. Costs for this option include flights, medical needs, a visa, and language courses in the country, but in some cases the host family will cover varying costs like classes, return flights, and some other things. Most au pairs are expected to be between 18 and 30 years old for the majority of countries. According to different countries rates and the family’s needs, au pairs can work from as little as 15 hours a week all the way up to an absolute maximum of 40. Au pairs usually talk with their host family and agree on terms with each other to be matched up in the best way possible, since they technically function as another family member in the house.

There are many options to travel abroad and these are just a few. Regardless, to travel abroad one needs to be dedicated in order to travel abroad and benefit from it. Most programs don’t offer an out and the applicant needs to be fully dedicated to the process for it to go without a hitch and in order to learn and enjoy the experience they are having. The opportunities presented are not ever 100 percent free and usually require the applicant to perform a service but nothing is ever free in this world. The experiences that will be had by the participants of these programs will have memories that will last forever and give them a professional leg up because of their cultural and language advances compared to those around them.

By Stirmel Samantha L

Home / A Travel to Remember

A Travel to Remember

They say once you start traveling you get this thing called a “Travel Bug” and in my case I believe it is true. Meaning, once you travel you get a bite from the travel bug and have the desire to keep traveling. It is a very wonderful and fortunate experience, something that a lot of people don’t have the opportunity to do.

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Born and raised in Chicago, a very multi-cultural city, I was introduced to many sides of cultures that was in every sight and neighborhood you went to in the city. Whether it was going from Little Mexico Village, Little Italy, Greek Town to Chinatown, there was a taste of how rich the diversity was around me. I’ve always had a curiosity in exploring all these neighborhoods, which I did, and potentially traveling there.

My parents are from Mexico so we did travel there when we were younger, it was a little taste of traveling internationally. I was intrigued by the culture and lifestyle that was there. Knowing that this country was right below the U.S. but yet was so different. Growing up my dad became a truck driver, and took me around to different states, something I enjoyed. I eventually wanted to save up money and really start traveling after finishing high school, and I finished college with my associates. In the meantime, I was saving up money to go anywhere I was working a full-time job at a fast food restaurant while being a student at school. I eventually manage to save up enough and set off to Colorado as my first solo trip, I went driving and it was an unforgettable experience. Soon after I started getting this itch to do more and travel more. I knew I wanted to do a little more traveling inside the U.S. before deciding to travel abroad.

Traveling required many skills and research, I always learnt this lessons from my parents, because you do need money and plan accordingly in order for your travel to be successful and enjoyable. I started opening up a savings account and working hard after finishing college with my associates. I had an office job where I did enjoy the company of my fellow workers, just not the work, but I was so determined to do my best to achieve my goals. In the meanwhile, I was working overtime and just making sure I was there on time. I started doing research on traveling, the basics of how to travel locally and around the country. My goal was to explore cities around the U.S. first, the reason was to familiarize myself and enjoy what this country had to offer. I wanted to visit major cities but as well as national parks. I started watching travel bloggers on YouTube, as well as websites. This was such an eye opener for me, it was the main key to learn on experiences and as well as locations to visit. I was fortunate to also have a family friend who has traveled when he was younger.

My main key points were if I was traveling in car, what best routes to take and how far it would be to travel, I would stare at the map studying my routes and what was in the way to stop and explore more. If I was traveling by air, I wanted to know how the airport functioned and what methods of transportation I had. This was all valuable to me, this really helped in taking away my fears of traveling. Since these were trips within the U.S. I still was not worried of current currency, laws, and languages. As soon as the time came I booked my travels and started heading out at the age of 22. I traveled from the East Coast to the West Coast, cities included were New York City, Miami, Atlanta, Los Angeles, San Francisco and more. I also visited many National Parks and Monuments like Smokey Mountains, Rocky Mountains, Sequoia National Park, Yosemite, and more. I was feeling excited at this age I was putting myself out there, traveling and meeting people. I learned to really experience and create great memories was to not be afraid and talk to locals, it was the best advice I ever got. I usually had the habit of traveling by myself and sometimes had the help of my family members, which made it more fun.

Once this traveling was going on I felt more comfortable and decided it was time to save up again and head out abroad. I went back this time and with the help of my cousin, we decided we wanted to travel abroad together for the first time. Our trips were going to include Paris and London. We did our research and got our passports on time, I’ve learned you want to make sure to have all documents ready before traveling. This made the process much easier. Luckily these countries did not need visas, so we were back to watching travel blogs about the local tourist destinations and what to do around the cities. We learned about their local currency and researched about getting currency, as well as the language. Luckily in the U.K. English is the language spoken, but for France, French was a new language to us. We found books on learning the language for our activities, and as well as maps to help us navigate to. Another great big factor was where we were going to stay. It was scary at first thinking about what locations where best and how would we get there. Luckily, we did research on safe areas and quickly booked our temporary homes. It was very essential to make sure we booked most of our activities ahead of time. This was to make sure we didn’t loose on the opportunity in case it wasn’t available when we got there.

When the time came we packed up our luggage’s and I remember feeling this excitement of leaving the country and flying across the sea. It was a memorable feeling, once we boarded the plane and landed, the journey began. I was more than ready, as I did my study and research it truly did help. We landed in Paris first, the excitement was overwhelming, but I knew the language was going to be a bit scary at first. Luckily the locals were so friendly and some even spoke English. We went around the city and visited the most famous attraction, which was the Eiffel Tower. I was beyond excited to be able to achieve my travel goals. We ventured through the streets and the days passed and before we knew it, we were on a fast train towards London, our next destination. We ventured through the historic, yet modern city which captivated me with how different the environment was. We went from Big Ben to the diverse district of Soho. It truly was an unforgettable experience. As the two weeks went by, it opened up my knowledge on what this world has to offer.

We headed back to the states and I was already thinking of my next trip, but also continuing on my education to succeed and grow more. I’ve been traveling more after that and at this moment I am ready to continue my education to earn my bachelors in communications. This field interested me more while traveling, as communication is the main key of meeting people around the world whether it’s through marketing or just effective communication. I’ve learned to be very open minded and accept any challenge. I like to persevere in achieving the best things in life and continuing my education will strive for me to travel in the further future.

Thanks,

Allen T.

Home / Got My Passport Back, Now What?

Got My Passport Back, Now What?

Okay, after a long arduous wait, I finally got notification from Travel Visa Pro’s online system that my passport/visa request had been completed. I anxiously tracked the package, even took a half day from work, and voila, it finally arrived. I am not sure what I expected to happen as I feverishly opened the package but, I was thinking streamers, colorful paper, or something spectacular to jump out of the box. Sadly, it was just an envelope and my passport. So I thought to myself, what should I do now? I was not sure, so I phoned Travel Visa Pro, and one of their helpful representatives instructed me on the steps one should always follow, once the passport is back in their possession.

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Check the name on the passport, to make sure that is indeed you, and there are not any spelling mistakes.
SIGN your passport in blue or black ink. The agent on the phone could not stress this enough. He politely informed me that an unsigned passport could cause tremendous headaches such as a visa being denied, not being able to board a flight, or having your entry refused. I thought to myself, this is really important!
Make sure the picture is you! Mistakes can happen and that picture may not be you. This is more common with visas then the actual passport, but nevertheless it could happen.
Double check that any and all court/official documents you submitted have been returned.
When looking at your visa, make sure that again the name is spelled correctly.
The entry and exit dates match your exact travel plans.
For some countries, make sure that the place you are allowed to enter is listed on the visa.
That you have at least 6 months validity on your passport before you travel. There is not a more unpleasant experience then having to be denied a flight because your passport will expire will abroad.
Make sure there are blank visa pages other then the amendment pages. Technically, visa stamps are not allowed to be stamped on the amendment page.
Lastly, make a copy of your passport and any respective visa, in case you were to lose your passport while travelling abroad.

Home / Can I visit Saudi Arabia as a tourist?

Can I visit Saudi Arabia as a tourist?

Are you thinking of travelling to Saudi Arabia in the future? But you are not sure what type of visa you may require or better yet on how to apply for a Saudi Visa. This article will examine the different types of Saudi Visas and the intricacies associated with applying for each one. Hopefully, upon completion of the article the Saudi visa process will be demystified.

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First and foremost a tourist visa does not exist for Saudi Arabia. Let me say this again, there are no tourist visas for any visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Many people would like to visit the Kingdom as a tourist, but currently this cannot happen.

The most common visa gleaned from Saudi Arabia is a business visa. This entitles the individual to travel to Saudi Arabia to consult and conduct business on behalf of his/her company. Generally, the client in Saudi Arabia, also known as a host, will meet with the client to discuss joint business ventures. This is a relatively simple, straight forward visa to apply for. The host in Saudi Arabia will ask the client for a scan of his/her passport and will then proceed to apply for an invitation letter. This is accomplished by submitting the scan to the local Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Once the Ministry has approved the invitation, it will be reverted back to the host company. They will in turn stamp the invitation with their company seal. Once all these steps have been completed, the invitation letter will be made available to the client. The client will then need to contact a registered agent, such as Travel Visa Pro, to facilitate the stamping of the visa at the Embassy.

Instead of a business visa, your host company in Saudi Arabia may offer you a visiting work visa. Quintessentially this is same as a business visa, but instead of just meeting with your host contact in Saudi Arabia, you will perform special tasks while in the country. You will still be paid by your direct employer and will not receive any compensation directly from the Saudi host.

A government visa will be issued to those who are meeting directly with Saudi Arabian government employees. This is a gratis visa and the invitation letter will list that you are authorized for a government visa. This visa is arranged the same way as a business visa.

A family visit visa is a visa which allows an individual to travel to Saudi Arabia to see as you can imagine a family member! This can be a wife, husband, brother, sister, cousin, aunt, uncle, or whoever is related to you as long as they can prove the relation. This can be established through a marriage decree, birth certificate, family tree, or any other official document. Once the familial chain has been established a family visit will be granted. The family member in Saudi Arabia will have to appear in person at the local Ministry of Foreign Affairs. They will furnish a copy of the guests passport and apply for a familial invitation. The family member who applied for the invitation letter will now become the sponsor for the intended guest. A familial invite will be provided and this in turn will be sent to the guest. They will need to show this at the Embassy in order to apply for the visa. Generally, a family visa will be a single entry visa, valid for 30 days. If you intend to stay longer than 30 days, it is imperative that you inform your host about the length of stay you require.

A residence visa will be needed if you intend to live or relocate to Saudi Arabia. This is probably one of the most uncommon visas as not many individuals are invited to live in Saudi Arabia for a length of time. This is a special invitation which will come from the Ministry of Interior and is usually associated with work or those relocating to be with ones who work in Saudi Arabia. Many call the invitation the long yellow form, as it will always be yellow and is twice as long as a normal piece of paper. This invitation will allow the individual to travel to Saudi Arabia and once you enter the E gate immigration, you will be given an Iqama card. This card serves as your identification in Saudi Arabia and shows that you are a valid resident. It is recommended to keep this card on your person at all times.

By far the most difficult and complicated visa for Saudi Arabia is a work visa. This visa is presented to those who have been offered a work contract with a Saudi company. This is entirely different then a business visa, as a work visa means you will be paid directly by a Saudi firm. Getting a work visa is very lengthy process and will start with an individual having an interview with a Saudi recruiting firm, who will then refer your resume to a Saudi company. If the company deems the candidate suitable for their needs, they will furnish an employment contract. Once the employment contract has been accepted, the company in Saudi will provide the candidate with a visa block invitation letter, which will have the job title, type of passport held, and the corresponding visa number. Once the invitation letter has been received, the candidate will now need to complete the rest of the steps to apply for a Saudi visa. This will include a comprehensive medical exam, a police report, gathering the necessary certifications/degrees, and many other pertinent documents. It is in your best interest to contact Travel Visa Pro as soon as you have received the visa block, as they do expire in 60 days from issuance.

You can be offered a temporary work visa instead of an actual work visa. This is very similar to a work visa, but your contract is limited and will generally expire in 3-6 months. A temporary work visa will require an invitation letter from Saudi Arabia authorizing you for this visa. Once the contract has expired, you will return back to your host country.

Saudi Arabia offers two types of religious visas. Hajj and Umrah visas are available at their respective times throughout the year. There is no invitation associated with this type of visa, but only those who adhere to the Muslim faith may apply. In certain instances the Consulate may ask to see a copy of your Islamic decree from you local mosque. These visas can be obtained either by themselves or with an all inclusive package, which will have hotels, airline tickets, and transportation.

There are many types of visas categories for Saudi Arabia and it is important to consult with your host to make sure all of your demands are met. Equally it is as important to work with a registered visa agent of the Embassy and to make sure such agent understands the visa process. I can say with certainty Travel Visa Pro has such expertise!

Home / PASSPORT DAY IN THE USA on MARCH 10, 2012

PASSPORT DAY IN THE USA on MARCH 10, 2012

My oh my passports have certainly changed in the past twenty years. The National Passport Center which is the largest passport processing center in the United States have seen a multitude of changes with forms, protocol, function, and staff; but the golden seal of the U.S. Passport has remained constant on the front of your passport. The National Passport Center was endearingly named the “pink palace” among many gvovernment employees as the primary function was to process passport renewals on a blatant pink, panther like form. The State Department created an ingenious plan to complete and handle all passport applications at one location. Annually, this location saw millions of renewal applications and was relatively short-staffed. A few years after the inception of a centralized processing hub, the State Department began to accept/issue passports for customers who submitted their application at the various non-Department acceptance facilities. In modern day time, the National Passport Center has around 800 employees which is a tremendous increase from the meager 50 employees they started with.

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After 9/11, the National Passport center became the face of the Department’s efforts to facilitate passports which adhered to national security protocol and did not cause tremendous delay to the consumer. Some of the enhanced security features included a digital printed photo inside the passport book instead of the glued on photo, issuing passports to U.S. citizens living abroad, and a secure chip contained within the passport.
Another big change came to the National Passport agency when the entrance to the center was reconfigured and now allows for three public windows. This was created with a simple goal in mind: to provide the most efficient in-person passport services for any residents in New England. Prior to this local residents had to drive to the Boston Passport Agency, if they intended to apply for a passport for urgent international travel; which is defined in 14 days or less.

This Saturday March 10 you can visit any passport processing center or any other acceptance facility and have your passport documents processed on the spot. There is no need for an appointment and it’s a great family event.

Home / Travel Visa Pro Offers Concierge Service

Travel Visa Pro Offers Concierge Service

Some of you may know that a few weeks ago we recently launched a concierge concept to our business. We decided to expand on our already high level of customer service and include a VIP/Concierge level service for those that are interested. Our VIP/Concierge level service is for clients who are too busy to deal with the hassle of trolling through pages of consular literature, clients on the super rush, and anyone that is having a tremendous technological difficulty. For the latter point, we have become quite aware that Nigeria, Russia, China, and Kenya visas pose significant difficulty for most of our clients. If you happen to experience difficulty with these visa applications, concierge service is certainly for you! There are many benefits of the program, which for a small, nominal fee, you can fully experience. Details of the program are listed below and we have an explicit VIP Line, 202 618 3373, which you can call anytime to speak with one of our concierge representatives.

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Travel Visa Pro’s Concierge Program Will Give You Access to the Following Benefits

Dedicated concierge staff which will be on the ready to answer all your questions. The staff can be accessed by calling 202 618 3373.
We will assist you with the visa application which will include creation of the application, editing, printing, and priority submission to the Embassies.
The ability to create Fed Ex air bills for inbound shipping to our office.
A personal phone call to confirm that the package has been received in our office and that all documents are in order.
For clients whom are requesting multiple visas, a phone call or an email will happen after each step of the process has been completed.
An automatic upgrade to Fed Ex Priority Shipping. i.e. if you select three day shipping, we will upgrade you to priority overnight shipping free of charge.
Prior to shipping we will verify the return address, call and let you know we are shipping, and email you confirmation with a tracking number.
You will have special access to our emergency concierge service which will help clients who have lost their passports, visas have expired, or any issues at the airport. Services may include same day passport renewal, same day visa renewal, airport delivery, and many other options to ensure your delays are minimal.
Your name will be tagged in our system as a VIP client, which ensures that all of our staff will recognize that you are entitled to VIP privileges.
We will offer you free passport insurance.
Free electronic photo printing at the office, normally a $10 fee.
Discounted service fee for registration with US Embassies of your intended travel destination.
Creation of travel itineraries which will be sufficient for document submission

The services listed above can be yours for a nominal fee of:

$35 for the first visa or passport application

$20 for any and all subsequent visas or passports within the same order

If you are facing a headache and want VIP treatment, Travel Visa Pro offers services which can make things much easier. Please do not hesitate to contact us at 202 618 3373 and let the VIP treatment begin!!!

Home / Travel Visa Pro on Facebook!

Travel Visa Pro on Facebook!

We are proud to announce our reappearance on Facebook. We have swept out the cobwebs, changed a few things, and are now back on the market.

Given the recent explosion of social media, IOS apps, virtual updates, and living life on the “technological go”; Travel Visa Pro is excited to unveil our remapped Face book page. We have high expectations of our page and plan to deliver exceptional “on the fly” updates. First, on Travel Visa Pro’s homepage users can find a nifty, live ticker on the bottom of our page. This ticker will have live updates, recent closures, and anything that could affect your travel plans. You will also be able to click the like button on the top or bottom of our page which will entitle you to receive an amazing offer! Lastly, we are searchable on www.facebook.com. Take a look at some our planned updates and notifications:

Daily updates for Embassy closures throughout the U.S.
Relevant articles which will explain recent changes with passports and visas
Question and Answer forum, which travelers can post a question and an answer will be supplied
Links to Travel Visa Pro’s Blog, which has excellent traveler advice
Access to our picture galleries which will have valuable pictures of passports and visas
Contests, discount vouchers, and many other benefits will be listed on our page
Getting to know Travel Visa Pro, were not all business, all the time!!

Home / Travel Visa Pro iPhone App

Travel Visa Pro iPhone App

Do you have an iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad? Travel Visa Pro has a user friendly app, which will allow you to find visa and passport information, create an order, and check for updates. The best thing is our app is FREE. An amazing app for customers who are always on the go!

Home / In Cambodia or Thailand? Let’s head to Vietnam!

In Cambodia or Thailand? Let’s head to Vietnam!

Maybe you’re in Cambodia, Laos, or Thailand and you’ve just decided now, that you want to go to Vietnam. You are in luck, Vietnam allows clients to apply for a visa without sending in your physical passport. The process is quite simple and just requires three items; a clear, scanned copy of the first page of your passport, a passport style photograph, and the completed Vietnam visa application. These documents can be sent to Travel Visa Pro via email or by postal carrier. Once the documents have been received the Vietnam consulate will process your documents and produce a loose leaf visa page. This visa page will then be shipped to wherever you are in the world. The visa page gets stapled in your passport and this page will serve as your entry document into Vietnam. With this efficient process there will be no interruptions to your travel and nor will you be without your passport.

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