ACCORDING to a recent
eTNW poll, the majority
of travel agents will
oblige if a traveller requests
an itinerary for their visa
application even though
the client has not booked
and paid for air or land
arrangements. But some
are concerned about the
ethicality of this, even
thinking of it as “fraud”.
Debbie Nicholson, md of
Visas & Passports Unlimited,
says the itineraries serve to
provide approximate travel
dates for the correct validity
of a visa request and proof
of a legitimate plan to travel.
She says, some embassies
will consider an application
with an itinerary reflecting
planned travel dates. “If an
applicant is applying last
minute for a visa, we would
not recommend they confirm
any flights until their visa
is received, so using an
itinerary is definitely a safer
way to apply for your visa,”
she adds.
Debbie says the itineraries
often state that they are
just an estimation or
quote and that they are
not intended to mislead
anyone. She says the only
risk agents face when
issuing these itineraries
is that the incorrect dates
are processed on the visa,
resulting in it expiring
before the correct dates
are ticketed or the visa not
being valid for alternative
dates due to, for instance,
flights being full. “Visas
can be issued according to
travel dates, so it is vital
that these itineraries be as
accurate as possible,” she
advises.
According to Debbie,
some countries discourage
travellers from purchasing air
tickets prior to receiving a
visa. If a traveller purchases
the ticket without allowing
sufficient time for the visa
to be processed before the
confirmed travel date, he
will incur costs to have the
flights changed.
Immigration New
Zealand area manager,
Darren Calder, says:
“Immigration instructions
deem acceptable evidence
[for a visa application] to
include travel arrangements
to be confirmed subject
to payment, provided the
applicant has sufficient
funds to confirm the
arrangements.” He says this
minimises the risk to the
applicant in the event that
his application is declined
or not approved before the
planned flight.
According to Darren, the
travel itinerary assists with
the assessment of the bona
fides of the visitor, including
whether or not the applicant
genuinely intends to stay
in New Zealand temporarily
and legally, and helps the
deciding immigration officer
to select appropriate travel
conditions in relation to the
visa’s duration.
With this in mind, the only
concern an agent should
have is whether or not it is
worth their time, especially
as most say they do not
charge for the service.
