Obtaining a visa

Daniel,

It all depends on the destination country and the category visa you are trying to obtain.

There are numerous countries you can enter as a TOURIST without a visa if you are a US citizen and carry a US passport. You need to check the US Visa Waiver Program list to find out which ones.

The rest you will need to apply for a Tourist Visa through the destination country's Consulate in the city that has jurisdiction over the city where you reside in the USA.

If you're looking for anything that would allow you to work in the destination country then you're going to need to find out the requirements for applying for a Work Visa, you cannot work anywhere on a Tourist Visa or on a Visa Waiver Program entry. You will need to find out exactly how to qualify for a Work Visa, if you must have a confirmed job offer/contract waiting for you before you can even apply, what other documents from the destination country you'll require in order to work their, such as an individual tax number (similar to a Social Security number), etc.

If you wish to apply for a Student Visa you will likely need a confirmation letter from the educational institution giving the details of the course you are enrolled in, start and finish dates, number of hours of study per month/week, etc.

There is no single (blanket) answer for your question since ALL nations have their own set of visa categories and requirements.

Cheers,
James     Expat-blog Experts Team