As you walk down Vancouver you see, literally, people from all different parts of the world. Some are tourists, students and others are here to begin a new life. Now Canada is a country built by immigrants, everyone you meet that was born in here have parents or at least grandparents from somewhere in the globe. That’s a good mix if you think about it, since I was not born here I still feel like I belong in here.
I am sure if you’re reading this wherever you are right now you could also see many cultures in your city and it’s good to see that people are going out there to see the world and learn on their own and not from books what the different is all about. But what aren’t we seeing here?
On the corner of West Pender and Thurlow, in the heart of Vancouver there’s the United States consulate. Just the other day I stopped for a coffee and some people watching, just right on that corner of all places and I saw this line up of people holding documents and being bossed around by a Chinese door man and of course, those people were applying for visas. Been there done that. And of course, the US is not the only country to ask for a visa but it is certainly the most terrifying one to ask for with the ten print and American wannabe door men, not to mention the rates of visa denials.
A visa is an indication that a person is authorized to enter the country which "issued" the visa, subject to permission of an immigration official at the time of actual entry….The possession of a visa is not in itself a guarantee of entry into the country that issued it, and a visa can be revoked at any time.
Now what makes me mad is how in the world someone can have the power of NOT letting you go freely in your own world? Yes it’s all very organize with the nationalities, taxes and labels but I am completely and 100 percent against the visa process nightmare that one have to go through to travel around a supposed “free world”. I’ve been in a lot of countries and I do think immigration check is necessary in a world of war – don’t even get me started on that – but it’s gotta be some other way to screen people. The right of come and go should be a human right because if you take a little trip to the south to see how not human the Brazilians are treated to see Mickey Mouse you’d take your kid to the Disneyland in Paris.
This is not a specific criticism to one country but to the whole visa issue, I had my share of that and I have seen many people shattered by it and it’s as bitter as it sound. I just want to say for the record I have friends from all over the world and I respect and care for every one of them, Americans, Canadians, Brazilians, Germans…we have to begin to act like ONE.
I am sure if you’re reading this wherever you are right now you could also see many cultures in your city and it’s good to see that people are going out there to see the world and learn on their own and not from books what the different is all about. But what aren’t we seeing here?
On the corner of West Pender and Thurlow, in the heart of Vancouver there’s the United States consulate. Just the other day I stopped for a coffee and some people watching, just right on that corner of all places and I saw this line up of people holding documents and being bossed around by a Chinese door man and of course, those people were applying for visas. Been there done that. And of course, the US is not the only country to ask for a visa but it is certainly the most terrifying one to ask for with the ten print and American wannabe door men, not to mention the rates of visa denials.
A visa is an indication that a person is authorized to enter the country which "issued" the visa, subject to permission of an immigration official at the time of actual entry….The possession of a visa is not in itself a guarantee of entry into the country that issued it, and a visa can be revoked at any time.
Now what makes me mad is how in the world someone can have the power of NOT letting you go freely in your own world? Yes it’s all very organize with the nationalities, taxes and labels but I am completely and 100 percent against the visa process nightmare that one have to go through to travel around a supposed “free world”. I’ve been in a lot of countries and I do think immigration check is necessary in a world of war – don’t even get me started on that – but it’s gotta be some other way to screen people. The right of come and go should be a human right because if you take a little trip to the south to see how not human the Brazilians are treated to see Mickey Mouse you’d take your kid to the Disneyland in Paris.
This is not a specific criticism to one country but to the whole visa issue, I had my share of that and I have seen many people shattered by it and it’s as bitter as it sound. I just want to say for the record I have friends from all over the world and I respect and care for every one of them, Americans, Canadians, Brazilians, Germans…we have to begin to act like ONE.
