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Salma Medina An Arab woman
That some countries will treat you as a potential criminal, even if you're anything but.
Even if you have money and even if you have a perfect history, if you come from a poor country, or worse, a country with a messy political situation, you will have to go to lengths and swear with your life, that you're not planning on committing any crime.
It's humiliating and it sucks, but it's life.
My husband has been working in Canada for two years, and I wanted to go visit and stay for a while. Just a regular visitor Visa.
We have savings that can last us for months.
I have a clear criminal record from all countries I stayed in for over 6 months.
I have been to 7 countries and always left on time without causing issues.
Answer: An Arab woman
Some countries will treat you as a potential criminal, even if you are not at all.
Even if you have money, even if you have a perfect historical record, if you come from a poor country, or worse, from a country with a chaotic political situation, you have to go to great lengths and swear with your life that you are not going to commit any crime.
It's humiliating and bad, but that's life.
My husband has been working in Canada for two years and I would like to visit and live for a while. Just an ordinary visitor visa.
Our savings can last for a few months.
I have no criminal record in any of the countries where I stayed for more than 6 months.
I've been to 7 countries and left on time every time without any problems.
I have an American visa and am working on a green card so I do have an opportunity in a developing country.
But none of that is good enough.
Because the 3 rejection letters stated that the officer doesn't trust that I will leave by the end of my visit.
Why? Because, again the letters stated, that my country has a high rate of unemployment. And they don't see a good reason for my visit.
Two things I can't do anything about.
Naturally, my husband's buddies brought their wives from the states easily, one even had a criminal record (nothing serious, just got caught driving drunk). But there was no heavy procedures needed.
I felt so humiliated having to apply and reapply, collecting whatever papers I can to prove that I am sincere to no avail, while others don't have to go through anything.
I have a U.S. visa and am applying for a green card, so I do have a chance in a developing country.
But none of that is good enough.
Because all three rejection letters said that the visa officer did not believe that I would leave before the end of the visit.
Why? Because these letters repeatedly point out that the unemployment rate on the mainland is very high. They don't see any good reason for me to be here.
There are two things I can't do anything about.
Of course, my husband's friends easily brought their wives from the United States, and one of them even had a criminal record (not serious, just caught drunk driving). But it doesn't require any red tape.
I felt so ashamed that I had to apply again and again, collecting everything that could prove that I was sincere, but to no avail, while others did not have to go through anything.
For me and for many, we already know this and I am not stating anything new. The poorer the country, the harder it is for you to travel to certain areas.
But I was shocked to know that many people actually don't know that.
My father-in-law asked my husband why can't he just bring me over. And we had to explain that the world doesn't work like that.
I am grateful I at least got to visit the states, by a miracle. I genuinely thought that was an impossible visa for me.
My husband got a job offer from Spain, and I hope this visa is easier.
I know that it's like this because it's life. Because people from poor, unstable countries are more likely to flee or stay illegally. But nobody tells you how it makes you feel less than everyone else.
For me and many people, we already know about this, and I'm not saying anything new. The poorer the country, the more difficult it is to travel to certain areas.
But I was shocked that a lot of people didn't know about it.
My father-in-law asked my husband why he couldn't bring me over. We have to explain that this is not how the world works.
I am glad that I at least miraculously visited the United States. I really thought it was impossible for me to get a visa.
My husband got a job offer in Spain and I hope this visa will be easier.
I know that's the way it is, because that's life. Because people from poor, unstable countries are more likely to flee or stay illegally. But no one tells you that it will make you feel inferior to others.
Piotr Musial Lived in 4 or 5 countries and visited a dozen more
If you are from a cold country and you travel to a warm one, tap water will be your worst enemy. The locals have a lifetime to build up immunity to the little ecosystem of bacteria that inhabits the local water, and they’re usually surprised when it turns out that it’s given you a fever and diarrhea. If you’re a frail person the water may even kill you.
If you are from a country without cold winters and you travel to a cold country, you will suddenly discover that a jacket is not enough to combat low temperatures. The human body needs time to adjust and produce more heat. You need to walk faster, drink warm things and cover up extremities. In addition, the locals will seem remarkably adept at walking on slippery surfaces such as ice, while you will find it surprisingly hard.
Answer: I have lived in four or five countries and visited more than a dozen countries
If you're coming from a cold country and traveling to a warmer country, tap water will be your worst enemy. It takes a lifetime for locals to build immunity to the bacterial ecosystem that inhabits the local water, and they're usually surprised when you get fever and diarrhea from the tap water. If you're sickly, water can even kill you.
If you're coming from a country where the winters aren't cold, and you're in a cold country, you'll suddenly find that a coat isn't enough to withstand the low temperatures. It takes time for the human body to adapt and produce more heat. You need to walk faster, drink something warm, and cover your limbs. In addition, the locals seem to be very good at walking on slippery roads such as ice, which you will find unimaginably difficult.
Population density makes a huge difference in the way a place feels and the modes of transportation that are available there. If you are from a densely populated place, you might be surprised to find that a moderately sparse place is nevertheless filled with people’s stuff—especially cars—but you’ll ask yourself where everybody is.
Countries differ a lot in toilet culture. The Swiss like fully sealed public stalls. The Germans have bathrooms as big as bedrooms and they have their infamous shelf-toilets that expose everything to the air before flushing it down. American toilets use a huge amount of water. Some people in the middle east use a toilet that is little more than a hole in the ground. In North America, public urination is considered shocking and illegal, while most of the world has a more lax attitude towards it.
Population density has a huge impact on how a place feels and the modes of transportation available. If you're coming from a densely populated area, you might be surprised to find that a moderately sparse place is piled up with people's belongings, especially cars, but you'll ask yourself where everyone has gone.
Toilet cultures vary greatly from country to country. Swiss people prefer fully enclosed public toilets. The bathrooms of the Germans were as big as their bedrooms, and their toilets were notorious rack toilets, where everything was exposed to the air before flushing. Toilets in the United States use a lot of water. Some people in the Middle East use a toilet that is just a hole in the ground. In North America, urinating in public is considered a shocking and illegal act, while most countries around the world have a more lenient attitude towards this behavior.
Punctuality culture varies a lot. Ask a Swede to meet you at 1pm and she or he will show up fifteen minutes early. Ask a Kazakhstani and she or he will show up at some point that afternoon, probably before 4pm.
Some countries depend on driving rules to ensure driving safety, others ignore the rules and rely on common sense. Compare Germany to Egypt, for example. If you are accustomed to driving in one you will find it hard to adapt to the other.
People in poor countries tend to assume that every traveler is a millionaire. They’re surprised by backpackers who go around on a shoestring budget.
European doors are very complicated and tend to have at least one lock that doesn’t work very well.
Grocery stores are not universal. When in the Middle East you might find yourself wondering how the locals get their food.
Punctuality cultures vary widely. If you ask a Swede to meet at 1 p.m., he or she will show up 15 minutes early. About a Kazakh, he or she will show up sometime that afternoon, probably before 4 p.m.
Some countries rely on driving rules to ensure safe driving, while others ignore the rules and rely on common sense. Compare, for example, Germany and Egypt. If you're used to driving in one of these countries, you'll find it difficult to adapt to the other.
People in poor countries tend to think that every traveler is a millionaire. They are amazed at backpackers who travel around on a shoestring budget.
European doors are very complex, and often at least one lock is not very useful.
Grocery stores are not widespread. In the Middle East, you might be curious about how the locals get their food.
Feral dogs may be a big problem. This is especially true in Russia, India and Iran to name a few.
People’s perception of crime rarely matches reality. In Ireland you’ll find barbed wire fences around everything. In Sweden people leave their houses unlocked. Both countries have similar crime rates.
The meaning of graffiti can vary a lot. In North America it means the local gangs have marked their territory and you are in a potentially dangerous slum. In Europe it means that the locals haven’t bothered to renovate in a while, but it has little bearing on how dangerous the place is.
90% of the above is from personal observations having travelled to these places. I obviously haven’t conducted extensive research and quantified what I’ve said, so take with a grain of salt.
Wild dogs can be a big problem. This is especially the case in countries such as Russia, India, and Iran.
People's perceptions of crime rarely correspond to reality. In Ireland, you'll find barbed wire all around. In Sweden, people go out without locking their doors. Both countries have similar crime rates.
The meaning of graffiti is varied. In North America, graffiti means that local gangs have marked their territory and you're in a potentially dangerous slum. In Europe, this means that the locals haven't renovated it for a long time, but that has little to do with how dangerous the place is.
90% of the above is my personal observation while traveling in these places. I obviously haven't done extensive research and quantification on what I'm saying, so think carefully.