Getting a Visa for Foreign Travel.

I. Study the vocabulary:

a valid passport - діючий паспорт

to fill smth. out - заповнювати анкету

embassy - посольство

a stamped preaddressed envelope- конверт з попередньою передплатою

evidence - свідчення

tedious - стомливий

to line up - стояти у черзі

to expire - закінчуватись (строк дії)

to gain admittance - отримувати право на в'їзд

a reference letter from a colleague - лист рекомендація

a health certificate - свідотство про стан здоров'я

a driver's license - водійські права

to encounter - зустрічатися

work permits - дозвіл на працю

long-stay visa - довгострокова віза

a holder - пред'явник

the right to residency - право на проживания

II. Read and learn the text of the topic:

In order to travel to the USA you need an American visa. An application form for an ordinary tourist visa can be obtained from a travel agent, at least in Britain. Instructions for filling it out are given with each form, as is the address to which the completed form should be sent. Note that you need a form for each person, including children.

Once you have completed the form, you or your travel agent - travel agents can often do it quicker -will then have to send it to the United States Embassy, together with your passport, a passport-sized photograph, a stamped addressed envelope, and "evidence" that you intend to return to your native land. A note explaining that you have a job/house/family/dog to come back to will usually do. You may also have to swear that your uncle is not a communist (It doesn't matter if he is -just swear that he isn't).

It may take up to four weeks to get visa, though sometimes it can be much quicker or slower than that. If you are in a hurry, it is possible in Britain to go to the United States Embassy and line up. This process is tedious and may take hours, but it is quicker than four weeks.

A tourist visa is normally valid indefinitely. This is true even after your passport has expired - you can then gain admittance to the USA by taking both your new, valid passport and the expired one containing the visa.

If you are going to the USA to work or study, your American employer or university will normally send you the necessary forms and tell you what to do.

Most people, tourists and business travelers alike will encounter littler red tape in being admitted to England. Citizens of countries in the EEC (European Economic Community, also called the ES and the Common Market) need only proof of nationality, while citizens of most other countries need only a valid passport. A recent change is that citizens of India, Bangladesh, Ghana, and Nigeria must get a visa before coming to Britain. Most tourists are automatically granted a six-month stay.

If you want to stay in England for a long period (to stay or work, for example), you need a visa and have to show that you have enough money to support yourself during that time. Work permits for most jobs are difficult to gel: you need to have professional qualifications or a high degree of skill or experience and must prove that no one in Britain. Note that a student visa or work permit does not give you the right to residency after your course or job is finished. Long-stay visa holders must register with the local police on arrival (except for some Commonwealth citizens).