Regarding Martin Issott's Oct. 23 letter, "A month away to bigger hassles": Issott should appreciate the fact that his Western passport allows him to either obtain a visa easily or travel visa-free to many developed countries to conduct his business regardless of his financial status.
Getting a visa at the embassies in Africa is a time-consuming, expensive and degrading experience for most of us. The visa fee must be paid at the bank in advance and is nonrefundable. We have to fill out an application form, and present a business license, letter of invitation, bank statement, two photos, a return airline ticket, health certificate, and lots of charm. Visa issuance is not guaranteed even if you are a wealthy businessperson. This process must be repeated every time you travel to a developed country. If we want to travel to a developed country, we need to apply for a visa at least six months in advance.
Meanwhile, any citizen of the rich world with a passport is free to travel to Japan even if he or she does not have enough money to buy a cup of Starbucks coffee at the airport. By the way, getting photographed and fingerprinted at the airport here is quite fast. In my five years of traveling, I have never waited in line for more than 20 minutes.
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