Ever since my first encounter with the visa application process, obtaining one has been the bane of my existence. I realise their importance in terms of a county's security but these days visas seem to be designed not only to keep out potential social deviants but to keep out everyone period! Obviously there are exceptions to that statement but it holds true for the most part. Visas are essential for permitting people to visit other countries they also serve as filters sieving out potential criminal activists from globalising their operations.
However, certain countries require an applicant to have an invitation from someone living in the country of intended destination before the processing of a visa can commence. The invitation is not an informal or personal one, but in fact an information form which has to be collected from a government office and sent to you from the country you would like to visit. The process is arduous, taxing and limiting. If for example a prospective tourist does not know anyone from that country, they cannot be sent the invitation needed to apply for the visa. This in my opinion goes beyond national security and suggests other agents like deterring foreigners from entering the country or possibly to provide job security for the country's nationals. The possible reasons are numerous but the end result for law abiding citizens who would like to travel is increasing frustration and eventually the loss of desire to travel to that country.
After accidentaly enquiring at an embassy recently a possible solution to getting an invitation letter to a country where you know no one was brought to my attention: If the country where you are from has an embassy in the country of your intended destination, you can get in touch with the embassy and ask if someone there might send you an invitation. Of course this is not a definate solution because it would depend on whether the individual at the embassy would agree to do it and if they would actually do it.
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