Namibian Michelle Nehoya has spent close to $500 (£390) on a visa application to visit Canada, but over two years later, she still hasn’t received it.
The 38-year-old, residing in Windhoek, Namibia’s capital, eagerly awaits a chance to reunite with her aunt and cousins in Quebec, whom she hasn’t seen in nearly a decade.
Securing the visa has been a complex process involving multiple forms, requirements like six months of bank statements, an invitation letter, and a detailed travel history. Compounding her ordeal, since there’s no visa application facility in Namibia, she had to travel to South Africa to submit her biometric data, including fingerprints and a photograph.
Ms. Nehoya’s frustrating experience reflects a broader trend for Africans seeking visas to Western nations. In 2022, seven of the top 10 countries with the highest visa rejection rates in the Schengen area were African, according to consultancy firm Henley and Partners.
“I haven’t been given any reason why it’s taken so long,” Ms. Nehoya told the BBC, expressing her dismay.
Meanwhile, Canadian citizens can currently enter Namibia without a visa, though this will change in eight months, requiring visas for Canadians and others from countries that also impose visa requirements on Namibians.
Namibia’s immigration ministry stated that this policy aims to achieve parity in diplomatic interactions, acknowledging that certain countries haven’t reciprocated Namibia’s goodwill gestures.
Despite the positive reception on social media, the tourism industry in Namibia has expressed concerns, emphasizing the potential impact on global travel perceptions.
For Ms. Nehoya and many others, the hope is for reciprocity in visa policies, allowing easier travel both to and from Namibia in the future.
