Business travel as all you road warriors can attest is not as glamorous as it seems. We are faced with long flights, delayed flights, civil unrest, extreme weather conditions and that is even before we arrive at our destination. Further, there is jet lag, long distance communication back to the office in differing time zones and most importantly having the correct travel documentation!

You can have the best of plans but if your passport is not valid or if you are lacking the required visa(s) then you are not going anywhere! As the Chief Marketing officer of Travel Document Systems my job is to ensure that all our clients whether it be corporate travelers or tour & cruise passengers are well informed about the destination they are visiting and have a valid passport for their indented stay abroad and the correct visas.

I recently was in China, Korea, and Hong Kong & Japan for business. Followed by France, Monte-Carlo & Italy for a family vacation. The more countries on your itinerary the more chances for an issue. Especially if you are transiting a country that requires a transit visa, this is however usually only the case for Non- US passport holders. The world has become complicated in light of so much political unrest and all countries are being more diligent with their immigration borders and regulations. Politics plays a vital role on any visa changes as well.

In reference to visa changes the Chinese government announced yesterday ( November 11th) that all visas for US citizens will be issued for a 10 year validity for tourist and business travel. Five year visas will be issued for student travel for study in China. Visa for travel to china used to be valid either 6 months or 1 year in validity. This change came about after the APEC meeting in China on November 10th. The visa change for US citizens and Chinese citizens traveling into the US is supposed to foster more travel and commerce between the two superpowers.

Any questions or comments please e-mail me at . Safe travels!

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