Namibian Michelle Nehoya has spent nearly $500 (£390) on an application for a visa to visit Canada - but more than two years later it has yet to materialise. The 38-year-old, who lives in Namibia's capital, Windhoek, is desperate to get to Quebec to see her aunt and cousins whom she has not seen for almost a decade. The visa application has involved filling in multiple forms - and among other requirements, she has also had to provide six months of bank statements, an invitation letter plus a detailed travel history.
There is no way to apply in Namibia, so this has also meant travelling to South Africa to submit her biometric data, which involves giving her fingerprints and having a photo taken. Her experience is not uncommon for Africans travelling to Western countries. In 2022, seven of the top 10 countries with the highest visa rejection rates in the bloc of European countries known as the Schengen area were African, according to consultancy firm Henley and Partners.
“It has been lengthy and frustrating. I haven’t been given any reason why it’s taken so long," Ms Nehoya tells the BBC. However, if her family in Quebec decide to travel to Namibia on Canadian passports, they will not face anything like the challenges and costs she encountered.
Canadian citizens can currently enter Namibia without a visa. But this will change in eight months’ time. From next April, Canadian nationals, along with those from Germany, the US, the UK and 29 other countries, will require a .