why is it that when a person comes to the unites states, even just to visit, they are required to obtain visas but when a us citizen travels abroad to places like europe only a passport is required?
from Dept of State:
germany was on this list, however when my cousin came here from germany two years ago he was required to obtain a visa first. his stay was for about two weeks. he has been a naturalized german citizen for quite some time, but our family is originally from iran. could that have anything to do with it?
I can’t say–this sounds surprising to me, because AFAIK the State Dept. doesn’t care about your background, just your citizenship, when determining visa requirements. The State Dept. could answer that question but unfortunately, these days you would probably have to pay for the answer 
Only federal agency with a 900 number, to the best of my knowledge.
I do find it quite rude that Americans can enter Antigua on just a driver’s license or birth certificate, but it is a major mission for Antiguans to get a visa to visit the U.S. Antiguans have to go to Barbados for a personal interview before they get granted a visa, and my friend, who is 3rd generation Antiguan, but who’s grandparents came from Lebanon is having the hardest time getting a new visa…even though he’s travelled back and forth to the States on business a minimum of 5 times a year for the past 10 years. I am lucky enough to have an Australian passport, so I qualify for the visa waiver program.
One interesting note…the visa waiver only applies to entry with a recognized major airline. ie if I entered the states via yacht or private plane (and that includes Puerto Rico) I would need to get a visa.
so who set up these rules? why is it that countries are willing to allow american citizen travel as they please with little hassle yet these same countries’ citizens are not allowed the same?
biddee, Antingua is perfectly capable of putting more stringent requirements on Americans if it wishes. But instead it wants to encourage Americans to visit.
Kind of ironic that an Australian would be criticizing the United States for being too difficult, when Americans have to get a visa in advance to enter Australia, and you can just come right in. Australia is such a pain that many countries retaliate and make Australians get visas.
Visas are an international game of tit for tat where travelers are merely pawns. Diplomats play games with each other where if one country chooses to be a pain towards another. The game is played where only the travelers are inconvenienced.
Sometimes this game will spread to airport ground personnel as well, especially when tensions between countries rise but not enough to go “formal.”
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In one personal case where I was returning to the USA for a visit (I was living in Australia at the time), I noticed the United Airlines 747 I was taking to San Francisco was not parked at the gate, but several hundred feet out on the tarmac. All passengers were required to exit the terminal, descend three flights of exterior stairs to the tarmac, cross the tarmac, and climb the old-style stairs to board the aircraft. The public reason given was there was no room for the 747 to dock at the gate.
In reality, all US airlines flying in/out of Sydney were being refused direct gate access in protest of the USA’s beef import restrictions placed upon Australia at the time. Ground personnel refused to allow American aircraft to use the gates.
In another case, also at Sydney (departing for Los Angeles), we sat on the taxi apron for 45 minutes before being allowed onto the runway and departing. The public reason given was of airport traffic. The real reason was another Australian-USA tiff. Ground control only delayed American aircraft as well there, too.
</hijack>
Visas are just one way countries play games with each other.
<nitpick>
Just to set things straight: There is no country called Europe.
</nitpick>
Chula You’re absolutely right that Antigua could put more stringent requirements in place. And I had no idea that Americans had to get a visa to go to Australia…I have the passport, but I’ve actually never been there. I thought because of the visa waiver program, Americans would have the same courtesies extended to them in Oz as the Aussies do in the U.S. I guess I was wrong! I do know that Australia is pretty strict about who they let in, almost as strict as the US.