The Elephant That Didn’t Get a Visa to Be in the Room

The issue of visas does not get much attention in international business, perhaps because visas mainly affect people from developing countries: Exemptions exist for most citizens of Triad countries. Yet there are extensive, opaque and country-specific regulations governing the movement of people across borders. In this essay, I speak about my personal experience in trying to obtain a visa, and reflect how visas act as a barrier to full participation in the global economy, both economically and in the cross-border sharing of knowledge. I suggest the possible value of a global oversight body to regulate how visas are granted.