[Scoundreller]

Not just a semantic trick, but a legal one. A lot of euro countries have treaties with US, Canada, etc. for mutual visa-free travel that pre-date EU.

Soooo, they just create something that walks and talks like a visa without calling it one because the treaties never bothered to define what a visa is or isn’t.

[EduardoBautista]

> walks and talks like a visa

The requirements for the travel authorizations to Canada, the EU, and the USA are not comparable to an actual visa application. Visas are more expensive, more privacy invasive, and you have to go to an embassy/consulate to get it.

All these travel authorizations are really doing is telling the governments "Hey, I am coming over".

[mahkeiro]

visiting an embassy is not mandatory to get a lot of visa (even a Chinese one) most of the time you just ship your passport with a form that has less invasive question than an ESTA. Nobody but the US require you to give the handle of all your social network account…

[Scoundreller]

So what dollar threshold makes it a visa? If it’s free, is it not a visa?

Over what number of questions makes it a visa?

If it’s electronically attached to your passport number, is it no longer a visa?

[EduardoBautista]

If they ask you the questions on the travel authorization form at the port of entry instead, would it be better?

If you get denied the travel authorization, there is a chance you would have been denied in person after a long flight instead without this initial step.

They are just asking questions ahead of time.

[Scoundreller]

EU border police has never seemed very interested in asking Canadians or Americans any questions at all in my experience.

France and other countries even let us use their e-gates nowadays.