Sometimes travelers find themselves in need of obtaining a rush visa.  Emergent circumstances like a family crisis or a last-minute business trip may make it necessary to get a travel visa overnight.  A visa is necessary for travel from the US to almost every country in the world.  A passport alone will not necessarily guarantee your admittance into a particular country.

Visa applications can be found at most every place that processes passport applications.  They can also be downloaded from the Internet.  Just like applying for a passport, you must submit specific documentation and identification, including:

*Your current passport.

*Proof of departure.  To fulfill this requirement you may present your airline ticket or printed travel itinerary with trip details.  If your trip is business-related, you may present a letter from your supervisor on company letterhead.

If you need both a travel visa and a passport overnight, you'll need to supply your birth certificate and two official passport photos in addition to proof of your trip details as outlined above.
All documentation must be originals; photocopied documents are not accepted.  If you are filling out an online application, you'll need to ship your documents to the processing agency.  Be sure to choose a reliable carrier, since these documents are very difficult to replace if lost.  It's also a good idea to pay for delivery insurance.  This usually costs very little and means that you will be reimbursed should unforseen problems occur.  If  you need to add visa pages to a passport, you must supply your current US passport.  To add visa pages with rush processing, you must provide documentation which shows your travel plans, the same as if you were applying for a rush visa.

It's important to note that travel visa requirements vary from country to country.  Be sure to get information that is specific to the country you plan to visit.  If you intend to visit more than one country during your trip, your visa must reflect this. Most agencies which process passport applications can supply you with a visa application as well as information regarding the country you plan to enter.  Having all of your documentation in order will ensure that you won't experience unforeseen delays at the airport, or be denied access altogether. 

If you travel abroad frequently, make sure that you always keep your passport up-to-date.  While it's possible obtain a passport overnight, it costs substantially more.  You'll save money and stress by making sure you always renew your old one as soon as it expires.  It will be one less thing to worry about when you have to obtain a rush visa.