Originally Posted by
jasepl
See, you got an Aufenthaltstitel when you needed one for the period you needed it.
Actually, no I didn't. My Aufenthaltstitel lasted for one whole year longer than I needed it. I almost got denied entry at MUC once because of their 'mistake' in giving a longer visa than I needed but that's another story. Even after that 'almost denied entry', I used that residence permit three times to enter Schengen through Germany without any issues.
I've also been issued Schengen visas in the US for longer duration than I 'needed'.
Think about it another way. The reason countries require visas is so that people don't come and stay over illegaly. Now think about a person who overstays - they are likely to do it the first time they go, correct? By giving people a short-term one-time visa instead of a long-term visa makes no sense, regardless of need. The person who is going to illegally immigrate is most likely to do it the first time irrespective of whether he has a multiple entry or a single entry visa. So by corollary, if they think the person is 'good enough' to let in once, the person is most likely 'good enough' to be given a long term multiple entry visa.
To put it yet another way, the US Consulates and DoS grant a non-immigrant visa only if a person doesn't display immigration intent (legal or illegal, but in the case of a tourist visa, this normally implies illegal). So if they issue a visa, they think the person is kosher for a long time. If they aren't the slightest bit sure, they simply don't issue any visa - short-term or long-term. They don't hedge - "oh, let's give a three month visa instead of a 5 yr visa, maybe the person won't overstay in the three months."
The Schengen zone is also crazy about not issuing long-term visas to people who have had multiple Schengens in the past. The Europeans too need every tourist they can get these days.
Originally Posted by
jasepl
Very few countries give long-validity blanket visas anyway. Is that easier on the traveller? Of course. But that's the way it is.
Also not true. Visa waiver programs that are in place for most First World are effectively 'long-validity blanket visas'. But you are correct I guess in that the only countries that issue long-term visas that I know of are the UK and the US. And the 10 yr UK visa is now prohibitively expensive for anyone not being reimbursed for it. I consider myself fortunate to have one issued in 2006 that is still valid for another 4 years.