Imagine If You Needed A Visa to Fall in Love By Chandran Kukathas Imagine if you needed a visa to fall in love Would you have to make an application to the Office of Love Affairs? Would you need to specify with whom you wished to fall in love? Would you need to supply details of your past dalliances? Would your love have to explain why other lovers wouldn’t do? Imagine if you had to take a test to fall in love. Would you have to demonstrate how well you understood your love? Would you need to show you could answer questions about love’s history? Would you be expected to know the sociology of love? Would you need to know how many people have loved, how long, and where? Imagine that you had to prove you were ready to fall in love. Would you have to supply bank statements to prove you could afford it? Would you need references from past lovers confirming your suitability? Would you promise to fall in love with one person and no other Would you guarantee that if love failed you would burden no one? Imagine that you had to leave your love to fall in love. That you would have to seek permission to love, from a distant shore. That you would have to specify how long you proposed to love. That you would hope to eventually enter permanently into a state of love, But could be sure only of a temporary entry permit to love, and not for long. Imagine that you could be told that your permission to love had expired. You could be told that you may no longer love the one you choose. You could be told that without a valid love market test your case is weak. You could be told to love another, or to love no one, but not love the one you want. You could be told all of this and have no say in the matter at all. Imagine that you needed to retain a lawyer to fall in love. That if you had limited means you would have access to legal aid to help you. 23