Wednesday 15 October 2014

A Quick Step-by-Step Guide to USA Visitor Visa

With natural wonders, historic landmarks, modern cities and entertainment venues, the US offers diverse tourist destinations. Every year several million people visit the United States to explore its beauty and experience its lifestyle. This makes USA Visitor Visa a much-coveted visa.

Also known as the B2 visa, the USA Visitor visa is a temporary, non-immigrant visa, which was launched with the aim of allowing foreign nationals to have a short stay in the US for the purposes of tourism, pleasure, visiting family and friends, attending an event or ceremony, as well as for medical treatment. However, the US government allows citizens of countries participating in the USA Visa Waiver Program (VWP) to enter and stay in USA for up to 90 days without applying for B2 Visa. The list of participating countries can be found here.

The maximum stay you can have under the B2 visa is 6 months. During this period, you cannot get involved in any business, work or study related activities in the country. However, while you are in the US on B2 visa, you can apply for a 6-month extension at USCIS (United States Citizenship and Immigration Services).
Now that we understand what the B2 visa is all about, let’s go through the steps involved in B2 visa processing.

You Can Also Visit :
The 5 Tiers of UK Work Visa
Different Types of Short Stay Visas for the UK 
Different Ways of Obtaining Permanent Residence in the UK
Diversity Immigrant Visa Program FAQs
Tips to Research for the Right Place to Migrate
New Zeland Work Visa
Simple Tips to Ensurethat Your Visa Application is Filled out Properly

Step 1: Filling the visa application form, DS160
To initiate the visa process every applicant has to fill the form DS160 online. You must fill the application form carefully, paying special attention to spellings of your personal details and on the section that asks you for your reason for visiting the USA. After successfully submitting the visa application, you will receive a 10-digit bar code, which will be needed for the visa interview.

Step 2: Getting the right digital photograph
Every applicant must upload a digital photograph along with their filled in DS160 forms. The photograph must meet the following conditions:
•    Minimum/maximum size: 600x600/1200x1200 pixels
•    Format: .jpg or .jpeg
•    Size: Maximum 240 kb

Step 3: Paying the visa fee
The visa fee can be paid electronically as bank transfer or in cash at designated banks. The visa fee remains valid for an year, which means that you must get appointment for your visa interview within this period.

Step 4: Taking appointment for visa interview
After successfully submitting the form and the fee, you need to schedule two appointments for further visa processing. For this, you will need to use the 10-digit bar code you were provide dat the time of submission of your visa application. Your first appointment will be with Offsite Facilitation Center (OFC) where your biometric information such as fingerprints, retina scan, etc. will be taken. The second appointment will be with the Consulate or Embassy for the personal visa interview.

Step 5: Providing Biometric Information
Once you get the appointment, you need to visit the OFC at a Visa Application Center (VAC) to provide your fingerprints and other biometric information.

Step 6: Going for the visa interview
For the visa interview, you must take with you the following mandatory documents:
•    Passport,
•    Photograph,
•    A copy of DS160 confirmation number,
•    Visa application fee receipt,
•    Interview appointment letter, and other supporting documents.
Knowing the visa process can be of great help as it allows candidates to prepare in advance and appear for their interviews more confidently.

No comments:

Post a Comment