By USA Visa for Indians these days is getting tougher. United States of America is one of the topmost traveled destinations in the world. We have been travelling to US almost every year since last 5 years and been to different cities and states in US. And while many of us have fantasy of visiting the United States for vacation, it is very important to know about the procedure for USA Visa. So, we decided to put points to ponder while applying for Non-immigrant Visa.
There are plentiful types of visas that you can obtainfor the US visit depending on the nature of the visit.
Type of Non-Immigrant Visa:
Non immigrant visa are allotted to foreign citizens who wish to visit the USA for specific period.There are different types of Non-immigrant Visas that are issued based on the purpose and duration of your travel in the US. Listed below are the different types of non-immigrant Visas offered by the United States.
- Business Visa
- Employment Visa
- Tourism Visa
- Medical treatment Visa
- Education Visa
It is very important for one to know about the visa type and requirements before applying for it. Let us look at 2 of the most important visa types for the US.
Business Visa (B1): This type of visa is usually for travelers accessing with business associates, attending professional or business conferences, settling an estate or negotiating contracts etc. This visa is generally offered for a brief period to fulfill the requirement of work.
Tourist Visa (B2): B2 Visa is given when the purpose of travel is tourism activities, visiting friends or relatives, medical treatments or activities. This is the most popular visa among many visitors witnessed by US. This visa is generally offered for a longer period ranging from 1 year to 10 years, however, the period of stay during one trip is maximum six months where multiple entries to the US are allowed.
Frequently, the B-1 and B-2 visas are combined and issued as one visa: The B-1/B-2.
Eligibility for US Visa:
- Passport – valid for a period of at least 6 months.
- The purpose of your trip to the United States is for a temporary visit, such as business, pleasure, or medical treatment.
- You should not have any history of crimes or should not have any criminal case ongoing cases against them.
- Dependents/ spouses travelling with the applicant should apply for separate Visas.
- Evidence of funds to cover your expenses while in the United States
- The applicant should have a sound health and needs to go thorough medical test by approved physician.
- The applicant should have strong binding social or economic ties with his/her current country of residence.
- You should have a valid reason for travelling to the United States and evidence that you are visiting the country for a limited period.
Documents Required for US Visa Application/ Interview:
- Passport valid for six months beyond the intended date of entry into the United States.
- Colored (white background) photographs (One (1)2 x 2 inches (51 x 51 mm) photograph taken within the last six months)
- Evidence of financial properties i.e. bank statements.
- In case of a B1 -Visa, a letter from the prospective employer confirming the essential elements of the job offer needs to be submitted and leave approval letter.
- The purpose of your trip.
- Invitation letter by your family/ friends or employer.
- Documents supporting your ability to pay all the costs on the trip. If not, then you may show the evidence that another person will cover some or the whole cost for you on the trip.
- Your tour details including the hotel bookings and flight bookings.
Procedure for Applying For Non-Immigrant Visa:
- The first step is the US non-immigrant visa application. To apply, you can log on to https://ceac.state.gov/genniv/, the Consular Electronic Application Center, where you can choose your location of residence.
- Fill the complete Visa application form DS-160 carefully. Make sure all your details are entered correctly. Once you submit the form, you cannot make any change.
- After you apply for non-immigrant visa to US,you will reach an online payment gateway. Pay the fees of $160 or INR 11,530 approx. applicable on your Visa type. The fees must be paid prior to the personal interview.
Scheduling an appointment for Visa:
- You will have to login to your profile with the same credentials that you used to fill the form .After you are logged in, go to the schedule appointment.
- You will be required to schedule 2 appointments i.e. first for the Biometrics, i.e., Fingerprinting and Digital Photograph at the Visa Application Center (VAC) and second for a personal interview at the US Embassy or Consulate.
- It’s important you arrive at the interview venue15 minutes before time. You can also cancel or reschedule your appointment asper your needs.
- Keep below information handy while scheduling aVisa personal interview appointment with the US Embassy:
- Visa application fee receipt number.
- Passport number.
- 10 Digit bar code number from the DS-160 confirmation page.
- Appointment at Visa Application Centre (VAC): In this appointment, you must submit the below documents after which your biometric process will take place. This process usually happens a day before your in-person interview at the embassy.
The documents required for the VAC appointment are:
- Your passport (with a validity date at least 6 months beyond your intended period).
- DS-160 Form Confirmation page
- Receipt of visa payment fees
- Appointment confirmation page.
In person interview at US Embassy: This is the most important part of the US visa process for Indians. There are number of procedures and security inspections happens before inside the consulate before your interview.So, be prepared!
The U.S. Embassy and Consulates in India are located at
- New Delhi
- Mumbai
- Chennai
- Kolkatta
- Hyderabad
Documents required for in person interview:
- Current proof of income, tax payments, property or business ownership, or assets.
- Details about your planned trip or travelitinerary with return flight tickets and stay confirmation.
- A letter from your employer detailing yourposition, salary, how long you have been employed, any authorized vacation, andthe business purpose, if any, of your U.S. trip.
- Criminal/court records pertaining to any arrest or conviction anywhere, even if you completed your sentence or were later pardoned.
Frequent questions asked during the visa interview:
- Purpose of visit to USA?
- Duration of stay in USA?
- Where are, you travelling in USA?
- Where will you stay in USA? Or With whom you are staying? (If visiting family or friends)
- When you visited US before? If yes, how long did you stay?
- What do you do in India? (your work)
- How many children do you have?
Things to remember:
- Food and beverage items, even water, any electronic equipment, including cell phones are prohibited inside the consulate.
- Once, you are inside the premises, you will have go through the fingerprint verification and wait till your turn arrives.
- Do not present false documents. This might lead to permanent visa ban
- Be clear and crisp with your answers while doing the interview with the consulate. They are smart enough to understand if you bluff.
Status of Visa:
- In most cases, the interviewer will instantly inform you about the approval of your visa. In case they don’t, you may track your visa status on https://ceac.state.gov/CEACStatTracker/Status.aspx, by entering your DS-160 barcode number and location of interview.
- Once your visa is approved, you can collect your passport at a ‘pick-up’ location you chose while scheduling your interview, or you will receive it by a courier service. You will be notified about the same via an email and SMS. You may track your passport on http://www.ustraveldocs.com/in/in-niv-passporttrack.asp or https://cgifederal.secure.force.com/.
US Visa Refusal
How disaster it would be if you weren’t granted visa. Below could be some of the reasons that your US Visa may be rejected.
- Incomplete Visa application
- Supporting documents missing
- You fail to fulfill the eligibility conditions required for the Visa category.
- You have criminal records.
- Lack of adequate finance to support your trip to the United States
- Your intention of returning is not clear.
- Your passport does not have enough blank pages.
- If your country of residence does not have a good relationship with your destination country.
- If you have not used a Visa issued to your previously.
- If you don’t have a legitimate reason for visiting the country.
- If you fail to submit adequate proof against your eligibility
You may reapply for a visa immediately after ensuring all your grounds are clear. There is no time restriction on resubmitting an application after a refusal. If additional information or supporting documentation is available which may further demonstrate applicant’s qualification for a visa, an application may be resubmitted.
So , Bookmark this post for your visa application to USA and we wish you good luck for your application .
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