Travel to the United States abounds a variety of pleasures and necessities. A trip to the United States may be for a leisure purpose for one while it could be work-related or for educational purposes for the other or for availing medical services for another. The foremost thing that one requires to enter the United States is a valid visa. A valid visa is required even before you look for the best travel offers and travel deals online for your flights to the US.
This article here throws light on type, ways and means, and everything related to US visas that you need to know.
What exactly is a US visa?
There are countries that are not included in the visa waiver program of the US. Consequently, the citizens of these countries are debarred from entering the US without a proper visa. Citizens of these countries need a proper visa beforehand to enter the US, and furthermore, this visa comes with a stamp on the passport. It depends on the individual profile whether the visa will be granted for a period of six months or 10 years. The approval of the visa wholly depends on the discretion of the officer at the embassy or consulate. A valid visa is mandatory before you catch your last minute flights to USA.
Eligibility criteria for the application for visa
An Indin citizen should meet the following requirements in order to be eligible for the visa
- The passport of the visa applicant should be valid for at least six months
- Applicants with criminal records are debarred straightaway.
- There should be separate visa applications for dependents and spouses accompanying the main applicant
- Applicant should be in sound health and must submit a medical examination report authorized by a registered medical practitioner
- Candidate must show proof of financial stability to maintain himself and his dependents.
- People infected with communicable diseases such as tuberculosis should undergo a thorough checkup because they are prohibited from boarding flights.
- There must exist a valid reason for traveling to US
What are the documents required for visa application?
- The validity of the passport should be six months minimum
- Colored photographs are needed
- Certification of marriage
- Financial assets proof
- Death or divorce certificate
- For the work visa, confirmation of the employer is necessary
- Clearance certificate from the police
- Certificate of birth
- Court cases records
For the immigrant visa, one must carry the following documents for the visa interview
- A stamp from the visa application center on the DS-260 confirmation form
- Old and current passport
- Documents in support of visa type
- Medical report
- Certificate of police clearance
For the non-immigrant visa
- Appointment confirmation letter
- A stamp of visa application center on the DS-160 confirmation page
- Old and current passport
- Supporting documents for visa type
Type of photo required for visa application
- Dimensions of the picture should be 50mm*50mm
- A colored picture on a plain white background
- The picture should be recently taken
- Around 70 percent of the area of the picture should be a face
- Face expression should be neutral
- Eyes should be wide open and must face the camera
- A complete prohibition on uniforms
- Facial hair and glasses are permitted
- Headgears are also acceptable for religious reason
Different types of US visas
| Visa type | purpose |
| A | Diplomats and government servants |
| A-1, G-1, NATO1-6 | Renewals of visa |
| A2, NATO1-6 | Military personnel of a foreign country |
| B-1 | Athletes, business visitors, and domestic employees |
| B-2 | Tourists and medical visitors |
| C | Transit through the US |
| D | Crew members of aircrafts |
| E-1 | Traders |
| E-2 | investors |
| E-3 | Australian professionals and workers |
| F-1 | Academic students |
| F-2 | Dependents of F1 visa holders |
| G1-G5, NATO | International organization employees and NATO |
| H1B1 | Chilean and Singaporean FTA professionals |
| H-1B | Physicians and highly skilled workers |
| H-2A | Temporary agricultural workers |
| H-2B | Temporary nonagricultural workers |
| H-3 | Nonemployment training programs |
| H1-C | Nurses |
| I | Media and journalists |
| J | Cultural exchange visitors |
| J-1 | Visitors, professors, scholars and teachers as exchange visitors |
| J-2 | Spouse of J1 holder |
| L | Intracompany visitors |
| M-1 | Vocational students |
| M-2 | Spouse of M-1 holder |
| O-1 | Foreign nationals possessing abilities in art, science, education, and business |
| P | Entertainers, artists and athletes |
| Q | International cultural visitors |
| R | Works of religious nature |
| TN/TD | NAFTA professional workers |
| T-1 | Trafficking victims |
| U-1 | Victims of crime |
Step by step guidebook for the US visa application
The whole process of obtaining a US visa is quite lengthy and cumbersome. The type of visa one requires must be clear beforehand applying for a US visa to avoid the last-minute hassle. Let’s break to steps the process of a cumbersome visa application
- Collect at a place all the important documents required to complete the application
- Complete in all aspects the DS-160 form
- Applicant should proceed to pay the US visa fees online.
- After completing the above-mentioned steps, the applicant should send an email application with a fee receipt to the address where they received the DS-160 confirmation.
- You need to schedule the US visa appointment through DS-160 barcode and the receipt number of the US visa neft. One needs to take two appointments- the first one is for biometric submission at the VAC and the second at the US embassy in New Delhi or the consulate general in other cities for the visa interview.
- For the biometric submission, the applicant needs to carry their passport, appointment, and D-160 confirmation pages to the VAC.
- For the second step, the applicant needs to visit the US embassy or consulate along with their supporting documents, appointment confirmation letter, and DS-160 confirmation pages.
Visa interviews and biometric submissions are compulsory for people between the ages of 14-80. And, if the US visa expired within the last 12 months and one is planning to travel under the same old permit then one needs to attend the interview.
The US government reserves the authority to reject visa applications so fill car3dfully the DS-160 pages without any fake information or mistakes. If authorities find any errors, they can cancel or delay the granting of the visa.
Payment of Visa fees
Diplomats and government officials alone are exempt from paying the visa fee. Additionally, you can pay the visa fees through NEFT, mobile payment, and cash. However, please note that the visa fee is non-refundable.
You can pay the non-immigrant visa fee in cash at certain branches of Citi bank.
Time duration for processing visa applications
They require 7-10 business days to process the visa application after you submit it. However, the final discretion rests with the authorities, they can take as much time as they need. Moreover, American visa is high in demand, the interviews are difficult to schedule and often takes much longer time. Therefore it is sensible to apply as early as possible.
Where to exactly apply for the US visa?
Indian citizens can apply for a US visa online. But, for scheduling an US visa appointment in India one needs to visit the VAC first and then the US embassy or consulate. For biometric purposes as well one needs to visit the VAC of the respective countries.
The applicant can choose interview centers at various US embassies located in different parts of the country. Specifically, these locations include Delhi, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, and Mumbai.
In case of an emergency visa appointment
We take into consideration emergency appointments for the US visa interview based on genuine medical and humanitarian emergencies. Additionally, we grant applicants emergency appointments for attending funerals, medical care, university admissions, and urgent business travel. Additionally, if the authorities approve your visa, you can visit Tripbeam to explore the best travel offers and discover amazing deals.
You must present the requisite documents in support of your claim to the officials. However, if one fails to provide legitimate reasons, the authorities may reject the claim and application. Fill out the DS-160 form correctly, or you risk rejection even before the interview.
Grounds for visa refusal
The visa can be denied on the following grounds
- Partial visa application
- Supporting documents being not provided
- Incompetencty to meet visa category requirements
- Record of criminal activity
- Not sufficient finances to support the US trip
- No signal of returning
- No blank pages on passport
- An approved visa that remained unused.
- Nonfurnishing of a compelling reason to visit US
- Intra country ties are poor
- Fake or incomplete documents against the eligibility
The US is a land of economic opportunities and good lifestyle. It is the top destination for students, professionals, and immigrants alike. The quality of life and economic opportunities make US the hottest destination so the competition for entry is very difficult. Even with all the requisite documents, one may be disqualified for the entry into US. but, if the candidate has right motive and a legitimate travel reason and has submitted adequate documentation together with enough financial stability then the chances of obtaining the visa are very high.
So if a trip to the USA is on cards for you then you definitely should not miss this article by tripbeam which delineates the complete procedure in an efficient way. And for the best travel offers and travel deals online look no further than Tripbeam as it offers the cheapest packages compared to others.