How to apply USA tourist Visa(B1/B2)?

The USA is a complete tourism package in itself, including a variety of tourist attractions, i.e. iconic landmarks, mesmerizing landscape sceneries, amazing wildlife, incredible nightlife, and breathe taking adventures, etc. 

The United States of America is a spectacular country with exceptional cultural diversity, glorious monuments, magnificent landscape beauty, top business firms, and one of the best living standards of the people in the world. This is the reason that it attracts millions of immigrants and tourists every year.

How to apply USA tourist Visa (B1/B2)

You need to follow some key steps to apply for US tourist visa (B1/B2). Here is the summary of the whole process:

• Find out if you need a visa: Citizens of some nations are eligible to travel to the US for tourism or business purposes without any requirement of visa under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP). Check if your home country is part of the VWP.
• Fill & Submit the online application form (DS-160): Fill out all the sections of the DS-160 form accurately and submit the same.
• Pay the application fee: Pay the non-refundable application fee for a US tourist visa is $160 through a credit card or at a designated bank.
• Plan an appointment: After paying the fee, you require fixing an appointment for an interview at the US embassy.
• Prepare for the interview: You should bring all required documents to your interview, i.e. passport, visa application confirmation page, travel plans, reasons for visiting the US,  
• Appear for the interview: Reach the relevant embassy on time wearing an appropriate dress. Be honest and precious in your answers, and provide any added documents or information that the officer requests.
• Wait for the approval: Post interview, the immigration officer will make a decision on your visa application. If it is approved, your passport will be returned to you with the visa. If your application is deprived of, you will be given a reason for the denial.

USA Visitor Visa B1/B2

The B1/B2 Visa is a non-immigrant visa for the people who want to travel down to USA for various purposes such as Tourism, meeting friends and relatives, Business, participating in social events or any such activity temporarily.

Activities permitted with a visitor visa: Business (B-1)

• Consult with business associates
• Attend a scientific, educational, professional, or business convention or conference
• Settle an estate
• Negotiate a contract

Activities permitted with a visitor visa: Tourism (B-2)

• Tourism
• Vacation (holiday)
• Visit with friends or relatives
• Medical treatment
• Participation in social events hosted by fraternal, social, or service organizations
• Participation by amateurs in musical, sports, or similar events or contests, if not being paid for participating
• Enrolment in a short recreational course of study, not for credit toward a degree (for example, a two-day cooking class while on vacation)

Key Steps to apply US B1/B2 Visa

There are various steps to apply for US B1/B2 Visa. The order of these steps and how you complete them may differ depending on the U.S. Embassy or Consulate. Find below the process of the online visa application.

• Complete the Online Visa Application DS-160

The DS-160, Online Non-immigrant Visa Application form, is for short-term travel to the US, and for K (fiancé(e)) visas. You need to submit the Form DS-160 electronically. The Immigration Officers use the information given in form DS-160 to process the visa application and, joined with a personal interview, determine candidate’s eligibility for this particular visa.

The applicants needs to submit a completed DS-160, Online non-immigrant Visa Application for all non-immigrant visa categories, comprising candidates applying for K visas.

• Online Non-immigrant Visa Application, Form DS-160 – You need to:

• complete the online visa application and
• print the application form confirmation page to carry the same for interview.

• Photo – Upload photograph while completing the online Form DS-160. It needs to be in the format explained in the Photograph Requirements.

• Schedule an Interview

Interviews are usually needed for visa applicants with a few limited exceptions below. Consular officers may need an interview of a candidate.

Interview wait time

The wait times for interview appointments may differ depending on the location, season, and visa category, so you should apply for your visa timely.

How can you reduce the wait time for US Visitor visa?

Recently the US Embassy in India, has issued a statement that the travellers who cannot afford the long waiting period for visitor visa, could opt to apply for their US visa via a 3rd country.

Also read- Moving to USA from India? Now get Quick visa appointments in a third country

Giving example of Thailand, the US Embassy in India, mentioned that Thailand has opened B1/B2 appointment capacity for Indians Travelers, who will be in the country in the upcoming months. The wait times in Bangkok for B1/B2 interview is just 14 days.

What is not Permitted On US Visitor Visa?

These are few activities that require different categories of visas and hence, these activities cannot be done on a visitor visa, such as,

• Study
• Employment
• Paid performances, or any professional performance before a paying audience
• Arrival as a crewmember on a ship or aircraft
• Work as foreign press, in radio, film, print journalism, or other information media
• Permanent residence in the United States