The USA is a large country containing numerous tourist destinations. Unless you are from a country that doesn’t require a visa to to come to the United States you need to obtain a visitor visa. The process of attaining a visitor visa can be long and at times complicated. It is recommended you start trying to get your visa well before you plan on traveling to the USA. This will help to avoid last minute complications which could ultimately ruin your visit. With the right amount of patience and attention to details you should be able to obtain a visitor visa to the USA. This blog article will be about getting a U.S. Tourist Visa.
Kinds Of Visitor Visas
When planning a tourist trip to the United States it is important you apply for the right sort of visa. There are two types of visitor visas offered. The first is a B-1 which is only good for traveling to the USA for business purposes. The visitor visa you want for a tourist stay is a B-2 visa. This kind of visa is good for tourism as well as medical procedures. It is important you apply for the B-2 visa because if you apply for the B-1 and are only coming to the USA for a tourist visit you you’re application will be denied. With the B-2 visa it is important to note that you are not allowed to take educational courses that count for credit or participate in any performances for which you are paid. It is however okay to take recreational classes that are not for any sort of credit or degree program. It is also okay to perform if you are not being paid for your performance in any way.
Visa Application
The first step towards attaining your tourist visa is to apply. To apply you must contact an US embassy or consulate in your country. Each consulate and embassy may have slightly different application steps, but they more or less will all be the same. It is recommended to apply to the closest US embassy or consulate to where you are living as this may make the process less complicated. Upon contacting a US embassy or consulate you will make an appointment for an interview. The interview is the main deciding factor of whether or not you will be granted a visa. Before going to the interview there is the DS-160 form available online which must be completed and brought to your interview.
Tourist Visa Interview Process
Before going to your interview you need to make sure that you are adequately prepared for your interview. Most importantly you must have your completed DS-160 form. You should also bring all of your identification including a valid passport. You will also need to bring a form of payment since there are fees which must be paid either before the interview or during including a nonrefundable visa application fee. During the interview you will be asked questions which are designed to verify you are really coming to the United States for the reasons you state. The interviewer wants to make sure you will have enough money while in the US as well as an intent to not overstay your allocated length of time. The interviewer really wants to make sure that you will return to your home country when you are supposed to return. The interviewer will be looking to see if you have significant ties and a real reason to return to your home country. If you are applying from a country which has a poor record of having its citizens return home after visiting the United States it will be harder for you to obtain a U.S. Tourist visa. However, if you are adequately prepared and if you answer the questions honestly you have a chance to obtain your visa and being on your way to discovering the United States first hand.
If you are seriously thinking about visiting the United States you can always contact our office for help. Remember the immigration officer has a lot of discretion in approving tourist visas to the United States. You want to put your best foot forward and have your visa approved without any problems.
The title of this blog post is: Getting a U.S. Tourist Visa. The information provided on this site is not legal advice but general information only. Laws can and do change and additional laws may apply in your case. Lawrence Gruner is a fiance visa attorney, (10 things to know about the fiancé visa process) a fiancé visa lawyer, a green card attorney, and a Sacramento immigration attorney with almost 20 years of experience handling immigration cases. He would be happy to talk to you about your immigration case. He has office locations throughout California and handles cases throughout the United States and the World. He may be reached at 888-801-6558
