You may be wondering how to Apply for a US Visa, or you may want to but need help figuring out how to go; don’t worry. We are here to help you understand how to apply for a U.S. visa.
A US Visa is a document that allows any foreign person entrance into the United States. And anyone who seeks entrance must first obtain a U.S. visa placed on the traveller’s passport.
A passport is a document issued by the traveller’s country of citizenship.
It is important to know that U.S. citizens don’t have to apply for a U.S. Visa to travel within or into the U.S., but when planning to travel abroad, you will need to get a visa issued by the embassy of the country they want to visit.
What Types of Visas Are There?
One can obtain various types of Visas, and the U.S. immigration law determines it and shows the purpose of your travel.
There are two main categories of U.S. Visas:
Nonimmigrant visas
Nonimmigrant visas are the type of visa used by tourists, business people, and students who want to stay for a particular duration of time in the United States to fulfil a specific purpose.
Immigrant visas
Immigrant visas are for persons who desire to live permanently in the United States.
How to Apply for a U.S. Visa
Some people going to the U.S. are always required to apply for a U.S. visa; everyone has their reason for going to the U.S.
It can be for tourism, business, working, studying, or staying there permanently.
The country is drawn to by many people who want to achieve a goal called”the American dream”. But some things hinder that dream, and one of them is acquiring a Visa.
You will follow a simple application approach and stages to apply for a U.S. visa.
Check if you need a visa:
While applying for a Nonimmigrant Visa to visit the U.S., you need to know if you are to apply for a U.S. visa; 39 visa waiver countries need not apply for a U.S. Visa.
Choose the visa type:
The next step is to choose the visa type you want to have since there are various types of visas. You need to pay close attention to knowing the right type of visa that you want to apply for
Fill in the Nonimmigrant Visa Application Form DS-160:
DS-160 Online Nonimmigrant Visa is an application you must fill out when you want to apply for a U.S. Visa under the Nonimmigrant Visa category.
This is done online, on the website of the U.S. consulate, from which you will have to apply for a U.S. visa. There are ways for you to fill out the DS-160 form online; they are:
- By using the Consular Electronic Application Centre,
- Through the assistance of a third-party company.
How to fill in the form DS-160?
The form carries two-part while filling; in the first part, you are to answer some questions about personal information. And that information is:
- Full name
- Marital Status
- Nationality
- Date & Place of Birth
- Address
- Country
- Mobile number
- Passport number
- Passport book number
- Family information
- Education
- Work, etc.
The second part of the online application carries questions about background information and security. These questions can be:
Have you ever been arrested or convicted of a crime or offence?
- Have you ever engaged in a conspiracy to violate any law relating to controlled substances?
- Have you ever been involved in money laundering?
Have you ever ordered, incited, committed, aided, or participated in genocide?
Pay your U.S. visa application fee.
After completing other procedures, you can now pay the U.S. application fee.
The type of visa requested determines the Machine Readable Visa Fee for visa applicants. The schedule is divided into three sections:
- MRV Fee – $160
- Petition-Based Applicants (H, L, O, P, Q, R) – $190
- E-1, E-2 & E-3 visa applicants – $205
It’s best to know that once you have made the payment, you can’t get any refund even though you cancel your visa or if your Visa application is rejected.
You can also be asked to pay a U.S. insurance fee in addition to the application fees. The relationship between the U.S. and your home country determines the Insurance.
This implies that some applicants will pay and others will not, and the amount also changes from country to country.
For your application to be processed, you must pay all necessary fees and keep the receipt as proof.
Schedule a U.S. visa interview.
A US Visa interview is required for applicants between the ages of 14 and 79.
Make an appointment with the U.S. consulate or embassy when you apply to participate in this obligatory interview.
While making the appointment, it is best to schedule the interview early enough as they might have a high workload which might result in a long range of waiting, which can last for days to weeks.
You will receive an interview confirmation letter that you are expected to come with on the interview day.
Compile the document file.
You must also submit the required documents while applying for the U.S. Visa application, which shows that you have met the required procedure for a Nonimmigrant Visa that you want to apply for.
Attend the visa interview.
The U.S. Visa interview is the final stage of the United States Visa application. You are expected to come in time for the interview with all your necessary documents.
You will be asked questions regarding your background and any other relevant details based on the visa you applied for. The interview will be longer if you are going to the U.S. to work than if you are going on a visit.
Wait for processing
Once you finish the Visa interview, you are to wait for your application to be processed. The processing time depends on the type of visa you applied for, and it can be between days to a few months upon application.
When your visa is processed, you will know if you have been approved or denied, keep in mind that you should make any travel plans when your visa has come out to avoid unnecessary expenses should Incase it is denied.
Conclusion
This article on how to Apply for a US Visa has been broken down and made easy with the above-outlined steps.
Following them will make your application process smooth and give you some confidence, as you will know you’re doing the right thing.
Leave a Comment