Fill Out The Application Form Online

You can apply for non-immigrant US visa right from the comfort and convenience of your home. All you need to have is just a computer with Internet connection. You can visit the official website of U.S. Department of State. You can access the required application form by just a few clicks of your mouse. Get a copy of the online form printed on paper.

Contact The U.S. Consulate or Embassy

The next thing you have to do is to schedule a nonimmigrant visa appointment by contacting the US Consulate or Embassy. Do not forget to carry the printed application form with you.

Gather Supporting Documents

While you are applying for the non-immigrant US visa, there is an array of supporting documents that you need to attach with your application, such as proof that you have strong ties to your native country (such as you have a family or a permanent employment there) and proof of financial resources among other things. Some of the most common proofs that you can present in support of your family ties in your native country may include documents that show family commitments, documents that show that you have financial assets in your country, and appointment letter from an employer in your native country along with the details of your employment history.

There is also a certain amount of processing fee that y6ou are required to pay as part of the process of applying for a non-immigrant US visa. At present, if you are applying for an E-visa, you will have to pay a processing fee of $390. On the other hand, if it is a non-petition-based non-immigrant visa, it will cost you $140. However, these fees may change over time. Therefore, make sure you inquire about it in advance in order to avoid any unpleasant hassles at a later stage.

Do You Meet The Eligibility Criteria?

Before you apply for a US tourist visa, you must first find out if you meet the eligibility requirements. Just because you are going for a vacation does not qualify you for a visa. In fact, tourists visas are often provided to those people are attending a convention, receiving medical treatments, volunteering programs by charitable organizations, visiting sports teams, or looking at American universities and colleges.

Visit The Official Website Of The Us Immigration Office

You need to fill out some forms and submit the same in order to apply for a visa. One way to do this is to visit the official website of the US immigration office. You can download the form on your computer and then get it printed on paper. Fill it out and then submit it through mail. Alternatively, these days, you can also fill out the forms online and submit it right there through just a click of your mouse. However, the process can be a little time consuming. You must expect to spend at least an hour for this. In your application form, you will be asked to provide details about your US travel plans and about your current address among other things.

How to maximize your chances of Approval?

You need to be very careful while you are filling out the application for US tourist visa. You can maximize your chances of approval by providing an accurate plan about travel, such as when you are planning to leave, how long you will stay there, and which places you are going to visit. Though it is not mandatory to disclose all of this information in your application form, if you still do, it is going to work in your favor only.

Preparation For A Security Clearance

US Immigration officer will try to investigate your personal history thoroughly in order to find out if it is safe to allow you to enter the country. You can help them with this process by providing your personal information in detail. This will help you pass the security clearance easily.

Overall, if you keep in mind above things and follow the right strategies while you are applying for the US tourist visa, you have a good chance of getting your application approved.

Is This The First Time You Are Visiting A Foreign Country?

Though there is no specific order to ask questions during a US immigrant visa interview, this is one of the most common questions that are often asked to the applicants. If you have visited other foreign countries before and are able to prove through documents that you have a successful track record of visiting other countries and the returning to your home country. If you have already visited US before without any issues, it is a great plus for you. Such track records actually convince the US immigration officers that you have no intentions of abandoning your home country. Here, it is very important for you to keep in mind that whatever answers you give is thoroughly investigated later. If at any stage, the officers find that you told a lie or tried to manipulate the facts or didn’t tell the entire truth, your application is very much likely to be rejected. Therefore, you must be very truthful in your answers.

Questions About Your Family

While you are attending a US immigrant visa interview, you should also expect several questions related to your family members. You may simply be asked to tell about your family. Further questions may automatically be generated when you start telling about your family, such as Why’s and How’s. You must provide the details about your family in a way (in a truthful way) that should convince the officers that you have a family waiting for you in your native country, which is a strong reason why you must come back. Do not just provide this information verbally; it is better to show them documents related to the identity of your family and how you are tied to them. You must expect a lot of additional questions, as the officers will be trying to investigate deeper if whatever you are saying is completely true. For example, if you are telling them about your sister, you may be asked questions about her residence, her employment, date of birth, and other such things.

Will You Have A Permanent Location During Your Stay In The US?

During the US immigrant visa interview, you are also likely to be asked about the place where you are going to stay in the US. Is this a permanent place, such as a relative’s or friend’s home? If you are able to demonstrate that you are going to have a permanent location and are also able to provide a point of contact where the officers can get in touch with you during your stay, it will maximize your chances of getting your application for the visa approved.

Is There Someone Who Is Sponsoring You?

Students who want to visit the US for a certain period of time to attend a school must expect questions about who is sponsoring their visit to the US. You may even be asked to show proof of financial support.

Overall, there can be a wide array of questions that you may be bombarded with when you attend a US immigrant visa interview. So, if you want to get your application for the visa approved, you must get prepared in advance.

Contact The US Embassy

If you are outside the United States of America, you will have to contact the US embassy or consulate in your jurisdiction in order to start the procedure for obtaining B2 tourist visa to the US. If you are in the United States, you will have to contact the US Citizenship and Immigration Service Center.

Interview With The Counselor

If you are someone aged between 13 and 80, you will have to schedule a mandatory interview with the consular as part of the procedure. Those who are below 13 or above 80 are not required to attend any such interview.

Fingerprint Scan

During the interview with the consular, you will be asked to submit to an ink-free digital fingerprint scan. It is administered by a consular officer and takes just a few minutes.

Fill Out The Necessary Forms

The next step is to complete the paperwork. You will have to fill out the Nonimmigrant Visa Application Form DS-156. You can download this form and get the same printed on paper. Alternatively, you also have an option to fill this form at the interview. You may be required to fill up many other forms, depending upon an array of factors that might just be applicable in your case. For example, if you are a male and aged between 16 and 45, you will be asked to complete a Supplemental Nonimmigrant Visa Application Form DS-157 also. Depending upon the purpose of your US trip and the specific circumstances you are in, you may be asked to provide several other documentations also as part of the application process for B2 tourist visa.

Passport And Photo

Your application must also include a copy of your valid passport and a 2-by-2-inch passport size photo. Make sure you read the instructions thoroughly because there are specific requirements for photographs of non-immigrants. Besides that, the remaining validity on your passport must be at least six months from the time you are supposed to enter the United States of America.

Pay The Fees

The last step is to pay the appropriate visa fees. You can get the exact detail about the fee from the embassy or consulate. The fee requirements also vary depending upon the type of currency applicable in your native country and the length of your proposed stay in the US.

After completing all paperwork and making the fee payment, you just have to submit your application with the US consulate or embassy and then wait to get a response from them if your B2 tourist visa application has got rejected or approved. The waiting period may range from just a couple of weeks to several months. It means you must start the procedure much in advance to avoid hassles.

Complete The Form I-539

If you want to extend your stay in the United States of America, you will have to fill out the Form I-539. You can get the form for visa extension from the USCIS office. Alternatively, you can visit their official website and download the form on your PC and then get it printed on paper. You must complete the form legibly. Make sure that the details you are providing are accurate to the best of your knowledge. You also need to sign the application appropriately.

Gather Necessary Documents

You will be required to send certain documents along with your application.
You can provide an affidavit from a friend or relative who is a US citizen or at least a legal alien working in the country with a decent employment record. Alternatively, you can provide a letter from the employer of your friend or relative as a proof of employment. You will also need to attach copies of all the pages of your passport (your passport has to be a valid one issued by your native country). Other documents include a copy of your valid 1-94 card (its expiration date must still be at least 4-6 weeks away). What is more, you can provide more strength to your visa extension application by attaching a copy of your air tickets from US to your country.

Pay The Fee

You will also need to pay a certain amount of fee as part of the application process. For this, you need to enclose a check or money order payable to the USCIS. The fee is likely to change anytime. You are recommended to contact the USCIS office in your area to get accurate detail about it.

Write A Detailed Covering Letter

You also need to attach a detailed covering letter along with your application. This letter must explain the reason of your longer stay in the country. The reason has to be a genuine one and you must have sufficient proofs and evidences in support of your claim.

Send The Application

Once you are ready with everything, you can send the application along with all the documents and the covering letter to the USCIS office (for example, ‘USCIS California Service Center’ in California) as a priority mail via USPS. It is better if you also attach a return receipt request. In any case, you must not forget to keep copies of everything with you. You may need them in emergency situation when something goes wrong, such as when your mail doesn’t reach the USCIS office in time.

Receive A Receipt From USCIS

Though USCIS may take anywhere from four to six weeks of time to process your application for visa extension, they will immediately send you a receipt. As long as you have that receipt, you will have the legal right to stay in the country. So, make sure you keep it safe. With this receipt in your hand, you can stay in the US even after both your visa and I-94 card have crossed the expiration date.

Receive A Final Notice From USCIS

The USCIS will notify you via mail whether your application has got rejected or approved. If it is rejected, you will have no other option but to leave the country as soon as possible. If approved, a new I-94 card will be issued in your name. You must get this card stapled with your passport.

Overall, if you have a genuine reason to extend your stay in the USA and also have the proof and evidence in this regard, your application for visa extension is likely to be approved provided you follow the procedure properly as described above.

For Relatives

The most common type of US immigration visa is for relatives of those people who are already a citizen of the United States of America. People that fall under this category may include family members, newly adopted foreign children, and fiancés who are foreign nationals. This type of visa is issued when a US citizen sponsors his/her relative by signing an Affidavit of Support and by providing essential documents as a proof of the said relation.

Work Visas

There are five tiers for employment related US immigration visa – E1, E2, E3, E4, and E5. The top tier is E1 that includes people with extraordinary ability in the field of sports, business, education, arts, and science. This category also includes those outstanding researchers and professors who are internationally recognized and have at least three years of experience in the field of research or teaching. One may seek green card assistance for easy immigration. While the other four tiers require the applicants to have a job in the US, the people that fall under the top tier E1 can enter the country even if they are not employed in the United States of America. There are also some special sections in this category that include religious workers, Afghans who worked for/on behalf of the U.S. Government, Iraqis who worked for/on behalf of U.S. Government, and Iraqi or Afghan translators/interpreters.

The application procedure may vary depending upon the type of US immigration visa you are applying for. Therefore, before you file an application, you must first determine which kind of visa you want – “exceptional”, religious, refugee, investment, work, student, tourist, temporary resident, or permanent resident. In order to keep things smooth, you may want to hire a qualified and experienced inbound US visa attorney for help.