If you want to visit the United States of America despite being a non-American, you require a USA visa. The type of Visa depends upon the purpose of your visit, and the process changes slightly with the purpose. The USA visa is granted under US immigration laws.
If you are the one who wants to go to the USA but doesn’t know how to get a visa, then this is the ultimate guide for you. It will help if you read it until the end to know about the legitimate procedure and documents you need to apply for the Visa.
This Visa is required by only those not part of the US’s Visa Waiver Program (VWP). Therefore, all Indian citizens require this Visa. This Visa is available for immigrants as well as non-immigrants. And this, the Visa is predominantly issued for six months.
There are various types of visas you can go for. The most prominent categories include immigrant, non-immigrant, tourist, business, student, work, journalist, and exchange visitor visas.
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1. Visa Eligibility
Visa eligibility is one of the crucial parameters to start getting a USA visa. After that, Visa is granted for your visit. Broadly these visas are classified under two categories of immigrants and non-immigrants visas.
There is a particular set of criteria that you need to apply for a USA visa. These criteria include:
- Contact details of the applicant’s residence must be provided
- Applicants must be able to furnish proof of financial stability for their stay in the USA
- Applicant must have the legitimate letter of confirmation in case of business visa and appointment letter in case of academic Visa
- Passport must have a validity of 6 months from the date of application of Visa
- Must have proof of solid ties with native land to nullify the risk of illegal immigrants
- For a family, a separate visa would be required for each individual
2. For Non-Immigrant USA Visa Application
If you want to apply for a non-immigrant USA visa, then these are a set of steps. You can follow these steps to apply for an online visa.
- Be sure about the type of Visa you are applying
- Fill DS-160 form or non-immigrant visa electronic application form available at the official website of the US Consular Electronic Application Centre and then submit it
- Pay the online visa application fee through NEFT
- Print the DS-160 form confirmation page
- Book an appointment for Visa Application Centre (VAC) and US Embassy or Consulate by logging in to your profile. Enter your passport number, barcode mentioned on your DS-160 form, and fee receipt number
- Complete all the details in your profile and select a pick up location from where you will receive your passport
- For your photograph and biometrics, visit the Visa Application Centre
- On the day of the interview, visit the US Embassy or Consulate with all the required documents
- Once you clear the interview, you will be granted the US visa
- Then, in the end, you only need to collect your passport from the pickup location
3. For Immigrant USA Visa Application
Suppose you are interested in applying for the ‘K’ category non-immigrant or immigrant USA visa. In that case, you need to follow some different steps.
Here are these steps that you need to follow to get your immigrant visa for the USA:
- Firstly, file the petition with USCIS or with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services. You can fill this petition on your own, or any relative or employer at the USCIS office in America can file it
- If you file the petition on your own, then you can fill the I-360 form and send it to Chicago at the USCIS lockbox
- Then USCIS will provide you with the date after approving your petition
- Once you are through with this, then you can apply for the immigrant visa
- Get the Police Clearance Certificate from the regional passport office of your city
- Take the medical examination by an Embassy approved doctor
- For the immigrant visa, fill the DS-260 form online. On the other hand, if you are applying for a ‘K’ class visa, then you should fill the DS-160 form instead of the DS-260 form
- Get the printout of the confirmation page of your form
- Book the slot for interview by logging in to your profile
- Complete your profile and then select the place for the pickup of passport
- Visit the Visa Application Centre for the biometrics collection
- Carry all the necessary documents with you when you visit the US Embassy or Consulate for an interview
- Clear the interview, and you will be granted the USA visa
- Then you only need to collect your passport from the pickup location at the end
4. Visa Fees
The fee has to be paid by every person aspiring to get a USA visa. No matter they get a Visa or not, but they have to pay the fee. The paid fee is non-refundable and non-transferable.
The amount of the visa fees depends upon the type of Visa you want. The fee needs to be paid in the local currency from where the Visa is being applied. The USA visa fees can be paid by using cash, demand draft, or credit card. You can also use the means of NEFT to make an online payment.
The debit cards and cheques are not allowed to pay visa fees. However, you will get a payment receipt once you successfully pay the fees. This receipt is valid for one year. And you can schedule your interview within this duration.
Suppose you exceeded the validity of the receipt and didn’t schedule your interview in the stipulated time. Then you need to pay the visa fees again to appear for the interview. For the business or exchange visitors, the fee is $160. But this is subject to vary under the type of Visa you wish to get.
Final Words
Getting a USA visa is not as a cumbersome task as it seems to be. You need to be through with the process to know how you can get a Visa. You should possess all the necessary and legitimate documents to get started with the process.
But, if you are having any doubts or not sure about something, please call us and get in touch with us. We’ll provide you with the best and the optimum solutions to make you one step closer to the USA visa.
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