Last Updated on Sep 27th, 2024 by Priyanka Jadhav, Leave a Comment
There are a variety of reasons why one feels the necessity to travel to the United States, it can range from a pleasure trip to work-related, educational purposes, medical reasons, and so on. The first and major thing one needs to enter the USA is a visa. The article here explores everything one needs to know about while applying for a U.S. Visa.
Citizens of countries not eligible for entry into the United States as they are not included in the VWP (Visa Waiver Program) require a visa. The visa arrives with a stamp on the passport. However, it depends on the officer whether he will give the permit or not. Based on an individual’s profile, the passport can vary from six months to 10 years. Visas are divided into two categories: Immigration Visa and Non-Immigration Visa.
Visa Type | Purpose |
A | Foreign government officials and diplomats |
A1, G-1, NATO1-6 | Visa Renewals |
A-2, NATO1-6 | Military personnel of a foreign country stationed in the U.S |
B-1 | Amateur and professional athletes, business visitors, nannies, or domestic employees |
B-2 | Visitors for medical treatments, tourists, pleasure visitors |
BCC | Mexican Border Crossing Card |
C | Transit in the U.S. |
D | Crew members serving on aircrafts |
E-1 | Treaty traders |
E-2 | Treaty investors |
E-3 | Australian professionals and specialty workers |
F-1 | Language and academic students |
F-2 | Dependents of F-1 Visa holders (students) |
G1 – G5, NATO | Designated international organization’s employees and NATO |
H-1B-1 | Chilean Free Trade Agreement (FTA) professionals, Singaporean FTA professionals |
H1-B[H1B Stamping India] | Physicians and highly specialized occupations requiring specific industry knowledge |
H2-A | Temporary workers for seasonal agriculture |
H2-B | Temporary workers for non-agricultural professions |
H3 | Primarily non-employment training programs |
H1-C | Nurses traveling to areas with a shortage of healthcare professionals |
I | Information media representatives and journalists |
J | Exchange visitors or International cultural exchange visitors |
J-1 | Au-pairs exchange visitors, professors, scholars, and teachers as exchange visitors |
J-2 | Children under the ages of 21/ Spouse of J-1 holder |
K-1 | Fiance |
L | Intracompany transferees |
M-1 | Vocational students |
M-2 | Dependent of M-1 holder |
O-1 | Foreign nationals possessing excellent knowledge and abilities in the field of art, science, education, athletics, or business |
P | Entertainers, artists, and athletes |
Q | International cultural exchange visitors |
R | Religious works |
TN/TD | Mexican and Canadian NAFTA professional workers |
T-1 | Human trafficking victims |
U-1 | Victims of crime, criminal activity |
A foreign citizen needs to meet the following requirements, in order to be eligible.
If the applicant applies for an Immigrant Visa, they must carry the following documents for their visa interview:
If the applicant applies for a Non-Immigrant Visa, they must carry the following documents:
Citizens of India are required to follow the following procedure to meet the photo requirements while applying for the U.S. Visa application.
The procedure of obtaining a U.S. visa from India is lengthy. As a result, the U.S. visa procedure is relatively simple. The type of visa one requires to travel to the United States must be determined before one begins their application. Following this, proceed as follows.
Visa interviews and biometric submissions are mandatory for people above the age of 14 and under the age of 80. If your U.S. Visa has been expired within the last 12 months and you are planning to visit a country under the same type of permit, then you need not attend the interview.
The DS-160 confirmation page is required to be filled out accurately and completely. It cannot be changed, and if there is any false or fake information, then the form leading to your visa can be denied or delayed as per the U.S. Government which has the sole authority to reject visa applications.
Payment of Visa Fees
One can pay the visa fees through NEFT, mobile payment, and cash. This fee is non-refundable. Irrespective of the purpose of travel and type of visas, individuals with diplomatic passports are exempted from paying visa fees. Official passport holders are also exempted from paying visa fees but need to appear for the visa interview at the U.S. Embassy on working days, between 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM.
The non-immigrant visa fees can be paid in cash at certain branches of AXIS and Citibank.
It takes 7-10 business days after submission of the visa application to process it. However, this completely depends on the U.S. Embassy, the type of visa, the urgency, etc. In addition to this, as the American visa is in high demand, the interview for U.S. visa appointments in India are difficult to schedule and usually, have a high waiting time. Therefore, it is strongly recommended to apply well in advance.
The United States Visa Applications made by Indian citizens can be submitted online. However, in order to schedule a U.S. visa appointment in India, the applicant must first visit VAC and then the U.S. Embassy/ Consulate. For the biometric submission, one can visit the VAC situated in their country.
For the Visa interview, the applicant should make a U.S. Visa appointment in India and visit the U.S. Embassy, New Delhi, or a U.S. Consulate General in Chennai, Hyderabad, Mumbai, or Kolkata.
An applicant can acquire an emergency appointment for their U.S. visa interview. In the case of genuine medical or humanitarian emergencies, the applicant is granted emergency appointments. This is only acceptable if the purpose of the trip is medical care, attending funerals, urgent business travel, or taking admission to foreign universities.
Applications for emergency visa interviews must carry supporting documents with them. The applicant, prior to the visa interview, must take an emergency appointment by filling out the DS-160 form and purchasing a valid fee receipt. In case, you fail to provide the immigration authority a legitimate reason for an emergency appointment, this will affect your visa application adversely and your visa can be denied.
Emergency U.S Visa Interview Appointments are ineligible if any of the following conditions apply:
Your visa to the United States can be denied for the following reasons:
The United States of America is one of the greatest and the largest countries across the globe. As the country ranks first in many factors, the chances of being eligible for a permit are difficult. If the applicant has the right motive, a legitimate travel reason, enough financial stability, and has submitted appropriate documentation, then there certainly is a high chance of obtaining the U.S. Visa for Indians. Concluding, it is highly recommended to go through a certain set of rules and basic regulations (laws) of the country.
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A: Your DS-160 barcode number and interview location must be entered into the web portal to track your application status. Visa applicants must email “passportstatus@ustraveldocs.com” with their passport number to inquire about passport status. In most cases, visa applicants receive email/ text messages to notify them about collecting their passports. As an option, one can either pick them up at the store or have them delivered at their location.
A: Yes, there is a provision that helps in extending the permit to stay in the U.S. However, this decision depends on the visa category of the applicant, and to receive an extension, the applicant is required to provide an application to the United States Citizenship and Immigrant Services (USCIS) before the current visa expires. It is in the hands of the USCIS to grant the permission.
A: If the loss or theft took place in India, one must report it immediately to local police. If the occurrence happened overseas one can mail, “support-india@ustraveldocs.com” including:
-Name, Date, and Place of Birth, Nationality, Address, Phone Number
-City where Visa was issued in India
-Photocopy of lost visa
-Photocopy of the bio-data page of lost passport. Or the nationality and number of lost passports and issuance, expiration dates as well.
-Circumstances of the loss: When and How was the passport lost or stolen
-Copy of the police report
A: As reported by the Times of India on December 24, 2021, the U.S. Consular offices have come to the decision to waive the interviews for H1B and other U.S. work visas. This decision will continue until December 31, 2022, where the U.S. Department of State will waive off in-person interviews of visa applicants at local consulates for various non-immigration.
The U.S. Visa Interviews will be waived off for the following categories:
MyTicketsToIndia has introduced an Indian-American portal, ‘Indian Vibes,’ for a home away from home experience to all Indians residing in America. This portal serves as a means for the Indians of America to know the latest Indian news and events happening around their area.
Priyanka Jadhav is a travel writer, who is inclined to explore different cultures and countries. When she is not writing, she is either reading fiction novels or surfing the internet for the next best place to add to her bucket list. Her interests piqued at a young age when she traveled across India and witnessed a variety of cultures, languages, foods, and people. If you're craving for an adrenaline rush, or need an instant travel update - Priyanka has a way with words to help you in every aspect possible. Bring quirky articles and the latest travel updates your way through MyTicketsToIndia, she aims to provide travelers with the necessary information possible.
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