How to Obtain a US Visa

There are essentially two types of United States visas you can obtain: non-immigrant visas available for temporary travel, and immigrant visas for permanent stay. There are over 20 types of non-immigrant visas and several other types of immigrant visas. The type of visa is determined by the purpose of your travel. To obtain one for the U.S., you must follow certain processes and procedures.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

For a Non-Immigrant Visa

Step 1

Schedule an interview with the United States Embassy or Consulate in your home country. You can apply at any U.S. Embassy, but the wait times can be much longer because of the multiple governments involved. The consular officer at the Embassy will determine your eligibility and type of visa required based on the interview, your application and the visa requirements. An interview is required for visa applicants age 14 through 79.

Step 2

Submit the necessary documents. After the interview you will need to submit several documents. These include Non-immigrant Visa Application (Form DS-156), the Supplemental Non-immigrant Visa Application (Form DS-157), a passport valid for travel to the United States and with a validity date at least six months beyond the applicant's intended period of stay in the United States, and one 2 x 2 photograph.

Step 3

Pay the processing fees involved when attempting to obtain a visa. There are no refunds, and paying the fees does not guarantee you a visa. Fees include a non-immigrant visa application processing fee and a visa issuance fee.

Step 4

Present additional documents, which will also be needed to prove the proper visa classification. The documents must show the purpose of the trip, evidence that you can financially support yourself while in the country or that someone in the country is willing to give financial support.

For an Immigrant Visa

Step 1

Become sponsored. To even apply for an immigrant visa, a foreign citizen needs to be sponsored by a U.S. citizen who is a relative, a permanent resident, or a prospective employer and be the beneficiary of an approved petition.

Step 2

File a petition with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. The petition is forwarded to the National Visa Center (NVC) for processing. The NVC, upon review of the petition, will forward instructions to the petitioners. These instructions include an Affidavit of Support form and possibly other documents, depending on the applicant.

Step 3

Fill out form DS 230, which is available on the U.S. Department of State website. There will also be an interview scheduled with the National Visitor Center.

Step 4

Prepare the necessary documents needed to before the interview with the NVC. These documents include: birth certificate, court and prison records, deportation documentation, marriage certificate, marriage termination documentation, military records, petitioner documents, photocopy of valid passport biographic data page, police certificate(s) and custody documentation. If these documents are not in English, they must be translated into English by a certified translator.

Resources

US Dept of State: Visas

Article Written By Travis DeLingua

Travis DeLingua has been writing professionally for print and online publications since 2005. He has been published in magazines including "Time Out New York" and the "New York Press."

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