Generally foreign nationals that wish to enter the United States require a valid visa. The United States visa gives foreign nationals the right to enter and stay in the U.S. temporarily for non immigrant visas and permanently for immigrant visas. In this article we will be discussing about the U.S. tourist visa.

What is a B-2 Visa?

A B-2 visa is a non-immigrant visa used to gain entry into the U.S. for the purpose of tourism, medical treatment, holiday, visits to friends and families, social events. As a B-2 visa holder, you can stay up to 180 days in the United States.

This article will be covering the tourism aspect of a B-2 visa so the requirements covered in this article are tailored to tourism.

Requirements

As a foreign national seeking to travel to the U.S. for the purpose of tourism, you have to meet certain requirements to be qualified for a tourist visa. Below you will find the requirements that must be met for getting a B-2 visa for tourism purposes.

• International Passport: You must have an international passport with a validity period of at least 6 months beyond your intended period of stay in the United States.

• DS-160 confirmation page: DS-160 form is an online non-immigrant visa application form. This form contains different sections such as Personal Information, Travel Information, Travel Companions, Previous U.S. Travel, Address and Phone Number, Passport Detail, U.S. Point Of Contact, Relatives, Work, Education, and Training, Security and Background Information, and Applicant Photo Section. The information filled in this form helps the visa officer to determine if the applicant is qualified for a B-2 visa.

• Passport Photograph: You must have two 2×2 passport photograph that meet with the U.S. visa photo requirement.

• B-2 Visa application fee receipt: You have to pay a non-refundable B-2 visa application fee and print the receipt.

Supporting Documents

• Proof of fund: You must provide your account statement for the last 6 months. This helps the visa officer know if you are financially capable of taking care of yourself throughout your stay in the U.S. and won’t end up becoming a financial burden to the U.S. government.

• Letter from employer: Getting a letter from your employer stating the intent of your visit to the U.S. will help the visa officer know that you have strong ties to your home country and plan returning home immediately your visa expires.

• Marriage Certificate: Providing your marriage certificate also proves to the consulate officer that you have strong ties to your home country. So you have to go with your marriage certificate as it helps prove to the visa officer that you have a wife that you plan returning home to as soon as your B-2 visa expires.

• Birth Certificate of Children: If you have children, you must provide their birth certificate, as it also proves your strong ties to your home country.

• Real Assets: If you have physical assets like cars, landed properties, plant and machinery, real estate, etc., you must provide the documents. This helps prove that you have strong ties to your home country and intend returning after your short stay in the U.S.

• Form I-134: If you have a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident (Green Card) that intend supporting you financially, your sponsor must fill the Form I-134 agreeing to provide financial support to you. Your sponsor has to send you this form which you will carry along to your visa interview.

Application Process for a B-2 Visa

The application process of a U.S. tourist visa is very easy. Below are the steps to follow to successfully apply for a B-2 visa. If you encounter any issues, you can reach out to any of our consultants to assist you with the process.

• DS-160 Form: Visit the Online Non-immigrant Visa Application portal and fill the form with your correct information. Kindly ensure that you do not provide false information because the consulate officer will use the information filled on this form to determine if you qualify to get a B-2 visa or not and providing false information will get you a visa denial.

• Passport Photograph: In the Online Non-immigrant Visa Application portal, you will get to the passport upload section. Upload your passport that meets the U.S. visa photo requirements. If the passport upload fails, kindly carry the hardcopy of the passport to your visa interview.

• DS-160 Confirmation Page: After filling the DS-160 form, print the confirmation page.

• Pay the Non-refundable B-2 Visa Fee: Pay the 185 USD non-refundable visa fee and print the receipt.

• Schedule a Visa Appointment: After filling the DS-160 form and paying the visa fee, kindly proceed with scheduling your visa appointment at the U.S. embassy closest to you in your home country.

• • After scheduling your visa interview, the U.S. consulate will send you an appointment letter, kindly keep it safe. Visa interviews are generally not required for applicants that are aged 13 years and younger and for applicants that are 80 years and older.

• Prepare all your Documents: Before you attend your visa appointment, it is very important to arrange all your documents.

• Attend your Visa Interview: This is the final phase of a B-2 visa application process. At the interview, the visa officer will determine if you are qualified to obtain a B-2 visa or not. The visa officer will go through all the documents that you submitted to determine if you are qualified to be given the visa.

• • Also the consulate officer will ask you some questions during the interview. Ensure that you answer the questions with honesty and ensure that you make the intent of your travel to the U.S. known and you have to convince the consulate officer that you have plans of going back to your home country after your short stay in the U.S.

Visa Appointment Wait Times

The United States tourist visa appointment wait times is dependent on the volume of applications and number of staff at the U.S. consulate office that you scheduled your visa interview. This can vary from country to country and from time to time so you have to be patient with your visa appointment.

You can also read out post on: Canada Visitors Visa

Common Visa Interview Questions

To assist you prepare for your B-2 visa interview, we have compiled some of the likely asked questions during a B-2 visa interview. It’s very important to answer these questions with total honesty.

• What is the purpose of your visit to the United States?
• How long do you intend staying in the United States?
• Do you have family or friends in the U.S.? If yes, where do they reside?
• What is your occupation?
• How long have you been working with your current employer?
• Where will you be staying in the U.S.?
• Are you traveling alone?
• What is your five years plan?
• Have you been to the U.S. before?
• Who will be sponsoring your trip and stay in the U.S.?
• Do you have financial proof you can support your trip and stay in the U.S.?
• What is your annual income?
• Do you have family members in your home country?
• Are you married?
• Do you have children or any dependent in your home country?
• What assets do you own in your home country?
• How will you ensure you return to your home country after your short stay in the U.S.?
• Have you been arrested or convicted for a crime before?
• Do you have any deadly or communicable disease?

We would be covering U.S. visa interview questions and possible answers in details in another article. You have to go through the above questions and prepare yourself accordingly.

Possible reasons for a B-2 visa denial

• Lack of financial capacity
• Lack of strong ties to your home country
• Bad travel history
• Incomplete or incorrectly filled application
• Inconsistent application
• Unclear travel intent
• Having a criminal history
• Birth tourism intent
• Having a deadly and communicable disease
• Having a strong ties in the United States
• Lack of travel itinerary
• Lack of statement of purpose
• Submitting fake or altered supporting documents
• Having a visa ban in the U.S. or another country

Cost of applying for a B-2 Visa

• B-2 Visa Fee: B-2 visa fee is 185 USD.

• International Passport: The cost of getting an international passport is dependent on your country. If you do not already have an international passport, kindly visit the immigration and customs office in your home country to know the price of your country’s passport.

Here at Schmick Travel, our priority is to give our clients world class services. If you want us to assist you with your U.S. tourist visa application, kindly get in touch with us.