America Visa Application: A Step By Step Guide
Every Immigrant has his/her own reason of wanting to travel to the united states of America, either working, studying, tourism, business or permanently moving to the US.
The basic requirement to enter the USA is VISA. You must have one before entering America, however, some nationals are exempted from applying for a visa before entering the country.
Getting a visa to enter can become a difficult process that has denied many immigrants from actualizing their “American dream”. This article will discuss the step by step guide on how to apply for the US visa.
The US Visa Step By Step Application
The US application process is done at a US embassy or consulate in your home country and the procedure is a straight forward process.
The following are steps to follow when applying for a US visa
- Confirm if you need a visa
- Choose the appropriate visa that suits your immigration objectives
- Fill the Form DS-160
- Pay your application fees
- Schedule a visa interview
- Arrange all necessary documents
- Attend the visa interview and finally
- Wait for the outcome
Confirm If You Need A Visa
Before you begin your visa application, confirm if you need a visa to enter the country. Citizens of 39 countries are exempted from applying for a visa before entering the country. The following countries are exempted from obtaining a visa
- Andorra
- Australia
- Austria
- Belgium
- Brunei
- Chile
- Czech
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Ireland
- Italy
- Japan
- South Korea
- Latvia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- Monaco
- Netherlands
- New Zealand
- Norway
- Poland
- Portugal
- San Marino
- Singapore
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Taiwan
- United Kingdom
Choose The Appropriate Visa Type That Suits Your Immigration Objective
After confirming if you need a visa, the second step is to choose the type of visa that suits your immigration objectives. Pay attention at this stage to avoid your visa being rejected.
Filling The Form DS-160
The Form DS-160 is a non-immigrant visa that all foreigners who do not wish to settle permanently in the US must fill. The form is obtainable on the US consulate website from which you are applying.
Pay Your Visa Application Fee
The next step is paying the applicable visa application fee. The Machine Readable Visa Fee is dependent on the visa you are applying for.
The scheduled application is as follows
MRV Fee – $160
Petition Based Applicants – $190
E-1, E-2, E-3 Visa applications – $205
Applicants Should Keep In Mind That The Visa Application Fees Are Non-Refundable.
In addition to the required visa application fees, you may be asked to pay a visa issuance fees.
The issuance fee is determined by the relationship your country has with
the United States. This means that some applicants are exempted from
paying the visa issuance fee.
Schedule A Visa Interview
All non-immigrants applicants between the ages of 14-79 are compulsorily required to undergo a visa interview. As part of the application process, you must schedule a visa appointment with a US embassy or consulate you are applying from.
Note: Ensure you schedule your appointment as early as possible upon submitting your Form DS-160.
Compile The Necessary Documents
You are required to submit documentary evidence to back up your claims during your visa application. The documents will prove to the US consulate that you satisfy all requirements of the visa you are applying for.
Attend The Visa Interview
The final step in your US visa application is attending the visa interview. During the interview, you will be queried on your background, education, and other relevancies based on the visa you applied for.
Wait For Processing
After the visa interview, you will exercise patience for your application to be processed, and the processing time is dependent on the type of visa you applied for. The processing time can be between a few days to a few months.
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