How to Process United States Visa From India

The USA, a country which is equally famous for tourism as well as people visiting the US for business purposes, settling there or as a student from around the world. The USA is a highly developed country and the world’s largest economy making it one of the most sought after nations for people to visit.

The USA is famous as a tourist center because of its culture, nightlife, and beautiful landscapes. While you visit the US there are certain tourist attractions which are not to be missed. Niagara Falls, Statue of Liberty, Grand Canyon, Walt Disney Resorts, Golden Gate Bridge, Warner Bros Studios, and Las Vegas for enjoying the nightlife and gambling.

Indians who plan to visit the USA for tourism purpose needs to have a valid US Visa for Indians. The category for the tourist visa will be B1/B2. Before planning for applying for a USA visa you need to decide on your itinerary and travel plans if your visit is solely for tourism.

If you have an invite from the family & friends in the US then you need to arrange the documents from their end too as these details will help in filling up the DS-160 form the most important and the deciding factor for your approval of the visa. You need to follow certain steps to complete the visa process.

A. Before applying for the visa you need to check the eligibility for the visa by proving you have sufficient funds to manage your stay in the US, social & economic ties in India, and Passport with the validity of months from your intended date of return. Applicants below the age of 14 years and above 80 years are not required to submit biometrics.

B. Once your plan is ready for visiting the US next will be filling up the DS-160 form which will be online. DS -160 form will be the deciding factor for your visa hence it necessary to fill this form very carefully and the details submitted in the form must be correct & true. False information or details can lead to the rejection of the visa.It is always advisable to take guidance and support from a reliable visa agent.

C. DS -160 form will have all your Passport details, Family details, Employment details, Travel History, and Inviter’s details if any. After completing all these details next step will be submitting the form & payment of fees of INR 11,520/-after submitting the form we need to take 2 appointments. One for the biometrics at the nearby VFS Center and the other one for the interview at the Embassy or Consulate with the visa officer.

D. After submitting the form you need to collect the documents for biometrics as it normally happens in a week after submitting the DS-160 form. While visiting the VFS center you need to be there at least 15 minutes in advance. For biometrics, you need to carry a copy of the DS-160 form, appointment letter, and original passports. At the center, they will collect your biometrics & photograph. You will be given the receipt after completing this process which you need to preserve as you are supposed to carry it during the consulate interview.

E. Before your consulate interview you need to collect all the required documents to be submitted at the consulate.

The normal time gap between the biometrics and interview will be of 15- 20 days. You need to collect the below-mentioned documents before visiting the embassy for the interview:

Mandatory Documents

1.Original Passport

2.DS-160 Form

3.Appointment letter

4.Photographs

5.Cover letter (with all the traveler’s details, employment details, and inviter’s details if any)

6.Bank Statement for 6 months – signed & sealed by the bank

7.Income Tax Returns for 3 years

8.Travel Itinerary (if applicable)

9.Hotel Accommodation (if applicable)

Employed Applicants

1.Appointment letter

2. Leave letter or NOC

Self-Employed Applicants

1.Company Registration Papers

2. Company Bank Statement signed & sealed by the bank

3.Company Income Tax Returns

Student Applicants

1.School/College ID card

2.Current year fee receipt or bonafide certificate

Retired Applicants

1.Retirement letter

2.Pension slips

3.Property Papers or financial documents proving sufficient funds

Inviter’s Documents

1.Invitation Letter

2.Inviter’s Passport Copy

3.Inviter’s Residence Card or Visa copy

4.Inviter’s Resident Proof

5.Inviter’s Employment Proof.

F. On the day of the Consulate interview, you need to carry all the above-listed documents in original. Consular will take the interview wherein, they will ask the questions related to your employment, travel details, and finance.

After completion of the interview if your visa is approved they will keep the passport and if the visa is rejected they will return the passport. If your visa is approved you need to collect the passport after 7 -10 days from the VFS center or take the courier service if you do not wish to visit the center.

•For the applicants who want to renew their USA visa, they are not required to submit the biometrics or attend the interview as you come under the interview waiver program but they need to follow the rest of the procedure submitting the DS-160 form with all the details, and visa fees of INR 11,520/- You are not required to submit any other documents unless if consulate asks for any.

•Applicants need to opt for the dropbox service wherein for renewal of the visa you need to visit the nearby VFS center with the Original Passport (Current & Old), print of DS-160 form, appointment letter, 2 photographs with the dimension of 2-inch x 2-inch, white background, matt finish, and not older than 6 months. After submission at the VFS center, you can collect the Passport in 7 -10 days or opt for the courier services.

Points to Remember

•Before starting the visa process you need to be thoroughly aware of the entire process and collect the documents as per the checklist.

•It is always advisable to take the help of the travel agent for guidance on documents and submission of the form.

•Payment for the visa fees is done online with the help of a debit/credit card.

•After payment of the fees you need to take 2 appointments. One at the VFS center for biometrics & other for an interview with the consular at the embassy or consulate.

•Biometrics can be submitted at the nearby center but the interview takes place at Mumbai, New Delhi, Chennai, Bangalore & Kolkata Embassy/Consulate.

•The entire processing time of visa is around 30 – 35 days after submission of the form including biometrics, interview, and collection of the passport.