USA Tourist Visa

The US tourist visa, also known as a visitor visa, is a tourist visa to the USA, and is also called a B2 visa. If you would like to enter the US temporarily for pleasure, tourism, or medical treatment, you can apply for a non-immigrant visa called a tourist visa. In order to get a USA tourist visa, you have to complete a DS-160 form, pay the application fee, prepare documents, take an appointment for fingerprinting as well as for the consular interview, and then attend the appointments.

Citizen of certain countries are not required to get visitors visa, as they qualify to visit the US under the Visa Waiver Program for a visit up to 90 days.

A B2 tourist visa is not solely for tourism purposes. That means you don’t necessarily have to have a camera around your neck and go from one place to another. A USA visitor visa allows a wide variety of activities. Of course, while in the US on a visitors visa, you can’t work, do business, or study full-time in a university.

A US tourist visa is given for a certain duration which can be as short as six months, or as long as 10 years. This just means that you can enter the US at any time during the validity of the visa. If you get a 10-year visitor visa, it does not mean that you can stay in the US for 10 years. The actual duration of stay is determined by the US CBP officer at the port of entry (such as airport) which is maximum of 6 months.

Getting a US tourist visa is a multiple-step process and can take a long time. Therefore, advance preparation is highly advisable.

US Tourist Visa Application Process

1. Gather documents

You should first gather visitor documents.

If you are a young person, you should gather additional documents. When applying for the visitors visa, you must prove that you can take care of the US trip expenses. If you are not able to do that yourself, you should find a sponsor who will do the same. Make sure to get sponsor documents to prove that they have the money.

2. Complete visitors visa application form DS-160.

Complete the DS-160 form, which is a standard US nonimmigrant visa form for everyone. This is to be completed on the US Department of State website.

Once you have completed it, you should download and print the DS-160 confirmation page. It has 10-digit CEAC bar code and you will need this to schedule your appointments.

3. Create a US visa appointment profile

You need to create a profile and perform the steps to schedule an appointment, up to the point you see the payment confirmation screen.

4. Pay the US tourist visa application fee

The exact payment options for paying the US visitor visa application fee varies by the country in which you are attending the interview.

E.g., in India, you can pay either electronically through a bank transfer (NEFT, IMP etc.) or in cash at a designated Citibank of Axis bank branch.

5. Schedule appointment for US tourist visa interview

Once you have made the payment of the application fee, you would need to schedule two appointments. The first appointment is at the Visa Application Center (VAC) for getting the photograph and fingerprints taken. The second appointment is with the US consulate or embassy for a visa interview in person.

Details

6. Fingerprint appointment at Visa Application Center (VAC) for US tourist visa

You will have to visit the Visa Application Center (VAC) in person get your photograph taken as well as your fingerprints taken. This location is different from the US Consulate/Embassy and this appointment is not on the same day as your US visa interview. Therefore, it is advisable to make these two appointments as close as possible, if you are traveling from out of town.

Make sure to carry your passport and DS-160 confirmation page with you.

Details

7. Attend US consulate interview for US tourist visa

You will need to carry your passport, DS-160 confirmation page, visa application fee receipt, interview appointment letter and all supporting documents to the US consulate interview. The actual interview will be conducted by the American officer, and not a local employee.

In the interview, they will make sure that they you have the sufficient funds for the US trip, or someone is sponsoring it, and the most important aspect is that you have sufficient ties to the home country that you will come back after a temporary visit to the US and will not try to stay there permanently.

Guide

8. US tourist visa issuance

If you are granted a US tourist visa, your passport will be sent to the address you specified at the time of making an appointment, or you can collect it from the visa application center, as per whatever you specified earlier.

Passport delivery details

Further details