The U.S. Department of State wants to welcome visitors to a
country of "secure borders and open doors." To get through
those doors, as a tourist, medical patient, student or a person on
business, you must apply for a "non-immigrant visa."
The visa does not grant you admittance to the U.S. It just
shows you've given notice to the U.S. government of when you want
to come, your reasons for coming, and the planned duration of your
stay - and that the U.S. has given approval for you to come to a
U.S. border or airport and apply for admittance.
You'll need a passport that's valid for at least 6 months beyond
your period of stay in the U.S., with at least one blank
page. You'll also need two 2"x2" photographs of yourself,
with your face taking up half the frame. In addition, you
must have documents proving your residence and employment.
Airline tickets can help prove you intend to return when you say
you will. Finally, you'll need documents that show you have
"strong ties" to your country, ties that require your return.
Step One: Make An Appointment
At least nine weeks before your planned visit, call your nearest
U.S. Embassy and make a an appointment to apply for your visa in
person. They'll usually ask you for your credit card
information so you can:
Step Two: Pay Up
There's usually a $131 application fee for your visa..
Step Three: Gather Paperwork
You'll need to fill out various visa application forms. You
can download them from the U.S.
State Department website.
Step Four: Attend Your Appointment
Make an appointment with the U.S. Embassy in your city.
Present the materials. Most visa applicants can expect to be
interviewed and have two index fingers scanned as part of the visa
application process. Besides making sure you're not a danger
to U.S. citizens, the embassy is looking for assurance you're not
trying to become a U.S. immigrant -- that your stay is only
temporary -- so you must prove you have obligations to return to
your native country.
The embassy will hold on to your passport, process your information
and do a background check on you. Once the application is
reviewed, you should receive the visa in 5-15 days. If your
case requires further review, (e.g. your name is similar to the
name of someone on the U.S. no-fly list), you may be asked to come
in for further interviews, delaying the process by 4-6 weeks.
Step Five: Come On Over
Once you have your visa, you can come to a U.S. border or
airport. There, a U.S. official will interview you and verify
your visa, passport and return ticket. The official will scan
the same two fingers that the U.S. Embassy scanned at your visa
application interview, then take an electronic photo of you.
Once admitted, you'll get an "immigration stamp" and proceed to
baggage claim and U.S. Customs.
If you get this far, you're in! Hope you have a good
stay.
Learn more about travel documents, passports and U.S./U.K.
visas:
http://www.videojug.com/tag/travel-documents
