Passport The Visa Visa Application Process The Interview My Notes After the Interview Your visa
Whenever you travel abroad, it's a great idea to go through a checklist of information. Even if you have gone abroad before, don't forget that the world is an ever-changing place and policies and situations can change very quickly.
Passport
With one, you are nobody! Your passport is (usually) your ONLY official form of identification while abroad. You can not enter any country without a valid passport- including your home country. Your passport declares who you are, what you are a citizen of, and where you have traveled to.
To see more information about the passports and how to apply for one, please visit the Department in your home country that issues passports. (Home Office, Interior Office, etc) The processing times may vary depending on a variety of circumstances and so you'll want to start this process very early on!
Top of Page
Visas
(Note: I am not a lawyer and do not work for USCIS or the Department of State. The information below comes from my personal experience and online resources. Always, always- even if you hire a lawyer- read through as much information from the official office about the visa process. Only you are responsible for your application)
 |
| http://usa.immigrationvisaforms.com/visas |
In some instances, you may be required to get a visa prior to travel by going to the U.S. Consulate in your home country. In this case, the visa is provided, but it is worth noting that final entry approval comes from the immigration official at customs.
If you are coming to the U.S. for tourism or short term business, you will probably get a B1/B2 visa. This visa category is specific to people visiting the United States. If you are a diplomat or a U.S. permanent resident, you may have other procedures. (U.S. permanent residents go through customs as if they have a U.S. passport)
A B1/B2 tourist visa is a non-immigrant visa. This means that you will show to the embassy that your purpose is to return home after your travels in the U.S. While in the U.S., you are not authorized to engage in any kind of employment under this visa.
Am I from a visa waiver country?
The following countries have a visa waiver agreement with the U.S.:
| Andorra | Hungary | New Zealand |
| Australia | Iceland | Norway |
| Austria | Ireland | Portugal |
| Belgium | Italy | San Marino |
| Brunei | Japan | Singapore |
| Czech Republic | Latvia | Slovakia |
| Denmark | Liechtenstein | Slovenia |
| Estonia | Lithuania | South Korea |
| Finland | Luxembourg | Spain |
| France | Malta | Sweden |
| Germany | Monaco | Switzerland |
| Greece | the Netherlands | United Kingdom |
If you have a passport from these countries, you will get your visa upon arrival to the U.S. Please double check that this information is current by going to the webpage of the U.S. consulate in your home country.
If you are a resident of the countries above, but don't hold a passport, you will need to get a visa to the U.S. based off your passport. You can apply for the tourist visa while in your host country. (in most cases)
Top of Page
What is the visa application process?
Visa applications always sound so complicated! This is really your first introduction to the U.S. and to U.S. bureaucracy . Unfortunately, in pretty much all countries, bureaucracy is not the most pleasant experience. (this goes for both citizens of that country and otherwise!) But, no worries- even though it may sometimes seem otherwise, the people at the embassy really do want to help you get your visa! You just need to make sure that you do everything just right.
Steps to apply:
Below are the basic steps for applying for the visa. Always look at the U.S. Consulate webpage for the country you are in for the most up to date information. Many embassy recommend starting the visa process about 90 days before your expected departure date to the U.S.
1. Find the U.S Consulate for the country you are in. From that webpage, you can view where they are located (because you will need to go there!) and how to apply.
2. From the U.S Consulate webpage for the country you are applying from, look for the non-immigrant visa link. For the U.S. Consulate in Amman, Jordan, this link is under Visas> NonImmigrant Visas> How to Apply for a Visa. This page has all of the links you need.
3. Put together items you made need for your application. This includes a digital photo to upload into the online application. I found an example DS 160 online here, but please keep in mind that these forms do change from time to time and the consulate may ask for additional items at any part of the visa process.
What does "DS" mean? DS stands for Department of State. Most forms submitted to the Department of State (U.S. Embassy) start with DS and then a number. Forms that fall under other immigration categories often start with an "I" - ex. I-20 for the F-1 student visa.4. Go to the online DS 160 application and complete all of the questions and upload your digital photo.
5. Print out the DS-160 "Confirmation Page"
6. Make an appointment through the U.S Consulate for the country you are applying from. In the U.S. Embassy in Amman, this link is on the
How to Apply for a Visa page. If you'd like to know how long it takes to get an interview appointment, please see this page and select the city you are applying from (where the U.S. embassy is located). Please note that these dates are the average wait times.
As of 21 May 2012, it takes 25 days to get an appointment at the U.S. embassy in Amman, Jordan for a visitor visa. The visa itself takes 1 day to be processed.
7. Pay the application fee (as of 21 May 2012 it's $160) before your interview as directed by the U.S. embassy. In Jordan, the fee is to be paid at any branch of the Cairo-Amman Bank.
Top of Page
What is the interview like?
(I'm taking this directly from the U.S. Consulate webpage in Amman, Jordan, but please let me know if you find it confusing and I'll try to write it out better)
- The DS-160 confirmation page.
- If your photo did not upload to the DS-160, bring one passport photo that meets these photo requirements.
- Your passport, valid for at least six (6) months from the intended travel date, and all prior passports.
- The Machine Readable Visa (MRV) receipt from Cairo Amman Bank. (This is the receipt that you paid the fees from #7)
- All other documentary evidence that demonstrate your ties to an overseas residence (employment letter, bank documents, letters of invitation, property deeds).
- If you are the spouse of an applicant, please bring your original marriage certificate.
- Note: If you are between 14 and 80 years old, we will request a scan of your fingerprints. Please avoid the use of henna before your appointment.
Here are some of my notes. As with any of my notes, please keep in mind that these come from my experience, but individual experiences will vary. This is due to what you bring to the interview and application and also due to changes in who are the consulate officers.
A good rule is to bring anything you can think of and provide the consulate officer the basics and then bring forward more documents if they ask for it. (Show your employment letter, give rental/housing deed later if asked)
I don't approve of lying about things like marriage- it may work in this case (or may not), but it may mess up any future applications you submit through the consulate.
Note #2: Fingerprinting
This is becoming more and more common with visa applications (the UK does this and I think Brasil does as well... at least they do for Americans!) and so please don't feel uneasy about this. More information can be found online here. The U.S. embassy in Japan also has an extended information page here.
As they mention, please don't use henna before the appointment. Also, please ensure that your hands do not have any healing cuts that may obstruct a clear scan. I once had a student who had a wart removed from a finger and so that finger could not be scanned while healing. Instead of studying in the U.S. for a year, she had to wait until the finger healed and ended up only able to come to the U.S. for one semester (because she was too late for the start of the academic year)! It sounds crazy, but they must have a clear scan of your hands.
Why? When you enter the U.S., they will scan your hand again to verify that it's really you. Sounds like lots of security, but it's a daily part of what we go through in the U.S. (it's one of those crazy things that sounds worst than what it is in practice and one of those things that are just different than what you may be used to)
The normal processing time is one day in many locations. The embassy will contact you according to how you wrote on your application with the result. They may even give you an answer on the same day as your interview. If they give no anwser, you will know the result when they mail back to you the passport and either your visa inside or, in some cases, with a form with a refusal clause/reason.
In many cases, if they approve your Tourist visa application, it may be good for multiple years and for multiple entries. This is great!!!
If you are refused a visa, there really isn't much of a re-consideration policy other than re-applying and going through the whole process again.
Note: I find that for applicants from the Middle East, the women have a bit of an easier time getting the visa then men, although it comes down to the consulate officer you meet with and the evidence of your ties to your home country. The consulate officers are not trying to not have you come to the U.S., but they need to document your qualifications for the visa- so the documents are important.
Also, re-applying can get costly and time consuming and annoying, but I do hear of applications getting approved the 4-5 time the person applied. ...I can only guess they like persistence! :P
Top of Page
After my visa application is accepted
Yay! Your visa application is approved and you can now enter the U.S. as a tourist! Make sure that you make a note of:
In many cases, if they approve your Tourist visa application, it may be good for multiple years and for multiple entries. This is great!!!
If you are refused a visa, there really isn't much of a re-consideration policy other than re-applying and going through the whole process again.
Note: I find that for applicants from the Middle East, the women have a bit of an easier time getting the visa then men, although it comes down to the consulate officer you meet with and the evidence of your ties to your home country. The consulate officers are not trying to not have you come to the U.S., but they need to document your qualifications for the visa- so the documents are important.
Also, re-applying can get costly and time consuming and annoying, but I do hear of applications getting approved the 4-5 time the person applied. ...I can only guess they like persistence! :P
Top of Page
After my visa application is accepted
Yay! Your visa application is approved and you can now enter the U.S. as a tourist! Make sure that you make a note of:
No comments:
Post a Comment