Tourist or visitor visa
There is a common belief that in order to get a tourist visa B1/B2 (often referred to as visitor visa or B visa), the applicant must submit an invitation letter signed by a resident of the US or a company. Although such an invitation letter is not really required by the consulate, it won’t do any harm as well. Please note that you should not pay for such a letter.
There are three reasons for applying for the visitor visa:
1 – the purpose of your visit to the US is tourism – i.e. travelling, seeing cultural landmarks, national parks as well as visiting friends or relatives.
2 – the purpose of your trip is a short-term business trip, attending conferences, meeting with clients, partners or your management.
3 – travelling with a family that employs you as a nanny or a family assistant.
Please note that any form of employment while in the US under B1/B2 visa is strictly forbidden!
Documents required for a visitor visa:
- Form DS-160 filed electronically
- National travel passport with the expiration date at least 6 months later than the dates of the intended visit.
- One photo (2×2 inch or 5×5 cm).
- Confirmation of visa processing fee payment.
- Confirmation of registration for the interview.
When attending the interview, please have all supporting documents for the application. For example, these can be bank statements, letters from your employer confirming your salary, documents for your property.
How to apply for a visitor visa:
- Fill out and submit an application for DS-160
- Submit a payment for visa application.
- Book an interview.
- Attend the interview.
Supporting documents for a visitor visa.
When processing your visa application many factors, such as your personal circumstances, family situation, financial stability, employment, property ownership, etc will be taken into consideration to establish ties to the country of your residence. Do not try to provide false information or to submit any fraudulent documents as it will lead to a permanent ineligibility for entry to the US.
Please note that during the interview visa officers may request additional documents which you will be able to submit at a later stage.
The following documents can be presented in support for your visa application:
- Financial documents – bank statements, tax declarations, property or business ownership documents
- Schedule of your US visit (landmarks, museums, national parks) as well as schedule for visiting friends and family.
- A letter from your employer confirming your job, income, duration of your service and reasons for your trip to the US. It might be useful if this letter will contain a confirmation of continuation of your employment upon the trip to the US. It may be useful to specify your income for the last three months.
- Any criminal records.
- Students, in addition to the above, may present their student card, transcript records or a letter from their university confirming their student status.
Company owners may provide company incorporation documents, accounting and banking records.
If the purpose of your trip is visiting your relatives, please get copies of their documents confirming US citizenship or current residence status.
You may be denied B1 / B2 visa:
- If the information (personal or purpose of the trip) provided for your visa application is incorrect.
- If the visa officers have the slightest suspicion of your intention to immigrate.
- In case you do not have sufficient ties to the country of your residence.
- If visa officers will suspect your intentions to work in the US during this trip (working while entering as a tourist is illegal).
- If there is an immigration petition on your name.
- Your visa application contains errors.
- You have not provided a complete set of supporting documents.
- There is not enough financial evidence of your ability to cover your expenses.
- During your previous visit you remained in the US beyond the duration granted to you at the port of entry (usually 6 months).
If your visa application has been denied, you can apply again.
There is a widely accepted opinion that obtaining a letter from a US Senator or a member of Congress may help resolving the situation. However, it is not true. Such a letter does not guarantee approval of your visa application.
In order to secure approval for your visa, please revisit your circumstances and provide additional evidence of your intentions to depart from the US at the end of your trip.
No immigration lawyer can influence decision to approve or deny your visa application, it is totally at visa officer’s discretion. Their decision is final and there is no appeal process. However, in case of rejection, you can reapply for the B1/B2 visa at any time. Partners of the firm, Boris Palant and Irina Last, using their substantial experience and expertise, can assist you with preparation of the visa application.
You cannot remain in the US beyond the period granted by the border officer at the port of entry (airport). However, you may apply for your visa extension if you have valid reasons.
While in the US on the tourist visa, you may change the visitor status to other non-immigrant status, for example to work or student status. However, it is strongly advised to do so at least 90 days after your entry to the US and only if you have a valid reason. For example, while travelling you met your future spouse and have decided to get married and settle in the US. Otherwise it may be considered that you purposely misrepresented your intent when entering the US.
Please be advised to seek advice from an immigration lawyer before trying to extend your B1/B2 visa or change your status while being in the US.
Many people are sure that a B1 / B2 visitor visa is given only to those who have an invitation from someone from the USA, and they call this visa “guest”, but this is not entirely correct. The invitation does not hurt, but won’t help much (and don`t pay to some “helpers” for it).
There are three reasons for applying for a B1 / B2 visa:
1- tourism, the desire to visit the United States for holiday, travel, learning the culture, to spend time with friends and family;
2 – short trip on business needs, for example business trip, attending conferences, meeting with clients, partners, leadership;
3 – escorting a family traveling to the United States with household employees (babysitter, governess, assistants).
To work on a tourist visa is strictly prohibited!
What documents are needed for visitor visa in the USA:
- Electronic visa application form DS-160.
- Passport (its validity should be at least six months longer than the period of your stay in the United States).
- One photo (2 x 2 inch or 5 x 5 cm).
- A receipt confirming payment of the fee for considering your visa application.
- A letter that confirms registration for an interview.
- You must also take with you all documents that prove this or that information that you will inform the consular officer.
How to apply for a visitor visa:
- Pay the application review fee.
- Fill in the application form DS-160.
- Make an appointment for an interview.
- At the appointed time you need to come to the US Embassy with necessary documents.
Supporting documents for b visa
Each application is considered individually, while many factors are taken into account. Your serious and long-term plans that are related to the country where you permanently reside especially important.
Аpplying for visitors visa, and any other, never try to cheat and provide fake documents. This can lead to lifelong discrimination for a U.S. visa or permanent resident status in the United States If you need to preserve the confidentiality of information, just bring the documents in the envelope. US Embassy staff will not pass this information on to third parties.
Copies of documents at the interview are not suitable. You need to show only the originals. Supporting documents cannot be sent to the American Embassy by fax, e-mail or regular mail. Exception – if requested after the interview the consular officer.
In order to get american visitor visa, it is better to play it safe and take the following documents with you:
– Proof of sufficient financial means (Bank statements, tax payments and ownership of property or shares in the business).
– Information about the trip, route, explanations that are associated with the visit to the United States.
– A letter from your employer that it needs to include your position, salary, length of employment, reasons for travel. If you are going to America on vacation, the employer may specify that expects you to get to work after this trip.
– Information on convictions, arrests, convictions.
To obtain a visa, students can provide a student card, record book, diplomas, certificates, letter from the dean’s office.
If you have a job take a letter from the employer with salary information for the last three months.
If you what to visit relatives, it is useful to take copies of documents that I can confirm that they have US citizenship, green cards or valid visas.
What is the reason for rejection of B1 / B2 visa:
- Person is lying, provides false information about himself or about the purpose of the trip.
- Consulate decides that you intend to immigrate to the United States. Even with serios shadow of doubt.
- You have “insufficient ties with your homeland,” that is, there is little that holds you in the country where you currently live.
- Consulate staff suspects that you will be working in the United States.
- You already have an immigration petition.
- The visa application form is completed incorrectly.
- Required documents aren`t provided.
- There is no evidence that you will have enough finances to pay your expenses when traveling to the USA.
- During your last visit to the United States, you stayed in the country longer than the due date (usually for a tour it is no more than 6 months).
Immigration lawyers cannot influence on the consul’s decision whether to give you a tourist visa or not. Refusals to issue a travel visa are not subject to appeal. However, firm lawyers Irina Last and Boris Palant, having decades of experience, can help in drawing up a petition for review of a negative decision.
Stay in the USA on a tourist visa usually does not exceed 6 months per visit, however, you can ask the immigration service to extend this period if there are good reasons.
From a tourist visa, you can change the status to other immigrant and non-immigrant visas without leaving the United States. But this is not worth doing right after arriving in the United States. Do it only after three months and if you have a good explanation (for example, in Yellowstone National Park you met your soulmate, got married and decided to stay in the United States). Otherwise, the immigration service will think that you deceived them and, receiving a tourist visa, actually planned immigration.
It is always better to consult with lawyers before applying for an extension of a travel visa or changing status from a B1 / B2 visa, without leaving the country, for some other one.