Why visit the USA?
- Explore interesting 35,000 museums
- Go through unique American flora
- Enjoy American music
- Visit mesmerizing national parks
- Experience hidden gems
VISIT THE US USING THE US TOURIST VISA, LEARN THE ESSENTIALS OF A US B2 VISITOR VISA
Plan a trip to the USA, the country that offers so much to watch and experience. If you want to visit the USA, you will need a US tourist visa.
It’s necessary for any foreigner to first get a visa to enter the USA. This visa can be non-immigrant or immigrant in nature. Non-immigrant visas are meant for you to visit the country for a temporary stay. The US tourist visa is a visa in this category.
If you are visiting the USA for business for a short while, you may apply for a B1 visa. For tourism purposes, you have to apply for a US B2 visitor visa. If you are coming to the USA for both, you must apply for B1/B2.
The B2 visa USA offers is used for the following:
- Vacation (holiday)
- Tourism
- Medical treatment
- Visit relatives/friends
- Participation in sports, musicals, or similar contests/events as an amateur, only if you aren’t being paid for your taking part
- Participation in social events the hosts of which are social, fraternal, or service organizations
- Enrollment in a course of study that’s short and recreational. The course mustn’t be attended for credit toward a degree (E.g., a 2-day class while on vacation)
US B2 visa application procedure
If you have decided to apply for a US B2 visa, the general course of action includes:
- Submitting a fully-filled DS-160 online form which is the form to apply for a non-immigrant visa
- Submitting a photo
- Paying the visa application fee
- Scheduling a visa interview
About scheduling an Interview
US visa applicants are generally required to attend interviews except for certain categories of individuals who are treated as exceptions. It’s up to the consular officers to decide whether you will have to attend a visa interview.
Here are the criteria based on age in this regard:
Age of applicant (in years) | Requirement for visa interview |
13 and younger | Not required generally |
14-79 | Mandatory (with few exceptions for renewals) |
80 and older | Not required generally |
A visa interview must be scheduled at the US consulate/embassy in the country you live in. The time taken for your visa interview appointment is fixed depending on your location, season, and visa category that you chose. It’s advised that you start early.
How to get a visa waiver for a US tourist visa?
It’s possible for you to get a visa waiver when you are coming to the USA for pleasure on a US tourist visa. The following conditions have to be met if you are visiting the USA on a US B2 visa with a visa waiver under the VWP (Visa Waiver Program):
- You must belong to a country that’s present in the list of 39 countries that have participated in the VWP. These include
Norway San Marino Slovenia Sweden United Kingdom Poland Singapore South Korea Switzerland Portugal Slovakia Spain Taiwan | Hungary Italy Liechtenstein Malta New Zealand Iceland Japan Lithuania Monaco Ireland Latvia Luxembourg Netherlands | Andorra Belgium Croatia Estonia Germany Australia Brunei Czech Republic Finland Greece Austria Chile Denmark France |
- You must have an e-Passport (electronic passport). Such a passport will have a chip embedded in it.
- You have to fill out the online application for ESTA to determine your eligibility as a visitor to travel to the US under VWP.
- You must pay the processing fee of $4.00. After you get the approval, you have to pay an additional $10.00 as an authorization charge.
- When you fill out your application to get a waiver under VWP, you will get an ESTA application number. This number will come in handy for you to check the status of your application in case your application has been accepted to travel to the US.
The maximum time allowed for travelers arriving in the US on a US B2 visitor visa is 90 days.
Let’s discuss a US tourist visa so that we can help you apply for a US B2 visitor visa. Contact Y-Axis. We are here in the UAE to give guidance and assistance in matters of immigration and tourist permits.
How Y-Axis can help you?
- Duly filled form
- Get the best strategy for the visitor visa
- Get advice on finances
- Review of all the requirements
FAQ
Can I travel to the USA as a tourist on my own without a sponsor?
Yes. It’s possible for you to apply for a US B2 visitor visa without a sponsor. The process is not different except that you won’t submit any sponsor-related documents. Also, it’s important that you have strong financial backing. This must be supported by the original tax return papers from the last few years. You must also have a deposit/passbook.
If my US tourist visa is closing in on its expiry or has already expired, is it possible for me to renew my visa?
If you are holding a non-immigrant visa in the USA, including a US b2 visitor visa that’s about to expire, a fresh application has to be submitted after the visa’s expiry. No renewal is possible for such temporary visas.
Is it necessary that I have a specific tour plan in order to file an application for a US visa?
Even if you do not have a clear plan for your tour in the USA in the future, you may apply for a US tourist visa.
Is it possible to convert a US tourist visa (US B2 visitor visa) to a working visa?
It’s possible for you to convert a US B2 visitor visa to a non-immigrant visa like the US work visa. However, it depends on whether you qualify for it. Also, you have to find an employer who can undertake your sponsorship and process a US work visa for you.
Also, if you arrived in the USA under a VWP you aren’t allowed to change your visa status. You must leave the USA prior to the expiry of your 90 days period.
If I am coming to the USA on a US B2 visitor visa, can I travel to other countries from the US?
Yes. The only requirement is that you must have a visa for the other country too that you are going to visit.
Also note that if you want to re-enter the USA from that country, you should possess a multiple entry visa in the US. Generally, all US visas with a 10-year validity are practically multiple entry visas. The US visas with 6-month validity are single-entry visas.
In case you obtained a 6-month visa, make sure you have a facility for multiple entries in the visa so that you can visit other countries from the USA.
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