The Business Visitor Visa allows you to travel for the following purposes: (B-1)

• Consultation with business partners
• Participating in a professional meeting
• Settling an estate
• Negotiating a contract
 

The Business Visitor Visa allows you to travel for the following purposes: (B-1)

• Consultation with business partners
• Participating in a professional meeting
• Settling an estate
• Negotiating a contract
 

Visitor Visa Permitted Travel Purposes (B-2)

• Tourism
• Vacationing
• Visiting friends or family
• Receiving medical attention
• Taking part in social events
• Taking part in amateur performances
• Enrolling in non-credit, short-term study courses
 

Travel Purposes Not Permitted by U.S. Visitor Visa

• Credited studies
• Employment
• Professional performances at front of a paying audience or paid performances
• Arrival on a ship or aircraft as a crew member
• Work as a foreign press member
• Permanent residency in the United States
 

Travelers arriving in the United States for B-1 or B-2 reasons for 90 days or fewer may be eligible for visa-free entry under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP). Follow the website to determine if your home country is one of the 38 VWP nations and if you fulfill the conditions to travel visa-free.

Visitor Visa Application & Interview Documents

Once you've determined that you need a visiting visa to the United States, you'll need to acquire the necessary paperwork to begin the application process. This is frequently where the confusion begins.

There are two types of required documentation for the tourist visa application process: required documents and supporting documents: • Required documents — Those which every visa applicant requires.
• Supporting documents — Depending on your itinerary in the United States. These documents aim to demonstrate to U.S. officials that you are not visiting the U.S. for immigration purposes.
Therefore, they must demonstrate that: • The goal of the trip is either temporary business or leisure.
• You intend to stay for a specified, restricted time.
• You have cash available to cover expenditures in the United States.
• You have a residency and other ties outside the U.S. that ensure your departure after your trip.
 

IMPORTANT

For the visitor, visa application, not all U.S. consulates and embassies require the same documentation. Visit the directory of U.S. embassies to find the consulate or embassy where you want to apply for a location-specific list of required documents.

What Documents Are Required for a Visitor Visa to the United States?

The first step in applying for a guest visa to the United States is to fill out the online Nonimmigrant Visa Application (Form DS-160).

Documents Required to Submit an Online Application

• Valid passport — It must be valid for at least six months after the day you want to depart the United States.
• Travel itinerary — You must have made your travel plans.
• The dates of your most recent five trips or visits to the United States — If you have already visited the United States. You may also be questioned about your previous five years of overseas travel, depending on your native country.
• Resume / Curriculum Vitae — You may be requested to give details about your current and former employment experience.
• A Photo (Check "Photo Requirements" at the end of the section for more information.)
After submitting your online nonimmigrant visa application, print the confirmation page and bring it to the interview.

Visa Application Fee

After that, you may be asked to pay a non-refundable visa application cost of USD 160. You must pay for your interview if you are not requested to pay online. Prepare to pay the sum listed on your consulate's website in USD or the equivalent in local currencies. It's also a good idea to double-check which forms of payment are accepted ahead of time. Then, schedule an interview at the U.S. embassy or consulate where you applied. You will be required to present additional papers during your interview.

Documents Required for Your VISA Interview

• Valid passport — Valid for at least 6 months after your planned stay in the United States.
• Old passports — The U.S. Department of State does not mention it as a necessary document, but it is regularly reported on other websites. It is usually best to be overprepared, so pack them just in case.
• Your confirmation page for the DS-160 application
• Application fee payment receipt — If you must pay before your interview.
• A photo — If your digital picture upload fails when filling out the DS-160 form, you must bring one printed photo that matches the photo criteria (see "Photo Requirements" below)
 

Photo Requirements (For the Online Application & Interview)

• It must be in color.
• Your head dimensions should be between 1 and 1 3/8 inches in diameter (22 to 35 mm)
• Recent (less than 6 months old)
• Photographed in front of a simple white background
• Full-face shot, squarely addressing the camera.
• With both eyes open, maintain a neutral facial expression.
• Taken in clothes you wear regularly.
• Uniforms are not permitted unless worn regularly for religious reasons.
• Hats and head coverings are not permitted unless worn daily for religious grounds (The head covering should not cast a shadow over the face in this circumstance.)
• Headphones, cordless, hands-free devices, and other similar devices are not permitted.
• Hearing devices are allowed in your photo.
• Eyeglasses are no longer permitted, save in rare circumstances when they cannot be removed for medical reasons (in this case, a medical declaration from a medical professional/practitioner is required).

If eyeglasses are permitted:
• Frames must not cover the eyes
• There should be no glare in the eyes.
• There must not be any shadow obstructing the eyes.
To better understand these criteria, see samples of acceptable and unacceptable images on the U.S. Department of State website. Images duplicated or scanned from driver's licenses or other official papers are not accepted, as are low-resolution photo booth photos, snapshots, magazine photos, mobile phone photos, or full-length photos.

Requirements for Digital Photos for Online Nonimmigrant Visa Applications

• Dimensions — The image must be square (width x height). Dimensions should be between 600 x 600 pixels and 1200 × 1200 pixels.
• Color — The image should be in color (24 bits/pixel) and in the sRGB color space, the default output format in many digital cameras.
• File Format — JPEG.
• File Size — Equal or less than or to 240 kB (kilobytes)
• Compression — The photograph must be compressed to fit inside the maximum file size. Compression ratios of less than or equal to 20:1 are preferred.
• If you use a scanned photo — That should be 2 x 2 in (51 x 51 mm) in size and scanned at a resolution of 300 PPI (12 PPM).
Some embassies and consulates need you to bring a photo to your interview and upload one with your online application. Check with your local consulate to see if this applies to you.

What Documents Should You Bring to Your Interview?

You will be asked to produce additional evidence during the visa interview at a U.S. consulate, which may vary based on your location and reason for visiting the U.S. These supporting papers include any documentation proving the following:
• Purpose of your trip
• Your intent to depart the U.S. at the end of your trip
• Your ability to pay for the trip
We have offered ideas for supporting papers to bring with you, grouped by category, here.

Proof of the Purpose of Your Trip

• Your travel itinerary
• Round-trip flight information
• Hotel or accommodation arrangements
• (If visiting family or friends) — a letter of invitation
• (If traveling for temporary business) — the contact information of any U.S.-based business associates and/or your business card
• (If planning to attend an event) — proof of the event and/or an invitation card or brochure
• (If traveling to seek medical treatment) — these 3 specific documents:
 

A medical diagnostic from a local physician describing the nature of the illness and the cause for seeking treatment in the United States.

A letter from a physician or medical institution in the United States saying that they are willing to treat your condition and estimating the time and cost of treatment (including doctor's fees, hospitalization, and other medical-related charges).

This documentation might be in the form of a bank or other income or savings statements or verified copies of income tax returns (yours or the person or organization paying for treatment)

Proof of Your Intent to Depart the U.S. at the End of Your Trip

• A letter of employment from your home country
• Proof of family ties in your home country, such as birth certificates of children or elders who require your care
• Property documents such as deeds, photographs of the property, and personal affidavits regarding the property
 

Proof of Your Ability to Pay All Costs of the Trip

• If you cannot afford all of the expenditures associated with your travel, you may present evidence that someone else will cover part or all of the fees for you. In this situation, you would bring a letter of financial assistance from your sponsor, a copy of their identification, and papers demonstrating their ability to support your travel financially.
• One or more recent tax returns
• Several recent bank statements
• Other financial documents include your tax I.D., bank fixed deposits, shares, life insurance policies, bonds, etc.
• Proof of visitor health insurance demonstrating your ability to pay for unforeseen medical expenditures incurred during your stay in the United States. Some visitor health insurance packages, such as WorldTrips' Atlas America insurance, provide policyholders with access to a visa letter that may be used as proof of coverage.
 

NOTE: Visitor health insurance covers many unforeseen accidents and illnesses but does not cover medical expenditures when traveling for medical care. Learn more about visitor health insurance, its coverage, and the benefits of selecting Atlas America.

The materials listed above are only examples of potential supporting documentation. You may not need all of them, but it is typically preferable to arrive at your visa interview overprepared, with too many documents than underprepared. Consult the U.S. embassy where you apply for detailed information on any needed supporting papers.

How to Complete the Visitor Visa Application Process

Applying for a visiting visa to the United States can be time-consuming and complex. It might be frightening to go through all the applications and costs just to be rewarded with a rigorous interview. However, with these helpful hints and ideas, you'll be cruising through it in no time.

1. Be Prepared to Complete the DS-160 in English Only

Except when prompted to submit your complete name in your native alphabet, all of your replies must be entered in English characters and written in English. Applications in other languages will not be accepted, and you may be requested to reapply. Questions can be translated using a drop-down menu to make it easier for non-native English speakers.

2. Research Is Your Best Tool

Could you do your research and then do it again? Each country has its own set of criteria. Use the directory of U.S. embassies as a starting point for your study. This webpage has connections to the websites of each country's U.S. embassy, which contains more useful information.

Anyone who has gone through the visa application process is another great resource. Consult with friends and relatives, or join a forum or social media group of others who have already applied.

3. Check and Double-Check Your Completed Application Before you submit your online application: 1. Proofread and check for errors.
2. Check that you've answered every question on the application. If the question is irrelevant, type "not applicable" or "N/A" and use the further information fields to clarify your replies.
3. Keep in mind that applications containing blank replies will be rejected.
4. Wait Times Vary, So Apply Early

Filling out the DS-160 form shouldn't take long, but between the time it takes to get an appointment at the embassy/consulate, and the time it takes for them to complete your application after the interview, you might be waiting a month or more for your visa.

By starting the procedure early, you can avoid paying accelerated processing fees. The United States Department of State includes a link for determining the approximate wait time for your consulate or embassy. This information is also available on most embassy or consulate websites.

5. Get Organized Ahead of Your Interview

Keep a list of everything you need to bring to the interview. Make sure you have all the needed supporting paperwork and copies if asked. The dossier you bring to your interview may be rather substantial, so marking papers and arranging them in a way that makes them easy to discover is a smart idea.

6. Be Positive

Bring a positive attitude to your interview. Being nice and polite will go a long way. Make eye contact at all times, so the interviewer doesn't believe you're attempting to hide something. If you are prone to apprehension, keep in mind that completing research will help you become more confident.

Another smart approach is to dress properly and be early for your interview. If you become nervous, remember that the consular officer conducting the interview is not your adversary. He or she is only carrying out their duties.

7. Be Prepared for Anything

There may be some surprises in the interview, but don't let them bother you. Remember that the interview may be in your native language or English. If you are unclear about what the interviewer said due to an accent or language issue, ask them to repeat themselves calmly and nicely.

Also, be prepared to respond to "What if" scenarios, such as "What if you are given a job while in the United States? Would you accept it?" If you respond, "I would take the job," your application will most likely be rejected. The examiners are not questioning you because they disbelieve you but because it is their responsibility to detect whether candidates may be in the country illegally.

8. Check Your Visa Carefully

Congratulations! Once you have your visa, double-check it to ensure that all the information is right. Check that your name is correctly spelled and that everything is correct. Have a wonderful vacation!

8. Check Your Visa Carefully

Congratulations! Once you have your visa, double-check it to ensure that all the information is right. Check that your name is correctly spelled and that everything is correct. Have a wonderful vacation!

7. Be Prepared for Anything

There may be some surprises in the interview, but don't let them bother you. Remember that the interview may be in your native language or English. If you are unclear about what the interviewer said due to an accent or language issue, ask them to repeat themselves calmly and nicely.

Also, be prepared to respond to "What if" scenarios, such as "What if you are given a job while in the United States? Would you accept it?" If you respond, "I would take the job," your application will most likely be rejected. The examiners are not questioning you because they disbelieve you but because it is their responsibility to detect whether candidates may be in the country illegally.

8. Check Your Visa Carefully

Congratulations! Once you have your visa, double-check it to ensure that all the information is right. Check that your name is correctly spelled and that everything is correct. Have a wonderful vacation!

8. Check Your Visa Carefully

Congratulations! Once you have your visa, double-check it to ensure that all the information is right. Check that your name is correctly spelled and that everything is correct. Have a wonderful vacation!

8. Check Your Visa Carefully

Congratulations! Once you have your visa, double-check it to ensure that all the information is right. Check that your name is correctly spelled and that everything is correct. Have a wonderful vacation!

7. Be Prepared for Anything

There may be some surprises in the interview, but don't let them bother you. Remember that the interview may be in your native language or English. If you are unclear about what the interviewer said due to an accent or language issue, ask them to repeat themselves calmly and nicely.

Also, be prepared to respond to "What if" scenarios, such as "What if you are given a job while in the United States? Would you accept it?" If you respond, "I would take the job," your application will most likely be rejected. The examiners are not questioning you because they disbelieve you but because it is their responsibility to detect whether candidates may be in the country illegally.

8. Check Your Visa Carefully

Congratulations! Once you have your visa, double-check it to ensure that all the information is right. Check that your name is correctly spelled and that everything is correct. Have a wonderful vacation!

8. Check Your Visa Carefully

Congratulations! Once you have your visa, double-check it to ensure that all the information is right. Check that your name is correctly spelled and that everything is correct. Have a wonderful vacation!

9. Check Your Visa Carefully

Congratulations! Once you have your visa, double-check it to ensure that all the information is right. Check that your name is correctly spelled and that everything is correct. Have a wonderful vacation!