La United States Embassy or Consulate They carry out the process to obtain or renew your American visa for the first time. A US visa is a document issued by the United States consular authorities that allows foreigners to apply for entry to the United States.
Here you will find the most important information and some guidelines to ensure the obtaining your visa without complications, what types of visa you can get, know what the requirements are and how to renew your American visa without leaving your home.
What are the steps to apply for an American Visa to enter the United States?
The application to obtain the Visa to enter the United States can be done in simple steps. By way of Online you can create your account and also fill out the form. Then you must request an appointment at the embassy of your country. All of these steps are carried out by touching the buttons that will appear below.
Complete Form DS-160 for Visa
To request the Nonimmigrant Visa must complete your application. If you still do not have the DS-160 form, you can obtain it from the following Button, The process will not take more than 90 minutes..
This form asks you questions about your background personal, educational and work-related, as well as your travel plans and travel history. Once completed, you will need to print the confirmation page to take to your visa interview.
Remember to save your application ID, this will help you if an error occurs when filling out the DS-160 form. With this ID you will be able to recover all your progress.
Create an account at the United States Visa Department
After you have created Form DS-160 in the previous step, you will need to create your account with the US Visa Department. To create the account, you will need the Identification code from the DS-160 form and your data. Choose your country to access the Visa department:
In case the page does not work due to so many queries, you can contact the following number: 202-663-1225 (Monday-Friday 8:30am-5pm Eastern Time)
Request an appointment at the United States Embassy in my country
The last step to request your Non-Immigrant Visa to be able to travel to the US is to attend by appointment at the American Embassy in your country. In this way you will be able to complete all the steps, all that remains is to carry out the steps that are communicated to you at the Embassy.
During the appointment you will will do an interview At the Embassy, a consular officer will review your application, ask you questions about your travel plans, and may ask for additional documents. You should be prepared to demonstrate your strong ties to your home country and your intention to return after your visit to the United States.
Wait for the decision on your visa application
After your interview, your visa application will be processed. If your application is approved, you will receive your visa. If denied, you will be provided with an explanation of the reason for the denial.
For renew a US visa, the process is similar. However, in some cases, you may not need to do an interview. Be sure to review specific guidelines by calling the US embassy in your country.
Pay the visa application fee
From complete the DS-160, you will need to pay a visa application fee. Fees vary depending on the type of visa you are applying for. This fee is generally non-refundable, even if your visa application is denied.
Temporary and Permanent Visas
In this section you can apply for both a temporary non-immigrant visa and a permanent immigrant visa. You should only click the button that we provide below depending on the type of visa you need to obtain. This way you will be able to obtain all the information necessary to apply for your visa and be able to enter the United States without problems.
Requirements to obtain the American Visa
To apply for the visa and be able to enter the United States, either for the first time or renew it, you must meet the following requirements:
- Valid passport valid for at least 6 months from the date of entry into the Country.
- Obtain and fill out Form DS-160, this process can be done online from the button we provided above.
- Upload a photo of your face in color and without editing (Passport Type).
Important information: The United States Embassy announces that no prior appointment will be needed to apply for or renew the visa. (We recommend you contact the United States Embassy in your country to find out if there are changes.)
What types of Visa does the United States grant?
If you wish to travel to the United States for a period of time and then return to your country, You must apply for a nonimmigrant visa or temporary visa. This way you can enter the US without problems, whether you are a worker, tourist, student or investor.
There are different types of visas to enter the United States depending on the reason for your visit. Some of the most common include tourist visas (B2), business visas (B1), student visas (F1, M1, J1) and work visas (H1B, L1). The visa you need to apply for will depend on your purpose of travel. Below we will describe the most important ones.
Types of nonimmigrant visa
La Immigration and Nationality Law The United States grants several categories of nonimmigrant visas that adapt to the needs of people who for some reason have to travel to the United States, these are:
Visa for visitors for leisure or business travel
People who want carry out tourist activities or have to attend conferences/business in the United States receive this type of visa.
Visa for students and exchange visitors
This type of visa It is awarded to people who participate in certain educational or cultural exchange programs. To obtain a nonimmigrant visa, you must submit an application to the United States consulate or embassy of the country in which you reside, the relevant documentation, and the payment of the application fee.
Visas for temporary workers
For work legally in the United States It is necessary for your employer to file a petition on your behalf with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services. This way you can receive a work permit.
How is a nonimmigrant American Visa renewed?
For renew a nonimmigrant visa to the United States, a process must be followed that may vary depending on the country in which the renewal is requested and the type of visa being renewed. However, the process generally involves the following steps:
- Confirm eligibility for visa renewal: Not all visas are eligible for renewal. Nonimmigrant visas, such as the B-1/B-2 tourist visa, work visas, student visas, and some others, can be renewed.
- Fill out the DS-160 form: It is filled out online and then confirmed as stated above. Once the form has been confirmed, the confirmation page should print.
- Pay the visa application fee: The cost may vary depending on the type of visa requested. You must obtain a payment receipt.
- Schedule an interview appointment: Depending on the location and type of visa, you may be able to renew the visa without an interview. However, most visa renewal applications will require an interview at the United States consulate or embassy.
- Attend the interview appointment: Bring all the necessary documents, including your passport, the confirmation page of the DS-160 form, the receipt of payment of the visa application fee, and any other relevant documents, such as proof of ties to your country of residence (proof employment, proof of property, etc.).
- Wait for the decision and receive the visa: After the interview, the embassy or consulate will decide whether to renew your visa. If approved, your passport with the renewed visa will be mailed or you will need to pick it up, depending on the regulations of the US consulate or embassy in your country.
It is important to remember that eligibility for visa renewal and interview exemption may vary depending on the country and type of visa. Therefore, you must verify the information by contacting the embassy or with the United States consulate in your country for the most accurate and up-to-date details.