A trip to the United States may seem an unattainable dream - many have heard of strict checks at the Embassy, and stories about the frustrated journey due to the fact that "they did not get a visa" have become local horror stories. In fact, if you look into the question and understand what the visa officers are paying attention to, you can significantly increase your chances of getting a visa. But you should not waste time on this - we have studied all official information in detail, found out about the successful (and not so) experience of people who received a visa in the United States, and are now ready to share their knowledge. Read and implement!
What you need to do to get a visa
In this article, we will tell about getting a B-1/B-2 visa (business and leisure travel). Just take into account that the process will not be fast. The Embassy recommends applying for a visa at least 3 months before the trip. Here is what you need to do:
- Pay a consular fee of $ 160;
- Fill in the form DS-160;
- Sign up for an interview.
Required documents for an application:
- valid passport. Its validity period should exceed the number of days you plan to spend in the United States by 6 months;
- completed electronic application form DS-160;
- one 5x5 cm photo taken in the last 6 months. Here are the requirements for photographs;
- receipt of payment of the consular fee;
- letter confirming the appointment of the interview.
Before we describe all steps in details, remember and meet one of the main requirements of visa officers - demonstrate a strong relationship with your native country. Anyone applying for a US visa is automatically evaluated as a potential migrant, so you need to prove that you are not one. Show that your visit to the United States is limited in time, and you will definitely return home. Guarantees from you can be a permanent place of residence, work or business in Ukraine, family, etc.
And now - the promised step by step instructions for obtaining a United States visa.
Step 1. Pay the consular fee
Consular fees can be paid in cash at any branch of Raiffeisen Bank Aval. For those applying for a B-1/B-2 visa, it is $ 160 per person. The fee is paid in local currency and is not refundable, even if you don't get a visa. You should take with you a deposit form to pay the consular fee.
After payment you will receive a receipt, which will be valid for a year. Save it! And remember: for this year you need to sign up for an interview at the Embassy (we wrote about it below), otherwise the validity period of the receipt will end and you will have to pay the fee again.
Step 2. Fill out the DS-160 form
You can do it here. The US Embassy considers electronic forms only.
On the site you will need to enter the captcha, the city and country in which the Embassy is located (and where you will be interviewed), and also upload your photo taken according to all the rules. Do not take pictures wearing glasses, they are not accepted.
When everything is ready, click on the Start An Application button. After that, in the upper right corner you will see the application number (Your Application ID). Save it, as you will need it later. In the lower field you will be asked to choose a secret question (in case you would need to restore the questionnaire). After that click Continue.
All answers in the questionnaire should be in English (except for those where you need to spell your name in your native language - in Native Alphabet). In the questionnaire you indicate your personal data: name, surname (including maiden), pseudonym (if any), date and place of birth, marital status, citizenship, contacts (home address, phone number, e-mail), passports data, information about parents, spouses, friends in the United States. You also need to specify previous places of work or study, report on involvement in military structures (if you were/are a soldier), criminal record, etc. Of course, the data must be reliable.
Decide in advance where you will live and when you fly away from the USA, think over the tourist route, decide who pays for the trip - all these questions are in the questionnaire.
Why should you think everything in advance? Because if you take a break in filling for 20 minutes, reflecting on the answers, the questionnaire will “fly off”, and you will have to fill it in again. Regularly click on the Save button - then the data will not be lost, and you will be able to interrupt the filling of the questionnaire, returning to this when it suits you. To continue to fill out the questionnaire, when you go to the site, click on Upload An Application. If in the process of filling something went wrong, and you were “thrown out”, you will be able to restore the profile by clicking on the Retrieve An Application button. But it will be possible to restore it only if you clicked Save.
After filling out the site will show you the entire questionnaire for double-checking and editing. Click on Edit and make corrections if necessary. You can also print a questionnaire by clicking on Print in the top corner.
When everything is ready, a page with your photo, personal data and a 10-digit barcode of letters and numbers will appear on the screen. Print this page (Print Confirmation).
Step 3. Sign up for an interview
When the consular fee is paid, the visa application form is filled and sent, follow this link, click on the button New user? and fill in all fields. If you already have an account, you do not need to create a new one.
Then look for the Sign up for an interview button. For it you will need to specify the following data:
- your passport number;
- number of the consular fee payment receipt (it is located on the receipt itself in the field Assigned to payment);
- The 10-digit barcode you`ve received after filling out the DS-160 form.
Plan your time so as not to change the date of the interview. The number of changes is limited. You should also choose an early time (morning, the beginning of the working day) for an interview with the visa officer.
Step 4. Interview
At the appointed time, come to the US Embassy (here is the address). You should have with you:
- Your valid international passport;
- A printed copy of the letter of confirmation of the scheduled interview;
- Printed page confirming the completion of the DS-160 application form;
- One of your photos (we wrote about the requirements for it above);
- Original receipt of payment of the consular fee.
The website of the Embassy states that you can additionally take such documents:
- Papers confirming your solvency: the presence of a property or share in a business, tax payments;
- Documents from the employer indicating your position, salary, length of service in this company, as well as payroll pay sheets for the last 3 months (if you are employed);
- If you have been to the USA before, have any document with you that confirms your visa status.
It is advisable to take the originals. It is very likely that you will not need them, as everything written in the questionnaire is sometimes sufficient to confirm orally.
How to behave at the interview
Relax. It is very difficult to do this, but still try to calm down (without alcohol and drugs). A flashing look, grimaces, fear and mumbling instead of clear answers will cause the visa officer the impression that something is wrong with you. Of course, there will be excitement, and they understand this at the Embassy. But do not go to extremes: both strong anxiety and excessive self-confidence will not benefit you.
Do not fuss. Do not submit any documents to the officer until he asks you to. If you have with you a lot of papers that you are in a hurry to show, appealingly looking into your eyes, this is rated as a burning desire to get to the United States. And the higher the importance of obtaining a visa, the higher the chance of failure. Be calm, restrained and friendly. You're going on vacation, right? Essentially not so important to America or Indonesia.
Do not communicate in English. Fluency in this language increases the risk of failure, since (remember?) everyone who wants to obtain a visa is assessed as a potential migrant. Have an interview in your own language. It is enough to know English at basic or intermediate level.
Remember that your goals are exclusively tourist. Let the visa officer know that you are going to America to rest, stay there for a short time, and then return home.
Answer the questions specifically and briefly. Try to fit the whole point in one or two sentences. Suppose, if you are asked about the purpose of your visit to the USA, answer that you want to see Niagara Falls or the Grand Canyon, visit Las Vegas, etc. The answer from the category of "tourism" is incorrect.
Come light. It is forbidden to bring packages, bags, backpacks, phones, suitcases, weapons, liquids to the Consular Section (see the full list here). It is also impossible to deposit items, therefore, resolve this issue in advance. You will be allowed to have only documents.
Who is at risk?
- People who have already been denied a US visa. Understand the cause of the failure, eliminate it, and only then try again;
- People who have never been abroad (or those who have a clean passport after changing the name or updating the document);
- University students. Their iron bond with their home country is about to break, and they will become “free birds”;
- Those who often change jobs. It is better to apply for a visa when you have worked in the company for more than 6-7 months;
- Fluent in English;
- Those who have relatives or friends in the United States (they create a strong bond with America);
- Young and unmarried;
- Tourists who indicated false information in the application form or during the interview;
- Representatives of the special services, law enforcement agencies, the military (even the former).
What are the conclusions?
Be calm and balanced. Detailed and truthfully indicate information about yourself in the questionnaire (all data is checked, so lying is simply not profitable), do not rush and do not panic during an interview. Do not show that you really need to get a visa, answer questions briefly and to the point. Then the probability of success is really high.
Good luck!
Going on a trip, don't forget to buy something nice for you or your friends. Use Mydutyfree service to get a discount!