US Tourist Visa in Mumbai, India

How to apply for US Tourist Visa for Indians?

• The US Tourist visa for Indians is a long and demanding process. You need to have a clear idea of the purpose of your visit to the US and whether you are eligible for the same or not. It is necessary to have certain details handy before starting with the process for the US Visa.

Procedure for US Tourist Visa application

• US visa form is an online form which is filled on the US Department of State Consular Electronic Application Center (CEAC) website. You need to select the category once you login to the website. Non – Immigrant B1/B2 is an appropriate category for tourist/visit purposes to the US. The form that has to be filled online will be DS-160.
• Once you start filling up the form a unique reference number is generated which is to be noted for further reference. You can always save the form and continue later at your convenience. With the help of the reference number saved earlier, you can log in again for further completion of the process.
• After completion of the DS-160 form submission of this form is done and further guided to the payment page. US Immigration fees of INR -11520/- is to be paid online on submission of the DS-160 form. You need to again save this receipt number for further reference while taking an appointment.
• After successful completion of the payment 2 appointments are supposed to be booked. Biometrics appointment which will take place at one of the VAC Center. Interview appointment will be the second one which will take place at the US Consulate or US Embassy.
• For the Biometrics appointment, you need to carry your original passports (Current & Expired), A copy of an appointment letter, Copy of the DS-160 form and 2 photographs as specified by the consulate.
• On the Visa Interview day, you need to carry original passports (Current & Expired), the DS-160 form, Biometrics receipt and other related documents as per the application and advised by the travel agent. Questions for the interview will be based on your DS-160 form, and purpose of travel and duration for the same.
• All the answers given during the interview must be honest and to the best of your knowledge. Any misleading answers may lead to the rejection of the visa.
• The individual below the age of 14 and above the age of 80 years are exempt from the biometrics and are not required to attend an interview.

Points to Remember

• All the details filled in the DS-160 form must be true and correct.
• Documents submitted for processing an application must be genuine. Fake, Altered, Misleading or Invalid Documents may lead to refusal of the visa.
• Mistakes in the DS-160 form may cause a delay in the processing of the application, to avoid such delay take proper guidance and advise before submission of the application.
• Rejection of the visa may cause a problem in the future for applying the US Visa as well as any other visa. Hence, it becomes necessary to provide the right details to the best of your knowledge.

Renewal of US Tourist Visa

• Individuals having the renewal of the US visa are also exempt from biometrics and an interview. However in certain cases if asked by the consulate you need to attend both. Renewal of the visa can be done 6 months before the expiry of the visa or within 1 year of the expiry of the visa.

• To check on the eligibility for the interview waiver it can be checked on the US Department of State Consular Electronic Application Center (CEAC) website. For renewal of the US visa for Indians you need to submit original passport (Current & expired), 2 photographs as specified by the consulate, copy of the DS-160 form, and a copy of appointment letter. Renewal visa fees are INR – 11,520/-

Eligibility for US Tourist Visa

While applying for the US Tourist Visa it becomes necessary to know whether you are eligible for the same or not. To find your eligibility you need to meet certain criteria. Conditions to be followed for proving your eligibility are follows:

• You must hold a valid passport with a minimum validity of 6 months when you enter the US.
• You must prove that you are financially stable in your home country and can support your stay in the US.
• You need to prove to the consular officer that your sole purpose for visit is for tourism or visiting friends or family. You will return to your home country on completion of your vacation.
• You need to prove your social and economic ties, residence and family in your home country to assure your return back.

Documents for US Tourist Visa

While going for an interview with the consular office you need to carry a certain set of documents required for US tourist visa as per the checklist.

• Original Passport (Current & Expired)
• 2 Photographs as per specifications
• Cover Letter in detail
• Last 6 months updated bank statement attested by the bank
• Employment Proof
• Retirement letter if retired
• College/School ID Card, Fee Receipt of the current academic year
• Travel Itinerary
• Hotel Booking for the entire stay
• Visiting family or friends – Invitation letter, Passport copy, Green Card/Valid Visa/ Residence Permit, residence proof, and employment proof.

Documents required for Employed Applicants

• Offer Letter/ Appointment Letter
• Leave Letter/NOC from the company on the company letterhead with seal and signature
• Last 3 months salary slips

Documents required for Self Employed Applicants

• Cover Letter for Self Employed applicants must be on the company letterhead with seal and signature
• Last 6 months updated bank statement of the company with attestation from the bank
• Income Tax Returns of the company for the last 3 years

Documents required from Sponsor

• Sponsorship Letter
• Proof of Relation, Passport Copy
• Bank Statement of the last 6 months attested by the bank
• Income Tax Returns
• Salary Slip of the last 3 months

Photo Specifications

• Dimension for the photo must 2-inch x 2 inch
• Must not be older than 6 months
• Color Photo. No black & white photos are allowed
• Face clearly visible with hair tied behind and ears not covered
• White Background and matt finish
• 80% face coverage
• Glasses to be avoided
• Head gears not allowed except for religious reasons.

Processing Time

Turnaround time for the visa is completely on the consulate. After an interview, normally it takes around 8-10 days to get the visa processed, during the peak season it may take a longer time to complete the process.

Also if any additional information or documents are required by the consular it may further increase the time. For an entire US visa application to be completed it takes around 1.5 months which includes filling up the form, visiting VAC for Biometrics and Interview with the Consular.

The maximum time taken is between biometrics and interview as biometrics normally happen within a week of submission of the DS-160 form whereas appointment with the consular has a waiting period of 25 – 30 days.