US Visa

TRAVEL TO THE US FOR VISITS & TOURISM

Besides working and studying, you can also visit the United States on a B2 visa. The B2 visa is a tourist visa which allows you to enter the United States for tourism, pleasure, or visit friends and family. Visiting friends and family in the US? Looking to travel for tourism or medical purposes? The US B2 visa is ideal for short term travelers visiting the US for non-business purposes.

To be eligible for a US Tourist visa, the purpose of your visit should be one of the following:

• Have a holiday in the United States.
• Tour various cities in the United States.
• Visit friends or family.
• Participate in social events hosted by various organizations.
• Visit for medical treatment.
• Participate in events or contests related to music or sports, for which you will not receive payment.
• Enroll in short study courses for which you will not receive credit (ex. cooking classes).

If you do not fall into any of the categories above, then you should look into other types of US non-immigrant visas to see for which ones you qualify.

In addition, you will have to prove that you have enough financial means to cover your stay in the United States and that you intend to return to your home country as soon as your visa expires.

On the other hand, the B1 visa allows you to enter the United States with the purpose of business, contract negotiation, or attending conferences and other business-related events.

The B-2 visa is a non-immigrant US visa. The visa gives permission to individuals to enter the US for a short period either for tourism, recreation or for family visits.

B-visa holders can engage in the following activities when they are in the US:

• Come to the country on a holiday
• Visit the various cities in the country
• Visit their friends or family
• Take part in social events conducted by organizations
• Visit the country for medical treatment
• Participate in sports or music events
• Participate in short term courses

If an individual is engaged to a US citizen and planning to marry and live in the US, their fiancé(e) might be able to petition for a US K-1 visa on their behalf. The K-1 visa allows the visa holder to travel to the US to marry their fiancé(e) within 90 days of arriving. After marriage, they might apply for an adjustment of status to get US Green Card.

US B2 VISA DETAILS

The US B2 visa is the best way for short term visitors to visit the US. It is typically issued for a period of 6 months. In some cases, it is issued as a multiple entry visa for a period of up to 10 years. Key details of the B2 visa are:

• You must be able to persuade US consular officials at a US Embassy/Consulate that they are not visiting the country with an intention to become an immigrant of that country
• You must show reasons and evidence that you would definitely return to your home country
• You must book appointments for giving your biometrics (finger scan) and visa interview
• Children below 14 years and adults above 80 years are not required to visit the Consulate/Embassy for an interview and can submit the documents at the visa application centre
• People who already had a US Visit Visa and now applying for renewal can get the visa renewed by booking the visa appointment at visa application centre and submitting the documents in person

Typically the visa is processed within 2-3 days and your passport can either be collected from the VAC centre or couriered to you.

The documentation required for the B2 visa includes:

• Your passport
• Proof of funds
• Letters supporting your reason of visiting the US
• Adequate insurance coverage
• Details of who you are staying with and where
• Air tickets
• Evidence that you will return to your home country
• Financial documents
• Insurance and other supporting documents