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How to apply for US visa?

Discussion in 'Visa and Passport' started by Ratnam, Sep 30, 2016.

  1. Ratnam

    Ratnam New Member

    I am keen on going to the US for a holiday and just seeing what it is like there and in the long term hoping to get a job there in about 4-5 years. First I would like to go there for a holiday and would like to get an insight on how to apply for US visa?

    I would like to know what the procedure is if I want to apply for a tourist visa.

    The documents required for the application.

    How much money should be shown in my bank account, because I know the amount of money in the bank also makes a difference to the application.

    The main question where do I submit the application for a US visa?
     


  2. briannagodess

    briannagodess Well-Known Member

    Hello, @Ratnam! Welcome to the forum!

    Here are the procedures that you need to follow in applying for a US Tourist (B1/B2) Visa:

    1. The first step is obtaining a digital photograph. There are certain requirements for this photograph:
    • It must be a minimum of 600 x 600 pixels in dimensions and a maximum of 1,200 x 1,200 pixels in dimensions.
    • The file must not exceed 240 kilobytes in size and must be in JPEG format.
    • It must be square in format and be in colour as well, 24 bits per pixel.
    You must upload this photograph in the application form.

    2. You now need to go to the US Consular Electronic Application Centre website. You must select the location of the Consular Office that is nearest to you. Then you need to complete the DS 160 Form completely which takes about 30 to 40 minutes to complete. It involves details about personal information and regarding your purpose of stay in the US. You can even save the application form in your computer or laptop, in case you need to fill it out at a later time or in case your internet connection goes wary.

    3. After completing the application form, print the DS 160 Confirmation Page. The part where it has the CEAC Barcode in it, this is the only necessary part that you need to bring to the interview, not the whole application form.

    4. Now, you need to go to the US Visa Service Website and this time, set an appointment for your interview. But to do that, you need to register as a New User and create a profile. Once you have done that, login to your account details.

    5. Click the Schedule Appointment link and choose your payment mode (National Electric Funds Transfer, Axis Bank/Citi Bank or Payment by Mobile Phone). Once you have paid the fees, which is about Rs. 9,900 for Indians, enter the Visa Fee Receipt Number and click Continue.

    6. You would then be prompted to schedule both your Offsite Facilitation Centre Appointment and your Consular Appointment. The first one is for the biometrics taking and the second one is for the interview proper by the Consular Officer. So the schedule for the biometrics taking must go first and the Consular interview must be on the later schedule.

    7. Once you're sure with the schedules, click Continue. Print the Appointment Confirmation by downloading the PDF format or directly printing from the screen. You need these confirmation pages for your two schedules.

    So now, you're done with online application part and you need to go to the Consular Office that you have chosen in the application. There are five US Consulate Offices in India and here are their addresses, you can choose the closest one to you:
    • US Consulate New Delhi - Shantipath, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi, Delhi 110021.
    • US Consulate Mumbai - C-49, G-Block, Bandra Kurla Complex, Bandra East, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400051.
    • US Consulate Chennai - Gemini Circle, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600006.
    • US Consulate Hyderabad - 1-8-323, Paigah Palace, Chiran Fort Lane, Begumpet, Secunderabad, Telangana 500003.
    • US Consulate Kolkata - No. 38A, JL Nehru Road, Kolkata, 700071, West Bengal.
    So since you are from Mumbai, you can choose the US Consulate Office in Mumbai. Don't forget to choose this in the start of your application and you would also need to appear in this office for your interview.

    So assuming that you're done with all this, the day for your biometrics will already arrive. It's a fairly easy procedure and won't take more than five minutes to complete. Arrive early in the Consulate Office since the procedure is on a first come, first serve basis. Next would be the Consular Interview proper and for this, you need to arrive at least 15 minutes before your schedule. You also need to bring the required documents for the interview:
    • Your current passport and previous old passports
    • Your photograph, if you were not able to upload one in the application form
    • Your DS 160 Confirmation Page that was stamped during the Offsite Facilitation Centre biometrics taking
    • Your Application Fee Confirmation Page
    • Your Interview Appointment Letter
    • Supporting documents
    The supporting documents include the following, the more you can bring, the better:
    • Property documents like a house, a business or condominium unit (Any property that ensures that you won't be abandoning your home country)
    • Employment documents like your position in the company, salary, pay slips, period of authorised vacation, etc.
    • Financial documents like income tax return and your bank balance
    • Family documents like photographs with relatives or maybe travels outside the country with your relatives
    When it comes to your bank account, take into account your expenses for the supposed US trip. Include lodging, food, sightseeing, travel tickets and other expenses, which can easily amount to about 5,000 USD or more. Converting this to rupees, this can amount to about Rs. 350,000 or more. So your bank account has to have that number or more.

    In case someone is sponsoring your trip, then you won't need this proof but it still helps to have some money in your bank account. If a family member is in the US, an invitation letter from them plus some more information about their work can be of help as well.

    There you go, I hope this helps you!