5 Tips for Getting Your U.S. Visitor Visa Approved

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If you are coming to the United States for a holiday, friend’s wedding, or to visit family, you may need a visitor visa to enter the country. Currently, only citizens from 38 countries can enter the United States without a visitor visa under the Visa Waiver Program. This means even if you are just in the United States for transit reasons, you’ll need a visa before reaching a port of entry.

Provided you are eligible for a U.S. visitor visa, for example, that you have a valid reason for visiting the United States and don’t have criminal convictions, receiving visa should be a straightforward process. To further ensure that an applicant is approved smoothly, a California immigration lawyer follows these six tips

#1: Prepare All Documents and Information Before Applying

The most important part of the U.S. visitor visa process is the application form. On this document, you will state pertinent information, such as your purpose for visiting the United States, your immigration status, travel history, and other personal information. The U.S. Consulate representative who reviews your application will rely heavily on this document when considering your application for a visitor visa. However, this isn’t the only document you need for a successful application.

Receiving a U.S. visitor visa can require supporting documentation, including evidence of employment, property ownership, and other ties to your home country. Through these documents, an applicant wants to establish that his or her visit is for a legal, legitimate visitor purpose and there is no risk of the individual remaining in the United States. A California immigration lawyer helps clients prepare and submit this documentation along with the online application.

#2: Strictly Follow the Procedural Guidelines

While a U.S. visitor’s visa is frequently for a shorter duration than employment visas or student visas, it is still a detailed process. Each year a substantial number of visitor visas are rejected for procedural problems alone. While it is possible to resubmit these failed applications, this extends the overall process and delays the start of your trip to the United States. Instead, you want to ensure that your passport photos are the right size and clarity, that your passport is valid for six months from the date of your trip, and you timely follow requests by the U.S. consulate or embassy after submission of your application.

A California immigration lawyer goes through several checklists and procedural steps before submitting an application and handles more procedural details before your interview at the U.S. consulate or embassy in your home country. This process of ensuring all guidelines are followed is crucial.

#3: Prepare for Questions into Your Finances

Outside of disqualifying factors, such as criminal convictions, there are two major areas of concern for the government employee reviewing a U.S. visitor visa application: (1) does the applicant have sufficient ties to his or her home country to confirm the intention to return there and (2) can the applicant financially support him or herself while in the United States.

Of course, there could be other issues that raise some concern, such as pregnancy and intention to have the baby in the United States or failing health raises alarm about seeking other medical attention while in the country. However, these situations don’t apply to every applicant, and a California immigration lawyer handles these on a case-by-case basis. Financial status and sufficiency though is required of every, single applicant.

What proves financial capacity? An applicant should bring bank statements to the interview for a U.S. visitor visa. These statements should have the logo and name of the bank, be copies of the original statements received by the applicant, and of course, not be false or fraudulent.

#4: Bring Evidence of Your Purpose of Visit to Your Interview

A U.S. visitor visa application doesn’t mandate specific evidence of your purpose for travel to the United States, but you should certainly be prepared to answer questions on this topic in your interview. However, explanation of your reason for visiting and plans while in the United States are all the stronger when you have documentation and evidence of these facts.

For example, if you are coming as a tourist or on holiday, be certain to bring advance tickets for sights in your destination, restaurant reservations, or tickets to sporting events. Alternatively, if you are coming to see friends or family, provide their contact information, including address, and printed emails of other documentation of your agreement to visit, excitement to see a loved one, and plans to stay with these individuals. Even something simple, like a wedding invitation, clearly shows the lawful purpose of your visit.

#5: Don’t Invent Facts or Information for Your Interview

Certainly, fraudulent information about your trip and intentions is illegal. If you are caught lying about your reason for visiting the United States, employment status, or other information on your visitor visa, your application is certain to be denied. Yet, you may not have every single answer at the time of your interview – if this is the case, still don’t invent facts or information.

A great example is the intention to take a classic United States road trip. You may not have every stop confirmed or each hotel reservation completed. What you can show is car rental information, hotel confirmation for your first few nights, a loose itinerary on your trip, and a few events you know you’ll stop at along the way. 

Hiring a California Immigration Lawyer

If the application and documentation requirements for the U.S. visitor visa are unclear, you are applying under special circumstances, or don’t understand aspects of the application – you should speak with a California immigration lawyer at Greco Neyland Attorneys at Law. You can reach our L.A. office by calling 213-295-3500.

5 Tips for Getting Your U.S. Visitor Visa Approved

inne-rpage-seperator

If you are coming to the United States for a holiday, friend’s wedding, or to visit family, you may need a visitor visa to enter the country. Currently, only citizens from 38 countries can enter the United States without a visitor visa under the Visa Waiver Program. This means even if you are just in the United States for transit reasons, you’ll need a visa before reaching a port of entry.

Provided you are eligible for a U.S. visitor visa, for example, that you have a valid reason for visiting the United States and don’t have criminal convictions, receiving visa should be a straightforward process. To further ensure that an applicant is approved smoothly, a California immigration lawyer follows these six tips

#1: Prepare All Documents and Information Before Applying

The most important part of the U.S. visitor visa process is the application form. On this document, you will state pertinent information, such as your purpose for visiting the United States, your immigration status, travel history, and other personal information. The U.S. Consulate representative who reviews your application will rely heavily on this document when considering your application for a visitor visa. However, this isn’t the only document you need for a successful application.

Receiving a U.S. visitor visa can require supporting documentation, including evidence of employment, property ownership, and other ties to your home country. Through these documents, an applicant wants to establish that his or her visit is for a legal, legitimate visitor purpose and there is no risk of the individual remaining in the United States. A California immigration lawyer helps clients prepare and submit this documentation along with the online application.

#2: Strictly Follow the Procedural Guidelines

While a U.S. visitor’s visa is frequently for a shorter duration than employment visas or student visas, it is still a detailed process. Each year a substantial number of visitor visas are rejected for procedural problems alone. While it is possible to resubmit these failed applications, this extends the overall process and delays the start of your trip to the United States. Instead, you want to ensure that your passport photos are the right size and clarity, that your passport is valid for six months from the date of your trip, and you timely follow requests by the U.S. consulate or embassy after submission of your application.

A California immigration lawyer goes through several checklists and procedural steps before submitting an application and handles more procedural details before your interview at the U.S. consulate or embassy in your home country. This process of ensuring all guidelines are followed is crucial.

#3: Prepare for Questions into Your Finances

Outside of disqualifying factors, such as criminal convictions, there are two major areas of concern for the government employee reviewing a U.S. visitor visa application: (1) does the applicant have sufficient ties to his or her home country to confirm the intention to return there and (2) can the applicant financially support him or herself while in the United States.

Of course, there could be other issues that raise some concern, such as pregnancy and intention to have the baby in the United States or failing health raises alarm about seeking other medical attention while in the country. However, these situations don’t apply to every applicant, and a California immigration lawyer handles these on a case-by-case basis. Financial status and sufficiency though is required of every, single applicant.

What proves financial capacity? An applicant should bring bank statements to the interview for a U.S. visitor visa. These statements should have the logo and name of the bank, be copies of the original statements received by the applicant, and of course, not be false or fraudulent.

#4: Bring Evidence of Your Purpose of Visit to Your Interview

A U.S. visitor visa application doesn’t mandate specific evidence of your purpose for travel to the United States, but you should certainly be prepared to answer questions on this topic in your interview. However, explanation of your reason for visiting and plans while in the United States are all the stronger when you have documentation and evidence of these facts.

For example, if you are coming as a tourist or on holiday, be certain to bring advance tickets for sights in your destination, restaurant reservations, or tickets to sporting events. Alternatively, if you are coming to see friends or family, provide their contact information, including address, and printed emails of other documentation of your agreement to visit, excitement to see a loved one, and plans to stay with these individuals. Even something simple, like a wedding invitation, clearly shows the lawful purpose of your visit.

#5: Don’t Invent Facts or Information for Your Interview

Certainly, fraudulent information about your trip and intentions is illegal. If you are caught lying about your reason for visiting the United States, employment status, or other information on your visitor visa, your application is certain to be denied. Yet, you may not have every single answer at the time of your interview – if this is the case, still don’t invent facts or information.

A great example is the intention to take a classic United States road trip. You may not have every stop confirmed or each hotel reservation completed. What you can show is car rental information, hotel confirmation for your first few nights, a loose itinerary on your trip, and a few events you know you’ll stop at along the way. 

Hiring a California Immigration Lawyer

If the application and documentation requirements for the U.S. visitor visa are unclear, you are applying under special circumstances, or don’t understand aspects of the application – you should speak with a California immigration lawyer at Greco Neyland Attorneys at Law. You can reach our L.A. office by calling 213-295-3500.

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