How to Apply for a USA Visa – Various Visa Types in the USA
How to Apply for a USA Visa – Various Visa Types in the USA
It is a known fact that the United States has welcomed immigrants from all over the world for a long time. In fact, it’s estimated that around 55 million people are citizens of other countries and live in America. These immigrants came for many reasons, including business opportunities and family ties.
There are different types of USA visas. Explore the options and apply for the right one for you. Each type has its own requirements and procedures to be followed by applicants. Although they differ in terms of duration and fees, all these visas require applicants to undergo an interview at a United States consulate abroad before being allowed entry into the country as permanent residents (or Green Card holders).
If you are applying for a U.S.-based visa, your first step is to submit an online application through the USCIS website using Form DS-160 (Online) for naturalization purposes; however, if you are applying for any other type, such as business, family member, refugee, diversity lottery, etc., then your application form itself along with supporting documents, etc., should be printed beforehand in order to avoid wasting time during the application process.
Contents
F-1 Visa
The F-1 visa is for students who wish to study at a U.S. university or academy. This type of visa allows you to work on campus and live in the United States while you’re studying, but it’s important to note that F-1s cannot work off-campus unless they are an employee or have been granted authorization by their employer.
The requirements for applying for this type of visa include:
- Maintaining full course loads while enrolled at your chosen institution of higher learning;
- Passing all courses with a grade point average (GPA) between 3.0 and 4.0 out of 4 possible points at the time of application; and
- Complete any required prerequisites before beginning classes
M-1 Visa
The M-1 visa is for vocational or non-academic students who have completed a course of study in the United States and wish to remain in the United States to engage in any other valid activity. A student who has been granted an M-1 visa may apply for an extension of stay for up to six years.
The most common types of applicants are:
- Students enrolled in programs at vocational schools or community colleges, including high schools;
- Academic students enrolled full-time at institutions that award four-year bachelor’s degrees (or higher);
- Graduates from postsecondary schools seeking further education;
J-1 Visa
The J-1 visa is for exchange visitors. It allows you to travel to the US and study or work for one academic year (180 days) as long as your program is approved by USCIS.
The J-1 visa can be issued by any U.S. consulate in your home country, but it will only be valid if there are no other visas on file with immigration authorities at the time of issuance; if there are other outstanding nonimmigrant visas such as F-1 student visas, H-1B worker visas or temporary work permits then these need to be processed before applying for an extension of stay on this type of visa. If all required documentation has been received and examined within 30 days after arrival at JFK airport then there should not be any problems processing an extension request within 90 days after the arrival date which means that most students would have enough time left before they have finished their studies depending upon which university he/she belongs to.
K-1 Finance Visa
A K-1 visa is a nonimmigrant visa and it is issued to fiancés of U.S citizens or permanent residents (Green Card holders). This allows the fiancé to enter the United States for 90 days to marry his or her American partner here in America, provided certain conditions are met.
The requirements for getting a K-1 Fiance Visa are pretty straightforward but it’s important that you meet them all so that you can finalize your application without any issues:
- You must have met each other within 90 days prior to filing for this type of visa;
- Your relationship must be valid.
- You cannot be married at the time of filing this application;
- Your intended spouse must be willing and able to financially support himself/herself while living with him/her abroad (this includes paying rent);
Family-sponsored visitors (B-2)
The B-2 visa is for family members of US citizens and permanent residents. It gives you the right to visit the United States for up to six months at a time. However, it does not extend or change in any way once your initial visa expires.
The B-2 visa is available for applicants who are entering the United States on behalf of their spouse or child (under 21 years old) from their country of origin, who has been sponsored by them as a qualified alien relative in accordance with Section 201(b)(1)(A) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).
Business visitors B-1
- B-1 visas are for business visitors.
- The B-1 visa is issued for a period of up to one year and can be extended once.
- Either an American job or an American investment is required, but not both. If you want to stay longer than six months, you can apply for an F-1 student visa instead of a B-1 work visa (see below).
- The holder of this type of visa must not engage in any activities other than those specified by their employer while they are in the United States except as provided by law enforcement agencies under certain circumstances that allow them access to public places without prior screening procedures (e.g., airports). They may also carry firearms if they have been given permission by their employers
Investor Visas (E Visas)
If you’re an investor who wants to start a business in the USA, then the E-2 visa is for you. This is a special type of nonimmigrant visa and it allows investors from treaty countries (countries that have an agreement with the United States) to enter and live in the United States as long as they invest at least $500,000 in personal property or real estate projects that create jobs for American citizens.
If your home country is a treaty partner of the USA, you can apply for this type of visa if the following conditions are met:
- You plan to create jobs in one of these countries (e.g., Mexico).
- You plan to invest money in projects undertaken by someone who lives or works there.
Parent visas (B-2 or IR5)
- IR5 Visa: This is the type of visa for parents of US citizens. The applicant must have a valid passport, visa, and I-94 form (a record of entry) to apply for this non-immigrant visa.
- B2 Visa: This is another type of non-immigrant visa that allows parents who are lawful permanent residents (LPRs) to live in the United States with their minor children. To be eligible for this type of LPR status, you must have at least one year left on your current period of stay in America before applying for your B2 visa; otherwise, it will not be approved by USCIS!
You can apply if you already have a child born inside or outside Umm Al Quwain (UAE), as long as he/she was born after August 1st, 2002; however, he/she cannot have any other nationality than UAE’s own citizenship yet still be able to obtain this status without having any difficulty doing so.”
Conclusion
In conclusion, the USA visa is a very complicated and complex process. However, most people are able to get their visas within a few months of submitting the application form. We have listed here some of the most common types of USA visas that you can apply for and also some tips on how to prepare for an interview if needed.
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