The United States Visa Application Process

For the many Americans who choose to visit other countries, U.S. visas are not required for travel. For the people traveling to the United States, however, a visa application may be necessary. Visas allow the government to track who comes in and goes out of the country, as well as documenting all of the foreign visitors entering the country. The government welcomes millions of foreign visitors and immigrants every year. These visitors enhance the culture, education, and economy of the United States.

Visas allow citizens of foreign countries to temporarily visit the United States. Visas are documents that are placed inside the passport of the travel, and are issued by the traveler’s country of citizenship. While visas are required for most travelers, certain international travelers may enter the United States without a visa. Travelers that travel without visas include citizens of Canada, Mexico, Micronesia and the Marshall Islands, and Bermuda.

Possessing a visa to the United States allows a traveler to enter the United States through a port of entry, airport, or border and ask the Department of Homeland Security Customs and Border Protection inspector to gain entrance to the country. Travelers are distinguished between two types: temporary visitors and immigrants. Temporary visitors are travelers visiting the United States with visas that allow only temporary stays in the country, for reasons such as work, family, or vacation. Immigrants, on the other hand, enter the country with intention to live and work in the country permanently. The visa application process for each type of traveler depends on the type of traveler and the type of visit.

For temporary visitors to the United States, the visa application process goes as follows:

1. The traveler should review their visa status to determine whether they need a visa, a renewal, and which type of visa they may need.

2. The traveler should then review the visa wait times and interview appointment types for each embassy and consular section worldwide. This information is available on the travel.state.gov website. The traveler should then visit the section where the visa application is available, and schedule an interview appointment while paying fees.

3. Most visa applications will then require an interview at the local embassy or consulate. An ink-less fingerprint scan may be expected, as well as additional administrative processing.

For immigrants seeking entry into the United States permanently, a visa application petition must be filled out. The I-130 petition at the USCIS Service Center relating to their place of U.S. residence should be filled out. For petitions filed abroad, the form I-130 is limited. Alternatively, travelers from abroad fill visa application petitions with the USCIS or at the local U.S. Embassy or Consulate. If approved by the USCIS, the petition is then sent to the National Visa Center for processing. The National Visa Center provides instructions to petitioners and manages the forms, fees, and other documents.