Most tourists apply for a US tourist visa to visit relatives many times but are unsuccessful because entering the US requires many procedures. strict customs and regulations. So, when you want to enjoy a vacation and reunite with relatives in the United States, what documents do you need to prepare and what are the detailed procedures? To clearly understand the above information and increase your rate of passing the US visa interview the first time, please read the content below carefully!
How many types of US nonimmigrant visas are there? What type of visa is needed to travel to the US to visit relatives?
US visa also known as US visa (US visa) - a stamp affixed to the passport, allowing foreign citizens to enter legally enter the United States within the specified time period. In our country, US visas are issued by the US Embassy/Consulate in Vietnam.
Currently, there are many types of visas to the US, serving specific entry purposes and are clearly and specifically regulated in each case. case.
US tourist visa helps you both travel and visit relatives
US non-immigrant visa - important information to understand:
US non-immigrant visa is a type of visa that allows Vietnamese citizens to enter the US and stay for a specified period of time. When your stay expires, you are forced to leave the country. If you want to continue to stay in the United States, you need to have a reasonable reason to apply for a visa extension.
Currently, there are two basic types of US non-immigrant visas as follows:
B1 Visa: Is a type of visa for foreigners who want to go on business trips to the US. It is requested quite a lot by Vietnamese people because business cooperation between the two countries is becoming more and more popular. Therefore, the B1 visa will be suitable for business trips, solving work problems, meeting partners, discussing contracts, attending meetings,...
Visa B2: Is a tourist visa for citizens of Vietnam or other countries who want to visit the United States for entertainment, travel, meet relatives or have medical treatment. The increasing need to experience culture, nature, and people in the United States makes the B2 visa category receive more attention. In addition, traveling combined with visiting relatives in the US also gives people the opportunity to reunite with family and friends.
Visa B2 helps you easily enter the United States
Which visa do I need to prepare when traveling to the US and visiting relatives?
- If you want to travel to the US to visit relatives, it is best to apply for a B2 visa. This type of visa has a maximum validity of 01 year, most suitable for Vietnamese citizens who want to enter the United States for the purpose of meeting family, relatives, etc.
- The maximum period of stay in the US for a single entry is 6 months. However, depending on the documents and purpose of the trip, the US Embassy/Consulate will stipulate different lengths of stay in the US to suit the applicant's personal needs.
- When applying for a B2 tourist visa, you must prove your finances to show that you can afford to pay for this entire trip. Visitors need to prepare documents related to the property and bring them with them when interviewing with the US Embassy/Consulate.
- Choosing to travel and visit relatives in the US is increasingly popular
Revealing the most accurate way to prepare an application for a US visa to visit relatives
An important thing before traveling to the US to visit relatives is to prepare all the necessary documents to apply for a visa. So, what are each necessary documents and what are the specific requirements? Let's find out in detail!
Personal profile
- First, you should prepare a passport that is valid for 6 months from the time you intend to leave the US with at least two blank pages. Each applicant must possess a separate passport, including children. If you have an old passport, you should include it in your application for a tourist visa to visit relatives in the US to increase your chances of passing the interview.
- The application also needs to include a photo in the form of soft and hard files. In particular, you will use the soft file to upload to the DS-160 form, and the hard file will be brought to the US Embassy/Consulate on the interview day.
- Passport is a required document when applying for a US tourist visa
Notes when preparing photos to apply for a US tourist visa:
Photos taken within the last 6 months
- Photo size 5*5cm, taken on white background
- Clear photo of face, ears and forehead visible, no glasses
- Note about the height of the head: the distance from the top of the head including hair to the bottom of the chin accounts for 50% - 70% of the total height of the photo. The height from the bottom edge of the photo to eye level is from 55% - 70% or 2/3 of the photo height.
- Image files must be square, minimum size 600×600 pixels and maximum size 1200×1200 pixels.
- If the photo taken does not meet the requirements, you must submit a new photo before the US visa application is considered. Therefore, to avoid wasting time and effort, you need to pay attention to the photography part from the beginning.
Proof of employment
Documents proving employment will include the following items:
- Business owners: prepare business license, tax payment receipts within the most recent 3 months, and statement of the company's current balance , evidence that the company is doing well.
- Officers/employees: Labor contract/Recruitment decision/Appointment decision, latest 3-month payroll statement, Leave application permission, Decision to send on a business trip.
- Students/students: transcript, academic results, latest diploma, school-approved leave application, documents Prove the work of the guardian or guarantor.
- Retired people: pension book certified by a competent authority.
- Freelancers: application explaining professional status, bank transaction statements for the last 3 months, documents proving employment of the guarantor.
However, documents proving work will be different for each applicant, based on the nature of their profession and current job. If you want to prepare these documents in the most detail and accuracy, please come for more specific assessment and advice.
You need to prepare the necessary documents to complete the US tourist visa application
- Documents proving finances and personal income
- Financial proof documents will include: savings books, real estate ownership documents, cars,...
- Detailed trip itinerary
- You should make a detailed itinerary, including time, destination, place of residence for the trip, etc. And if you have relatives in the US, you must provide them. documents and photos prove this.
- Procedures and procedures for applying for a US tourist visa to visit relatives
The procedure for applying for a visa to visit relatives in the US will include the following steps:
Step 1: Complete your application
You should prepare all the documents we have suggested in the section above, including: personal records, proof of work, proof of Finance and detailed information about the US travel itinerary. However, applicants need to pay attention to all documents using A4 size paper, translated and notarized, arranged neatly and cleanly.
Documents need to be neat and notarized
Step 2: Fill in the information according to form DS-160
You need to provide accurate information in electronic form DS-160. Each person must have their own form, including children. You must complete and submit the online application before attending your interview at the U.S. Embassy/Consulate. After filling in all the information, the browser will trigger a confirmation page with an alphanumeric barcode. Please print this confirmation page and it is a mandatory requirement during the interview.
All questions on the application form must be answered in English unless you are asked to provide your full name in your country's unique alphabet. family. The U.S. Embassy/Consulate will not accept handwritten or typed DS-160 applications.
Any small error in information on the application form will prevent you from entering the United States. So please check carefully before sending!
Step 3: Pay the fee
You create a personal account on http://www.ustraveldocs.com. Then, fill in all required information to receive payment confirmation. Print out that piece of paper and go to the designated Post Office to pay the US tourist visa application fee.
Pay the fee before scheduling an interview
Step 4: Make an interview appointment
You return to the website http://www.ustraveldocs.com. and proceed to book an interview appointment.
Step 5: Go to the interview
When you go to the interview, you need to bring all the documents you have prepared in advance and arrive on time. There are 2 addresses to submit applications:
1/ In Ho Chi Minh City: US Consulate General
Address: 4 Le Duan, District 1
Phone: (08) 3520 4200
Email: scongenhcmc@state.gov
2/ In Hanoi: Consular Section, US Embassy
Nonimmigrant Visa Division
Address: No. 170 Ngoc Khanh, Ba Dinh District
Is the cost of applying for a US tourist visa to visit relatives too expensive?
To apply for a US tourist visa to visit relatives, the applicant will have to pay 2 types of fees. That is the visa fee and the fee for returning visa results by mail. The latest updated US tourist/business visa application fee is currently $185 (equivalent to 4,440,000 VND). In particular, the USD exchange rate applied in Vietnam is 24,000 VND/USD.
After sending your US tourist visa by mail, you need to pay the following fees:
- Receive passports at Thanh Xuan Post Office - No. 1 Nguy Nhu Kon Tum (Hanoi) and Cong Hoa Post Office - 18A Cong Hoa, Ward 12, District 1 .Tan Binh (Ho Chi Minh City): 0 VND.
- Pick up passport at all other designated post offices: 143,000 VND.
- Receive passport via express delivery service in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City: 240,000 VND.
- Receive passport via express delivery service in other provinces 302,000 VND.
- Receive passport via regular delivery service: 143,000 VND.
- The postman will collect fees in cash, so you need to prepare enough money to pay to avoid wasting time.
- You can receive a US visa by mail
Is the processing time for a US tourist visa to visit relatives long?
- If the interview is successful, the US Embassy/Consulate will retain the applicant's passport and return it within 2 - 3 days. Specifically:
- Receive visa after 2 working days if received at post office or delivered to your home, within Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi.
- Receive visa after 3-5 working days if received at post office or delivered to your home in other provinces/cities.
- Receive visa after 6 hours from the time the Embassy/Consulate sends documents and passports to delivery companies to deliver to the inner city of the city. .HCMC and Hanoi.
- Receive visa after 1 working day from the time the Embassy/Consulate sends documents and passports to delivery companies to the provinces /to another.
Important notes about the stay period of the US tourist visa
How long is a visa valid for traveling to the US to visit relatives? This is an issue that many people are concerned about when they intend to both travel and stay to visit relatives. Currently, there are some issues to note about the length of stay when using a US tourist visa:
- For Vietnamese citizens, a US tourist visa has a maximum validity of 12 months. You are allowed to enter the country once for a maximum of 6 months. However, depending on each applicant's case, the US Embassy/Consulate will decide the entry period to suit the schedule and purpose of the trip.
- The visa document shows the number of times you can enter the US. If you see the “M” symbol, it means you can enter the country multiple times in a year. As for the "One" symbol, you can only use this visa to enter the country once.
- After 12 months, your US tourist visa expires and you are not allowed to visit this country. But within 2 years from the time the US tourist visa expires, you can apply for renewal by mail.
- You can arrive in the US before the last day your visa is valid. At the Border Gate, Customs and Border Protection officers decide the length of your stay in the country. While in the United States, your visa may expire, but make sure you do not stay longer than the time allowed by Customs and Border Protection officers.
- The validity period of a US visa does not determine the length of time a tourist can legally stay in the United States. Only Customs and Border Protection officers can make this determination based on when you arrived in the US.
9. How long can you stay in the US?
7. Tips for passing the US tourist visa interview to visit relatives the first time
Interviewing for a US tourist visa is an "art" and you must have your own tricks to pass this round easily. Below, we will suggest you some good ways to get a visa the first time:
- Prepare all required documents and arrange them neatly, in order of importance so that when needed, the consular officer can Easily searchable, avoiding wasting time on both sides.
- US Embassy/Consulate officials are always interested in the purpose of your trip. Maybe you come to the United States to travel, visit family or find a school for your children, survey the learning environment, etc. Whatever the reason, when interviewing for a US tourist visa, the applicant should Answer the information accurately. At the same time, you must also bring evidence related to your reason for entering the US.
- When you arrive for the interview, you should arrive 15 minutes early to stay calm and adjust your outfit. You need to dress politely and discreetly because this will help make an impression on the consular officer right from the first meeting.
- Be confident and comfortable throughout the interview. The answer is straight to the point, concise. If there are some issues that need to be explained, try to choose the most understandable and concise way. When you are not sure about the answer, you should be honest and not present other information than on form DS-160.
- Listen carefully to the question. If you don't understand, ask again immediately, avoid guessing and answering haphazardly. In particular, with a confident and meticulous attitude, even if you miss the interview because your profile is not good enough, you will still receive a bigger opportunity next time.
- You can refer to frequently asked US tourist visa interview questions on internet sites. From there, you practice preparing your answers in advance to be more fluent and fluent in the real interview.
If the US Embassy/Consulate returns your passport immediately after the interview, it means you are rejected and vice versa. If the worst happens, don't worry. Please prepare enough documents and skills for the next interview:
- When failing a US tourist visa to visit relatives, the applicant must wait up to 6 months to reapply for an interview.
- Interviewing for a US tourist visa to visit relatives is not difficult if you prepare all the necessary documents, follow the correct process and have a serious attitude. honest. At the same time, practicing answering some questions to make the interview go smoothly is an important thing that you should keep in mind.
Where is the address to apply for a US tourist visa to visit relatives quickly and with a high pass rate in Ho Chi Minh City?
- It can be said that a visa is a passport that helps Vietnamese people easily set foot in the United States. However, US tourist visa applicants do not always pass the first interview, because your application must meet many conditions of the US Embassy/Consulate.
- If you accidentally fail the interview, you will have to wait 3 to 6 months before you can schedule the next interview. This disrupts travel plans and visits to relatives in the United States and costs a lot of time and money.
- Therefore, finding a reputable unit that specializes in making US tourist visas is necessary and important. They will advise on detailed application steps, prepare complete and convincing documents to increase your chances of getting a visa at the first interview. At this time, plans for trips to the United States will go smoothly and easily, according to the previously planned schedule.
