Immigration to the USA

Required Documents for Every USA Visa Application

Depending on your country of residence, if you want to visit the USA, you may need to apply for visa. If you are on the list of countries whose nationals require a visa for USA, then you need to apply for a visa. The type of USA visa you need to apply for depends on the purpose and length of your stay. For example, if you wanted to go to USA as a visitor, you would need a Temporary Visitor Visa. If you wanted to study, you would need a Student Visa.

What are the required Documents for USA Visa?

• Your passport.
• Appropriate USA visa application form (DS-160).
• Proof of paid USA visa fees.
• Proof of clean criminal record.
• Proof of being in good health through a medical exam. (In this case, for visa visitor is required only if your visit is for more than 6 months and if the case, you will be asked to submit your medical exams. Instructions will be given by the agent)
• Photographs in accordance with the photo requirements for USA visa.
• Proof of financial means.
• Proof you will return to your home country once you finish what brings you to the USA.
• Identity and Civil Status Documents.
• Letter of support/invitation to USA (only if you are going to visit or business purpose).

Age

The requirements may differ based on whether the applicant is an adult (over 18) or a minor (17 or under). Only adults can be primary applicants on an application. The minors must be attached as the dependents. If a minor is travelling alone, there are different requirements.

Passport

You must have a valid passport and any other travel documentation. When you apply for a USA visa, you have to provide photocopies of the information page of your passport. It must include:

• Your passport number.
• The date of issue and expiry.
• Your personal information: name, photo, place of birth, and date of birth.

Documents and Forms

When you apply for a USA visa, you will have to fill an Application form called DS-160 online in the USA embassy website. There, you will find an instructional guide. You have to bring all the documents and forms to the interview. These documents include (but are not limited to) passport copies, pictures, fee receipts, and other identity documents.

In addition to the documents you will need to provide, different countries may require specific documents. You will have to ask the visa office responsible in your country whether you need additional documents.

Proof of Paid USA Visa Fees

In order to apply for a USA visa, you will have to pay the necessary fees and attach the receipts on your application. The fee prices change depending on the purpose of travel.

USA Visa Photos

You have to provide two passport pictures based on USA requirements. If the pictures do not match the requirements set by USA Government, your application could be rejected. You may want to bring the photo requirements when you go to take the picture and show them to the photographer.

Proof of Financial Means

• Bank statements
• Letter of employment showing annual earnings.
• Evidence you have arranged to receive financial support from friends/family to cover the duration of your stay.
• Evidence of income of your host or family member in the USA.

Proof You Will Return to Your Home Country

• Proof of employment. You have to provide copies of your employment contract, a letter of employment which identifies you as a permanent employee, states when you are expected to return to work, and your role at the company.
• If you own property in your home country, you have to provide evidence of it, such as title deeds or lease agreements.
• If you have familial ties in your home country or people that you need to take care of, such as elderly family members or children, you need to get evidence of your responsibilities.

Identity and Civil Status Documents

You need to attach photocopies of identity and civil status documents with your USA visa application. This includes birth certificates, marriage certificates, or divorce/annulment certificates. In some cases, you may be required to provide National IDs or family or household registries.

Police Clearances

You will have to prove that you do not have any previous criminal records and are not a danger to USA society. You can do this by obtaining a police certificate or clearance in your home country. In some cases, you may have to provide police clearances from any country you have lived in for longer than six months.

Medical Exam

You have to be in good health in order to obtain a USA visa. This differs depending on the purpose of your visit in the USA. In order to prove that, you may be required to enter a medical examination and include the results in your application. However, if you plan to stay for less than six months, a medical exam is usually not necessary, unless you will be working closely with people. Your usual doctor cannot perform your examination. It will have to be a Panel Physician.

Purpose of Travel

• An invitation letter from your sponsor or the family member/friend you will visit.
• Contact information of the people who can support your stated purpose of visit.
• Any documents that support your purpose of travel.

Letter of Support/Invitation

In some cases, you may need to provide a letter of invitation from someone in USA. That person has to be either a USA citizen or hold Permanent Residence.

The letter has to include this information about you:

• Name, Birth date, Phone number and address.
• The relationship you have with the person who is writing the letter.
• How long you will stay in USA, where you will stay, and when you plan to leave.
• How you plan to support yourself financially.

The letter also has to include the following information about the writer:

• Their complete name and date of birth.
• Their USA address and phone number.
• Their residence status (Citizen or Permanent Resident) and a photocopy of a document that proves it.
• Their job title.
• Their family details (names and dates of birth for his/her spouse and dependents).
• How many people are in their household.

How to Make Equivalency Through WES?

A credential evaluation is a comparison of your academic accomplishments to standards in the U.S. or Canada. This report helps institutions like schools, employers, licensing boards, or immigration authorities better understand your educational background.

A report from WES:

• Identifies and describes your credentials.
• Verifies that your credentials are authentic.
• May include a grade point average (GPA) equivalency.
• Includes an evaluation of the authenticity of your documents.

Business Visa (B-1)

A foreign national traveling to the United States to conduct temporary business needs a visitor visa (B-1) unless qualifying for entry under the Visa Waiver Program. The USA business visa allows those who want to go to USA with the purposes of doing business with an American company to enter the country and engage in the following activities:

• Attend meetings.
• Participate in conferences or workshops.
• Sign agreements, etc.

The Business Persons and Business Delegations Visa is a temporary visa, which means that the person who holds it can only stay in USA for a short period of time, usually less than 6 months. Additionally, the person with this visa is not allowed to work for any company in USA.

Eligibility Criteria for Business Visa USA

• You must have your own business in a country other than USA or be an employee of a business registered in a country other than USA.
• You must have an income from a place of work that is located in a country other than USA.
• It is advisable to have a record of respecting other business visas from other countries.
• You must have proof that you are developing a business relationship with a company in USA or that you have been invited for a meeting, conference, or workshop.

How to Apply for the USA Business Visa?

• Confirm your eligibility for a USA Business visa.
• Online Nonimmigrant Visa Application, DS-160 - complete the online visa application and print the application form confirmation page to bring to your interview.
• Gather all documents file and application form for a USA Business visa.
• Pay fees and schedule your interview to the USA embassy in your country.

Schedule an Interview

Interviews are generally required for visa applicants with certain limited exceptions:

• If you are age 13 and younger: generally not required
• If you are age 14-79: required (some exceptions for renewals)
• If you are age 80 and older: generally not required

Work Visa

Besides being a country where many people go for touristic purposes, the US is also a popular working destination. People from all over the world want to work in the US because of the high salaries and good working environments.

Work Visa USA Types

• H1B visa: Person in Specialty Occupation. Requires a higher education degree or its equivalent. Includes fashion models of distinguished merit and ability.
• H-1B1 visa: Free Trade Agreement (FTA) Professional Chile, Singapore. Requires a post-secondary degree involving at least four years of study.
• H-2A visa: Temporary Agricultural Worker. For temporary or seasonal agricultural work.
• H-2B visa: Temporary Non-agricultural Worker. For temporary or seasonal non-agricultural work.
• H-3 visa: Trainee or Special Education visitor.
• I visa: Representatives of Foreign Media.
• L1 visa: Intracompany Transferee. To work at a branch, parent, affiliate, or subsidiary of the current employer.
• P-1 visa: Individual or Team Athlete, or Member of an Entertainment Group.
• P-2 visa: Artist or Entertainer under a reciprocal exchange program.
• P-3 visa: Artist or Entertainer for culturally unique performances.
• R-1 visa: Temporary Nonimmigrant Religious Workers.
• TN visa: NAFTA Workers. Allows professionals from Canada to work in the US temporarily.
• O1 Visa: Visa for persons with extraordinary abilities.

Work Visa USA Qualifications

There are three preconditions that someone interested in obtaining a US work visa needs to fulfill before applying:

• Have a Job offer in the US: You need to have applied for, and been accepted in a job position within the US in order to qualify for a work visa.
• Approved petition by USCIS: Your employer must file a Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker (I-129 form) with USCIS.
• Labor certification approval by DOL: Some work visas (H-1B, H-1B1, H-2A, H-2B) also require your employer to have a certification from DOL.

US Work Visa Requirements

• Valid passport valid for the entire duration of your stay plus six months.
• US visa photo uploaded with the online application form.
• The Receipt Number from your approved I-129 Form.
• A confirmation page of your completed DS-160 Form.
• Receipt proving payment of the application fee ($190).
• Proof that you will return to your home country after your work ends.

Work Visa USA Application Procedures

• Complete the Online Nonimmigrant Visa Application (Form DS-160) and print the confirmation page.
• Schedule your interview at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate.
• Attend the interview with all necessary documents.
• Complete additional procedures (digital fingerprints).

Visitor Visa

This process follows the same as the business Visa. Here you need an Invitation letter may be from your family in USA or your friend. You may also want to just visit a particular town in USA and even for it you need a visa so you must apply.

If your purpose of going to USA is just to visit a place, you will have to provide your itinerary showing your plan on where you will go and visit.

You can look at the requirement stated above for you to apply. Click here to go to the requirements

Student Visa

Visa Categories by Institution Type

To enter the United States to attend:

• University or college: F visa
• High School: F visa
• Private elementary school: F visa
• Conservatory: F visa
• Another academic institution, including a language training program: F visa
• Vocational or other recognized nonacademic institution: M visa

Student Acceptance at a SEVP Approved School

The first step is to apply to a SEVP-approved school in the United States. After the SEVP-approved school accepts your enrollment, you will be registered for the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) and must pay the SEVIS I-901 fee. The SEVP-approved school will issue you a Form I-20. After you receive the Form I-20 and register in SEVIS, you may apply at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate for a student (F or M) visa.

F1 Visa Requirements

• Your valid passport
• Form DS-160 for non-immigrant visa applications.
• Two photographs meeting the US Visa Photo Requirements.
• Proof of paid F1 visa fee.
• Form I-20 stating the amount of funds you need.
• Bank statements for the last 3 years and last 12 months.
• Tax records for the last 3 years.
• Pay stubs of previous employment.
• Proof of scholarship (if applicable).
• Original transcripts and standardized test scores (TOEFL, IELTS, GRE...).
• Acceptance letters from the educational institution.
• Previous degree diplomas.
• Proof of purchased health insurance for international students.

Application Process

• Get your admissions documents from the SEVP institution.
• Apply online through the DS-160 form.
• Pay the application fee ($185).
• Pay the SEVIS I-901 fee ($200).
• Schedule your F1 visa interview.
• Submit the file with the F1 visa required documents.
• Attend the student visa interview.

Can I Work as an International Student?

You may work as an F1 student but only for short periods of time since your visa is a student and not a work visa. You are allowed to work part-time on campus while school is in session and full time during breaks.

Can F1 Students Apply for Permanent Residence?

Even though you have proved that you have strong ties to your home country, if you want to apply for a Green Card, you are allowed to do so on an F1 visa. It is a complicated procedure, though. You must either self-petition as a person with extraordinary abilities, get married in the US or prove that you will invest $500,000 in the US economy. If these are not feasible for you, but you still want to remain in the US, the easiest way is to change status into a different type of visa such as an H-1B visa and have your employer sponsor you.