How to get a US visa for Indian citizens

Introduction

A U.S. visa is an official permit that enables a non-American resident to fly to the United States of America. It is a permit that allows the holder access to reach, move, and remain within the United States for a limited or indefinite period of time or change permanently. A foreign national is issued a U.S. visa in compliance with the U.S. Immigration Act. The USA online visa is provided by the Consular Department of the US Embassy & Consulates. If a U.S. visa has been issued, it is put on the traveler’s passport. U.S. visas are required only for residents of the country who are not part of the U.S. Visa Waiver Program (VWP). India is not eligible for the US VWP scheme; Indian nationals need a valid American visa to travel to just the United States of America. The possession of a valid US visa does not ensure entry into the United States of America. The visa is merely a certificate provided by the US Consular Officer that allows the visa holder to enter the United States for a particular reason. The actual authorization to join the United States of America and the length of the stay shall be determined by the immigration officer only at the airport’s entry point. This overview helps you how to get a visa for USA from India.

What is the visa?

A visa is an authorization issued by representatives of a country’s government that allows a non-resident of such a country to cross its borders. Therefore, it is an authorization given by the country to which you wish to migrate, and under no conditions is there a privilege that can be asserted.

Features of US Visa

• Available for both immigrants and non-migrants
• Over 20 forms of non-immigrant visas are available.
• U.S. Tourist Visa is generally printed for a period of six months.
• Offers U.S. community visa appointment option for people who are traveling in groups of 10 or more than that.
• The choice for an expedited U.S. visa appointment in case of emergency travel to the U.S

Type of Visas for USA

The main objective of traveling to the United States plays a key role in deciding the applicant’s visa type. Under the laws of immigration, the United States of America, there really are two types of visa for America.

Immigrant visa:

It is a form of U.S. visa that people traveling to the United States are required to carry permanent residence. It includes people moving due to relocation, living with a partner or immediate family member, etc. Both immigrant visa petitions are accepted by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services or USCIS.

Non-Immigrant Visa:

It is the second form of US visas that people traveling to the United States of America need for a limited period of time. It is given to people traveling for vacation, education, business, and medical care, involvement in an exchange program, or other personal work. There are even more than 15 U.S. non-immigrant visa forms, including U.S. visitor visa, business visa, employment visa, student visa, exchange visitor visa, transit or ship crew visa, religious worker visa, domestic worker visa, and journalist & media visa.

Business visa:

Business visas are intended for individuals traveling to the United States for business-related purposes. People traveling to the United States to meet business associates, attend educational, science, technical, or business conferences, settle estates or negotiate deals can apply for a Business Visa USA. Company visa applicants can apply for a B1 USA visa at the time of submitting for an American visa.

Tourist visa for US:

The U.S. Tourist Visa is a form of U.S. visa for people who travel to the United States for tourism or holiday purposes. It includes people who come to the U.S. to visit their friends and relatives or for some sort of fun. U.S. Tourist Visa Applications from India must apply for a B2 category visa. We will help you apply for US visa online from India.

Student visa:

The U.S. student visa is the type of visa that is intended for people coming to the United States to receive an education. There are two forms of U.S. student visa groups. Students pursuing academic education must apply for an F1 visa USA offer, and students of vocational education must apply for an M1 visa group. Student visa applicants can apply for visas after receiving the I-20 form from their school in the USA. Student visa applicants must apply within 120 days of the I-20 start date and therefore should fly within 30 days of the I-20 start date.

USA work visa:

This form of U.S. visa is intended for people who want to work as a non-immigrant in the United States temporarily. Depending on their type of work and specialization, applicants can select the required category under the U.S. Work Visa. While a person who works in a specialized job requiring highly specialized knowledge may apply for a U.S. H1B visa, it can apply for a U.S. L1 visa. Other U.S. jobs visa groups include H1B1, H2A, H2B, H3, H4, L2, O, P, and Q.

Exchange visitor visa for the US:

The U.S. Exchange Visitor Visa is required for people traveling to the U.S. to engage in an exchange program. People applying for this visa should’ve been approved by an authorized sponsor in the United States. The sponsor would provide the participant with the Form DS-2019. All U.S. Traveler Visa applicants can choose the ‘J’ category for a visa.

Journalist and media visa:

This form of U.S. visa can be given to Indian journalists or members of Indian media traveling to the U.S. to cover a story, incident, or case. This visa form is only issued to people throughout the Indian media, whose home office remains in India. The visa holders aim to gather news. Candidates for this visa must apply for the ‘I’ category of visa.

How many types of visas in the USA?

Non-immigrant US Visa Types and Purpose of Travel to the US

A-visa

Foreign government officers and diplomats

A1-2, G1-4, NATO1-6

Renewal of visa in the US & for A, G, and NATO categories

A-2, NATO1-6

Foreign military personnel posted in the US

B-1,                                   

• Athletes, professionals & amateurs (competing for prize money)
• Business visitors 
• Domestic employees, including nannies

B-2

• Tourism/vacations or pleasure visitors
• People who were traveling for medical treatment

BCC

Border crossing card for Mexico

C

Transiting through US

D

Serving airline/sea vessel crew members in the US

E-1

Treaty traders.

E-2

Treaty Investors

E-3

Australian Worker and Professional Specialty

F-1

Students and academic and language

F-2

Students who are dependents of an F1 visa holder

G-1-G-5, NATO

Employees of specific international organizations and NATO

H1-B

People working in specialty occupations that require highly specialized knowledge

H1-B, J1

Physician

H-1B1

Free Trade Agreement professionals – Chile, Singapore

H-1C

Nurses traveling to areas with a scarcity of medical professionals

H-2A

Temporary workers and seasonal agricultural

H-2B

Temporary workers and non-agricultural.

H-3

Non-Employment training in a program.

H-4

Dependents of (H)-visa holders.

I

Media and Journalists or representatives of information media.

J

Exchange visitors.

J, Q

Exchange visitors & international cultural programs.

J-1

• Exchange visitors – AU pairs
• Exchange visitors – professors, teachers, scholars

J-2

Exchange visitors – Spouse of J-1 visa holder or kids below 21 years of age

K-1

Finance

L

Intercompany transferees.

M-1

Students / vocational

M-2

Students who are dependents of an (M1) visa holder

O-1

Foreign citizens with exceptional & nbsp; abilities in science, arts, athletics, education or business

P

Athletes, entertainers, and artists

R

Religious workers

T-1

Human trafficking victims

TN/TD

NAFTA professional’s workers: Canada, Mexico

U-1

Criminal activity victims

Who is actually eligible to apply for a US visa?

All residents of India need to request a U.S. visa to travel to the United States. If you apply for an immigrant visa, a U.S. visitor visa from India, or a U.S. H1B visa, Indian citizens will only be issued visas after they have submitted all the necessary documents and show for a visa interview at just the U.S. Embassy or Consulate.

However, not all nations around the world need a US visa to travel to the United States. Countries that are members of the U.S. Visa Waiver Program (VWP) do not have to apply for a U.S. visa to visit the U.S. Some 38 VWP countries are involved, including Australia, Denmark, France, Belgium, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, Italy, New Zealand, South Korea, Singapore, Switzerland, Spain, and the United Kingdom, among others. However, before entering the United States, citizens of these countries require valid authorization through the ESTA or the Electronic Travel Authorization System.

What is the procedure to apply for a US visa for India nationals?

The process for applying for a U.S. visa is different for either immigrant or non-immigrant visa applicants. People who really would like to apply for a U.S. non-immigrant visa online should follow the following steps:

• Determine the sort of U.S. visa you need to apply for the purpose of your travel.
• Please fill out the DS-160 form or the non-immigrant visa application form on the US Consular Electronic Application Center’s official website and submit it.
• Pay the U.S. visa application fee online via NEFT.
• Print the DS-160 Type Confirmation page
• Log in to your profile and book an appointment with the Visa Application Center (VAC) and the US Embassy or Consulate. Enter your passport number, the 10-digit barcode number on your DS-160 confirmation tab, and the visa application fee receipt number.
• Please complete your profile and select a pick-up location to collect your passport.
• Visit the Visa Application Center to let officials take your photographs and fingerprints.
• Visit the U.S. Embassy or Consulate on time for an interview, along with all the documentation needed, and appear for an interview.
• If you successfully complete the interview, a US visa will be issued.
• Collect your travel documents from the pick-up spot

People wishing to apply for a non-immigrant visa category ‘K’ or an immigrant U.S. visa electronically should follow the following steps:

• Apply with the USCIS or the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. The request can be self-filed and by any relative or prospective employer at the USCIS office in America.
• Self-petitioners should fill out the I-360 form and send it over to the USCIS lockbox in Chicago, as USCIS doesn’t even have a public counter presence in India.
• A petition is approved by the USCIS and gives you a priority date.
• Request for an immigrant visa or a non-immigrant visa of category ‘K.’
• Get a Police Clearance Certificate or a PCC through your city’s Regional Passport Office. If you have been staying in a country apart from India for more than a year after you were 16 years old, you will also need to apply for a PCC to that nation’s passport office.
• The Embassy/Consulate certified physician shall undergo a medical examination.
• Fill an immigrant visa application form or DS-260 form online on the US Consular Electronic Application Center’s official website and submit it. If you are eligible for a ‘K’ class visa, you need to fill in the DS-160 form instead of the DS-260 form.
• Download the confirmation page of the form DS-260. Candidates of the ‘K’ class visa can download the confirmation page of the DS-160 form.
• Login to your account and make an appointment with the Visa Application Center and a visa interview with the US Embassy or Consulate.
• Please complete your profile and select a pick-up location to collect your passport.
• Visit the Visa Application Center to let officials take your photographs and fingerprints.
• Attend the U.S. Embassy or Consulate on time for an interview, together with all the documentation needed, and appear for an interview.
• If you effectively clear the interview, the US visa will be issued.
• Collect your travel documents from the pick-up spot

What are the US visa requirements for Indian nationals?

A requirement for US visa for Indian nationals from India given below:

• Valid travel document
• Flight ticket
• Employment letter
• Valid residence permit
• Applicant’s passport size photograph
• Travel details like travel Itinerary
• Receipt for Fee Payment 
• Vaccinations Details

DS-260 Application form/ DS-160 Application form:

Every non-immigrant U.S. visa applicant must apply for a properly completed DS-160 form online before scheduling a visa appointment only at Visa Application Center or the U.S. Embassy or Consulate. All U.S. Immigrant Travel Visa applications must apply a DS-260 application to make a VAC or Embassy/Consulate appointment. The form DS-160/DS-260 is a certification on the applicant’s part, ensuring that all the information given in the form is valid. Furnishing any inaccurate details in the form will remove your chances of joining the United States of America.

Every DS-160/DS-260 application must be signed electronically, and a scanned copy of the confirmation page must be taken to the interview. Any American visa applicant must apply this application as a barcode on the DS-160/DS-260 confirmation page is required at the time of booking the USA visa appointment.

I-20 Application Form:

Any person applying for a U.S. student visa must have an I-20 form. The form explicitly states that the student has been admitted to a school in the USA and thus needs a student visa. The U.S. does not offer a visa to any applicant with an I-20 form. Only if the applicant student has submitted all of the necessary paperwork and cleared a visa interview will he/she be given a student visa.

What is the validity of the B1/B2 visa?

These B1/B2 visas are valid for Ten years after issue.

How many times can I actually enter the US with a B1/B2 visa?

The B1/B2 visas are granted Multiple Entry for a maximum of 180 days Per Entry.

What happens after I apply?

You will receive an email during the period chosen to arrange an interview with the Embassy. Before your interview, we’ll give you a full package of what to expect with their interview and give you lots a list of documents that you should bring together with you on the day of the interview. After your interview, the U.S. Embassy will keep your travel documents to put the visa sticker in them.

How to get a visa for the USA from India using the Click2visas platform?

It is quite a simple step for applying for a US tourist visa for an Indian citizen. The Visa Application process is straightforward while using the Click2visas platform. We are helping you with how to get visas for the USA. Kindly follow the below steps carefully: 

• Choose the departure and arrival country, select the required visa type, enter your name, and click “CLICK TO START.”
• Verify the visa fee and terms and conditions on the next page.
• On the third page, enter your basic details in the respective field and upload the necessary documents (you can upload the documents at a later stage also).
• After that, review and confirm the information of your form, then proceed with the payment. We support all types of cards for payment.
• You will receive the invoice and a confirmation mail with a link in your registered email id.
• Click the link, complete the remaining form (you can also upload the document at this stage), and submit it for processing.

Once the visa process is completed, click2visas will send your Visa related documents to your email.

What are US visa fees India nationals?

Kindly use our visa widget to figure out the visa price for the USA. Using Click2visas US visa cost is very low to compare other travel agencies. We additionally add USD 10 for the service fee.

Visa Fee Payment Exceptions:

Travelers who fail or exceed the following requirements do not have to pay any US visa application fees.

• Persons applying for visas A, C-2, C-3, G, or NATO or diplomatic visas
• J visa category applicants traveling to engage in particular official U.S. government-sponsored cultural or educational exchanges
• In the event that the machine-readable American visa requires to be replaced or that the visa needs to be reissued within one year of its issuance, owing not to improper fixing without fault of the applicant.
• Members or employees of the UN Observer Mission to the UN Headquarters that have been approved by the UN General Assembly, including its immediate relatives, are exempted under international agreements.
• People traveling for special charitable programs
• U.S. government employees traveling on official service
• Members of the family of the employees of the U.S. government who died or were seriously wounded while on service fly to visit or attend the funeral of the deceased. The members of the family include a partner, parents, children or relatives, etc.

Who is eligible for an Expedited US Visa Appointment?

In certain cases, applicants are issued with expedited appointments for their US visa interview. Documents explaining the urgency of the matter must be provided at the time of the interview. You can apply for an accelerated U.S. visa appointment under the following cases:

• Need for emergency medical care in the United States
• Death or burial of an immediate family member in the United States
• Urgent business travel to the United States
• Students or international visitors whose program will start within 60 days.

How to Check my US Visa Status?

The Consular department of US Embassies & Consulates can take a few days to review your visa application and also to actually participate in a visa interview. You can view your visa application online by visiting the US Electronic Consular Application Center’s official site (CEAC) during this time span. To confirm your US visa application status, follow the appropriate steps:

• Check the official US CEAC website.
• Choose ‘Check status of my visa application.’
• Choose your form of US visa application.
• Enter the location of your interview
• Enter your application number or your application ID.
• Submit by clicking
• You may decide if your US visa application was approved, denied, or is still under administrative care.

Administrative Process:

Some US visa applications are delayed due to the requirements under Section 221(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act. It needs further administrative processing. Such applications shall be processed for at least 180 days, beginning on the day the interview or the supplementary documents are submitted. In emergency circumstances, such as serious injury, disease, or death, administrative processing applications may be processed more rapidly. If an application for a US visa to travel requires administrative processing, the customs official shall notify the applicant about this after his US visa interview.

Travel Insurance information for US Visa:

A US visa does not constitute a cakewalk. You will eventually get a US visa with a lot of work, paperwork, and a visa interview. What if an unexpected disaster is going on in the middle of your travel to the US, like flight delays, loss of luggage, or road accidents? Not only do such unforeseen emergencies ruin your travel plans, but they also burden you with a massive financial burden. You will be prepared for these drawbacks and have a nice time on your journey to the US if you purchase a travel insurance policy.

Various travel insurance plans include health costs, loss of passport, luggage delay or loss, personal injuries, flight delays, lost connectivity, personal accountabilities, cash advance in the emergency, and several others. Various types of travel insurance policies can provide for the needs of various types of guests, from student insurance to family insurance.

It is not necessary under US regulations to provide a valid travel insurance policy. However, the US is renowned for costly medical treatment, so your travels are packed with a big hole in your pockets with even a small visit to a healthcare provider. In addition to medical travel insurance, you can be covered for non-medical emergencies with a foreign travel insurance policy and provide you financial assistance when you need it.

Will all have to be present just at the visa interview?

No. The visa application center or embassy and/or consulate do not physically include children less than 14 years of age.

What is the processing time for a USA visa for Indians?

The process for us visa application at the Embassy of USA takes on your visa type. All our visa online application forms will be taking a short period. Please schedule your travel and send your application accordingly.

Why was my U.S. non-immigrant visa application denied?

The exact reason for denying a non-immigrant U.S. visa may vary from one applicant to another. However, the most common justification for denying a U.S. non-immigrant visa is under Section 214(b) of the U.S. Immigration & Nationality Act. Under this clause, your Consular Officer claims that you have no good reason to go back to India and immigrate to the United States. To prevent denial on these grounds, you can convince the Consular Officer to hold the U.S.

visa interview of the following:

1. You’re going to go back to your house, which isn’t in the USA.

2. You fly for a brief period of time due to a particular reason and will return to India once your purpose has been fulfilled.

3. You can afford to fly to the USA

4. You follow all the criteria of the type of visa you apply for, and the category helps you to carry out your scheduled operation.

Will I apply for a U.S. non-immigrant visa once it has been refused?

If you have been refused U.S. non-immigrant visas under Section 214(b) of the U.S. Immigration & Nationality Act, you may re-apply. If your situation really has changed, you will have new details.

Would I need to fill in the I-94 application to enter the USA?

No, no. Foreigners who enter the United States by air or sea for a limited period of time no longer need to apply an I-94 form or a Customs & Border Protection (CBP) application. The CBP now collects all information about both the traveler’s arrival and departure directly from their e-travel records. However, foreign citizens arriving in the US by land must fill out the CBP’s offline I-94 form. The I-94 application should be sent to the immigration officer at the time of departure from the United States.

How do I know my US visa application status?

We will notify you about your USA visa from India. The final judgment on acceptance or rejection will be sent to the applicant’s email address. Otherwise, you just start to Communicate with one of our members for customer support via chat.

Will I apply for a U.S. non-immigrant visa once it has been refused?

Yes, if you have been refused a U.S. non-immigrant visa under Section 214(b) of the U.S. Immigration & Nationality Act, you may re-apply if your situation has changed and you have new details.

In my old Travel document, which expires, I have a current valid US Visa? What am I doing?

You must switch your valid visa to the new Travel document before using the new one, whether you have a valid visa on an old Travel document and have recently renewed your Travel document (since it expired or was stolen or your name has altered). If you’ve had a physical visa sticker or an e-Visa, this applies.

Is there any way to rectify the mistakes if I make any in my US visa application form India?

Only contact one of our customer service representatives immediately via chat if you have made a mistake with the US visa online application. 24/7, we’ll be able to support you.

Is it protected and safe to use Click2Visas to get visas for the USA?

With Click2Visas, your personal information could be safer since we offer you maximum safety for your data, confidentiality, and Click2Visas invest a lot in our database’s security.

If I have more questions about the US visa category, where to find that clear details?

If you have specific questions about US visa details, start talking with one of our members for customer support via chat.