The United States of America draws so many tourists every year from all around the world and Indian tourists make up a fairly large number in that! With so much of visibility of this country in the news, pop culture and in stories that we hear from relatives and friends, its not hard to imagine why everyone would love to visit this amazing country once in their lifetime. But as always, it is very important to check the visa regulations before planning a visit to this country.
This USA Tourist Visa for Indians thread is specifically to share latest and accurate information about the American tourist visa as applicable to an Indian passport holder.
This is the current visa rule (as of July 2024):
- Indian passport holders are eligible for a straight forward “B2” tourist visa which has to be applied in the country of residence (currently also allowed to apply from a third country where you are travelling as a visitor). Sometimes, this visa is issued along with a “B1” category also which is for temporary or short term business (such as meetings, professional visits, conferences, etc.)
- It is a traditional sticker visa typically issued for as little as the specific duration of planned stay to as long as ten years (which is what most travellers report to have received)
- However, duration of stay allowed does not exceed 180 days on each entry.
- At immigration, upon being stamped in, it is best to verify the visa date and stay duration allowed as per the visa stamping in the passport to avoid exit-related issues while departing from the country
Official United States of America (USA) Tourist Visa Government website/portal: https://in.usembassy.gov/visas/nonimmigrant-visas/
Important: There are NO visa on arrival or evisa options for USA. Beware of agents who claim so.
UNLIKE the visa processes for other countries, the USA visa officers conduct an in-person interview to process visa applications. It is not necessary to have a specific travel plan to visit the USA in the immediate future. During the interview, many questions are asked by the officer (and in some cases, additional documentation too) to decide whether they will issue a visa to the applicant or reject. Some sample questions include:
- Where do you work?
- What is your income?
- What is the nature or purpose of your visit to USA?
- Do you have friends/relatives in the USA?
Member of the community who have attended the USA visa interview can share some insights from their experience.
Documents required to apply for the visa upon arrival:
- Original Passport and copies of its front and back page
In some cases, the interviewing visa officer may seek to verify additional documents such as:
- Cover letter of travel plans with Day wise itinerary / travel plan for entire duration of stay
- Proof of entry and exit (flight, land transport or sea transport bookings)
- Proof of stay (hotel reservation or details of host with invitation letter)
- Proof of sufficient funds (bank statements, sponsorship documents)
- Proof of employement (business registration documents or employment letter and leave letter)
- Photo as specified in the visa portal
(since documentation requirements change depending on the background of the application, make sure to check the official links above, for the latest requirements)
Processing time for the visa:
- Usually within a week or as indicated by the Interviewing Visa Officer.
However, check wait times for the interview appointment (which is quite long) here: Visa Appointment Wait Times
Cost of the visa:
USD 185 (for B1/B2 visa)
Immigration requirements:
At the airport, seaport or land border, present the passport to the officer along with any additional documents sought (such as accommodation details, exit flight details, etc.) to obtain a visa entry stamp for upto 180 days
Share your latest experiences of obtaining the USA Tourist Visa or passing through immigration, as replies/comments in this thread. This will be very helpful to fellow travellers and members of this travel community who are planning a trip to America.
