It is no surprise that you desire a U.S VISA. The United States prides itself in being one of the largest and most diverse countries in the world. Little wonder you are considering visiting as a tourist. There are many amazing places to visit.
Whatever your interest is, when applying for a non-immigrant U.S VISA, you have to convince the consular of just one thing: “the intention to visit the U.S only, without the need to become an immigrant.” Once you’re able to convince the consular of this, all other things become irrelevant and your visa will be granted.
Always remember that consular officers have seen and heard it all. They are trained specially for this role and almost all attempts to fool them will be caught.
Also, they are mostly looking for lies and inconsistencies. If they detect that you’re lying, they’ll most likely urge you on and wait till you catch yourself.
Here are some U.S Visa Myths
- Your application was assessed before your arrival and predetermined: They usually have so much work to do. As a result, they would usually not have enough time to go through your application.
- The consular officer didn’t like you: If you have ever thought this way after an interview, then you are not alone. However, remember that the consular officers see thousands of people daily. Also, the consular officer on seat might have gone before you come for another application. So why would he/she hold a grudge?
- Applying to another city will improve your chance of obtaining a visa: This is by far one of the biggest myths ever. There is a database with details of your previous application or refusal and the consular officer has access to this record during your interview. This might have worked for someone you know in the past. Nonetheless, there are high chances that the circumstances of their previous and current applications changed, hence the consideration.
- Forged documents cannot be recognized: Part of the many things consular officers are trained in is detecting forged and counterfeit documents. If you base your application on using forged documents, there’s a great chance your visa application will be refused.
Hacks to help you prepare for your Interview
HACK 1: WHY do you want to travel?. Here you should give a genuine and cogent reason why you want to visit the U.S.
HACK 2: WHERE do you want to visit in the U.S? This refers to what city and area you are visiting. You must make adequate research and be convincing enough to want to go there.
HACK 3: HOW LONG? The duration of stay you request must match your circumstances and reason for travel. Also, ensure it does not have a direct impact on your social ties. For example, can you take that amount of time off work without being impacted? Furthermore, if you claim you’ll be staying at a hotel for 3 weeks and you stay for 3 months, will you be able to show you can afford that stay?
HACK 4: WHY NOW? What makes it necessary to take the trip now and not in the past or 6 months or 1 year? Simply create an urgency.
These may not be all the questions you’ll be asked during your U.S VISA application interview but they cover the most common and important questions, especially on convincing the consulate.
Look out for our VISA APPLICATION workshop coming up this month.
Have you read our blog post on how to prepare for your ICELAND SCHENGEN VISA application?
8 thoughts on “U.S Tourist Visa Application and Guidelines”
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