Free Resources for U.S. Visa Applicants

The United States issues both immigrant and non-immigrant visas. Immigrant visas are about family reunification. You might have a brother, sister, mother, father, or children living in the United States, and decide to immigrate there to be closer to them. Each year, the immigrant visa process reunites thousands of people so they can see their loved ones and enjoy working and living in the United States. These types of visas are all about demonstrating the relationship you have with your petitioner. Sometimes the relationship is clear, but other times your personal situation will make it difficult for the visa officer to approve a visa. This might result in lengthy delays to the process, or even DNA testing to demonstrate a family relationship.

Non-immigrant visas are for people who wish to visit the United States temporarily, and then return to their home country. There is a huge difference between immigrant and non-immigrant visas. You should never use a non-immigrant visa if you intend to immigrate to the United States. Doing so can get you into a lot of trouble in the United States and will likely get you deported, with a ban on returning. So you need to understand what your intentions are and use the right type of visa to travel. We can help you understand the options that exist and help you develop a strategy that meets your goals. There are many different non-immigrant visa categories, and it is important to understand which category you should use, and how to improve your chances of approval in the category you select. We can help you improve your chances in the application and interview process.

Visit travel.state.gov for the latest information on visas and visa fees.

The immigrant visa categories include:

IR1 – Spouse of a U.S. Citizen
CR1 – Spouse of a U.S. Citizen
K3 – Spouse of a U.S. Citizen awaiting approval of an I-130 immigrant petition
K1 – Fiancé(e) to marry U.S. Citizen & live in U.S.
IR3, IH3, IR4, IH4 – Intercountry Adoption of Orphan Children by U.S. Citizens
IR2, CR2, IR5, F1, F3, F4, F2A, F2B – Certain Family Members of U.S. Citizens or Lawful Permanent Residents
E1, E2, E3, EW3 – Employment-Based Immigrants
C5, T5, R5, I5 – Employment Creation/Investors
SD and SR – Religious Workers
SI, SQ – Iraqi and Afghan Translators/Interpreters Who Worked for/on Behalf of the U.S. Government
DV – Diversity Immigrant Visa
SB – Returning Resident

Visit travel.state.gov for the latest information on visas and visa fees.

Non-immigrant visas categories include:

A – Diplomat or foreign government official
B1 – Athlete, business visitor, or domestic employee accompanying a foreign national employer
B2 – Visitor for medical treatment or tourism
C – Transiting the United States
D – Crewmember (airplane or ship)
E – Treaty trader/treaty investor
F – Academic Student
H-1B, H2A, H2B, H3 – Temporary worker or worker in a training program
J – Exchange visitor, professor, physician, or au pair
L – Intra-company transferee
M – Vocational Student
O, P, Q – Foreign national with extraordinary ability in Sciences, Arts, Education, Business or Athletics, performing athlete, artist, entertainer, or international cultural exchange visitor
R – Religious worker
T, U – Victim of Human Trafficking or criminal activity
TN/TD – NAFTA professional worker from Mexico or Canada

Visit travel.state.gov for the latest information on visas and visa fees.

In many countries, a U.S. visa is a status symbol, demonstrating your success in life.

Many people want a visa so they can enjoy an exciting vacation with their friends and family. Perhaps they want to visit relatives, or perhaps they want to visit some of the fun theme parks and attractions in the United States.

For your career, having a U.S. visa means you might be put in charge of the relationship your company has with a client or supplier in the United States. Unfortunately, not having a U.S. visa can result in being passed over for promotions and opportunities at work.

For education, a U.S. visa means you might study and work in the United States. With a U.S. visa, one opportunity leads to another, so you could put yourself on a pathway of working for a summer in the United States, then attending college and medical school there. Even though most people pursue a non-immigrant visa, it is possible to use your non-immigrant visa to obtain work-related sponsorship, become a Legal Permanent Resident, and eventually become a U.S. citizen. The key is starting the process with your first U.S. visa.

Unfortunately, there are many people who had dreams of going to the United States to improve their life, but a visa denial cut off that opportunity for career and academic growth.

The visa officer knows a lot about you by the time you walk up to the interview window. For this reason, it is important to be truthful on your application and also during the interview. Visa applicants provide fingerprints, which are also used to search through criminal records. So be honest with the visa officer. The visa officer can also see a history of every time you have applied for a visa and what factors contributed to an approval or a denial. They already know plenty about you, so there is no point in hiding anything.

Each year, over 12 million people receive a U.S. visa, but at the same time, over 3 million people are denied a visa. Unfortunately, when someone is denied a visa, it creates two problems. First, the visa applicant usually does not fully understand why they were denied or what they should do differently the next time they apply. There are many rumors out there about money, family, and career, but listening to those rumors does not typically help the person the next time they apply for a U.S. visa. Instead, you need actual advice that is tailored to your situation. We can provide that to you during our online consultation.

The second problem that comes up after a visa denial is the visa officer will have a digital record of the denial. Many people fall into the trap of applying for a visa, being denied, and applying again because they have been told the visa officer has to follow a quota and issue a certain number of visas every day. I promise you, the visa application process is about your individual circumstances. If you apply several times and are denied, you are only hurting your chances. Instead of applying again, please consider consulting with us first so we can help you improve your chances.

Many people travel to the United States for vacation so they can visit friends and family or enjoy the many fun, beautiful, and interesting places around the country. Other people travel for business purposes or to have meetings with clients or suppliers. For example, if you want to expand your business, but need to purchase equipment to do so, you might want to visit your supplier in the United States to negotiate a deal.

Many people travel to the United States to study. This could include attending secondary school, attending a vocational school, going to a college or university for an undergraduate degree, or pursuing an advanced degree in graduate school. Many people want to attend medical school or law school in the United States, or they want to participate in a research program. These academic pursuits require a visa, and the visa has special requirements that you must fulfill during your application and interview.

Many college students apply for a visa so they can work and travel in the United States during their summer break. This is a great way to explore a new country, earn some money, improve your English language skills, and obtain your first U.S. visa so you can apply for other visas later and continue traveling to the United States. The Summer Work Travel program offers many benefits, but the program has unique requirements, so it is important to understand what the visa officer is looking for in the application and during the interview.

There are also people who have been hired for their skills and expertise to work for a company in the United States. This is a great opportunity to become a Legal Permanent Resident and eventually a U.S. Citizen. These types of visas require you to demonstrate your expertise and provide proof of employment during your interview.

A U.S. Embassy or U.S. Consulate General are U.S. government facilities overseas which house a wide variety of agencies and personnel. The people working there consist of Americans as well as locally employed staff from your home country. The U.S. State Department runs these facilities, and one of their main functions is to provide U.S. visa services to people who want to travel to the United States, either as a tourist, as a student, to conduct business, or to immigrate.

These facilities also provide services to help U.S. citizens who encounter difficulties overseas or who need assistance of some kind. For example, if a U.S. citizen loses his or her passport, they can apply for a new one in the American Citizen Services section.

The exact reason for any visa denial is often difficult to understand. The visa officer is required to inform a visa applicant if their visa is denied and they might provide some additional information, but they are not allowed to coach an applicant so they can improve their chances the next time they apply. This is where our services can help you. We have over three decades of experience issuing and denying visas around the world, and we can share what we have learned about the process with you. We will take a close look at your non-immigrant application and review your personal circumstances during our consultation, allowing us to put together a realistic assessment of whether you will be able to receive a non-immigrant visa. If you have a low chance of receiving a U.S. non-immigrant visa, we will provide you with a strategy you can follow to increase your chances. There is no guarantee that you will receive a U.S. visa, because everybody’s situation is different, and therefore hard to predict, but we will give you the tools you need to increase your chances.

Where can I fill out the DS-160 and the DS-260?

You can find more information about the DS-160 and DS-260 at travel.state.gov and also by following the links here:

DS-160

DS-260

What salary do I need to qualify for a U.S. non-immigrant visa?

That depends on the country you are applying from. And it’s not all about money. A visa officer will consider what you earn, but will also look at other factors like your family ties to your home country, your occupation, your age, marital status, how many children you have, your motives for traveling to the United States, other travel you have done, and any criminal or legal problems you may have had. They will also look at factors that are difficult to measure, but can have a big impact on your visa interview. We can help you understand all the factors so you can improve your chances of receiving your non-immigrant visa.