The B2 visa is a temporary, non-immigrant visa that allows the visa holder to enter the US for travel, recreation or visiting family. This blog post will cover the interview questions, rejection reasons and the document checklist for the visa process.
Main steps in the B2 visa application process:
- Filling the online visa application form – DS160
- Booking an appointment for biometric and visa interview
- Submitting the biometrics
- Attending the visa interview
We are going to focus on the last and most important part of this process, that is visa interview.
Important interview questions & answers
- What is the purpose of your visit to the United States of America?
Many times this is the first question asked, and the way you answer this question pretty much sets the tone for the rest of the interview. The purpose of the visit needs to be strong and genuine which shows that you have a clear plan of your stay in the US.
For a B2 visa, the purpose can be visiting your friend, relative, attending an event, or tourism. For any of this, you need to be prepared for the follow up questions and have enough supporting documents.
Examples of purpose of visit:
#1
If you are visiting the US for a vacation, the potential questions could be on why usa for tourism, duration of the trip, accommodation details and travel itinerary
#2
If you are planning to travel for an event such as conferences, exhibitions, you will need to know the details of that event. This will include the venue, date, sponsor, importance of event
Things to avoid while answering the purpose of visit question:
- Giving incomplete or one line answers which does not include important details of the trip
- Keeping the purpose of visit for plans in the future
- Not maintaining eye contact
- Lack of confidence
- What are your ties to your home country?
This is the crucial question in the interview because the way you answer this question will probably be the deciding factor in getting your visa approval or rejection.
To show that you have strong ties to your home country, you need to show that you have a grounded life in India. Ties to home country can be :
- Job or business
- Parents or siblings who are dependent on you
- Long term investments like real estate
- Significant financial investments or savings
Additionally, having a travel history outside India can also add credibility to your application, so make sure to highlight it.
Tips for freelancer/business owners
If you are a freelancer or have your own businesses, do not be intimidated by the fact that you cannot show a fixed income or a fixed job. Instead you need to make sure that your profile is genuine, and you have enough proof to show that you have a base in India. Also do carry proof of your work for the interview
Document checklist for B2 visa interview:
The essential documents classified into three categories:
- Financial documents
- Travel documents
- Personal documents
- Financial documents
Financial documents help to establish your financial ability to travel to the USA. The purpose of these documents is to show that you have enough liquidity for the duration of your trip.
- Bank statement for the last six months. Always better to get this signed and attested by your bank.
- Salary slip of the past three months on the company’s letterhead, or with the company’s seal and stamp on it
- ITR returns of the past three years
- Proof of investments [ Mutual funds, FD, Shares, etc. ]
- Proof of property or long-term assets in India
If your trip is sponsored, then you need to carry all the financial documents of your sponsor such as the bank statement, their salary slip, investment, etc.
- Travel documents
You are not required to book your flight or hotel accommodation before applying for the USA VISA but it is advised to carry certain travel documents to support your purpose of visit.
- Travel Itinerary – Day by day plan of your stay in the USA
- Address of your friends or relatives if you plan to stay with them
- List of tentative hotels with complete address where you might stay during your visit
- If your purpose of the visit is to attend an event, then all details of the event such as invitation letter, brochure, venue, dates, sponsors, customers, etc
- Personal documents
The list of personal documents is different for each person and depends on their profile. But there are some personal documents which will apply to most of us.
- If married, then carry the marriage certificate. If a partner is sponsoring the trip then carry their financial documents.
- Letter of NOC or Leave approval from your company is your purpose of the visit is tourism or holiday
- Proof of business ownership if you are a business owner
- Proof of your work if you are a freelancer – If your work is online, then list of links that you can show to the visa officer
For more information, you can check out the other videos on the YouTube channel or get in touch with me via the links mentioned below.
For more in-depth preparation, book a personalized consultation session with me here https://shachimall.com/1-1/ OR take a practice interview here: https://shachimall.com/interview-preparation/
