How to get an American visa on your own in Moscow and St. Petersburg? How to get a US tourist visa?
The question of how to get an American visa worries many people. In particular, those who plan to honor the visit of the United States. Many people know firsthand that this process is difficult, and many people are left without the desired stamp in their passport. Well, it’s worth talking in more detail about how to get an American visa, and what is needed for this.
About visa types
Before you start talking about the list of required documents, it is worth considering what happens. How to get it, this is another matter. So, first of all, we need to talk about B1 / B2. These are the most popular types of visas. The first of these, that is, B1 - tourist. She is the most sought after. They issue it, respectively, to those people who want to travel to the United States for personal purposes, on vacation, to get acquainted with local attractions. It must also be opened to persons traveling to America for treatment.
For short conferences or business visits, it is necessary to issue a different type of visa - B2. Often they are combined. And then a person in his foreign passport will have a B1 / B2 mark.
A work visa is also often opened. But getting it is not so easy - you need the employer to fill out a petition in a special form and send it to the immigration service. There are still a huge number of others, but first I would like to tell you in more detail about those listed above.
The first steps
So, talking about how to get an American visa on your own, you should start with the basic rules. First of all, a person must fill out a questionnaire. This is done on the website of the State Department. There is a special form - DS-160. But first, a person goes through registration and confirmation by e-mal address. In the upper corner, you can select the Russian language and fill in all the fields, guided by the prompts. Then the paper will need to be printed and saved on the computer.
The next step is the payment of the consular fee. Then - an appointment for an interview. It can be done on the official website. It must indicate the number of the receipt indicating payment of the fee, passport data, as well as the number of the completed application form. After that, a person not by e-mail should receive an invitation to an interview. The date and time will also be shown there.
Documents for registration
Talking about how to get an American visa, one cannot fail to note the list of documents required for this process. The first is a foreign passport. The second is the statement mentioned above. You will also need an invitation for an interview. You should also take a new 5 x 5 photo (one is required, but you can print several just in case). You should also take with you a receipt confirming the payment of the consular fee. And it would not be superfluous to capture documents that could confirm the connection of a person with the Russian Federation. Among them - a certificate of employment, proof of income, resume or list of scientific publications. This will prove to the embassy that the citizen intends to definitely return to Russia, and is not going to stay. However, it should be noted that the main thing here is not how many certificates a person will bring, but adequate and logical explanations regarding the purpose of his trip.
Filling out the questionnaire
Competently filling in all the lines in the application form - this is where the execution of such a document as an American visa begins. How to get the questionnaire, it was said above, and now I would like to describe the filling process directly.
In order to avoid any mistakes, it is important to prepare the relevant data. First of all, those contained in the civil and foreign passports. It will also be important to indicate information about the current place of study or work. In this column they write the name of the institution or organization, place, phone number, position with responsibilities. Men also need to provide information about military service. You also need to write about spouses and parents - their full names and dates of birth. Also in the questionnaire there is a column where you need to talk about your previous travels - list the host countries. And finally, describe the places that a person plans to visit while in the USA.
Photo Requirements
Pictures at the embassy are treated strictly. If the photo does not meet the standards, then the design will be delayed for a long time. So, it is important that the picture is fresh - not older than six months. The head must be visible in its entirety, and the image of the face must occupy at least 50% of the photo area (maximum 70%). When printed, the size of the image is 5 x 5 cm. If the photo will be sent electronically, it is important to ensure that the resolution is 600 x 600 pixels. And this is the minimum. The allowed maximum is 1200 x 1200.
Another person must look into the camera. The look is open, natural, as in ordinary life. There should be no smile on the face. Clothes are everyday. And no hats, headphones, glasses, etc. True, if we talk about glasses, then there is an exception. If a person wears them all the time, then their presence in the photo is allowed, but there should be no glare. The background, by the way, is exclusively white. The photo must be in color.
About payment
Telling how to get an American visa, we must not forget about the payment. All government services cost money. Visa is no exception. To get it, you have to pay. And this is done before the interview. Even if a person is refused, the contribution will not be returned to him. And it happens just amazingly often.
The amount depends on what type of visa a person needs. You can pay it by any methods, but at the dollar rate. Usually people send money to the specified details through the Russian Post or in one of the branches of VTB Bank. Suitable, by the way, as a credit card and cash. This receipt will be valid for another year from the date of payment. For 12 months, a person has the opportunity to submit an application to the consulate or embassy. It is important to remember that the fee must be paid separately for each.
Price
Now about specific amounts. So, a business visa costs the same as a tourist visa - $160. A similar amount will need to be paid for transit (C-1) and for the one that is opened to crew members of aircraft and ships (D).
Also $160 is a visa for journalists and media workers, for participants in various exchange programs, for students and victims of criminal activity or human trafficking. These are the cheapest types of visas. The most expensive is the one that is open to international investors and traders. category E. 240 dollars will need to be paid to brides, grooms or spouses of US citizens. And, finally, it was decided to establish the amount of $190 for a visa opened for seasonal workers and interns, employees who are transferred to the American branch of a company. The same is the cost of a visa for artists, athletes and cultural figures, for religious ministers and participants in the cultural exchange program.
Stamp in children's passport
Many parents are concerned about how to get a US tourist visa for their child. So, before you start applying for it without a passport for someone who is not yet 14 years old, you need to be well prepared for the process. In addition to the above set of documents, you must have a notarized permission signed by both parents. It is also important to attach a well-documented explanation of the purpose of the trip. By the way, the child himself may not be present at the procedure. Moreover, he does not even need to scan his fingerprints.
The most difficult stage
Such is the interview. It needs to be discussed in as much detail as possible. Many people who are puzzled by the question of how to get an American visa on their own in Moscow are interested in this topic. But before you start to worry, you should at least sign up for an interview. It takes place in one of the four consulates. They are located in the capital, that is, in Moscow, as well as in St. Petersburg, Vladivostok and Yekaterinburg. Usually a person is assigned a meeting in the locality that is closest to him. Residents of the above cities are lucky - they don’t need to go anywhere.
At the interview, a person must confirm the duration of his trip, as well as its purpose. You also need to bring a bank statement. This will serve as proof of financial solvency. It is important for Americans to know that a citizen traveling to the States can support himself for the entire time he spends there. And, of course, the most important thing is to confirm whether a person has a permanent place of residence in his homeland (his own apartment or house), and people who can help him return to the Russian Federation. Here's how to get an American visa in Moscow and the other cities above.
How to behave in an interview?
Another burning question. It excites all people who are thinking about how to get an American visa in St. Petersburg or in another city in Russia. After all, the interview is the main, most important stage in the approval of the petition. So, the most important thing is that all questions of the consul or ambassador must be answered clearly, confidently and distinctly. Not the slightest excitement, lie in words or doubt should slip through. The date and purpose of the trip must be specified very clearly. When the consul asks questions, you should only answer them - do not, that is, say extra, unnecessary information. This will only take the time of the specialist, which he obviously will not like.
If a person has difficulties regarding English proficiency, then it is immediately worth specifying this point. This nuance is forgiven, but not for students who go to study in the States. And if you want to impress the consul, then it is better to abandon this idea. No need to try to surprise him with your dialect, pronunciation or slang. It won't play into your hands.
And finally, you need to provide him with a passport, a questionnaire and a foreign passport. Old - too, especially if it has US visas, Schengen countries or the UK. No need to carry a stack of all the documents that are at home in the archive. If there is a request for them, then you will have to submit it, but you should not engage in amateur performances.
Deadlines and reacquisition
Talking about how to get an American visa in St. Petersburg on your own, it is worth noting a few words about the timing. So, a stamp in a foreign passport will be valid for 1-3 years, depending on the type of visa. And a person will have the opportunity to fly to the States at any time.
And how to get an American visa in Yekaterinburg, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Vladivostok and other cities again? The procedure is the same - payment of the consular fee, application form. You may not come to the interview, but in some cases. This is allowed if a person applied to the embassy within 47 months after the visa was opened, or if he applied in the country of permanent residence. You can still not go to an interview if a person has already taken his fingerprints, or if he is applying for a visa of the same category as last time.
Refusal
And finally, one more point regarding the question of how to get an American visa in Nizhny Novgorod or another city. As mentioned at the beginning, many people fail to get the coveted stamp in their passport. Most often they refuse young people and girls who do not have a spouse or children, and work in a low-paid position. Pupils and students are also rarely approved for a visa. Especially those who are graduating. If the consul did not like the person, that is, did not inspire confidence, he will also be refused. This may be if his answers did not match those indicated in the questionnaire. If the relatives of a citizen have previously moved to the United States, he may also be refused. With a weak visa history, you should not hope for approval. If a person has visited, say, Germany, England, Switzerland, then he will be given a visa, most likely.
In general, there can be many difficulties. So you should carefully prepare for the process of obtaining a visa - morally, financially, documented.
