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B2 VISA | UNITED STATES

Steps in applying for a B2 visa

The B2 visa application process involves a series of steps that are completed online. The process ends with an interview at the American embassy or consulate in the applicant’s country of residence.

How do I apply for a B2 visa?

To apply for a B2 tourist visa for the United States, the applicant must complete the following steps:

  1. Complete form DS-160 online ;
  2. Pay the visa fee to validate the application;
  3. Make an appointment for a visa at an American embassy;
  4. Prepare the interview and gather supporting documents;
  5. Participate in an interview with a consular officer to finalize the visa process.

If the visa applicant is a citizen of a Visa Waiver Program member country, it is not necessary to obtain a visa for a stay of less than 90 days in the United States. You can simply obtain an ESTA certificate by clicking on the ESTA online form.

Complete visa application form DS-160

The visa application process starts online. Applicants must complete form DS-160 to initiate their application on the U.S. Department of State website. At the start of the online process, candidates receive a file number which they must retain. The file number looks like this:

Identifying an online visa application

The candidate must then complete the online form. It is divided into the following sections:

Once the form has been completed, the applicant can submit his or her application. The confirmation page will display the applicant’s personal code for attaching supporting documents.

Pay visa fees to validate visa application

The B2 visa fee is US$185. The amount was increased in 2023. To validate the online visa application, the applicant must pay the fees immediately after registering the visa application.

Visa fees can be paid in different ways:

The amount is expressed in dollars, but will be converted into the local currency automatically by the candidate’s bank. The proof of payment must be kept and attached to the documents to be presented at the visa appointment at the embassy.

Schedule an interview with an American consular officer

Once the visa fee has been paid, the applicant must make an appointment with the U.S. government office in his or her country of residence. Applicants must undergo an interview with a consular officer at the American embassy or consulate on site.

Appointments are booked online via the USCIS website. Candidates choose from available dates and times posted online. In general, embassies are organized so that interviews take place in the morning from Monday to Friday.

This interview is the final step in obtaining a visa, and we’ll explain how it works in more detail below. Once the visa interview at the embassy has been scheduled, the applicant must prepare the documents to be submitted on the day of the appointment.

Preparing your visa application appointment

Applicants must prepare for the appointment that will finalize their visa application. This preparation includes two main tasks:

The file of supporting documents to be prepared for the appointment includes all the original documents justifying the visa application. These documents must be presented at the interview.

Here is the list of documents required for a B2 visa application

Attend interview at U.S. Embassy

The candidate must arrive at the embassy with an extra 15 minutes to allow for security checks before the appointment time. Once they have passed security checks, they are fingerprinted and taken to the appointment waiting room.

The interview lasts around 15 minutes and is usually conducted in English. The exchange can take place in the local language if the embassy official speaks it fluently. During the interview, the following topics are reviewed:

To conclude the interview, the consular officer will indicate whether the visa has been granted. The stamped passport with the B2 visa will be mailed shortly afterwards.