An interview is the main step in obtaining a visa. For many countries, interviewing is an important indicator that affects the final decision. One such state is the United States. America is considered one of the most inaccessible countries, where many want to open a visa, but get its units.
In this article, we will consider how to behave correctly during an interview, what documents are needed and what is the time period for considering your application.
Types of Visas
There are a number of visas in the United States that you should familiarize yourself with before applying.
Each block is designed for one or another kind of activity. This is important, because if you incorrectly draw up a package of documents or choose the wrong type of visa, then there is a chance that they simply will not approve.
Consider the types of visas in the USA:
- Immigration (IVs) is aimed at the category of people who want to immigrate to the United States and obtain a permanent residence, that is, become a resident;
- Non-Immigration (NIVs) are issued to those who travel to the country as a tourist, student, temporary worker, or for treatment.
Each type of visa should be considered more specifically.
The first block is non-immigration. It begins with the letters B1 and B2. This is a subcategory of a visa for business and leisure travel, as well as for medical treatment in the United States. The validity of this package is up to 3 years, with one entry or multiple. It already depends on the type of trip you have.
Next comes the letter F. It refers to a student visa. It is issued to students for language courses or for higher education in American universities. This also includes the letter M.This section means that you want to get a professional education in the United States. Work on a student visa is prohibited. It is issued for a period of up to three years.
A work visa has several categories (H, L, O-1, P, Q, R) and the choice of letter will depend on the type of activity that you want to carry out in the United States. It is issued for 2 years and is additionally reviewed by the Citizenship and Immigration Service.
Visas are also issued to the following categories of persons.
- For citizens who participate in a cultural or scientific exchange program. Here, options are considered either from companies or from the state.
- For airplane crew members or for people traveling the world through America. If in the first case everything is clear, then with the second everything is a little more complicated. In the USA there are no airports with a transit zone, and visa-free transit is prohibited there. Therefore, passengers have to apply for a temporary category C visa if there has not been an open visa to America before.
- This transit visa is valid only once or twice.
- For journalists and media workers. Category of this visa I, it refers to a work visa.
How and where is the interview conducted?
Many people care about where exactly the interview is going. It takes place at the embassy or at the American diplomatic mission in your country, in our case, in Russia.
Sure, there is a chance to get a visa in the country where you currently reside, while not being a citizen. But the amount of work with papers and the period for obtaining approval will increase.
Due to the aggravated relations between Russia and America, several consulates were closed in our country. Therefore, there are only four large centers:
- Moscow;
- St. Petersburg;
- Ekaterinburg;
- Vladivostok.
During the interview for a visa to America, you need to answer not only a number of questions of the American immigration officer, but also submit all the necessary documents in time.
The interview takes place in the language of the party in which you are currently. All visa officers know Russian well if you open a visa in Russia. Therefore, if you go to America only as a tourist, then you should not particularly worry about the language barrier.
But if you are going to work, then the interview will be in English, as all employers request a certificate of language proficiency.
Arriving for an interview is best 20 minutes before the start. At the entrance, the guards should show your passport, invitation.
After you enter the building, you should hand over all your belongings to the left-luggage office. From technology, only a mobile phone will be turned off. No overall things are accepted into the left-luggage office (backpack or suitcase). Therefore, it is better to leave all your things in the place where you stayed (hotel, hotel).
Outerwear should be handed over to the wardrobe and then go to the registration window to get a personal number in the queue.
People who have certain needs, for example, women with small children or pensioners, can get a preferential number.
Preparation
The list of documents for obtaining a visa is standard. You need to have:
- valid passport;
- originals of old passports and their copies (if any);
- a copy of the general passport and the original;
- confirmation of material wealth for travel;
- bank account statement;
- certificate of employment;
- tickets and place of residence in the USA;
- invitation (if available);
- photo 5 * 5;
- check on the payment of the consular fee.
It is worth getting a visa no earlier than three months before the date of travel. The interview time and available dates are determined by the consulate itself. They can be verified on consulate sites.
How to answer questions?
The main part of the interview is the questions asked by the officer. Their goal is to identify the intentions with which you go to the United States.
There is no clear list of questions. They may ask about the purpose of the trip, about marital status and the presence of relatives in the United States. Much will depend on the category of visa received. It doesn’t matter what category you classify yourself with, answering questions is clear, calm, and brief. Do not drag out or stretch the answer so as not to create the impression of a double bottom.
You do not need to answer the questions very diligently so as not to create the impression that you really want to get to the USA.
Do not upload all the documents at once, the officer first needs to give only the basic package. And only then, upon request, the rest (material component, marriage certificate).
The style of clothing you need to choose restrained and neat.
Waiting times
If the visa is issued for the first time, then a lot depends on seasonal demand, the work of the consulate and the dates of the interview, which are set by the consuls themselves.
Due to the reduction in consulates, the waiting time for an interview call can be extended to several months. And for a more urgent visa, they may offer to apply for it in another state.
The waiting period for a response from the consulate on the approval of a visa takes from 2 to 3 days. If you extend your visa or apply for it again, then reviewing all documents may take 1-2 weeks.
Getting a visa can be urgent. This is especially true for the medical topic. In this case, consideration of documents and interviews can be postponed to an earlier date.
