Every living traveler has a list of places on the globe that they would like to visit one day. If we were to mark these points on the world map with red, the USA would be painted red from head to toe. New York's Statue of Liberty, Central Park, Manhattan, Washington's White House, Miami Beach, Arizona's Grand Canyon, Las Vegas Casinos, San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge and countless other places adorn the imagination of many travelers. This path to the "American dream" begins, of course, with obtaining a US visa.
US Visa Types
There are many types of US visas for different reasons and purposes. Basically, these visas are divided into two types: migrant and non-migrant visas. Immigrant visas are types of visas issued by individuals seeking permanent residency in the United States. Family reunification, permanent employment, etc. Under the following conditions, individuals can apply for migrant visas. Anyone can apply for non-immigrant visas, which are the most commonly used and include tourism, visiting family or friends, business travel, medical examination or treatment, short-term study, exchange programs, and many similar non-permanent reasons and purposes. Note that there are also many different types of non-immigrant visas that vary depending on the reasons we listed above. In this article, we will inform you about the most requested type of visa, B1/B2, i.e. temporary business and tourism visa.
B1/B2 Visa
The duration of this visa for citizens of Azerbaijan is 6 months within 1 year. That is, you can stay in the United States for a maximum of 6 months on each entry up to 1 year after obtaining this visa. It should be noted that the exact maximum period of your stay will be given to you by the immigration officer who greets you upon entering the country. In some cases of force majeure, the border service may limit your stay based on your answers to immigration officials and your travel plan. In ordinary cases, for example, if you obtained a US visa on May 1, 2020, this visa is considered an active visa until May 1, 2021 (in most cases a day or two earlier). However, during this period, the number of days you stay in one entry in the United States should not exceed 6 months. During 1 year, you can enter and exit the USA several times, there is no limit. After obtaining this visa, you can make your tourist or business trip to the United States.
Collection of Documents for US Visa Application
- Original and copy of the first page of your foreign passport
2. Copies of your previous visas and entry-exit stamps, if applicable
3. A copy of your identity card
4. Reference from the place of work and, if applicable, an extract from the salary card (for those who are studying, a reference from the educational institution)
5. Reference and statement from the bank account in your name (Detailed information about the amount is mentioned below)
6. A copy of your vehicle's passport and property statements, if any
7. Proof of your civil status (a copy of your marriage certificate if you are married, birth certificates if you have children under 18, or a divorce certificate if your marriage has broken down)
8. 2 photos of 5x5 size and white background
9. Airline and hotel reservations you make for your trip
10. A printed version of the payment receipt given to you by the system stating that you made the visa payment and 11. the instruction with the date of your appointment at the embassy written on it
Approval of your online DS-160 application form
The amount in your bank account is based on your travel dates, i.e. the length of your stay in the US, the price of your booked flight tickets and hotels, etc. varies depending. In general, it is recommended that you have at least $3,000-$4,000 in your bank account for a week's travel. This amount should fully cover your travel plan. When calculating the amount, you can add the average daily cost of 80-90 USD for each day you indicate you will be staying in the US with the price of your ticket and hotel reservations and expect a little higher than the figure you received.
If you are an entrepreneur, you can submit the documents that will replace the certificate from the workplace (a copy of the TIN, a certificate issued by the Ministry of Taxes about your turnover, an extract from the register of your company) to the embassy. If you are not working, studying or in any case sponsoring another person to cover the costs of your trip, in this case a copy of that person's identity card, proof of employment (if self-employed, the documents listed above), proof of bank account and statement (this bank account it can be both in your name and in the name of the sponsor) if you have a family bond, submit a document confirming this (for example, if it is your parents, your own birth certificate, if it is a brother or sister, both of your birth certificates, etc.) and submit the sponsorship paper to the embassy should be. If the applicant is under 18 years of age, in this case, if he is traveling alone, a copy of the permission document to leave the country from both parents or, if he is traveling with one of the parents, must also be submitted during the visa application. It should be noted that documents are not required to be translated into English, all documents are accepted at the embassy in Azerbaijani.
Visa Procedure
When applying for a US visa, the first step is to fill out the DS-160 form, the online application form for your US visa application. You can complete this application form completely online and by logging in and out multiple times. That is, there is no rule that you must fill out the application to the end when you enter it for the first time. After completing a certain part of the application, you can save it and then log in to continue filling it where you left off. However, for this you must remember the reference code given to you by the site (for example: AA 12345678). Before going to the meeting at the embassy, you must confirm your application form in the system. At the next stage, you need to get an appointment from the US embassy in Azerbaijan. In order to open this appointment window, you must first make the visa payment in advance. The visa fee is USD 160 per person regardless of age. You can pay by bank card or in cash at the bank. After making the payment, in the next pop-up window, you can choose the date and time of the appointment at the embassy that suits you. On the date and time of your choice, you must go to the embassy with the documents we mentioned. You have the right to cancel the appointment later. In this case, you can make an appointment with the same profile at the US Embassy again within the next year free of charge. Please note that you do not need to take the application form that you have approved online to the appointment at the embassy. When applying for a US visa, you go to an interview with a consul at the embassy.
İnterview
A direct interview with the consul usually takes only 5-15 minutes. This period may vary depending on the complexity of your visa application procedure and, most importantly, on the wishes of the consul. The questions you will be asked during the interview are mainly about your travel plan, details of your trip (destination, travel dates, hotels you will stay, etc.), your purpose of travel or your workplace, family life, documents, etc., which may be related to you. can be about There is no standard format or sequence for these questions. In short, the consul can ask you any question about yourself, your life and your trip. You can find out your visa answer at the end of this interview. The consul will inform you at the end of the interview whether or not you have been granted a US visa. If a visa is granted, your passport will be taken from you and returned to you by Aramex after the US visa has been issued, usually within 3-5 business days. If the consul says that the visa is not granted, he will issue you a refusal letter. This refusal paper is a template document that does not vary from person to person or according to the situation or reasons for refusal. The most important way to get a US visa is through your interview performance and your answers. You must definitely try to convince the consul, absolutely do not give false information and answer the questions asked by the consul in as much detail as possible. If you can fully convince the consul with your answers about your purpose of travel, the accuracy of the information and documents you provided, in this case, you will be able to get a US visa. Note that in most cases, the number of questions asked in the interview is limited. It is for this reason that fully answering the questions asked by the consul can help to remove the question marks in his mind. For example, if the consul asks you about the purpose of your trip, instead of just saying "tourism", you can explain in as much detail as possible why you want to make this trip, where you will go in the United States, and how you will value your time. Detailed answers like these can clear up certain gaps and questions that may be bothering you. In addition, let's note that the language of the interview with the consul varies depending on the purpose of the visit. In most cases, the language used in the interview in tourist visa applications is Azerbaijani. In the visa application made for a business trip, English language is preferred.
US Visa Holders
If people who previously had a US visa apply for the same type of visa before a year has passed from the expiration date of the previous US visa, they do not need to meet and interview again at the embassy. After paying for their passports online and completing the application forms, they can apply through Aramex. If you indicate in the appointment system that you already have a US visa, that it has not been more than a year since the expiration date of this visa, and that you are applying for the same type of visa, in this case, in the window that opens after paying, you will be presented with your documents through the "Aramex" company instead of the appointment dates at the embassy. details about what you can do are mentioned. You will be able to accept the original of your passport and a copy of your old US visa, a copy of your ID card, confirmation of your online application form, a payment receipt from the system you booked an appointment with, and Aramexin documents.
Probability of getting a BC Visa
As with the visa application of any country, your chances of getting a visa in the United States depend on the status of your profile. You have a good job and position, your monthly income is slightly above the standard salary range, you have enough money in your bank account to cover your entire trip, the nuances that tie you to the country (property in your name, family and children) and perhaps most importantly, your travel history is good are the most important factors that will positively affect your chances of getting a US visa. However, the most important nuance that distinguishes the United States from other countries and the embassy is the importance of the interview. So, regardless of how good your documents and profile are, your performance and answers in the interview have a high impact on your chances of getting a visa. For those wishing to apply for a US tourist visa, we recommend that they first improve their travel history by obtaining a visa and traveling to several Schengen, European, or other touristic countries. Experience shows that people who have had significant visas before and who can be considered good travel history are much more likely to get a visa from the US Embassy than others. If a person who wants to go to the USA for the purpose of tourism does not go for tourism to European countries that are closer to his country and have a relatively easier visa procedure, the consul may have some doubts. However, the interview you will have with the consul at the embassy may affect this factor as well. In other words, in practice, it is common to meet people whose interview was unsuccessful despite having a very good travel history, or, on the contrary, people who went to the embassy with a main passport and gained the trust of the consul and obtained a US visa from the very first application thanks to a successful interview. However, in any case, having the nuances listed above in order in your profile puts you a few steps ahead of other applicants.
US Visa Assistance
As a Vizam.az company, we can also assist you during your US tourist visa application. If you use our visa support service, our services include scheduling an appointment on your behalf at the embassy, filling out your online DS-160 application form, professionally preparing your documents, booking your flight tickets and hotels that will cover your trip or purchasing them according to your request, consulting and will include preparation for the interview. We can familiarize you with the list of questions asked to our previous applicants during the meeting with the consul and inform you in detail about how to answer these questions correctly, what details you should pay special attention to in your answers, body language and similar psychological factors. All these are factors that can make you stand out from other visa applicants and increase your chances of getting a visa. Note that the US tourist visa support service fee in our company is 165 AZN per person.
You can click here to place your order. For additional information, you can contact 050/55-3000135.
If you have the chance, now is the time to make your "American dream" come true! Happy travels!
