Obtaining a visa to the United States is considered a difficult procedure for Russian citizens. The decision is made by the visa officer based on a personal conversation with the applicant. Sometimes it looks contradictory. A nice feature is that any visa issued by this country is multiple entry.
Preparation of documents
The peculiarity of obtaining a visa to the United States is that you will definitely have to go through an interview with a visa officer. The only exceptions are those applicants who already have a US visa in their passport. Those who apply for the first time cannot do without a visit to the consulate.
The visa officer makes the decision on the basis of the conversation. Documents may not even be needed. Nevertheless, it is recommended to have as many papers with you as possible, since in a disputable case it is they who can influence the decision. Mandatory documents include the following:
- international passport, - old passport, if it contains visas of the countries of the USA, Great Britain, Canada, Australia or the countries of the Schengen agreement,
- confirmation of filling out the questionnaire on the website, - receipt of payment of the visa fee, - Photo, - a certificate from work or school, - bank statement.
Additionally, the following papers may be useful:
- certificate of registration of a legal entity, - copies of tax returns, - certificates of ownership of real estate or valuable property, - certificates of marriage or birth of children.
- confirmation of the purpose of the trip, for example, an invitation or hotel reservation, - a well-thought-out travel route.
You do not need to translate documents. A certificate from work and an account statement must be presented in its original form, photocopies can be made from the rest of the papers.
After completing the application form on the website, you will be asked to make an appointment with the consulate. To do this, you will need to indicate the number of the receipt for payment of the state duty, which is 160 US dollars. The names of the banks where the fee can be paid are indicated on the website.
Passing an interview
The interview is the most critical part of the US visa procedure. Before going to the consulate, be sure to think over the answers to questions about what you are going to do in the USA, how much time you plan to spend there. They also usually ask about what you are currently doing, if you have a family.
During the conversation, try not to be nervous, behave calmly. Until you are asked for documents, do not get them. This is not the place to be proactive.
Usually the decision is made right away and you are informed about it. If this did not happen, then you can find out about the result on the website of the migration service or by calling the call center.
Terms of validity of issued visas
Since 2012, the US Consulate has only issued multiple entry visas valid for 1 or 3 years. One-year visas are usually issued to people with a business purpose, and three-year visas are issued to all other applicants.
The number of days allowed to stay is entered by the passport control officer when you cross the border. This is usually 6 months during one visit. It also happens that if you cross the border several times, 6 months are entered in your passport each time. The peculiarity of the US visa is that you can enter the country even on the last day of its validity.
