Applying for a US visa involves several steps, but the most crucial part is the visa interview. Being well-prepared can significantly increase your chances of success.
Here are five essential items you must bring to your interview to ensure a smooth process and enhance your approval odds:
Passport-Sized Photographs
We upload a photo when we submit our DS-160 form, but we take a printed photo that meets U.S. visa requirements:
Dimensions: 2 by 2 inches (51 by 51 mm).
Background: White, off white or similar
Recent — at least six months old.
Valid Passport
Your passport is the main ID document and the focus point of your visa request. Ensure that:
It is quite at least 6 months longer than your intended stay in us.
You have at least two blank pages for visa stamps.
If your passport is older and includes former U.S. visas, bring it along as well; it can show a good travel record.
DS-160 Confirmation Page
This will be a non-negotiable requirement. Upon finishing the DS-160 (Nonimmigrant Visa Application), you are given a confirmation page with a unique barcode. Ensure that:
You print this page and present it to your interview.
It contains information that is consistent with what is found in your passport.
Before submission, you cross-check if there’s any mistake on the DS-160 form.
Visa Slot confirmation letter
You’ll get a confirmation letter or email when you schedule your interview. This contains also the necessary information regarding your appointment and has to be submitted at the embassies or consulates. Make sure to:
Take a Print Out of the Appointment Letter
Review the date, time, and place of your interview.
Supporting Financials and Relationship Documentation
The consular officer must be convinced that you can fund your stay and are sufficiently tied to your home country to ensure that you will return. Bring:
Financial Proof: Bank statements, salary slips or sponsorship letters.
Evidence of ties: Job letters, property papers, or schooling enrollment papers These show that you have strong reasons to go back to home country.
Passport-Sized Photographs
We upload a photo when we submit our DS-160 form, but we take a printed photo that meets U.S. visa requirements:
Dimensions: 2 by 2 inches (51 by 51 mm).
Background: White, off white or similar
Recent — at least six months old.
Finally, make sure you are appropriately dressed.