The remarkable American journey encompasses various aspects, including cities that adore dining and mountains blanketed in snow. So if you want to experience these things you will need to apply for the American tourist visa.
To begin your journey, you will need to plan adequately and choose the right visa type like a tourist visa applying through the American tourist visa form. If you are feeling confused about choosing the correct type of visa for your visit purpose, read this to the end.
Read this guide to learn all the guidelines for getting your US visa before you start your journey.
What Is The ESTA Application?
American ESTA visa application is an online automated system. This system determines the eligibility of visitors if they can travel to the United States which comes under the Visa Waiver Program.
This application collects biometric information and the applicants will need to answer the VWP eligibility questions.
Types of USA Tourist Visa
The government of the United States of America typically offers various types of tourist visas. These types are:
- B-1 Visa
Any foreign citizens can apply for this B-1 Visa for business purposes or to attend educational conferences. You can buy or sell the property or negotiate a contract deal.
- B-2 Visa
If you want to visit the United States for tourism or medical purposes or to attend social events, you can visit this type of visa.
- B-1/B-2 Visa
You can apply for this visa combo if traveling for both travel and business.
- ESTA
Citizens of Visa Waiver Countries can apply through the American ESTA visa application. This will allow you to stay in the US for 90 days or less for tourism or business purposes.
Both B-1 and B-2 visas allow foreigners to stay with a maximum validity of 6 months with multiple entries. You can find more information about these visas on any reliable website.
A Comparative Study Between B Visa And ESTA
The validity of a U.S. visa for foreign citizens is determined by the specific type of visa granted. Here are details of the validity of US tourist visas for Indians:
| Key Points | Tourist Visa(B-Visa) | ESTA |
| Official Authorization | This is a physical document issued by the U.S. embassy | ESTA is an online authorization checked with your passport while you travel |
| Application Process | The tourist visa application process is long and complex, issued by the U.S embassy | An ESTA is an online travel authorization process |
| Validation Period | 180 days per visit | 90 days per visit |
| Processing Time | Usually takes 3 months for approval | You will typically receive authorization within 72 hours |
| Cost | Usually takes higher fees as you will be visiting the embassy for an interview | Takes lower fees compared to B-visas |
Generally, ESTA is better than a tourist visa as it is easy and faster to get. ESTA only requires an online application, whereas a tourist visa involves a more complex process.
Required Eligibility For an ESTA Application
You will need to have some eligibility to apply for the US tourist visa. Here are the following eligibility criteria to apply for the USA Tourist visa from India:
- Your nationality must be from a country that participates in the Visa Waiver Program
- Enough financial resources
- You should not have any criminal records
- Should be travel for business and travel purpose
- Have a valid and working email ID to receive updates
- You will need to have a valid payment method to pay the ESTA application fee online.
The Documents Required for a US Tourist Visa
When you are applying for your USA tourist visa, you will need to submit the following documents:
- Valid Passport
You will need a valid passport from a Visa Waiver Program country.
- Contact Details
You will need contact details including-
- E-mail address
- Phone number
- Address.
- Passport and ID Data
You will need to submit:
- Passport number
- Issue date and expiration date of the passport
- Country of issue of the passport
- If you have an identity card, the number of that
- Additional information on the passport.
- Information On The Employment Relationship
You will need to submit your
- Company name
- Your current living situation, like if you are self-employed or a student.
- Emergency Contact Details
To apply for the ESTA application, you will need to submit a contact of a person inside or outside the USA to be contacted in an emergency.
Steps To Follow When Applying For U.S. ESTA Application
To apply for an American ESTA visa application, you will need to go through these easy steps:
- Confirm Your Passport
To apply for ESTA, first, you will need to have an issued passport from a country participating in the Visa Waiver Program.
This needs to be an electronic passport with a digital chip containing biometric information about you. This passport needs to have a machine-readable zone on the biographic page.
- Complete The Application
To apply for your ESTA application you can go to the US visa website. There you will need to provide your personal information including:
- Family name and first name(s)
- Gender
- Date of birth
- Place of birth
- Passport number
- Issuing country
- Date of issue
- Expiration date
- Citizenship.
Other than all these you will also need to submit your employment information:
- Employer’s name
- Job title
- Employer’s address.
- Pay The Fee
After submitting all the documents, you will need to pay the ESTA application fee. You can only do it online through any reliable portal.
You will need to use your card or digital payment method. Cash and cheques are not allowed.
- Time to Submit
Before your travel, you can submit at any time. But it is always recommended to apply as soon as you start planning for your trip or even before you buy the airline tickets.
- Check Your Application Status
After submitting your ESTA application you can check the status if your application. This is to make sure that it is still valid.
- Print Your Application
To bring the application to the airport it is not necessary to print your ESTA application. But you can print out your ESTA response as a record of the application number.
Common Mistakes To Avoid When Applying For Your US Visa
When you are applying for the ESTA application you may make some common mistakes. These include:
- Providing Inaccurate Information
Make sure to provide all personal details like names, dates, and addresses, and make sure your passport details are completely accurate and consistent.
- Financial Verification
Provide sufficient evidence of your financial stability. This is to support your stay in the US like bank statements or employment letters.
- Confirm Your Eligibility
Before you apply, confirm that your country is eligible to travel under the Visa Waiver Program.
- Answer Honestly
When you are answering questions regarding the application, answer them honestly.
Ready For Your Trip To the USA?
So if you are ready to unleash your wanderlust in the United States of America apply for the America tourist visa form. You will have your visa by the time you are done with your packing.
Collect all the necessary documents and submit them along with your application as proof of your purpose of travel.
Being a tourist you can successfully secure your USA tourist visa.
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