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Applying for a Nonimmigrant (Temporary) Visa

Student and Tourist Visas: How to Come to the U.S. , by Ilona Bray (Nolo).

For most work visas, applying is a three- or four-step process. First you must find a U.S. employer willing to sponsor you. Then, your employer must file paperwork with the U.S. Department of Labor (for H-1B and H-2B visas) and an office of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), requesting permission for you to apply for a visa. After your employer gets USCIS approval, the third step is for you to file an application for a visa at the U.S. embassy or consulate in your home country.

 
Personal Interviews Are Likely
Even if you submit your application by mail, you will later probably have to go to the embassy or consulate for a personal interview. (For security reasons, the U.S. government is requiring more personal interviews than ever before.) Contact the U.S. embassy or consulate in your country to learn its requirements.

How Long You'll Wait

Nothing happens as fast as it should in the world of visa applications. For example, while you used to be able to get tourist and student visas in as little as a day, this is rarely true anymore. Many embassies and consulates have switched to requirements that you mail in your application and then come in for a personal interview later. Also, you will not be approved until your name has been checked against various criminal and security-related databases -- which, if you have a common name, has been known to add weeks or months to the process.

For more help on applying for a visa, consult one of the following Nolo books:

  • U.S. Immigration Made Easy, by Ilona Bray
  • Student and Tourist Visas: How to Come to the U.S., by Ilona Bray.
Copyright 2007 Nolo

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