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The passing of the COVID-19 pandemic delayed the procedures to acquire the American visa; However, it is a necessary document to go on vacation, shopping, or to take a trip. work in the United States.
As it is an essential document for enter the United States legally and as a tourist from any country, you must know everything that the United States visa entails, since there are at least two types that are the most sought after: the B1 and B2but which one should you process?
According to Luis Ochoa, Director of Operations at MEXUS Migration, the B1/B2 Visa for the United States covers both business trips (B1) and tourism or leisure trips (B2).
“The visa allows citizens to temporarily visit the country, either for tourism purposes, to visit family, to undergo medical treatment, or to participate in conferences and business meetings. Although the choice depends on the purpose of the trip,” he explained.
How long does the visa process take?
Currently the visa processing It takes up to a year or more to expedite this process, Therefore, it is recommended to process the visa with a clear definition of the travel intention, as well as take into account how many days you will stay in American territory and the travel itinerary that you are going to take, this in order to help process said visa. document.
“Plan the trip and define where you are going to stay, an itinerary, how you are going to pay for it, who is going to pay for it, how long you are going to stay in the United States. This will allow the person who apply for the visa be clear and natural,” comments the Director of Operations of MEXUS Migration.
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How is the visa processed online?
Once the trip is planned, the next step is to make sure that the Mexican passport is valid, without it you will not be able to continue with the process. In addition, follow the following steps to the letter:
- Complete Form DS-160: It is necessary to select the country and state from which you will start the form. Subsequently, select the option Start an application, which will generate a code number. It is important to write that number down and have it as a reference.
- Create an account with email: Create an account on the page Official US Visa Information and Appointment Services which must be linked to an email and the confirmation number of the DS-160 form. It is necessary to select the payment method, in Mexico it is only by cash. A token will be generated with a reference number and an expiration of 5 days. Print the form and pay the fee.
- Interview schedule: Once you receive the email with the payment notification, you must log in to your account again and a legend will appear with the mention “schedule the appointment”, click on a box selecting the option to “continue” and follow the instructions to schedule your appointments and print.
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It is recommended that if the person is applying for the B1/B2 Visa for the first time, they will have to attend two interviews. The first at the Applicant Service Center and the second at the Embassy or Consulate. Within the instructions will be instructions for attending both appointments.
What is the cost of the American visa in 2024?
According to United States authorities, The price of an American visa for this year is 185 dollarsabout 3,130 pesos at the current exchange rate.
The United States visa process indicates that the payment of the $185 must be made after the interested person has filled out the DS-160 application and has registered in the US Department of State Visa Information and Appointment System.
In addition to type B1 and B2 visas, the United States offers other types of visas. These are the costs in 2024:
- H, L, O, P, Q, R visas: $160 dollars, about 2,700 Mexican pesos.
- Form DS-117: $180 dollars, that is, about 3 thousand pesos.
- Transportation Letter for Legal Permanent Residents of the United States: $575 dollars, equivalent to about 9,800 pesos.
- Form DS-3035: $120 dollars, about two thousand pesos.
- Form I-601: $930 dollars, which represents about 15,500 pesos.
- Visas for Merchants and Investors: 315 dollars, about 5,300 pesos.
What are the chances of getting your visa approved?
Once you have completed the online procedure and the date to attend the interview is approaching, honesty throughout the entire process is essential as well as basic documentation.
Honesty, short answers and focused only on the questions asked by the immigration agent, are essential.
“We have detected a factor that can help the applicant, and that is that he or she has a university degree, bachelor’s degree, master’s degree or doctorate, and has a professional license and title. Nearly 90% of applicants who want to travel to the United States on vacation and have this documentation, the Visa is usually approved“, underlines Luis Corona.
In addition, the specialist in immigration procedures also added that it is important to consider the time of Visa validity. For example, if someone traveling for business applies for the B1 Visa, it is possible that the immigration officer will authorize the visa only for three months, or less, since he considers that if he is going to do business, he does not require more time. On the other hand, if he applies for the B1/B2 Visa, the validity is usually up to 10 years with the same cost.
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