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The B2 visitor visa for the United States of America is a tourist visa that allows applicants to stay in the USA for tourist, i.e. private, purposes . This also means that taking up work or completing an internship or study is not permitted. For a work permit, you must apply for the B1 business visa .
Apply-for-Tourist-visa-USA
The USA tourist visa is temporary and therefore not suitable for immigrants. The stay is limited to a maximum of 180 days per entry . Therefore, the USA tourist visa is suitable if you want to stay in the USA longer than the 90-day stay limited by the ESTA (Visa Waiver Program). The B2 visa is primarily valid for the following private or tourist purposes:
- vacation stays
- family visits
- Medical treatments
- Participation in social events
validity period of the tourist visa for the USA
The tourist visa for the USA is usually valid for 10 years. Under certain circumstances, the visa can also be limited to a shorter period. This depends primarily on the nationality of the applicant. For German citizens, however, approval for 10 years is likely. Within the approved period, you can enter the USA as often as you like, but for a maximum of 180 days in total. After that, you must apply for a new visa.
Who can apply for the USA tourist visa?
There are various requirements for applying for a B2 visitor visa, especially the origin or nationality of the applicant is important.
- The B2 USA visa is initially suitable for applicants who do not qualify for the ESTA procedure . You can find out whether you qualify for this program or whether you need to apply for a tourist visa in our overview.
- Even the aforementioned holidaymakers who are Visa Waiver Program (ESTA) but want to stay in the USA for longer than 90 days, must apply for the B2 USA visa.
- People who have traveled to Iran, Iraq, Sudan, Yemen, Sudan, Somalia, Libya or Syria since March 1, 2011 also require a B2 visa. The only exceptions are journalists, diplomats or military or humanitarian personnel.
- If you enter the country with a non-listed airline or shipping company, or with a private yacht, you will also need a US tourist visa.
What are the requirements for the B2 USA visitor visa?
To apply for a US tourist visa, you usually have to appear in person at a consulate.
You will need a biometric passport to apply and enter the USA. You will also need to fill out the standard form DS-160 for the application. This includes personal information, travel habits, contact details in your home country and more. You will also need proof of payment of the visa fee, which consists of consular costs and service fees. You will also need to provide proof of the financial means you need to travel to the USA.
The most important requirement for entering the USA with a B2 tourist visa is, however, a strong connection to your home country or providing proof of your planned return trip. This is usually in the form of a flight ticket. If you cannot provide this proof, you may be denied entry to the USA at the airport.
For these reasons, you should allow enough time before you travel to obtain a valid visa.
Processing time of the USA tourist visa
The processing time at the relevant consulate is usually only one week, although the official minimum is 5 working days. The processing time for preparing the application is also one week. This of course assumes that your documents are complete.
Sometimes your application may be subject to special checks, either randomly or if there are records about you. In this case, processing can easily take several months rather than just a few days.
We therefore recommend applying for a visa early, but no later than 4-6 weeks before your planned departure. If such an examination is imminent, you will be informed directly at the consulate and can expect a longer waiting time.
How much does the USA visa cost?
The costs for the USA visitor visa consist of the consulate costs and the service fees from Visas United. The US consulate fees are currently around € 177.25 , this amount varies depending on the current exchange rate. The service fees for preparing the application by Visas United are currently €249. You also have to take into account optional costs of € 33.14 for returning your passport. A few years ago, these were still included in the consulate fee.
If you want to save these costs, you can also collect your passport in person from a MailBoxes Etc (MBE) office. You must have a valid photo ID with you.
Apply for a tourist visa for the USA – All-round carefree with Visas United
Since the application for a tourist visa for the USA involves a certain amount of effort, we would like to support you and take as much of the preparation off your hands as possible, as well as provide you with advice.
Therefore, we will first help you to find the visa category that is right for you. If you are not eligible for entry with ESTA , we will create the required standard form DS-160 for the B2 visa, create a checklist of all the necessary documents for the interview at the consulate, book your desired appointment at the US consulate and arrange the payment of the applicable fees on your behalf. All you have to do then is
- appear in person at the agreed interview time,
- provide your fingerprints on site,
- and deposit the biometric passport at the consulate for the visa to be issued.
If you would like to apply for a tourist visa for the USA with our help, you can find the application form here.
