Tourist Visa Application to the United States
(B-1/B-2 Visa)
The B-1/B-2 tourist visa is applied to by a Filipino if he intends to go to the United States and stay temporarily either for pleasure, business or medical treatment. A B-1 visa is for business purposes, such as attending business conventions or conferences, consulting business partners or associates, negotiating contracts or closing deals, and settling estates and properties. A B-2 visa is recreational in nature, such as tourism, visiting friends and relatives, or participating in activities which are social or service-oriented. The B-2 visa is also used when the purpose is to undergo medical treatment in the United States. Oftentimes, both visas are issued as one, called the B-1/B-2 visa, because there are instances when the purposes for which these visas are applied for are correlated.
When applying for a tourist visa to the United States, the most crucial aspect of the whole process is the interview with the consular officer. During this stage, the consul will scrutinize the applicant to make sure that there is truth to the statements and declarations made. The US Immigration and Nationality Act presume that every tourist visa applicant is an intending immigrant. It is the responsibility of the applicant to overcome this presumption by demonstrating the following:
- The purpose of the trip is on temporarily either for business, medical treatment or pleasure;
- As a temporary visitor, the duration of stay in the United States is only for a specific and limited period;
- While in the US, there is evidence of substantial funds to cover for accommodation and expenses so as not to become a public burden;
- There must be adequate and strong ties to compel the Filipino visa applicant to go back to the Philippines upon the expiration of the period allowed. Examples of which are residence, employment, and such other economic or social ties.
It is also equally important to be prepared with the necessary information and requirements for lodging the application for tourist visa. These basic requirements must be ready before lodging the application to avoid delays in the processing of the visa. Here are the things to be submitted when applying for a B-1/B-2 visit visa:
- Completed Application Form DS-160
- Current passport, the validity of which should be at least six months beyond the period of stay in the United States
- Visa photograph in accordance with the photograph requirements
- Acknowledgement receipt for the payment of the $140.00 visa fee to accredited payment centers
- Approval notices issued by the USCIS regarding extension of stay or change of current status, if applicable
- If applying with a spouse and/or child, original marriage certificate issued by NSO and on security paper
- If applying for/with dependents, original birth certificate printed on NSO security paper
There may be additional requirements which the consular office will ask, but this is dependent on the type of visa applied for the specific purpose for which the visa is applied.
Category: US Immigration
About the Author (Author Profile)
Siam Legal is a full service law firm but it has an extensive range of immigration, corporate, and real estate experience accessible to clients both domestically and internationally. It has offices strategically located throughout the major cities in Thailand including Chiang Mai, Pattaya, Hua Hin, Samui and Phuket along with international representative offices in Australia, London and Las Vegas.
