How Long Does It Take For H4 Visa Processing

By Tiara

Having enough paperwork to prove you have legitimate business in the country you live in is always a good idea. If you are living abroad, having proof that you will be back in the United States soon can help ensure your tight schedule does not get too busy.

Business owners who work from outside of their home city often need an easy way to stay connected to friends and family. By obtaining a visa for working travel, they do not have to worry about leaving someone behind while they are away.

Having a valid F-1 student or M-1 nonimmigrant worker visa means being able to return to America if needed. Many people use this time to explore other parts of the world as well!

There is one major drawback to these visas, though: how long it takes to process them. Each consulate has its own individual timeline to make sure everything goes smoothly and on time. This article will talk more about what to expect when processing your visa.

Applying for a H4 visa

how long does it take for h4 visa processing

As mentioned before, to apply for a work visa in America you must first gather all of your documents and then submit them through an immigration service provider. These services typically have a fee per person that covers both the application process as well as any additional costs such as court dates or interviews.

Some companies will send their staff directly to meet with you at your workplace while others require you to take care of this step yourself. We recommend using a trusted company that can be contacted easily in case there are issues.

The process depends largely upon how fast each individual office can handle applications so it is best to know ahead of time where these deadlines are. Some weeks, even months, may pass between submitting your application and getting a response, especially during busy seasons.

Waiting for visa approval

how long does it take for h4 visa processing

After you have everything ready, it is time to wait! This can be quite frustrating as there’s no way of knowing when your application will get processed, especially during high season or if you happen to apply at a time when things are very busy.

It could take several days, weeks, months – even years depending on how many applicants there are in comparison to available resources. There’t much anyone else can do until then either, so try to remain calm and focused.

A few tips that may help: As mentioned before, now is a great time to start gathering documents as this will make applying more quickly. You also want to be sure to check the status of your H1B petition every month, otherwise you may spend hours doing nothing but waiting.

And once again, keep in touch with friends and family back home as this will give you some relief by letting them know what you're going through.

Responding to visa approval

how long does it take for h4 visa processing

After receiving your documents, the next step in process is responding to their decision. This can take some time depending on how many employees you have working on getting this done, so it’s best to be prepared for that!

It's very common for employers to get lots of responses when they ask people if they are willing to relocate for employment. Some may even get several offers before finding one that seems like the perfect fit.

In those cases, the employer will choose someone else for the position instead or offer limited salary negotiations until after the new person accepts the job. It is totally normal for the hiring manager to feel nervous about starting salaries at the beginning of the process, but remember — you wanted this position!

By being honest with yourself and your expectations, you'll know what to expect from the rest of the process.

Paying the visa application fee

As mentioned earlier, there is an application process that must be completed before you can come to America as a resident. One of these steps is paying your visa application fee. This fee is typically paid through an online platform such as eBay or Amazon.

There are many sites where people drop off their payment and then have to pay extra to get it back. By dropping off payment at several different places, it becomes very hard to track them down and recover the money.

It’s best to make sure that your payment goes directly into the hands of the US embassy in person if possible. But even if this isn’t feasible, using an established site like ours will help avoid problems.

Taking a visa stamp at the embassy or consulate

how long does it take for h4 visa processing

If you have received word that your visa has been approved, then your next step is to go in person to pick up your passport and visit the country of your dreams!

Visiting an Embassy is not easy, nor is it simple. There are so many things to consider — how long does it take to process visas, what time of day is best, what days of the week work best, and more.

Because there are no set rules when it comes to visiting embassies, individual countries’ websites often offer different tips and tricks for staying organized and efficient.

Exiting the country

how long does it take for h4 visa processing

Many employers require their employees to have proof of departure from the United States as part of employment contract. This is typically done through a work visa or employee passport, but they can be tricky to come by if you are no longer working for the company that issued them.

In these cases, it becomes more difficult to prove your exit because there is nothing formal about your separation from the company. You would either need to find receipts showing you bought airport tickets or plane tickets, or you could just make up why you left.

Re-applying for a visa

how long does it take for h4 visa processing

If you are denied entry into the United States, you have two main options: reapply for admission or depart from the country.
If you choose to reenter the US, you can do so at any time within 60 days of being denied entry.

That means if you are given a one week visa in December and must leave the country by February 6th, you can return until February 16th. You would just need to make sure you have enough money to stay through that period!

You cannot enter the US with limited documents as you had before your trip, but you can apply for new ones once here. This is called ‘reentry’ because you will come back into the country after having been away.

It is important to remember that while it may be easy to spend time planning your next vacation, spending too much time looking forward can hurt your chances of getting admitted into the USA.

Being denied a visa

how long does it take for h4 visa processing

If your application is rejected, it will be marked as “rejected” in your immigration status and you will need to start the process over again! This can be very frustrating since there are so many things that can go wrong during this process.

It is important to understand that even if your visa was not approved, this does not mean that you are automatically deported or banned from entering the United States. In fact, most people who get their visas denied eventually re-enter the country with another visa type or stay at home.