A personal visit visa is one of the most common types of non-immigrant visas for international travel. You must have an approved itinerary and proof that you will return from your trip before you can be granted this type of entry into the United States.
However, there are some changes to the Personal Visit Visa (PV) system that went into effect in August 2018. These new rules include requiring additional documents and making it more difficult to obtain. Immigration lawyers and consultants are warning about potential delays or even denial of PV applications due to the increased paperwork requirements.
Changes to the US immigration process happen every year, but these revisions usually do not pose much of a challenge for skilled professionals and employers. The new regulations may disproportionately affect less experienced individuals who need to undertake extra steps to prove their qualifications.
What is a Personal Visit Visa?
A personal visit visa allows someone with no permanent residence in the US to enter for up to 90 days to see family or perform business transactions. Tourists are typically issued a short term visitor’s passport which does not expire until five years after issuance. Business travelers may also be given a B1/B2 tourist visa instead of the longer stay PV.
Individuals seeking a PV must first establish eligibility by confirming identity and proof of income. Once confirmed, they can apply at a US Embassy or Consulate within the country.
A dependent or family member of an existing student may apply for a P-3 visa if they are traveling to the United States for at least six months as part of a degree program.
The accompanying letter must state that you will be attending classes while in the country, and proof of enrollment is required. You also have to prove that you will return to your home after completing school here — typically by having a job waiting for you back where you came from.
It’s important to note that this visa does not guarantee entry into the USA! The American government has final say whether to grant people visas, even if someone using the visa cites the P-3 reason.
But these precautions do help mitigate some risk. If you make sure everything is perfect, you have a good chance of getting approved.
Being able to come into America as a student or for study is one of the most important things you will do as a student. It is also an integral part of studying in the United States, especially if you are looking to advance your education and potentially enter the workforce later!
If you are already living in the US as a non-immigrant student (i.e., you’re here on a F1 visa) then applying for a PIII visa should be your next step. However, before you apply, make sure you are eligible by reading our article about eligibility requirements for a Student Visitor Visa.
After you receive your visa, you have two days to begin preparing for your trip. You will need to gather all of your documents and put together some more information about yourself and the family members traveling with you.
Make sure to check out our article about How To Prepare For Your Trip If you’re reading this before then!
We also recommend taking a look at our article about Tips For Maintaining Budget Freedom While On A Traveling Fellowship. Both of these articles can help you be prepared like never before.
Once everything is gathered, you will need to head over to a US Embassy or Consulate in America to pick up your visas. Make sure to arrive early enough to avoid any delays!
After receiving your visa, your family will need to come back into town to complete their return home process. This could take anywhere from one week to months depending on how long it takes to clear immigration and passport control.
As mentioned before, most employers will agree to be your employer while you are in the country on a business or job related trip. They can include paying their bills, housing arrangements, and/or taking care of any other commitments they have during that time.
With the work-visa sponsorship requirement out of the way, now we move onto another topic – what kind of proof do you need to show when applying for a US immigrant visa?
You must bring copies of all these documents with you when you apply at an embassy or consular office. Some countries may ask to see older versions as well.
Being able to prove that you have sufficient money to return home is one of the most important things when it comes to obtaining a P3 visa. You will need at least two months’ worth of monthly expenses in your country as well as proof of adequate funds to make such a trip.
If this isn’t possible, then you must be able to show how you would be financially supported while you were away. This can include proofs of employment with pay or income, as well as evidence of savings.
You also cannot apply if you do not have proof of an intended destination outside of the United States. For example, if you want to travel to Canada, you must have proof of transportation there.
If you do not have adequate proof that you will be living in America with a job, then you can expect to face major problems when trying to enter or remain in the United States.
Your employer must certify that they will provide you with a workplace, and they must verify that there is a position available for you here. Both of these things typically require you to present a work visa, employment contract, or proof of salary.
If all this information is missing, then it is very difficult to guarantee that you will have a place to live and a job once you arrive in the country. You may also run into issues obtaining any kind of government services like health care or education.
A B-1 visa is also known as an F visitor visa or tourist VISA. This type of visa allows for one year in the United States for tourism only.
The length of stay can be extended once you have traveled outside of America but you must apply for this extension at your nearest American embassy or consulate. You cannot do it online, nor can you file from abroad.
B visas are typically used to visit for two months or less per trip, so there’s no need to worry about overstaying your visa. However, if your plan is to remain in the country longer than a month, then you will need to know how to extend your B visa.
There are 2 ways to do this, 1 being more difficult than the other.
A work authorization letter (also called a “work permit” or “visa”) is typically valid for one year, but can be renewed once it expires. Most employers require you to have employment documents like a job offer, proof of sufficient funds to live on while in the United States, and verification that you will not overstay your visit using our immigration services.
A non-immigrant worker with a C1/2 visa must have an employer sponsor them for their stay in America. The employee cannot remain in the country without working permits beyond what was granted at entry. Because there is no way to verify someone’s employment status after they arrive in the US, it is very difficult to ensure that individual does not overstay their welcome.
That’s why it is important to research potential employers before giving them access to your personal information. By being aware of how many times past workers have run into trouble because of poor vetting practices, you can help prevent this from happening to you.
