A visa processing center is an establishment that receives your documents from abroad and processes all of your residency, employment, and/or student visa applications. These facilities are typically run by private companies, or government organizations such as the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Typically what happens next is you will receive either confirmation or denial of your application within a certain amount of time. If you get denied, then you must decide whether to appeal the decision or not.
If you do choose to do so, there are deadlines for doing so, which depend on how long it takes to reach the appropriate person in charge of immigration at the location you sent your paperwork.
It’s important to know that most people don’t succeed in their goal to stay in the United States if they don’t apply for this permission correctly. So why risk it?
There are several reasons why staying in the country without a proper work permit can be difficult, but one of the biggest is financial. Many employers require two things before hiring someone: a valid US passport and proof of health insurance.
Finding affordable health care is very hard to do unless you have coverage through work, and even more difficult if you aren’t employed anywhere yet. This makes it almost impossible for would-be immigrants to establish themselves here safely.
After your application is received, it goes through our global network of offices for final review and approval. These are mostly done at centralized locations where many applications go through similar processes to ensure consistency and quality across all sites.
Once approved, your documents will be packed up and sent off to one of the more than 1,000 facilities around the world that handle visa processing.
From there, each location has their own team of professionals who work with you to process your paperwork and meet us here in the United States or in the country that you’re traveling from!
These teams include lawyers, accountants, finance staff, administrative assistants and others to make sure everything runs smoothly once you arrive.
They help you find accommodations, get you into the city proper, and even connect you with friends while you're here!
We have dedicated mobile apps and online tools to make this as easy as possible. And don't worry about what happens to your belongings back home; we keep them safe and secure.
Now that you have your passport, visa, and plane tickets in hand, it’s time to get things started! The next step is traveling to the airport to pick up your trip documents and then heading to an international visa processing center (VPC) for your VISA.
Most major airports will have at least one international visa service provider that offers fast visa services. Some even offer pre-arranged shuttle rides so you don’t have to find parking or navigate busy airport roads alone.
These companies typically charge around $25 per document – usually a passport, a form I visa, and a form IRIS (International Resident Identity Card). This way you only pay once rather than having to do it again when you return.
Some also offer early check-in at the destination which can be very helpful if you want to explore the area or take some of the tours the hotel has to offer.
The next step in the process is to determine who will review your documents and confirm that everything you stated about yourself and your trip are true. This person will be looking at your passport, flight information, hotel reservation, etc., and confirming that all of this info matches what you told us before you left for Canada.
It’s very important that you don’t try to deceive anyone about anything during these visits, as it can affect your chance of getting allowed into Canada. For example, if you didn’t mention that you go to strip clubs every night or that you like to drink alcohol after work, those things could potentially harm your chances of being granted entry into Canada.
Another thing to note is that many countries require you to agree to accept responsibility for any illegal activities while they are in your country. This includes not only stealing but also assault, murder, and more. All national laws must be respected so if asked, you should admit to committing crimes in their country.
While most countries require you to have an office where your employer is, what kind of employers they allow to sponsor for visas is dependent on the country that person comes from. In some cases, even if you are sponsored by someone else’s company, you can only work at their headquarters or in their specified branch.
In other cases, depending on the type of job, the government will let anyone apply so long as they can prove they can fulfill the position. For example, teaching positions do not need to be held by individuals with teacher certification, just proof that they completed a degree to teach school.
So while having a local address may help your boss get a visa, there should be no assumption that this will help you find employment too.
Visas let you into the United States for either business or tourism purposes. A tourist visa is typically only valid for a set amount of time, while some work visas are longer.
You will need to have proof that you have enough money to support yourself while in the U.S., as well as confirmation that you have adequate health coverage. If you’re traveling for work, your employer may be able to help with this!
There are several types of visas, such as F-1 for students and J-1 for workers. The process depends on which type of visa you have and what country you’ll be visiting in. Check out our article about all the different visa types if you're interested more.
The next step in the visa process is to go to your local USA consulate or embassy along with your application and supporting documents. This second visit usually happens within one week of the initial submission of the application at the VPC.
The cost for this trip can be expensive, especially if you need to fly. It’s best to start looking two weeks before the date of the appointment so that you have time to find and compare prices across all airlines and types of transportation.
You will want to factor in the price of the flight, taxi or ride-share fare, as well as the cost of parking at the airport. Some embassies offer free shuttle services but these aren’t always available during non-working hours, so consider that when planning your route!
Another thing to note is how much cash you bring to the meeting. Many embassies require you to carry money both for food and possible incidental purchases while there.
The length of time it takes to process a visa has a significant cost attached to it. This is due to the fees that are paid for each stage of processing your visit. These include the application fee, the interview fee, and the security check.
The longer you wait at an embassy or consulate, the more these fees add up. This is one reason why people usually recommend being ready with all of your documents and things two weeks before your trip.
You should also be able to make arrangements in advance about when you want to go to the airport to pick up your passport or board the flight. This way you will have enough time to find a seat on the plane and get some rest before traveling back home.
On average, a tourist can expect to pay around $100 per person for the initial visa applications which cover the form filling and phone interviews. A lot of times this is included as part of the entry visa package, but just because they say so doesn’t mean it’s free!
After the applicant is granted their visa, there are additional expenses for travel such as buying return tickets or arranging accommodation.
It really depends on how many documents you have and what kind of documentation you need to present while being processed. The average wait time is about 2-3 hours, although this can vary greatly at any given time.
There are several things that determine how quickly or slowly your visa will be approved. First, the embassy or consulate that reviews your paperwork will make the call as to whether it has enough evidence to prove who you are and confirm that you belong in the country.
They’ll also look at whether there are reasons to believe that you won’t return home after your visit, which could include worries about safety or health in your homeland, job opportunities or plans for education, and so on.
