The USA is home to 47 million immigrants from all over the world. And through Hollywood, the USA has created a bubble around its vibrant and welcoming culture that attracts 79.6 million visitors every year to the USA. More than 500 thousand British citizens visit the USA every year.
However, the U.K. comes under USA's Visa waiver program, which means the British can get visa-free entry to the USA through ESTA. But that visit must be for tourism and business purposes, not study or job. Today we're going to discuss the process of getting a U.S. visa for British citizens.
Things to Know Before you Apply For U.S. Visa:
1. The USA mainly offers two types of visas, the first is an immigrant visa, and the second is a non-immigrant visa. An immigrant visa is for those seeking a job, education, or permanent residence in the U.S., And non-immigrant visas are for those seeking U.S. entry for a shorter period like for tourism, business, medical treatment, etc. purposes.
- The process of an immigrant visa is strict and complicated; meanwhile, getting a non-immigrant visa, especially for U.K. citizens, is relatively more straightforward.
- An Immigrant visa must be sponsored by a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident immediate relative(s), or prospective U.S. employer, and have an approved petition before applying for an immigrant visa.
- Being a British citizen, you can also get entry to the USA through ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorisation), but you can stay upto 90 days only with ESTA.
- If you're applying for an ESTA, you don't need to visit the U.S. embassy, but if you're applying for a regular visa, you may have to visit the U.S. embassy for an in-person interview. So always apply for a visa 6-7 days before your scheduled departure.
Requirements For U.S. visa for British Citizens.
1. To get a U.S. visa, you must have a valid passport issued by the British government, and it should have a validity of at least three months.
- A passport size photo and a debit/credit card.
- You should have sufficient funds to support your stay during your visit to the USA.
- You should have a valid email id because you’ll receive information regarding your visa application through email.
- You must carry the passport with you even if you're applying for ESTA, but you don't need to print out ESTA because ESTA is stored electronically against the applicant's passport at the U.S. immigration.
- You should not have any criminal record in the U.K. or anywhere else.
How to Apply for ESTA and a regular Visa?
The process of visa application is simple for British citizens. Here’s how you can do that.
- Visit the official website of U.S. immigration.
- Fill out the DS-160 form online. It takes around 90 minutes to fill out the form.
- Pay the fees through your debit/credit card.
- Now get a print copy of your DS-160 application from the barcode page. You don't need to print the whole application form page.
- Get an interview appointment from the U.S. embassy.
- If you can convince the officer, your application will be accepted.
Media Contact
Company Name: USA VISA
Contact Person: Juna Thompson Smith
Email: Send Email
Phone: +61 (08) 9364 3000
Address:4/90 King William St
City: Adelaide
State: SA 5000
Country: South Africa
Website: us-visa-online.org/en/visa/
