Couple of our readers, Ramakanth, Devansh Sharma, were gracious to share their experiences preparing documentation for Visitor Visa(B2) for their parents to visit USA, including visa interview questions. Thanks to them for taking time to share his experience with our readers. If you have any experience as well, please send it to redbus2us(at)gmail.com
Visitor Visa (B2) for USA – Documentation preparation & Visa Interview
Hi Friends, My Parents got visiting visa (B2) for USA last week and I would like to give you a brief information on the Visiting Visa so that it helps others.
- DS-160: I filled the DS-160 forms online individually for my parents and got confirmations for the same.
- Visa stamping Appointment: Booked appointment online at US Consulate, Hyderabad. I scheduled same interview time for my parents by adding family member while taking appointment and I chose English as the Language for interview. (As my father would help my mother in translation)
- OFC Appointments were not available back then, otherwise you need to take those appointments as well.
Documents sent for Parents US Visa Stamping:
- H1 approval copy
- Employment Letter
- Bank Statements and Transactions(6 months)
- Tax Forms (3yrs), I-134
- Passport copies
- Interview Letters
- DS Confirmations
- Invitation Letter
- Letter to Consulate
- Cover Letter to Consulate
- Birth Certificate(Notarized in India)
Documents my Parents Carried for Visa Interview:
MUST:
- Passports
- HDFC Receipts
- DS Confirmation
- Photos
- All my Documents
- Property Documents
- Tax filing documents.
Parents US Visa interview Questions asked by Visa officer:
1. How many children? (I am the younger)
2. What does the elder son do? and where is he? (my bro is in India and work for IBM)
3. What was your occupation and what were the responsibilites?
4. How many months you are willing to stay in US?
5. What places will you visit?
6. What property do you have?
7. When will you return back?
8. Where does your son work?
9. To my mother, what about madam….Father replied, she is an Housewife.
My Tips for Visitor Visa :
- Be Specific in giving the answers.
- Be confident.
- Prepare for the answers ahead for the questions related to you (sponsor) like job title/type of work/yrs. of exp.
I hope this will help with the whole process and please email me if you have any questions.
Thanks,
Ramakanth
Parents Visa B2 USA Experience – October 2018 by Devansh Sharma. Thank you Devansh for sharing their Parent’s experience !
Hi All, Just sharing my experience on B2 visa process. Recently my parent’s visa got approved. Process wise it is fairly straight forward . Documents and procedure is almost same as mentioned above in this blog.
Steps for Applying for Parents Visitor Visa to USA
1). Filled separate DS-160 for my father and mother.
2). Deposited fee (online) and scheduled appointment, one for OFC and other one for visa interview.
3). List of documents I collected :
a). My I-94
b). First three pages of my petition I129-S.
c). My visa copy.
d). First and last page page copy of my passport . Also passport page having my entry stamp in USA.
e). Employment letter from my employer.
f). W-2 form copy.
g). Application to consulate general (Request to issue visitor visa to my parents).
h). Invitation letter for my parents.
i). Latest 6 month’s bank statement.
j). Last three months salary slips.
k). Bank reference letter.
Apart from these documents, I asked my parent to carry their bank passbook , my father’s pension id card and property documents in India. All these documents are not mandatory just for the safer side.
My Parent’s consulate experience was very good. The officer only asked them to give their passports. No other documents.
Parents Visa Interview Questions asked were :
a). Where are you going in USA and why?
b). When do you have plan to visit?
That’s it.
You may also read : Process and Documents required Parents visa – Templates
Image credit : http://www.flickr.com/photos/varktherebel/3946614624/sizes/m/
hi Guys, My parents went for b2 visa interview today and were issued 214(B);. here are the questions asked.
where are you going to US?
A: To meet my son
What he do?
Sw engg with abc company.
Where he lives?
Texas.
What you do?
A: run a garment shop
What is your income?
A: 3L
What visa your son has?
h1b
I see you visited canada why have you visited canada?
A: to see my brother, he was sick
For how long is your son in US?
A: there for 4 years
Then to my Mother:
What you do?
A: housewife
Why haven’t you visited them before?
A: they came last time, now they are not coming we thought to visit them.
thats it, Do you see any red flag here?
There is not much red flag in the interview. They did the best they can. Sometimes, it is hard to know what the Visa Officers are looking at as 214(b) is a tricky thing and we do not know…You can try again and give it a shot…I know many who have got visa in second or even third attempts.
Hi,
My Name is Nilesh, and I’m working in US from last 3 years. I’m going for my H1B Visa stamping at Mumbai and planning to process a visitors visa for my parents however I only have approval notice with me my visa is yet to stamp. Can I fill DS160 and schedule a visa interview for them along with me itself?
I am aching for a reunion with my parents and your good visa instructions have cleared up a lot of questions I’ve had.
Bless you and thank you:)
I am currently on a long vacation in India and would be back to the US shortly. I am filling DS 160 for my parents, should I mention my name under immediate relatives?
PS: As I came down on a long vacation I vacated my apartment and will be finding a new one before going back. So, I do not have a valid address.
Your response is highly appreciated.
Hi,
I am applying for my Mum’s Visitor Visa to USA based on my coming up Graduation. In DS 160 form what should i indicate under : Purpose of Trip to USA: and Specify:.
Please advise.
Thanks,
Nitul
Hi, my mom has a b2 visa 10 years and it was sponsored by my husband.
Now, she is planning to come here but my husband is in india waiting for his i140. Will there be any problem at arrival immigration as the sponsor is not in the country.
I m in Usa can I give a invitation letter and affidavit of support.
Hi everyone,
My mother in law alone attending for visitor visa interview and due to some personal reason, my father in law is not attending the visa interview. Anyone can guide me, if VO ask question about my father in law, how to address them.
Please share your experience to get through it.
Thanks in advance.
Regards,
Kiran
we are sending document for my mom, my husband insist on sending it through email as soft copy so that they can print it as color copy in India. But we sent documents through Courier 4 yrs back. Is it ok to send soft copy and get it printed by them in India. We have scanned the documents with signature.
Hi Everyone,
I want to get my parents visa processed for my graduation.
What documents I need to send them for this?
I have received a full-time job offer but I am not sure if I want to join them, waiting for my final career fair should I send the offer letter of this job regardless?
I am to graduate this spring, I am currently working as Teaching Assistant under a Professor, but I don’t think the salary I draw is enough proof for me to support them?
Any suggestions, thanks in advance.
Regards,
Sagar Sarkar
I want to apply for b2 tourist visa. I don’t have relatives in usa. I have lot of friends in usa. but they are not in a position to send the sponsorship letters.
if I got a visa no problem for stay. pls advice how to apply for us visa and what documents are required. pls advi us thru email
thanks and regards
How can a friend from Kollam, India obtain a visitor visa to come to the U.S? Please repky with info.. 🙂
BY SEX ONLY
Hi Saurabh,
My name is Shantanu from Pune, In short I will tell you about my case.
My Elder Brother is working on H1B VISA in USA and his wife on H4 my Parents too have got B1/B2 Visa earlier this year.
Now I am alone applying VISA now I am showing that i am going to meet my brother in USA along with my parents and my trip sponcerer is my father (that is mentioned in my DS-160).
About Me : I am working here in MNC than last 3.5 years. I have property here but in my parents favor and there is a land in my favor
Please suggest documents I require to carry along with me and suggest me how can I strengthen my case further
Warm Regards,
shantanu belsare
Mob : 9822625884
Hi,
I am planning to apply visa for my parents. But both of them have Passport with “ECR-Emigration check required stamps”.
Any problem if they have ECR stamp in the passport while travelling to US?
Please advise.
Thanks
Babu
My Mother has a valid visitor visa got stamped in 2012. Currently I am on H1B in US . I want to know what are the documents required for her travel to US.
Thanks
I will like to invite my mum from Africa, what visa should I apply for and how to go about it. Please I need your help
Hi All,
Am planning to bring my parents to USA .Here myself and my husband both are working .Is it necessary to send both of us employment document ,visa details and bank statement .
Please suggest me how to proceed further
Hey,
I am nitya nair and i am 23.I am from pune. I have recently completed my masters in commerce (m.com), last night while talking to my brother he suggested i should take a small vacation and visit him. He is there on H1b visa with his wife. He did his masters in 2012 and has not graduated yet so i would like to attend his graduation walk and also visit some places. I have no work experience as i just graduated and thus have no savings on my own, but i wish to do my MBA from USA in about 2 years, i will be taking the GMAT exam in june 2014 and for this reason i would also like to visit some universities. My trip will be sponsored by my parents( mother working with a nationalized bank and father a private sector employee just retired a month back)while a part of it will be taken up by my brother.
Please guide me for the same.
Thank you in advance.
Hi,
My mother has a valid B2 VISA, she has visited USA in 2009, now she is again going to USA in few days, tickets are booked. Actually my brother is living in USA, she is visiting him.
My question is, do we require to provide any kind of documents at the port of entry apart from the B2 VISA (Any letter from my brother etc.)
Expecting a reply ASAP as my mother has to travel next week.
Regards.
PKG,
If she is planning to visit the brother, then she should carry at least the contact information of him for successful entry into US. I have seen several instances where parents no longer carry invitation letter at the time of entry. Still it’s just a letter and your brother can quickly email one.
Hi ,
My both the parents planning to travel to US , do I need to complete an separate FORM DS-160 for my mom and dad ?
Actually I just completed form DS 160 just for my mom and forgot to add my dad as a travelling partner in that form , can I possibly change it. I have submitted the form though.
Or can they get a same time appointment even they have separate DS 160.
Anita,
Yes, each person need their own DS-160 form. If you haven’t scheduled the interview date yet, then you can complete another DS form and use the correct information in that form.
Hi ,
My mom interview is on 20th July 2013 ,does she require to submit the documents in the consulate before the interview or should she carry the visa documents on the day of the interview.
Please reply.
Thanks
-Nitin
Hi,
I completed DS-160 on behalf of my mother to whom my husband will be sponsoring for her visitor visa . In the family information section,I mentioned only my name in the direct relatives.But forgot to mention about my mom’s sisters who are also living in US.I updated the visa information in US travel docs website and paid the visa fees but not yet booked an appointment.
Can I submit a new DS-160 now as I have not yet made an appointment but only paid the fees ?
Does she need to mention about the old DS-160 at the time of interview to the VO ?
Thanks,
Jasmine
Jasmine,
Complete another DS-160 form and then use the new one to schedule the interview. No need to mention any references to the old one.
Hi Saurabh,
I am on H1B and want to apply for my mother’s visit visa, she is a widow and I am her only child, and she is never employed. What documents should I present to strengthen her case and maximize her chances of getting the visa?
Madhu,
She should show social and financial ties w/ the home country. The officer needs to be confident that she will return to home country after the trip. So if she has siblings in India, she can mention about them; if she has assets (like land etc) then she can information about them.
Did your mother get visa. My fatherinlaw died recently and we want to get a visa for my Mother-in-law. Her son is in USA, and also she visited USA 4 times, but her visa was expired recently and wanted to renew, but unfortunately my FIL died last month. So we are little bit worried whether she gets visa or not in the present circumstances. Any tips in this issue. I appreciate any advice on this.
B2 Visa
Documents sent for Parents should be original?
I didn’t find any where, saying that, they should be original or scanned copies/photo copies?
What is required? I didn’t find them in USCIS website as well
Rahul,
Photocopies or print-outs should be fine.
Should I sign every scan document to be sent to my parents? or shall i email the documents except for the originals? or is signature enough only for the originals alone?
Hi,
I am want send my mom,2 younger sisters for visitor visa stamping to Chennai.Both of my sisters are studying.Would that fine if they can go for stamping,if yes can they go together,any chances of getting visa?
Thanks,
Renu.
Hi,
I have applied for visitor visa as my sister is working there from quite a long time. Before some days my mom got visitor visa and I hope it will be easier for me to get visa and I took all the document but the officer have’nt seen any document and rejected my visa as I have not visited any other country out of India. Pls suggest me what to do? how can I reapply to get visitor visa.
Paramita,
You can reapply like she did before but there is a strong possibility that it will also meet the same fate. They may have considered you as a potential immigrant. Are you working or studying in India?
Hi Sourav, Thanks for ur reply. Yes I am working but not in a higher posion. My emai id is ghoshparamita90 at gmail dot com. U can suggest me what to do now?
Thanks again.
Paramita,
You can re-apply and carry a NOC from your company to show that they are granting you temporary leave to visit US and expect you to join the company after your return. If you have any assets in India, you can carry there information as well to show financial ties w/ home country.