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Preparing for your US visa interview

For B1/B2, C-1 and F-1 applicants, after your DS-160 form has been submitted.

Please read first

This website is a private service and is not affiliated with the United States government.

The visa decision is made only by the US embassy or consulate.

This page gives general information, not legal advice. If your embassy or consulate gives different instructions, follow theirs.

Before your appointment

  • Check the rules for your nationality on travel.state.gov. For some nationalities, US visas are currently suspended or limited.
  • Pay the visa application fee (MRV) on the appointment website of the US embassy or consulate you chose. This fee is not included in our price. It is not refundable, even if your visa is refused.
  • F-1 students: pay the SEVIS I-901 fee on fmjfee.com before your interview. This fee is not included in our price.
  • Book your appointment. Depending on your country, a biometrics appointment and an interview. “My application” tells you where to find the appointment website.
  • Use the number on your DS-160 confirmation page to book. It must match the page you bring.
  • One application per person. Each traveler, including children, needs their own DS-160.
  • Check whether you need an interview. Most applicants need one, including children. Some people renewing a B1/B2 visa may not need one. Their last B1/B2 visa must have expired less than 12 months ago, and other conditions apply. The embassy or consulate can still ask you to come.
  • Apply where you live: in your country of nationality or residence, or at the embassy or consulate designated for your country. You may have to show that you live there. Elsewhere, the wait can be much longer and it can be harder to qualify. If you no longer live in the country you chose, contact us.
  • Read your DS-160 again. All answers must be true and up to date. A submitted DS-160 cannot be changed. If something has changed (passport, address, job, travel plans, family), contact us before your interview.
  • F-1 students: the US Department of State asks you to set all your social media profiles to “public”.
  • Do not buy tickets or make final travel plans until you have your visa.

What to bring

Bring original documents. Your embassy or consulate may ask for more: check its list.

Everyone

  • Your passport. In most cases, it must be valid for at least six months beyond your stay.
  • Your previous passports, if you have them.
  • Your DS-160 confirmation page.
  • The receipt of the MRV fee.
  • Your appointment confirmation.
  • A printed photo, if your photo upload failed or if your embassy or consulate asks for one.

F-1 students, also

  • Your Form I-20, signed by you and your school.
  • The receipt of the SEVIS I-901 fee.

C-1 transit, also

  • Proof of your onward travel, and your permission to enter the next country if needed.

Supporting documents

The officer may ask for proof of the purpose of your trip, of your plan to leave the United States, and of how you will pay. This can include documents about your job or studies, your income, your family or your travel plans. Bring them only if they are true and current. The officer might not ask to see them.

A visitor visa does not require an invitation letter. If you have one, the decision is not based on it. If someone else pays for part or all of your trip, you may show proof of that.

On the day

  • Arrive at the time on your appointment confirmation. Some embassies and consulates do not let you in early.
  • Read the security rules of your embassy or consulate. Many do not allow bags or electronic devices, and some cannot store them. At some, a forbidden item means you are turned away and must book again.
  • In general, only applicants may enter. Some embassies and consulates allow a parent of a child under 18, a person helping an elderly or disabled applicant, or an interpreter.
  • Your fingerprints may be taken.

During the interview

  • Answer the questions yourself.
  • Tell the truth. Answer clearly.
  • If something in your DS-160 has changed or is wrong, tell the officer.
  • If you do not understand a question, ask the officer to repeat it.
  • If you do not know, say so. Do not guess.
  • Speak about your own situation, in your own words. Do not learn answers by heart.
  • Never show a false document or give false information. It can make you permanently ineligible for a US visa.

Topics the officer may ask about

There is no fixed list of questions. Topics often include:

  • the purpose of your trip or your studies;
  • how long you will stay, and where;
  • who will pay;
  • your job or your studies;
  • your family, at home and in the United States;
  • your past travel.

Under US law, the officer must be satisfied that your trip is temporary, that you can pay for it, and that you will leave the United States at the end.

After the interview

Visa approved

Depending on your nationality, you may have to pay a visa issuance fee. The visa is placed in your passport. The embassy or consulate tells you how you get your passport back. A US visa is never sent by email.

A visa lets you travel to the United States and ask to enter. At the airport or border, an officer of US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) decides whether you may enter.

F-1 students: you cannot enter the United States more than 30 days before the start date on your Form I-20.

221(g) notice

This is a refusal for now, but your case is not closed. The officer needs more documents, or your case needs more processing time. Follow the written instructions you received. If you are asked for documents and do not send them within one year, you must apply and pay again.

Refusal under 214(b)

The officer was not satisfied that you qualify for this visa. There is no appeal. You can apply again, with a new DS-160 and a new MRV fee. This makes sense mainly if you have new information or if your situation has changed in an important way. A new application can also be refused.

Visa bond

For some nationalities, the officer may ask for a visa bond before issuing a B1/B2 visa. Pay it only if a consular officer tells you to, and only as the written instructions say.

In any later application, always answer the questions about past refusals truthfully.

Questions? Contact us

Write to us at support@usimmigration-assistance.com with your application reference. We cannot attend your interview, tell you what to answer, contact the embassy or consulate for you, or change its decision.