How to Take a US Visitor Visa Interview Appointment

The United States is a favorite tourist destination, with the number of visitors arriving in the country growing consistently over the years. Despite what has been called the “Trump Slump,” 79.6 million international visitors entered the US in 2018, a 3.5% increase from 2017, according to statistics published by the US Travel Association.

But for visiting this unique country, you need to obtain a visitor visa, the first step for which is to fill and submit the non-immigration visa application form, DS-160. A visitor visa allows its bearer to enter the United States for the purposes of business, tourism, or both, as well as for medical treatment. 

Related: How to fill US visit visa application

Once you’ve submitted the application form and the required documents, you will receive a confirmation of the same, with a confirmation number. Keep this safe and pay the visa fee. This payment will provide you a receipt. Using the confirmation number and payment receipt, you will need to fix two appointment. The first at the Visa Application Center, for your biometric readings, and the second at the US embassy/consulate for the visa interview.

How to Take US Visitor Visa Interview Appointment 

A visitor visa interview appointment can be scheduled online as well as through a phone call to the visa call center. Here’s a look at the steps to follow to schedule the visa interview appointment:

1. The first step for scheduling your appointment is to register yourself on the official US visa website. For this, you will need to enter some personal details, such as your name, email address and your nationality. 
2. Once you have registered yourself and created an account, click on the schedule appointment option, and select preferred your language, visa type and visa category.
3. The next step is to enter your personal information, including details of your passport, your contact information and your complete mailing address, including your postal code.
4. Enter the details of any family or group members applying for a visa in the same appointment slot as you. You also need to enter the details of any dependents traveling with you, and your relationship with them.
5. In the next step, you would be asked to specify whether you have been previously refused a US visitor visa or if you are applying for a renewal of an existing visa.
6. Next, you will need to specify the documentation delivery type. You need to submit various documents as part of the visa application. So, would you prefer to pick up your passport and documents personally from the office or would you like to receive them via mail.
7. The next step is to pay the visa fee. The visa fee payment can be made via electronic fund transfer, cash payments, as wells via mobile wallets.
8. In some countries, you would also need to make an appointment for biometric readings, such as your fingerprints and photograph.
9. The final step of the process is to select the date and time for your visa interview and schedule the appointment. Print the confirmation page of the US visa appointment, since you will need to produce it at the time of the visa interview. 

Make sure to go through the general instructions as well as assemble all the necessary documents for your visa before scheduling an appointment. Also, make sure to carefully check the information you have entered on each page before clocking “Continue.” In case of any mistakes, you can press the “Back” button.