Imagine you are on your way to becoming an ex-pat in the United States, but there’s one problem: you need to get a US visa before you can move! Fortunately, it isn’t as hard as you think to get an F1 or H1-B visa that allows you to live and work in the US, even if you aren’t American or haven’t lived there before. Here are the steps you should take if you’re moving from Spain or the UK and need to get a US visa first.
The basics of your visa application
Before you get started on your visa application, you’ll need to know what type of visa you’re eligible for. The most popular U.S. visas are tourist visas, business visas and work visas. To obtain any one of these visas, you must meet specific requirements before your application is approved by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Once your eligibility has been verified, submit your documents in their entirety with supporting evidence and wait for approval—it usually takes about four months but can take up to a year if there are issues with your application documents or evidence. Don’t make any travel plans until USCIS approves your visa! US Visa from UK
What you can do before your interview
An interview for a U.S. visa can be intimidating, but you don’t have to go in blind: When requesting an interview at a U.S. embassy or consulate, most applicants will be asked whether they have been arrested or convicted of any crime and whether they intend to commit crimes in America—in addition to more common questions such as Why do you want to come to America? You should know what those questions are ahead of time and prepare yourself with explanations that will sound convincing—but not rehearsed—when answering them. The best thing you can do is write out your answers in advance on paper and memorize them before your trip!
Tips for during your interview
The questions asked in your visa interview will depend on your specific circumstances, but they generally cover topics like your ties to your home country, reasons for wanting to visit the United States, and plans for future travel. In general, you want these questions answered with no so that you show yourself as someone who is leaving their home country for an extended period of time. For example, if you are going abroad for two years for work, you should say something like I’m currently employed by company X and have been with them since 2015.
What happens after you receive your visa
Once you receive your visa, you’ll have 60 days to enter into and leave out of U.S. territory. If you’re planning on staying in one place for an extended period of time (i.e., not just traveling through), visit your nearest United States Citizenship and Immigration Services office as soon as possible after receiving your visa. They will help assist with registering, obtaining employment authorization, and choosing an employer sponsor, if necessary. The last thing you want is to go through all that paperwork only to find out months later that something was done incorrectly! US Visa from Spain
Where to stay once you’re in the US
One of the most important things to remember if you’re coming in on a short-term visa is that you don’t have to leave. If your visa is long enough and you plan right, it’s entirely possible to get an extension and/or find other ways of staying in America after your initial visit. For example, if you enter on a B-2 tourist visa but want to work for American companies while you’re here (which is not permitted), there are programs specifically designed for people in your situation. Or maybe you want something more permanent? There are ways of becoming an American citizen even if you entered illegally; there’s no reason not to stay unless your bank account gets completely depleted during your stay or they deny one of your many applications.
Travel Tips
Because of their proximity, travel between Europe and North America is common. Many companies will hire employees outside of North America who want to move there—but it’s important that they get there legally. The same applies to individuals who are looking to go back and forth often. Thankfully, when it comes to getting a visa in order to live in North America, it’s not as difficult as you might think. Once you decide on which country (or countries) you want your new life in, contact your local US embassy or consulate for more information on what kind of visa you need.
