Much better than traveling alone is being able to enjoy that wonderful destination with the whole family. And, if the goal is to travel to the United States, the easiest way to make this dream a reality is to apply for a family US visa.
This type of visa is more practical for those who want to deal with the bureaucracy in the best way possible. Another positive aspect of the family visa is that it increases the chances of approval.
If you’re interested and want to know everything you need to know to apply for a US family visa, just keep reading.
How can I have complete peace of mind?
How to have complete peace of mind when applying for visas for the whole family:
Today we’ll tell you everything you need to know about applying for a US family visa. Keep reading to learn all the details:
What is a US family visa?
As the name suggests, the U.S. family visa allows members of the same family to apply for visas together. A huge benefit of this type of visa is that it can facilitate approval for one or more people.
Especially those who cannot prove ties to their country of origin. It is sufficient for other family members to demonstrate that they have ties to the country.
Other factors, such as a family with a stable economic situation, also increase the chances for all members applying for a family US visa.
What form is needed to apply for a US family visa?
There is only one way to apply for a US visa. We are talking about the electronic DS-160 form, available on the US embassy website.
Its purpose is to collect various important pieces of information about the person seeking a visa. All questions on the DS-160 form are asked in English and must be answered in that language.
However, it is possible to use a translation tool for your language through the embassy’s website itself.
During the registration process, it is necessary to provide personal information, travel plans, and answers to questions about each individual’s profession and income.
In addition, you will also need to answer some security questions. The DS-160 form does not vary. That is, everyone applying for a visa will answer the same questions.
Read Also: Family Visitor Visa for Canada – Learn How to Apply
Even with a family visa, the form is individual.
Even if the family is applying for a group visa, each person must fill out their own form.
This step usually takes some time and should be done calmly and carefully. Some answers will vary from person to person.
Each family member should answer according to their own circumstances. For example, it is very common for one family member to have a job, while another is a student.
It is also possible to apply for a family visa even if the people live at different addresses. In this case, each person must also provide their own address when filling out the form.
Important information for the US family visa.
Keep in mind that the purpose of a family visa is to facilitate group travel. For this reason, some answers on the online form must be the same for all family members.
For example, everyone must choose the same visa category. The type of visa should be chosen according to the purpose of the trip.
There are American visas for tourists, students, transit, etc. It is also important that the travel plans provided are the same for all family members.
All family members must keep the code generated by the system.
Since the form is filled out individually, the system will generate a code for each applicant. Everyone should keep their own code.
It serves to allow tracking of the processing of each visa application submitted by family members.
How much does it cost to apply for a family visa in the United States?
As we saw earlier, each family member must complete the electronic form individually. Similarly, the visa application fee is also individual.
The fee will vary depending on the visa category requested. Those wishing to apply for a family tourist visa must pay a fee in dollars for each person.
The consular fee for processing a visa is called MRV (Machine Readable Visa), or machine-readable visa in simpler terms, but is popularly known as the consular fee.
The U.S. government does not offer discounts or fee waivers for group visa applications. Therefore, regardless of how many people are applying for the visa, the fee is the same for each person.
How can I pay the family visa processing fee?
The MRV fee can be paid via bank slip. Alternatively, payment can be made by credit card.
The fee is charged in your country’s currency, with the exchange rate converted on the day of payment, and there may be acceptable international currencies too. Keep the payment receipt for all fees safe. You may need to present this document at later stages of the visa application process.
After the fee payment is confirmed, you will be able to schedule an in-person appointment at the Visa Application Center. Don’t forget to also schedule your interview at the American consulate.
Scheduling an appointment is very important for the US family visa.
As you may have noticed, so far the procedure for applying for a family visa is the same as for those wishing to apply for an individual visa.
The secret to obtaining a family visa begins during the scheduling process for your appointment at the Visa Application Center and the American consulate.
Find out what you need to do to get your family visa for the United States.
All family members should schedule the appointment together.
To apply for a family visa, everyone must schedule their in-person appointment together; that is, the entire family must choose the same date and time to go to the Visa Application Center and the American Consulate.
During your visit to the Visa Application Center, your biometric data will be collected. Later, at the consulate, you will conduct an interview.
Children under 13 and seniors over 80 years old need to attend in person.
Documentation for a US family visa
All family members aged fourteen or older must attend the in-person appointment.
Teenagers between the ages of fourteen and eighteen must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
It is important that each person brings their documents when attending the Visa Application Center and the consulate. See the list so you don’t forget anything:
Interview for a US family visa:
Family members have a high probability of participating in group interviews. However, for this to happen, everyone must have their interview scheduled for the same day, location, and time.
The great benefit of the family visa is that the American government official will evaluate the entire family together. This way, it will be easier to prove ties to your country.
This procedure will significantly increase the chances of everyone having their American visa approved.
How to reverse a US visa denial
At first, being denied a US visa might seem like the end of your dream of visiting the United States. But that’s not quite the case. Depending on the reason for the visa refusal, this process can be reversed.
In this article, we’ll explain step-by-step how to try and change this situation and finally take the trip of your dreams. Follow along and discover how to reverse a denied visa to the United States!
What are the most common reasons for visa refusal to the United States?
DS-160 form filled out incorrectly.
This is the most common reason for the denial of a US visa application. The DS-160 form is the main document for obtaining the visa and it needs to be filled out with utmost attention, care, and truthful information.
A single piece of incorrect information or information that does not match the submitted documentation can lead to visa denial. In this case, there is no specific deadline for resubmitting the visa application. Simply correct the error and resubmit the application.
But remember, to reapply, you have to go through the whole process again, including paying the fees. We remind you that the cost of a US visa is already quite high. Therefore, nobody wants to pay that amount twice. It’s better to save it to spend on the trip itself.
Lack of proof of ties to Origin Country(reason 214B)
This is another very common reason for visa denial. It means the Consulate understood that you may not intend to return to your country, either because you don’t have sufficient ties to the country or because you lack the financial means to make the trip.
But what does it mean to not have sufficient ties with ones country?
This means you haven’t presented sufficient reasons to genuinely want to return and live in your country. This could be due to a lack of stable employment, real estate, or a business in your name. It could also mean a lack of family residing in origin country, or a spouse or stable relationship. All of these factors can influence the agent’s decision to grant or deny the visa. Even your age can affect whether your visa is denied due to lack of ties.
How can we reverse this situation?
To reverse this situation, you need to prove that you genuinely have reasons to return to your origin country. Some documents that may help are:
- A statement from your employer confirming your employment and entitlement to vacation time during your intended travel period. You can also include your work permit or recent pay stubs.
- If you are a business owner or part of a company, please present the company’s articles of incorporation (tax ID number).
- Recent Income Tax Returns. If there has been a significant change in your assets, you can submit your last three returns, which shows that you are building your life and assets in your origin country;
- If you are a university student, a statement and transcript from the university attesting that you still have time to complete your course, that you are a diligent student, and that you have good grades;
- Birth certificates of first-degree relatives, i.e., parents, children, siblings, and spouse, if married. In the case of school-age children, a statement from the school confirming that they are enrolled and attending regularly;
- Vehicle registration document and property deeds in your name or your spouse’s name, along with your marriage certificate.
But what if you don’t have a stable job, don’t own property, and don’t plan to buy any in the coming months?
In today’s world and job market, many people work as independent professionals, self-employed individuals, or freelancers. In this case, how can you prove ties to your country, especially if you do a type of work that can be done from anywhere in the world?
Well, one way to prove this is by gathering service contracts with clients. If you are an IT professional, for example, you can gather contracts and statements proving that, even without being formally employed, you regularly provide services to companies.
If you are a healthcare professional, for example, you can prove that you rent a room in a clinic where you practice your profession (this could be a psychologist, nutritionist, dentist, etc.).
If you are a lawyer, you can attach a list of ongoing cases, all in your country of origin, in which you regularly participate.
Even statements from professional bodies, confirming that you are duly registered and up-to-date with your dues, can be helpful.
How long after can I reapply for a visa?
The advice from Consulate officials is that the person should reapply in six months, because before that time the person will hardly have managed to substantially change any aspect of their life that would allow them to obtain the previously denied visa.
This deadline is not mandatory. If any significant change occurs in your life that would allow you to be approved, you may reapply before the deadline they provide.
But if you don’t expect any major changes in your life in the next six months, such as getting married, changing jobs, getting a promotion, buying a property, or starting your own business, you don’t need to wait that long and can restart the process immediately.
But this time you’ll need to pay closer attention to all the details.
Never alter data and information unless you can effectively prove it.
This is a situation that often occurs during the second application and can end up hindering rather than helping.
Often, people think their visa application was denied because they earn too little and end up changing this information on their second application. Never do this unless you can prove it.
Furthermore, do not give out any false information!
That’s because the American Consulate official will compare your two applications, and if the information is very different and you can’t prove the changes, they will think you’re lying to get approved. And, as we said, instead of helping, this will end up hindering you and causing your visa to be denied a second time.
And after this second rejection, obtaining your visa will become even more difficult.
In conclusion, the important thing is not to despair when faced with a denied US visa. Of course, initial discouragement is inevitable, especially for those who have always dreamed of visiting the country. But what you need to do is take a deep breath and be certain that you will be able to reverse the situation.
To do this, you will need to review your documentation and see what else you can add that would be favorable to you, so that your new request is approved.
Can one of the family members participate in the interview individually?
To benefit from the US family visa, it is necessary to appear at the US consulate along with your family.
However, there is a possibility that the American government official will select one of the family members to conduct the interview individually.
Read Also: How to Work in the United States with an H2B Visa Sponsorship
Does a US family visa guarantee approval for all members?
Although a family visa increases the chances of success, there is no guarantee that a person will be able to obtain the visa.
There is a possibility that some family members will have their visas approved while others will have their applications denied.
The consulate is under no obligation to grant visas to everyone, even if the interview is conducted jointly.
One of my family members had their application for a US family visa denied. What should I do?
Unfortunately, it is possible that one or more people may have their family visa denied. However, this does not mean that the person should give up on the trip.
It is possible to reverse a denied visa to the United States. The best course of action is to contact a specialized agency to assist the individual and increase the chances of success.
Who can apply for a US family visa?
This type of visa can be requested by families planning to travel to the United States together. Parents, children, uncles, aunts, nephews, nieces, cousins, and grandparents within the same family can apply for the family visa.
It is not necessary for everyone to live at the same address to apply for this visa. Couples who will be visiting the United States together can also apply for the family visa.
What is the difference between a family visa and an accompanying person visa?
The family visa is suitable for all individuals who will be traveling together.
The dependent visa is granted only to children or spouses of people who are going to study or work in the United States.
The accompanying person visa is not granted to other family members.
Furthermore, the dependent visa is directly linked to the visa of the person who will be working or studying in the United States. The family visa, on the other hand, is granted to each person individually.
What is the best way to obtain a US family visa?
As you can probably tell, the visa application process is bureaucratic and can be quite stressful. Therefore, the best advice to ensure everything goes smoothly is to hire a specialized agency.
