If you are planning a vacation to the USA, then there are many ways to get a US visa. One of the easiest and fastest ways is to apply for a transit visa. A transit visa can be obtained at many places around the world where the USA has an embassy.
Travelling to the US is everybody’s dream. But not all travellers are lucky enough to travel on a business or leisure trip. Many students, researchers, foreign workers, etc., who have to go to the USA on a short-term basis for their family vacation, official work/business trip, conferences, etc. In such cases, a transit visa is required by them as they need to fly from one country to another occasionally, either via the USA or any transiting country in order to reach the final destination. The advantage of having a transit visa is that you don’t have to apply for the visa every time you need to go from one place to another.
Many people may not be familiar with the transit visa and how it can be applied for. A transit visa is usually issued to people who are staying in a foreign country or territory for a short period of time, both by air and by land, while they are making their way to another country where they have permanent residence. This is often referred to as “visa-free travel.”
From times immemorial, people all over the world have been travelling from one place to other for different reasons. Even today, we find people engaged in different kinds of travels. At present, we are mostly found traveling from one country to another in various ways. The latest and the quickest is through airways, even if it is a little expensive.
Eligibility for US Transit Visa
In order to be able to apply for the transit permits, you will have to meet certain eligibility criteria as required by the US embassy –
- You must possess a passport valid for at least 6 months from the date of entry.
- You must apply for a visa from India.
- You must be only passing through the US on your way to your final destination (a third country).
- You must have no intentions of taking part in tourism or business. For this, you will require a B1/B2 visa.
For the D or C1/D visa, you must be one of the following –
- Flight attendant or pilot on a commercial aircraft
- Captain, deckhand, or engineer on a vessel
- Lifeguard, waiter, cook, or other supporting staff on a cruise
- Trainee on board a training vessel
How to apply for US Transit Visa?
The application for the US transit visa from India is done through the US embassy and consulates. The US transit visa application form is the DS-160 form (Non-Immigrant). The application process can be explained as below –
- Visit the US Department of State Consular Electronic Application Center (CEAC) website, and fill in your details in the DS-160 form. Make a note of the DS-160 form barcode as you will need it for the rest of the procedure.
- Proceed to pay the application fees. Make a note of the receipt number.
- Log on to your account and proceed to book your appointments. You will have to book 2 appointments. The first one is for the biometric submission at one of the five VACs, and the second one is for your interview at the US Embassy or Consulate.
- On the day of your first appointment, visit your VAC along with a passport, appointment confirmation page, documents, and a DS-160 confirmation page. You will be subjected to a fingerprint scan, and a digital photo will be taken.
- For your visa interview, you will have to visit the embassy or consulate along with a valid passport, documents, appointment confirmation page, and the VAC stamped DS-160 page.
Note that the application form has to be filled correctly. The documents that are submitted have to be valid and legitimate. Fake or invalid documents can get your application rejected. A visa denial can deem you ineligible for other US visas as well.
USA Transit Visa Categories
There are 3 types in which a transit visa is issued. These can be mentioned as follows –
- C Category – This category is issued for people who have a flight or ship layover in the United States.
- D Category – This permit is issued for crew members of commercial ships or international aircraft who have to travel through the US on their normal operations.
- C-1/D Category – In certain cases, the C1 and D are combined and issued. This happens when the person has to enter the US first before boarding the aircraft or vessel to travel through the US.
US Transit Visa Requirements
As per the requirements, the following are the documents required for US transit visa –
C1 –
- DS-160 application form.
- A valid passport which has at least one blank page.
- One photograph as per the specifications
- Transit visa fee payment receipt.
- Visa or permit for the country of final destination.
- Proof of sufficient funds to cover expenses during the transit.
- Proof of return to your home country after the stay in the US.
D or C1/D –
- DS-160 application form.
- A valid passport which has at least one blank page.
- One photograph as per the specifications
- Transit visa fee payment receipt.
- Covering letter from your employer, explaining the details and purpose of the visit.
- Proof of return to your home country after the stay in the US.
- Continuous Discharge Certificate (CDC).
- Copies of your work record from the employer.
- Travel authorization from the company.
Conclusion
The website provides all the information about the immigration process in USA. The website inform the Indian travellers about how and where to apply for their immigration and visa requirements to travel, visit and work in USA and also inform them about the eligibility criteria as well as the procedure for applying for a travel visa for visiting America.We are so glad about your visit to our website and hope that your visit is helpful and informative.