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发信人: bos (大侠), 信区: AdvancedEdu
标  题: 商务和探亲签证技巧(Tips for Visitor visas)
发信站: BBS 水木清华站 (Mon Jul 13 22:30:12 1998) WWW-POST

TIPS FOR U.S. VISAS:
               Visitors - Business and Pleasure

Generally, a citizen of a foreign country who
wishes to enter the United States must first
obtain a visa, either a nonimmigrant visa for
temporary stay, or an immigrant visa for
permanent residence. The "visitor" visa is a
nonimmigrant visa for persons desiring to
enter the United States temporarily for
business (B-1) or for pleasure or medical
treatment (B-2). Persons planning to travel
to the U.S. for a different purpose such as
students, temporary workers, crewmen,
journalists, etc., must apply for a
different visa in
the appropriate category. The consular officer
can provide additional information.
Travelers from certain eligible countries
may also be able to visit the U.S. without a visa
on the Visa Waiver Pilot Program. (See later in
this document for further details.)

QUALIFYING FOR A VISA

Applicants for visitor visas must show
that they qualify under provisions of the
Immigration and Nationality Act. The
presumption in the law is that every visitor visa
applicant is an intending immigrant.
Therefore, applicants for visitor visas must
overcome this presumption by demonstrating that:

-- The purpose of their trip is to enter the U.S.
for business, pleasure, or medical
treatment;

-- That they plan to remain for
a specific, limited period; and

-- That they have a residence outside
the U.S. as well as other binding ties which will
insure their return abroad at the end of the visit.

VISA INELIGIBILITY/ WAIVER

The nonimmigrant visa application Form
OF-156 lists classes of persons who are
ineligible under U.S. law to receive
visas. In some instances an applicant who is
ineligible, but who is otherwise properly
classifiable as a visitor, may apply for a waiver
of ineligibility and be issued a
visa if the waiver is approved.

APPLYING FOR A VISITOR VISA

Applicants for visitor visas should
generally apply at the American Embassy or
Consulate with jurisdiction over their
place of permanent residence. Although visa
applicants may apply at any U.S. consular
office abroad, it may be more difficult to
qualify for the visa outside the
country of permanent residence.

Required Documentation

Each applicant for a visitor visa
must pay a nonrefundable US$45
application fee and submit:

1) An application Form OF-156, completed
and signed. Blank forms are available
without charge at all U.S. consular offices;

2) A passport valid for travel to the
United States and with a
validity date at least six
months beyond the applicant's intended
period of stay in the United States. If more than
one person is included in the passport, each
person desiring a visa must make an
application;

3) Two photographs 1 and 1/2 inches square
(37x37 mm) for each applicant, showing
full face, without head
covering, against a light background.

Optional Documentation

Applicants must demonstrate that they are
properly classifiable as visitors under U.S.
law. Evidence which shows the purpose of
the trip, intent to depart the United States,
and arrangements made to cover the costs of
the trip may be provided. It is impossible
to specify the exact form the evidence should
take since applicants' circumstances vary
greatly.

Persons traveling to the U.S. on business can
present a letter from the U.S. business
firm indicating the purpose of the trip, the
bearer's intended length of stay and the firm's
intent to defray travel costs.

Persons traveling to the U.S. for pleasure
may use letters from relatives or friends in the
U.S. whom the applicant plans to visit or
confirmation of participation in a planned tour.

Persons traveling to the U.S. for medical
treatment should have a statement from a
doctor or institution concerning proposed medical treatment.

Those applicants who do not have sufficient
funds to support themselves while in the
U.S. must present convincing evidence that
an interested person will provide support.
Visitors are not permitted to accept
employment during their stay in the U.S. Depending
on individual circumstances, applicants may
provide other evidence substantiating the
trip's purpose and specifying the nature
of binding obligations, such as family ties or
employment, which would compel their return abroad.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

A person whose passport contains a previously
issued visitor visa should inquire about
special expedited procedures available at
most consular offices for issuance of a new
visitor visa.

Unless previously canceled, a visa is valid
until its expiration date. Therefore, if the
traveler has a valid U.S. visitor visa in an
expired passport, he or she may use it along
with a new valid passport for travel and
admission to the United States.

If there is a fee for issuance of the visa,
it is equal as nearly as possible to the fee
charged to United States citizens by the
applicant's country of nationality.

Applicants for visitor visas should not find
it necessary to employ persons to assist them
in preparing documents or securing access
to the U.S. consular office.

Attempting to obtain a visa by the willful
misrepresentation of a material fact, or fraud,
may result in the permanent refusal of a
visa or denial of entry into the United States.

If the consular officer should find it
necessary to deny the issuance of a visitor visa, the
applicant may apply again if there is
new evidence to overcome the basis for the
refusal. In the absence of new evidence,
consular officers are not obliged to re-examine
such cases.

U.S. PORT OF ENTRY

Applicants should be aware that a visa
does not guarantee entry into the United States.
The U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service
(INS) has authority to deny admission.
Also, the period for which the bearer of a
visitor visa is authorized to remain in the
United States is determined by the INS, not
the consular officer. At the port of entry, an
INS official must authorize the traveler's
admission to the U.S. At that time the INS Form
I-94, Record of Arrival-Departure, which notes
the length of stay permitted, is validated.
Those visitors who wish to stay beyond the time
indicated on their Form I-94 must
contact the INS to request Form I-539,
Application to Extend Status. The decision to
grant or deny a request for extension of stay
is made solely by the INS.

VISA WAIVER PILOT PROGRAM

Travelers coming to the U.S. for tourism
or business for 90 days or less from qualified
countries may be eligible to visit the U.S.
without a visa. Currently, 26 countries
participate in the Visa Waiver Pilot Program:
Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Austria,
Belgium, Brunei, Denmark, Finland, France,
Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan,
Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, the
Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, San
Marino, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland,
and the United Kingdom. Visitors
entering on the Visa Waiver Pilot Program
cannot work or study while in the U.S. and
cannot stay longer than 90 days or change
their status to another category.

FURTHER INQUIRIES

Questions on visa application procedures
and ineligibilities should be made to the
American consular office abroad by the applicant.

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Bureau of Consular Affairs
Visa Services
February 1998

Visa Services

--
A bug is something that does not do what you thought it would do.

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