US visa is one of the most sought-after commodities on the planet. Because the USA is one of the most beautiful places on earth. From California to Washington, Florida to Utah, and every city in between, every traveler’s dream is to step on US soil one day.
Unfortunately, a US visa is one of the hardest to obtain. Unless you’re a citizen of one of the visa-free countries, there’s no guarantee you’ll land a US visa when you apply for one.
However, there are some steps you can follow to increase your chances. Please keep reading to find out about them.
US Visa Approval via the ESTA Application Route
The first and the surest way to land a US visa is to follow the ESTA USA route.
What is the ESTA USA?
ESTA USA is known as the Electronic System for Travel Authorization. It’s a travel permit program that allows the citizens of certain countries to enter the US on a visa-free basis.
ESTA USA is not an outright visa scheme. It’s more of a travel permit than an immigration visa. Hence, you won’t find it in any significant US visa categorization.
ESTA USA was introduced to make the US travels easy for the citizens of the countries listed below. You’ll likely get your permit approved anytime you apply for ESTA if you’re from these countries.
How does the ESTA USA program work?
ESTA application works similarly to the traditional visa applications process. Like the latter, you’ll have to submit your documents, pay an ESTA application fee, and then wait for your decision letter.
If your ESTA application is approved, you’ll get an email to that effect. If denied, you’ll get an email, too. However, in the case of ESTA status denial, you may need to apply for a regular US visa if you’re still interested in traveling to the US.
What other details surround the ESTA USA visa waiver program?
When your ESTA application is approved, you become qualified to enter the USA anytime you want for business, tourism, and transit. Per visit, an ESTA application qualifies you to stay back in the USA for a maximum duration of 90 days. After this, travelers are demanded to exit the country, although they can return after reapplying for another ESTA USA.
Alternatives to ESTA USA
If you’re not from one of the USA’s Visa Waiver Program countries, you won’t qualify for ESTA USA. In that case, you need unique strategies to beat the US immigration system. Below are some tested and proven methods. Also, if you apply for ESTA USA but get denied, you can use the strategies below to improve your chances with the immigration office when applying for a regular visa.
- Boost your travel history one of the reasons the US embassy denies visas is because they fear applicants may not wish to return to their countries.
The US is such a beautiful space that it can be hard to get travelers out once they’re in. Everybody wants to stay back and live a beautiful American life.
Whether you submit a study visa, work permit, or tourism visa application, it’s normal for the US consular office to view you in this light.
The question then is, how can you convince them you’re different? It’s simple. Get a rich travel history. A rich travel history is when your passport shows that you’ve been to several countries worldwide. And on every occasion, you’ve always returned to your home country.
It’s easier to believe that a professor who’s taught in several universities worldwide will return to their homeland if granted a US visa than one who only worked there. Also, a tourist who’s seen hundreds of cities worldwide is less likely to stay in the US than one who’s never stepped out of their home country.
- Having a solid employment status
Holding a good job position in your home country is a good indicator that you won’t overstay your welcome in the US if given a visa.
As with travel history, showcasing a current employment status will not make the US embassy stamp your passport. However, it’s a giant step in the right direction. For all the embassy knows, someone with a stable employment situation in their home country and a solid income is less likely to jump at a new job offer in the US.
To prove you’ve got a stable job, you must provide a Certificate of Employment stating your job position, start date, monthly salary, and leave certification. Attaching this evidence to your documents can go a long way in assuaging any pre-meditated fears an embassy official may have about people from your country.
- Showcasing strong family obligations
Another great point you can make is a family obligation. If you can prove to the consular officer that you’ve got an aging parent in need of attention and care, a family business to come back to, a child to raise in school, a wife to be responsible for, or a seasonal family obligation to fulfill, they’ll view your application with lesser suspicion.
The officials believe that most travelers won’t want to return to their home country. However, it will be hard to imagine a world where you won’t want to return when they see how strong your family ties are.
Imagine yourself being a US embassy official. You’ve got every proof you need to feel confident in the applicant’s likelihood of leaving the US. Then in one of the applications you’re reviewing, you see an applicant claiming they have a booming family business to return to after their US visit. How would you feel about such an application?
- Asset ownership
Imagine you have hundreds of thousands of dollars in investments or that you have multi-million dollars worth of real estate assets in your home country. Will you travel to the US and not return to your homeland?
I strongly doubt that. That’s precisely how the US embassy would feel about your application if you could showcase proof of asset ownership.
It should be noted that proof of property and asset ownership is different from the regular financial capability proof requested to affirm you can support your visit financially.
We’re trying to make here that attaching a property title (e.g., a Certificate of ownership) is a great way to boost your chances of visa approval.
- Community or voluntary engagements
Belonging to a social group or a community project is a solid indicator of strong ties to your home country. Suppose you can provide documents to show that you’re currently a part of an ongoing project or a seasonal voluntary exercise in your home country. In that case, this may help reassure the consular officer of your intentions to leave the USA.
For instance, imagine you’re applying for a US study visa for the honors of a Master’s degree in environmental science in a college in the USA. Attaching a document that shows your involvement with an ongoing community environmental development project in your home country can prove to the consular officer that you won’t overstay your welcome in the US.
