USA Visa

ESTA replaces the classic visa for the USA

The visa for the USA is now issued in the form of an electronic entry permit. This is called ESTA. Short for Electronic System for Travel Authorization. Applying for an ESTA, unlike the classic USA visa, is exclusively online. The online visa is available to you if you are traveling to the USA for touristic or business reasons and if you are a national of a country that is eligible for ESTA. The latter applies among others to Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.

Which visa do you need?

ESTA

Tourist visa

The classic visa for the USA

A US visa for the United States is always required when you are not eligible for ESTA or your travel intent is neither tourist nor business. Additionally, regardless of the purpose of the trip, a visa is generally required for stays exceeding 90 days. For example, if you plan to work in the USA as an au pair looking after children, work in another position locally, or permanently immigrate to live with your partner, you definitely need a valid US visa.

Visa for the USA

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Find out the visa price for your citizenship

The USA distinguishes between non-immigrant visas and immigrant visas. A non-immigrant visa allows entry for a limited period. It is available to students, journalists, or scientists, for example. You can find out who is eligible for a non-immigrant visa from the list below. There you will also find further information on immigrant visas, which allow permanent residence in the USA.

B-1/B-2 Visa – also known as visitor visas, suitable for temporary stays for tourist or business purposes
C – transit visa for transit purposes
C1/D – for crew members of aircraft and ship crews
E-1/E-2 – corresponds to trade or investor visas
I – is the abbreviation for the journalist visa
F – denotes the student visa
J – is intended for exchange students
M – allows participation in non-academic or vocational programs
H – is intended for professionals with specialist occupations, temporary or seasonal activities, and trainees.
L – to be selected for an internal company transfer of a workforce to the USA.
O – applies to individuals with exceptional qualifications in the fields of science, education, arts, sports, or business.
P – can be applied for by athletes (sportspeople) and entertainment artists (from groups) with international recognition.
Q – issued by consulates to participants in international exchange programs.
K – denotes the so-called fiancé visa, intended for foreigners planning to marry a US citizen in the USA
R – is a visa for the exercise of religious professions.

Those planning to emigrate permanently to the USA need an immigrant visa, which is divided into two types:

Immigration through family reunification
employment-based immigration.

Requirements for Visa Issuance

The requirements for a visa application vary depending on the type of visa that matches your travel intent. Particular attention should be paid to the documents required. For non-immigrant visas, a birth certificate, a police clearance certificate, and sufficient financial means for your visit intentions are always required. Individuals, for instance, who want to participate in exchange programs in the USA, are also obliged to register in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS).

Basically, it is important that you truthfully state your primary travel intention in the visa application and apply for a corresponding visa. Otherwise, the border officials will refuse you entry.

Tips for Applying for a US Visa

There are differences in the visa application process depending on whether you are applying for an immigrant or non-immigrant visa.

Immigrant Visa

In the case of an application for an immigrant visa, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (short: USCIS) and the National Visa Center (short: NVC) are responsible. Submit an application for immigration to these two agencies and pay the visa fee. Undergo the required medical checks and schedule an interview appointment at a consulate in your home country, e.g., at the Consulate General in Frankfurt a. M.

Non-immigrant Visa

You can fill out the application for a non-immigrant visa online. Afterwards, you must pay the necessary visa fee. Only then can you schedule an appointment for a personal appearance at the embassy or a consulate (Berlin, Frankfurt, or Munich). Then bring all required documents to the interview appointment.

Which consulate processes which type of visa?

Berlin (all visas except K, E-1, and E-2)
Frankfurt a. M. (all visas except A, G, and NATO visas)
Munich (all visas except K, E-1, E-2, A, G, and NATO visas)

We help: our service for you

For the traditional USA Visa, an interview at the embassy or consulate is always required. Therefore, we can only support your visa application to a limited extent. We are happy to take care of properly filling out all required documents for you and arranging your interview appointment at an authority closest to your residence. Consequently, you only need to appear in person.

If you are eligible for ESTA and are planning a tourist or business trip of up to 90 days to the USA, we are happy to handle the complete ESTA application for you.