I got a U.S. visa, and I have been going back and forth for 10 years.
If you also want to do it yourself, and it's the first time, it's worth taking 5 minutes to take a look at this note of mine.
Step 1: Fill out the DS160 form online. Where to find it? I entered this website: https://ceac.state.gov/genniv/, click on it, and see this interface:
Choose where to apply for your visa first, such as Beijing or Guangzhou.
Test photos: Upload photos to try, and upload them if they pass.
Then, select START AN APPLICATION TO START FILLING OUT THE FORM.
Note 1: Preparation before filling in the form. The process of filling out the form takes a long time, as fast as two hours. But every 20 minutes or so, the table will automatically close (time out), and you will have to bring up the table again. In order to improve the efficiency of filling in the form, make the following preparations before filling in the form:
(1) Photograph, U.S. visa photo, Bose background, 50x50 mm. Be sure to request an electronic version and upload an electronic version (less than 240KB) when filling out the form.
(2) Travel plan, fill in the form need relevant information: which day to depart, which flight to take, which city to arrive in the United States, which day to depart, which flight, from which city, residence address in the United States, such as the name of the hotel to stay, the detailed address of the hotel. (Just check the information, no reservation is required, and there is no need to provide a reservation form)
(3) Think of a contact person in the United States, name, address, detailed residential address, which company you work for, and contact number. I really don't have a contact person, so fill in the name, address and phone number of the hotel where you plan to stay, which can be found on Ctrip.
(4) If you have been to the United States before, you need to find that visa and ask to fill in the visa number, which is the red 8-digit number at the bottom right of the visa page.
Note 2: During the process of filling out the form, you will be asked to select a security question. For example, grandfather's name, the city where you know your partner, and so on. You have to choose a simple answer. Because this is a key to open this form. Every time you open the form, fill in this answer to confirm that it is you. As long as you answer the security questions, you will have to use the "key" to open the form many times.
Note 3: There is a question "Purpose of the Trip to the U.S.", which gives more than a dozen for you to choose, but you can't find the travel item. It turns out that you need to open "TEMP. BUSINESS PLEASURE VISITOR" and then click "Specify" before "TOURISM" appears.
Don't think that once the form is filled out and submitted, you can wait for the notice to go to the interview. No! You have to take the initiative to pay the visa fee and make an appointment for the interview.
Note 4: Payment of the visa fee and appointment of the interview are done on another website (Visa Application Center of the U.S. Embassy in Beijing) at the following address:
http://www.ustraveldocs.com
Once you're in this URL, you'll see:
Click "Login", then "New User" to create an account. Then follow the prompts and you will be taken to the interface to pay the visa fee. You can use a credit card, Alipay, or at a bank. Alipay of my choice. The visa fee is 1387.50 yuan. The system pops up a QR code, and it is done by scanning it with Alipay. Then you will be guided to the appointment interface, select a date that can be reserved, print out the appointment confirmation notice, and use it during the interview.
Note 5: Do not bring mobile phones into the embassy during the interview, and the mobile phone is stored in a bag storage office opposite the embassy (in the case of the Beijing embassy). So it is recommended that you bring a bag and put your phone in your bag, otherwise there is only a slippery mobile phone and hand it over to someone, isn't it very apprehensive? Also, it's best to prepare 30 yuan in cash (bag deposit), otherwise, you give the bag to others, and then say wait a minute, take out the phone to pay the fee, and then stuff the phone back into the bag in full view, anyway, I feel very uncomfortable.
Note 6: Interview
First of all, don't be nervous, be natural, and be generous. If you are traveling, the visa officer will ask questions in Chinese, so don't worry about your English; If you're studying abroad, he'll ask questions in English, so try to keep the language organization a little bit loose. If it goes well, it will tell you directly that it has passed, and the passport will be left behind, and you will be given a receipt.
I feel that this paragraph is very loose and friendly. A friend of mine has a blank passport, has never been anywhere, does not speak English at all, and has also obtained a multiple-time visa for ten years. I was only planning a short-term trip, and I gave it more than 10 years.
Materials to bring:
(1) Required:
passport
Appointment Notification
Form 160 Submission Confirmation Notice
The visa fee receipt number
(2) Those who are likely to be asked to present:
identity card
Hukou booklet
Old passport (if you've been to the U.S. before)
Half a year's bank statement
(3) May help:
Title Deed
A certificate of deposit
Driving permit
Family photo
Trip planning
Photos of foreign travel
Family photo
Photo? Say no explicitly
Airline tickets, hotel reservations? Nothing like that.
Other? In my case, none of the categories (2) and (3) are used.
Note 7: If you choose to pick up your passport at a designated place (usually the nearest CITIC Bank branch to your home), remember to bring 77 yuan in cash (service fee), they only accept cash, not WeChat payment. In addition, the passport collection notice given to you by the embassy is a generic version and does not contain any personal information about you. After the passport arrives at China CITIC Bank, you will receive a pickup notification in your email address, where the passport number and AWB number are the required information when picking up the passport.
If you have any questions, please feel free to discuss them, and share your experiences.