Ease of getting tourist visa to the States

[Patty_O_Furniture]

Keeping in mind that the sum total of my knowledge on immigration to the USA was learned by watching the Coneheads movie…

Is there a place where I can find out the relative ease of obtaining a visitor visa to the States? In chatting with friends around the world it seems like the process takes days in some countries, and weeks or months in others. I’ve also heard different stories from different people in the same country. One of my friends in Thailand says it’s easy, another says nearly impossible. I know that there is a group of 35 or so countries that are exempt from the B2 visa requirement, and lets leave those out for now.

I’ve read over the process and requirements for obtaining a visa, but it doesn’t seem to mention why some foreign nationals can get visas more easily than others.

Thanks.

[WormTheRed]

I’m Icelandic and when I went to the States I got to fill out a fun form on the plane. As long as I promised that I wasn’t a Nazi War Criminal or general terrorist, I was fine.

ETA: That was in -98, but my friends who have visited after that report the same.

[Nava]

It varies a lot by country of origin. Some countries have agreements by which the visa is pretty much automatic or you don’t even need to ask for one (you do have to submit some information beforehand, nowadays, but that didn’t even use to be necessary, a few years back nationals of those countries just got on a plane and headed for the US with their passports).

If you’re from a country which is viewed as “problematic” or which simply doesn’t have such agreements, you’ll have to jump through more hoops than someone from a country with those treaties.

[Driver8]

@WormTheRed

I’m Icelandic and when I went to the States I got to fill out a fun form on the plane. As long as I promised that I wasn’t a Nazi War Criminal or general terrorist, I was fine.

ETA: That was in -98, but my friends who have visited after that report the same.

It doesn’t sound like you needed a visa (involving applying before you leave, interviews, etc). I assume Iceland is part of the visa waiver program?

This will differ from country to country. Here is a quote from the United States Diplomatic Mission to South Africa:

How do consular officials determine whether I am eligible to receive a U.S. visa?

There are numerous grounds of ineligibility that can prevent or significantly delay issuance of an individual’s visa. For a list of each of these, please refer to the Department of State’s list of ineligibilities.

The most common ground of ineligibility, however, is that an applicant failed to demonstrate that his/her visit to the United States would be only temporary in nature. Section 214(b) of the U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act requires consular officers to view every visa applicant as an intending immigrant until the applicant proves otherwise. To qualify for a visitor or student (nonimmigrant) visa under Section 214(b), applicants have to show that they have a permanent residence and other ties abroad that would compel them to leave the United States at the end of a temporary stay. The law places this burden of proof on the applicant.

Permanent residence and strong ties differ from country to country, city to city and individual to individual. Some examples of ties can be a job, a house, a family, and a bank account. “Ties” are the various aspects of your life that bind you to your country of residence: your possessions, employment, social and family relationships.

During the visa interview, consular officers look at each applicant individually and consider professional, social, cultural and other factors. In cases of younger applicants who may not have had an opportunity to form many ties, consular officers may look at the applicant’s specific intentions, family situations, and long range plans and prospects within his or her country of residence. Each case is examined individually and is accorded every consideration under the law.

This corresponds to my experience a long time ago. They were very interested in evidence of strong ties to family / work / etc in South Africa. While they typically have a list of required documents anything you can provide or say that gives them the impression you are actually going to go home is helpful. As someone I know found out, “I’m going to visit my girlfriend” is not a helpful reason to give for visiting the United States on a non-immigrant visa.

[WormTheRed]

@Driver8

It doesn’t sound like you needed a visa (involving applying before you leave, interviews, etc). I assume Iceland is part of the visa waiver program?

Quite correct. So are the other Nordic countries.

[Duckster]

@Patty_O_Furniture

I’ve read over the process and requirements for obtaining a visa, but it doesn’t seem to mention why some foreign nationals can get visas more easily than others.

Thanks.

You do realize the link you provided is a private web site not affiliated with the US Government, don’t you? That site has its own vested interest which may not coincide with official government policies.

I suggest you visit the horse’s mouth —> Home | USCIS

[Pleonast]

It also depends on the person applying for the visa. One of my Korean sisters in law was refused a visa because she was just out of college, unemployed, unmarried and had no significant assets. That triggered their “likely to overstay a visa” alarm. If you don’t have “strong connections” to your home country, expect to get extra scrutiny.