Business Visa USA - Everything You Need To Know - (Indian Passport Holders)

To enter and perform business-related activities in the United States of America, you will need a special permit known as the B1 Visa. This allows for activities such as business meetings, conferences, client meetings, inquiries and so on.  However, for citizens from one of the countries that have a VWP (Visa Waiver Program), they do not need a visa to enter the country. They will be permitted to stay in America for a duration of maximum 90 days. However, since India does not come under this, it is mandatory to get a US Business visa for Indian Citizens travelling to the US. The permit is issued in the form of a stamp in the passport, and the US Business Visa validity ranges from 6 months to 10 years depending on the decision of the consular officer. However, the time for which you can stay in the country in one entry depends on the US Business Visa duration permitted as per the Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) officials at your port of entry into the country.  

The application for the US Business Visa from India is a tedious process and requires careful planning. Therefore before reading the process on how to get business visa for USA from India, it is necessary to ensure that you are eligible for the permit and that it is the ideal type of visa for your visit. You can then proceed to the following steps - 

1. Make sure that you have all the business visa USA documents required.
2. Visit the US Department of State Consular Electronic Application Center (CEAC) website, and fill in your details in the DS-160 form. Make a note of the DS-160 form barcode as you will need it for the rest of the procedure.
3. You should then proceed to pay the application fees. Make a note of the receipt number.
4. Log on to your account and proceed to book your appointments. You will have to book 2 appointments. The first one is for the biometric submission at one of the five VACs, and the second one is for your interview at the US Embassy or Consulate. The B1 Visa interview questions will be based on your application, purpose, duration, etc. 
5. On the day of your first appointment, visit your VAC along with a passport, appointment confirmation page, and a DS-160 confirmation page. You will be subjected to a fingerprint scan, and a digital photo will be taken.
6. For your visa interview, you will have to visit the embassy or consulate along with a valid passport, appointment confirmation page, and the VAC stamped DS-160 page. 

Your B1 visa validity will vary on your interview at the embassy. You will have to convince them that you are planning to stay in the country only for a specific temporary period and that you have the funds required for this.

Note:- The visa interview is not required for people who have had their Business Visa for USA expire in the last 12 months and are visiting the country with the same type of visa. However, in special cases, you may be required to attend to biometrics and give an interview.

The American business visa application form has to be filled correctly. The documents that are submitted have to be valid and legitimate. Any errors in the application can cause a delay in your visa processing. Alternately, fake or invalid documents can get your application rejected. A visa denial is an important issue and can deem you ineligible for other visas.

To be able to apply for a permit, you will have to meet the B1 visa requirements as mentioned below - 

• You must possess a passport valid for at least 6 months from the date of travel.
• You must be able to prove to the consular officer that your purpose of the visit is to perform business-related activities such as negotiating contracts, trade fairs, conferences, etc
• You should have sufficient funds to support your stay.
• Proof that you have a residence in India or other binding ties that will ensure that your return to India.

The documents required for US business visa are as follows - 

• Original Passport
• 2 Photos 
• Covering letter from the Indian company
• Invitation letter or Proof of conference/meeting
• Proof of sufficient funds - Bank Statements, Tax records
• Proof of employment - 

• •  If employed 
    • Employment contract copy or Employee ID card copy
    • Letter from employer stating sanction of leave for the travel period
    • NOC (No objection certificate) from the company
  • If self-employed

• • • A copy of the business license
    • Copy in the commerce register or as a partner in a company

• • If student

• • • Letter granting leave for the travel period, or NOC 
    • Proof of admission

• • If retired

• • • Pension statement of the latest 6 months
    • Copy of Retirement letter/relieving letter

• • • Travel itinerary
    • Proof of return - to ensure that you will return to India after your study such as rental agreements, proof of bank accounts in India, affidavit from your parents, etc. 

• Dimensions:  50mm X 50mm
• Colour: Coloured
• Recently taken
• Background: plain white
• Must have 70% face coverage
• Facial expression: neutral
• Eyes directed towards the camera and wide open 
• Glasses: allowed for medical reasons only
• Uniforms are not permitted
• Headgears: allowed only for religious reasons
• Facial hair is permitted.

The Business Visa for USA is normally processed within 7-10 working days. However, these are almost certain to vary based on any additional procedures required, the validity of the permit, volume of applications at the specific embassy or consulate, and so on. Apart from this, you will have to take into account the high wait time for scheduling an interview. It is therefore advised to apply as early as possible, but not more than 3 months.

The total cost depends on several aspects such as biometric fees, service charges, etc. The fees also can be changed by the embassy or consulate without any prior notice, and therefore is the applicant’s responsibility to check the fees before applying. 

Once you have submitted your application, your B1 visa will arrive as per the processing time. During this, you can check your US Business Visa status. This can be done in multiple ways. One method is to visit the CEAC website and use the interview location, and DS-160 form number to view it. Or, you can email at ‘passportstatus@ustraveldocs.com’ with your passport number.

On successful approval of your permit, you will have to be aware of the following points before and during your travel in the United States.

• Before travelling, assure that you carry all the necessary travel documents, along with your visa.
• The CBP officials at the port of entry decide the duration you can stay in the US on one entry.
• Be aware of your visa validity and duration.
• The permit does not guarantee you entry into the country. The US CBP officials at the port of entry have the authority to permit or deny you entry.
• While you are on a Business Visa for USA, you cannot take up a work or employment position.
• You should follow US laws while you are in the country.
• A US B1 Visa is valid till the visa expiry date. Even if the passport has expired in this time, you can enter the country using a new passport and valid visa in the old passport.