Keep these nearby
Use these as references while preparing. This is not a complete list of documents required for your interview.
- A simple outline of the intended visit
- Current host or accommodation information, if available
- Your work, education, and previous travel records
- A factual record of savings or support intended for the trip
Explain the visit in ordinary language
B-2 guidance covers tourism, visits to friends or relatives, and other specified visitor activities. A holiday and a family visit can both be part of one trip. Medical treatment has additional documentation considerations and deserves specific preparation.
Use the actual reason for travel. A family celebration does not need to be recast as sightseeing to sound more acceptable. Likewise, do not invent a family event when the plan is simply a holiday.
State Department: tourism and visits State Department: visitor visas
Separate intended arrangements from confirmed bookings
Prepare the dates and accommodation you genuinely intend, then check the wording of the form’s travel-plan questions. An estimated plan should not be represented as a paid booking.
If a relative is hosting you, verify their current address and how the relationship should be described. If your intended accommodation changes, review the affected details. A city you once visited is not automatically your destination for this trip.
Say who will actually pay
A person can receive support for a visit without treating every expense as their own savings. Write down which costs you will cover and which someone else will cover, then answer the relevant questions truthfully.
Do not invent a minimum bank balance. Official visitor guidance discusses ability to cover costs and individual circumstances, not a universal savings figure that guarantees a visa. An invitation letter is not generally required.
Keep your personal circumstances accurate
Prepare your current work or study details as they stand today. Retirement, a career break, or family responsibilities should not be replaced with a fictional job. Where an explanation is requested, use concrete facts.
Check dates of prior visits against your own records before submitting. If you are unsure about a past immigration event, find the relevant documents and get help understanding the question. A later successful trip does not make an earlier event disappear.
A family visit with shared expenses
Fictional example: Noor plans to visit her sister for two weeks. Noor pays for her flights, and her sister provides accommodation. Noor describes that arrangement directly. She does not call the whole visit “self-funded” merely because she purchases the airfare.
Before you submit
- The stated purpose describes my real visit.
- Proposed dates and accommodation are not presented as invented bookings.
- The funding arrangement is understandable.
- My current occupation and travel history come from my own records.
Use English except where the form requests your native alphabet. Save your application ID, review every answer, and keep the submitted confirmation page. Follow your consulate’s instructions for corrections and appointments.
Common questions
Must I buy flights before applying?
The State Department advises applicants not to buy tickets or make final travel plans until a visa is issued.
Should I hide that I am visiting relatives?
No. Answer the travel and family questions accurately. A guide can help organize facts; it should never supply a more convenient personal history.
Official sources and scope
Published by DS160Review. Official rules are linked beside the relevant guidance; organization tips and fictional examples are our practical suggestions. This article provides general information, not legal advice, an eligibility decision, or a prediction of a visa outcome.
- State Department: tourism and visits
- State Department: visitor visas
- State Department: DS-160 frequently asked questions
Instructions can change and local procedures vary. Ask the school, program sponsor, employer’s immigration team, or qualified immigration counsel about unresolved questions in your circumstances.