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Immigration Visa for USA

The US has slightly different arrangements for the air passengers visiting it. This is relatively different from most of the other countries from any of the seven continents. The passengers must enter the US without arranging for an onward ticket for their final destination in some other country. And then, the visitor is required to go ahead with the visa applications as if he is a US-resident. Then, the usual proceedings being which include presenting passport while dealing with the customs and then, get checked by the security system before embarking upon the journey. It is advisable to avoid choosing a connecting flight at a time close to your arrival as these procedures are usually time-consuming.

Visas and Passports

The two pre-requisite documents before any foreign trip are passport and visa. Passports issue depends on the natives' own country's ministry dealing with foreign affairs. This is very very country specific exercise.

The details regarding applying for a visa for a visit to US can be collected from the website of the state department of US. Basically, a visa is a document confirming your identity, your purpose of visit to America and your itinerary as well since the day or arrival and day of leaving the country needs to be decided beforehand and mentioned in the application form. The form should be filled by the applicant and submitted to the US embassy in his country.

The application usually gets approved (upto 75% of them are accepted) and the percentage is even higher for student visas. Even after the approval of visa, a visitor can be held at the port-of entry because the officer in charge there confirms your entry in the country. Though rarely is a traveler held at the borders, yet the decision of the officer is final.

US had also started a Visa Waiver Program under which any of the 27 Western European countries' citizen does not visa to visit US if his duration of stay is lesser than 90 days. Under this program, you are required to carry your passport in a format which is machine readable i.e. letters in two lines and the numbers only to be seen along the bottom of the page with your photograph. The newly issued passports also contain a chip in them for ease in identification. This program does not allow you to appeal if you are denied entry in the state by the immigration officer due to any reason the latter finds relevant.

While entering the US, information about the immigrants along wit their pictures are taken so that the government can keep a track of them so that phenomenon like security threats and illegal entry do not occur. This process might take about half an hour but the same data would also come useful to your own embassy in case, something unfortunate happens to you in any state.

Entering USA from Canada

According to all the legal reforms dated till January 2007, Canadians must bring their Canadian passports to be presented at the border. This practice also makes the process more efficient. Besides this, the visitor should also carry his birth certificate and a photo ID like driving license. By 2008, passports would become mandatory for road trips to US as well.

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