Tourist Visa

A tourist visa permits legal entry of a foreign visitor into the United States for a brief temporary stay. The purpose of the visa is tourism and is granted to those who are coming to the United States for the sole purpose of visiting temporarily for business or pleasure.

This can include visiting family, relatives, friends, or acquaintances, or simply for traveling throughout the United States. Thus, a tourist visa is considered a "non-immigrant" visa, meaning that the visitor is expected to return home at the end of her visa stay.

In order to obtain a B-2 visa, the alien must prove that he is traveling to the U.S. temporarily and does not plan to abandon his foreign residence. Under U.S. law, applicants for a US Tourist Visa must qualify on their own for visas to visit the United States and satisfy the following requirements.

• Complete and sign the required application forms

• Bring evidence that their visit is temporary and that they will leave the United States after their legally authorized stay

• Undergo security clearance procedures

It is U.S. government policy to facilitate and promote international travel and the free movement of people of all nationalities to the United States. Consular officers endeavor to expedite applications for and issuance of visitors' visas so long as issuance of the visa is consistent with the requirements of the applicable laws and regulations.

Advantages of a Tourist Visa include:

• No Sponsor Required - Any foreign person may file an application for a tourist visa without the necessity of a United States sponsor.

• Ease of Application - The application itself is filed directly at the United States consulate abroad and typically a decision is made on an immediate or short term basis.

• Change of Status - While present in the United States, should the visitor's intentions change as a result of post-admission circumstances, it is possible to seek a change of status to other non-immigrant classifications.

The application should demonstrate the trip is temporary, an intention to return to an un-abandoned foreign residence and financial ability to support oneself during the period of stay requested.

The following documents should be submitted:

• Documentation of the temporariness of the visit

• Evidence of family members left behind in the home country

• Evidence of other businesses or holdings in the home country

• Evidence of work, studies, or activities to be resumed upon the alien's return to the home country

• Ownership or lease documents for the alien's residence in the home country

• Round-trip ticket

• Travel itinerary

The Sheena Law Firm will be pleased to assist you in securing your tourist visa application. We will assist with preparing documents and letters, continuing the case at all processing stages until you receive your visa.

The Sheena Law Firm can advise you in regard to the documentation that you will be required to submit at the U.S. Consulate overseas. We can also prepare your Tourist Visa documentation for submission at the US Consulate overseas.

In addition, if you are already in the U.S., we can prepare and file for your Tourist Visa extension with the USCIS or file for a change of status if you are in the U.S. on some other visa. Contact The Sheena Law Firm today to discuss your case.