Dubai has slowly established itself as not only a vacation spot but also a business hub; from countless investors pouring money into the developing sector, Dubai has become a landmark for all the investors across the globe. This is backed by the rapid increase in investors in the UAE and the government altering its policies to ensure that the investors are suitably compensated at every step along the way. The most recent and perhaps the biggest tweak to the policy was allowing foreign investors to own 100% of the company shares, which was previously not allowed; the UAE regulations stated that a local entity must own majority stake i.e. 51% of the company which meant it was an added cost for the investors. These kinds of relaxations are the reason why Dubai is slowly but steadily becoming the ideal place for foreign investors to invest not only the money but also there are sources.
Dubai enjoys a lot of investors from foreign countries, especially from the United States. The relationship between the United States and UAE has solidified over the course of the years. Not only has there been an influx of US travelers in the UAE but also vice versa.
This comprehensive guide will show you all the steps required to fulfill prior to applying for the US Visa as a UAE citizen.
How to Apply for US Visa
The first and foremost thing you will require for your US visit is a valid Visa. This is the haps the most essential document because you will need to show a valid Visa at the US port of entry. It is important to remember that irrespective of whether you are traveling for immigrant or non-immigrant purposes you will still require a Visa.
According to the US Visa Waiver Program, which includes 39 countries, you might be shown some leeway. If you are a passport holder of any of those 39 countries and are living in Dubai then you probably will not need a visa to enter the US. However, you will require a US Electronic Travel Authorization for entry as a visitor.
The 39 countries included in the list are as following:
Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunie, Chile, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, United Kingdom.
The latest country to join this program was Poland, and it was added to the list in November of 2019 and becoming the 39th official nation on the list.
Documents Required for US Tourist Visa From Dubai
Often times when people do not hire a travel agent or a travel agency, their application is denied mainly because of either poor documentation or not attaching all the relevant documents. This is the reason why we have decided to dedicate an entire section to all the necessary documents required to complete the process.
- Application Form
- You will need to fill out the US visa application form and make sure that it does not contain any mistakes
- Cover Letter
- This will essentially be a description of why you are traveling to the United States, the purpose behind your application
- Financial or Bank Statement
- This is primarily required to prove that you have the means to finance yourself once you are in the United States
- Home Country Documentation or Proof
- To fast-track, the process, the more proof you attach, the better chances your application will have to be successfully processed. The proof could be a job contract, lease, property ownership, or anything substantial which will prove that you will return
- Optional US Visa Invitation Letter
- If you have friends or family in the US then you can obtain it and attach it with the rest of the documents
- Transcript, Degree, or Diploma
- If you are a student then you need to attach your proof of education
- Letter of Employer and Pay Slips
- This is done to establish that you have a steady job; often to sort the ‘bad’ applicants from the rest
- Photocopies of Relative’s Status in the US
- If you are visiting your relatives then this should be a simple and straightforward step to follow
- Medical Reports Copies
- This step is necessary for the authorities to assess whether you are carrying an illness or not
Other documents required include a printed copy of the US form confirmation page, an original passport with a validity of at least 6-months, and at least two blank pages remaining for the visa stamping. Photographs required should have a white background and their size should be 51 x 51 mm. The itinerary and details of the journey are also required by the authorities in the majority of the cases. It is worth mentioning that bank statement is one of the most important documents to be attached in this whole process because entry to the US is most often than not denied on the basis of the statement; the statement should reflect a good financial situation which can imply that you can manage to live in the US on your own.
The general documentation required for the visas, in general, require the following documents:
- Appointment assistance for the USA
- DS-160 form Filling assistance
- Verification of Documents
- Flight & Hotel Booking assistance
Types of USA Visa from Dubai
Once the documentation process is out of the way, let us move towards understanding different types of visas that are available to Dubai citizens for their travel to the United States of America.
- USA Business Visa
This type of visit visa is also commonly referred to as a B1 visa and is primarily given to those who are traveling to the US for business purposes. The USA Business Visa can take up to 4 days to process.
- USA Tourist Visa
Similar to the Business Visa, the next one is Tourist Visa which is referred to as a B2 visa as well. As the name suggests, this is given to those citizens who are looking to travel to the US for tourism purposes. The processing time of this visa is the same as Business Visa i.e. 4 days.
Once you have your visa, you can spend up to 6-months in the USA on these visas. In order to get the visa processing started, the first thing you will need to do is fill out the DS-160 online form. The form must be filled in with accurate information and if there are any issues with the form, your application can be denied altogether.