When to apply for a visa to the United States?
Depending on the reasons and the duration of a trip to the USA, it is possible to access the American borders thanks to a simplified administrative request: the ESTA. This process is done simply by Internet and requires only a biometric or electronic passport. The ESTA is sufficient for a tourist or business stay of less than 90 days and this authorization is valid for 2 years.
To apply for ESTA online, simply click on the online form.
If the conditions for obtaining the ESTA do not correspond to the intended stay, you should apply for a visa at the American embassy that fully corresponds to the reason for the stay in the United States of America.
Specific reasons for a visa
The purpose of the trip will determine the choice of the American visa. The visa for an athlete is different from the visa for a journalist. The minimum time to obtain a USA visa is 4 working days, but it can be much longer. Depending on the request, the deadline may be extended by one or more interviews with the US authorities. The validity of the U.S. visa also depends on the purpose of the trip.
There are special visas for diplomats, a student visa or a tourist visa. Au pairs and transit travelers must apply for a specific visa. Many cases have been filed in this way to find out the travel motives of people traveling on U.S. soil. Visas are differentiated by letters and possibly a number. For example the business visa is the B1 visa. The A1 visa is for diplomats and the J1 visa for interns in the USA.