One of the most frustrating things for me while applying for the US tourist visa was how little information was available online. There were multiple versions being posted on Reddit threads (often contradicting each other) and the official websites were very ambiguous in their statements. Also, the portal itself had changed recently and most of the content online was relevant for the old portal. So, I’ve decided to pen down my detailed experience of applying for a B2 tourist visa – essentially my personal guide to the US tourist visa process for myself and my 3 year-old son.

The process started in Jan 2024 (remember this for later). I applied for the US Tourist Visa by filling up the DS-160 form and selecting the earliest available appointment date in Chennai – Jan 2025. I was one of the lucky ones – I got back-to-back dates for the biometric and visa interview – both at the same location. There are people who get dates 1 week apart in the same location or even back-to-back dates in different cities. Phew!

A Brief Encounter with an agent

I had two major concerns – one was that the date was almost a year later and the other was how to proceed with the application and documents for my son. I approached an agent and they agreed to help find a sooner slot. For my son, they said I should cancel his appointment and later apply through dropbox. It sounded like a more convoluted process and it felt like a bigger risk to cancel a confirmed interview slot.

Thankfully, they would ask for payment only after the rescheduling was done successfully. They didn’t manage to get a slot for over a month. I decided to give that a skip and moved on.

One year later in Chennai

From the airport, I took the metro till AG-DMS station and an auto to my hotel. I had booked a budget hotel called FabExpress – it was as basic as it could be but served the purpose well – the best that 2.6k per night can afford. I definitely didn’t want to shell out 10-20k on the room rent for these 2 days.

After a short night’s sleep, I left for the biometric VAC centre. Do note that the location of the biometric centre is different from the consulate. I had only noticed it the previous day when my dad pointed it out on the appointment letter. It was a 10-min walk from my hotel and Chennai weather in January is typically perfect for a morning walk.

Locating the entrance to the VAC biometric center for the US Tourist visa

When you reach the building from the main road, you wouldn’t see the VAC center or even a signboard. You need to take the lane next to it, come over to the back side of the building. You will most definitely spot a line of people there.

I was there at 8:20 am for my 9:00 am slot. The security checked the appointment papers and let us in by 8:35 am. I was asked why I was the only one there even though my appointment letter was for 2 people – including my 3-year old. As soon as I mentioned that he was a kid, they let me through without any further questions. If you are carrying any bags, you’ll have to leave them at the Xerox shop in the parking area.

The biometric process and what to look out for

There was a room inside where we had to wait in line. People were being sent in batches. Our appointment letters, DS-160 confirmation and passports were checked and sent forward to the next counter. A basic security check was done and they made sure that all mobile phones were switched off. At this counter, they validated the DS-160.

Remember the date I mentioned in the first line of this post. This is where it gets important. Apparently, the DS-160 is valid only for 1 year from the date on which it was filled. In my case, there were 9 more days to go for a year to be completed. So, I made the cut. But I saw many people being sent back because their forms had “expired”. They needed to go online and re-submit the form. It is not a very tedious process but definitely something that you’d want to avoid after coming all the way here on your US tourist visa journey. 

Tip 1: if your appointment is more than 1 year after you submit your DS-160, submit it again closer to the interview date and carry both the confirmation forms.

After this step, they attach a sticker on the back side of the passport. They did this for both mine as well as my son’s. There were no red flags or questions raised about why he wasn’t there with me.

The actual biometrics for the US tourist visa

This led me to the next line – this took almost 30 mins to clear. On the other end was a counter where they took a photo and registered fingerprints. For my son, they took a copy of his photo (as per the prescribed 2 x 2 size for US tourist visa). It was done fairly quickly and they reminded me to be on time for the interview at the consulate.

The entire process took me exactly 1 hour and 10 mins from the time I entered the building.

The US tourist visa interview day

After many good samaritans online had written about their experience with mobile phones, I made the wise decision of leaving mine in the hotel itself. My interview slot was at 9:00 am. My hotel was around 2 km away from the consulate and I thought it would be a decent morning walk too. I checked Maps and memorized the route (no phone means navigating the old school way). The only thing I carried was a transparent folder with the passports and documents. Do note that no bags are allowed inside. All electronic items (including smartwatches) are not allowed. So, carry your old-school mechanical watch.

Tip 2: keep mobile phones and smartwatches at home/hotel during your US tourist visa interview.

Here are the list of documents I carried:

• Cover letter with purpose of visit (tourism in my case)
• Photographs as per the US visa standard of 2×2
• Last 6 months bank statement with sign and seal
• Last 6 months payslips
• Letter from company confirming my employment and that my leaves will be approved
• Last 3 years IT Returns confirmation
• Proof of home ownership
• Birth certificate of my son
• Valid US visa copy of my wife (since she already had one)
• An address confirmation letter of a friend in the US (I had provided his address in DS-160)

The queues

The entrance queue was on the side of the flyover leading towards Thousand Lights. I was there at 8:15 am and there was a line of around 10-15 people. As that queue started to deplete, I asked the person whether I needed to wait till my slot or if I could enter now. Since there were no others waiting for slots before mine, they allowed me in. The first person checked the appointment papers, DS-160 and passport. He said I could keep all the papers in the file itself and only carry the passport in my hand.

I joined another queue outside the main door where the passport was checked again. Then the security asked everyone to put their watches and wallets inside the file itself. We went through an airport-style security check right inside and then proceeded to the queue in front of the counters.

The US tourist visa interview

The interview happens across a counter (similar to the biometric). It was fairly straightforward – the reason for travel, the cities I would be going to, duration of the trip, have I travelled abroad before (this one worked to my advantage because the lady smiled at my response), where I worked, what designation and at what salary. I would say it got done in 60-90 seconds. A final biometric check was done and then I was told that the visa was approved! What a huge relief! I walked out of the consulate at 8:45 am – now, that was a super efficient process!

Tip 3: Just as you step outside, there will be auto drivers waiting to take you back and offering their phones if you want to call your driver/relative. Ideally, refrain because there is no guarantee how much they will charge for this “act of generosity”.

My son’s process

At every stage of the passport checks, I was asked about the second applicant. As soon as I mentioned that he was a 3-year old, they let me through without any further questions. Even at the interview stage, I just had to hand over his passport and no other documents were asked. There was only one query whether his mother would be travelling – since she already had a valid US visa, they were ok with it.

Well, what about the documents?

Now, you might ask what happened to the documents that I carried. Well, they stayed inside the file throughout the process. No one asked for them at any point. Not even the photographs. I realised that it was more of a backup just in case they had some doubt and wanted to verify what was being said during the interview.

Address change for passport delivery

Given that it had been almost a year since I applied for this visa, it wasn’t surprising that my address had changed. Thankfully, they have an easy way to update this. You just need to login to the portal, scroll down, click on the address shown and edit it. This is how the process is in Jan 2025. I got the passports back (stamped with the visa) exactly 3 days after my interview!

Bottomline

Now, the intent of this blog is just to share my experience in detail. This may not be representative of every person or an “ideal” process flow. Just make sure of the following:

1. You have filled the forms accurately
2. Everything matches the details on your passport
3. You have all the financial documents in case asked
4. Your DS-160 is not expired at the time of the biometric or interview
5. You don’t carry your phones for the interview
6. You are honest during the interview

This is the best you can do to be prepared and then hope that they are convinced that you really are just a tourist. Hope this helps! Wish you all the best for your process!

Off to plan the trip!

Check out this blog on how to plan the perfect itinerary.