A US Transit Visa is a permit to to enter the US and stay for a layover. Afterward, when your planned flight or ship leaves for your next destination, you will have to leave the US.
Do I Need a Visa to Transit Through United States?
You will be not need a transit visa if you:
- Are a national of one of the 42 countries under the US Visa Waiver Program.
- Hold another type of a US visa, which is still valid.
US Transit Visa Requirements
To be eligible for a apply Transit Visa, you must fulfill one of the requirements:
- Be a general non-US citizen on their way to a final destination and only passing through the US.
- Be a non-US citizen or UN official going to the UN headquarters in New York City.
- Be a foreign government official transiting through the US to their final destination on a work-related trip.
What Are the Types of Transit Visa for USA?
Here are the types of visas that you might apply for if you want to transit through the United States:
- C1 Visa for non-US citizens passing through the US on a layover on their way to their final destination.
- C2 Visa for non-US citizens traveling to the United Nations (U.N) Headquarters in New York City or United Nations officials transiting through the US to go to a final destination. Those who have this visa are only allowed to be in the vicinity of the U.N headquarters. They are allowed to leave the U.N headquarters or a location in its vicinity only when they depart the US. You can apply for the C-2 visa only when a request or petition by the U.N or other foreign missions or organizations has been submitted to the nearest US embassy.
- C3 Visa for foreign government officials traveling through the US on a layover on their way to their final destination. The purpose of the travel must be for governmental or work-related activities.
Supporting Documents for a US Transit Visa
To apply for the US transit visas you should submit the following documents:
- Completed DS-160 application form.
- Your passport which has at least one blank page to be able to affix visa. It should be valid for at least six months beyond your planned stay in the United States, unless you are a national of these countries. Then you will only need a passport that is valid during your period of stay in the United States.
- One photograph. It should be in accordance with the requirements set by the US authorities.
- Proof of paid transit visa fee.
- Social media details. A list of the social media that you use, and the name
of your account in each, phone number, email and social media history of the five previous years. - Proof that you are allowed to enter the country of your final destination.
- Ticket or itinerary to your final destination.
- A letter which states the purpose of your visit to your final destination.
- Proof that you are financially able to cover your expenses during your transit.
- Evidence that you will return to your home or another country after your stay in the US. This could be a property deed, apartment lease, or other proof.
- If you are HIV positive, you will need a letter from your doctor explaining your medical state and the risks associated with your condition, as well as proof of medical health insurance.
- If you have been arrested before in the US, you need to submit a letter explaining the offense, the reasons for the arrest, and proof on whether you were convicted or not.
US Transit Visa Application
You need to follow these steps to submit a full application for a US transit visa:
- File form DS-160.
- Pay the US Transit visa application fee.
- Schedule your interview.
- Submit the required documents for US Transit Visas.
- Attend your Transit visa interview.
Step 1: File form DS-160
You can fill the DS-160 form online through the Consular Electronic Application Center. Fill in the necessary fields and then submit the form online. You will get a barcode number and confirmation page, which you will need later for your documents file.
Step 2: Pay the US Transit visa application fee
You need to pay a fee of $160 and save the receipt since you will need it later. There might be other fees depending on your location and the Embassy you are applying from.
There are no visa issuance fees for the C-2 visa. This is because reciprocity measures have not been put in place for this type of visa.
Step 3: Schedule your interview
When you schedule your interview, you will get an interview confirmation letter which you need later. US Embassies have a high workload, so it might take them a while to schedule your interview.
Step 4: Submit the required documents for US Transit Visas
You need to prepare a file of documents to have with you when you go for the interview. If your file is missing any documents, there will be reason enough for the Embassy to delay or even deny your visa.
Step 5: Attend your Transit visa interview
With your document file, you should attend the visa interview at the scheduled time. If you have been granted the visa, you will be notified.
US Transit Visa Processing Time
From the time you submit your application, expect to wait for a minimum of 5 working days to receive a response on your visa status. This is only an average time estimate, though, so if it takes longer, do not assume that your visa has been denied.
Since you only need the C1 visa at the US airport, you can give the information of what airport you will be in and on what date. If you submit a request and it is granted, the US Embassy could send the documents to that airport with the visa, and it will be waiting for you when you transit through the US.
How Long Can I Stay in the US With a Transit Visa?
All types of American transit visas (C1 visa, C2 visa, or C3 visa), are valid for a period of a maximum of 29 days or until the date to depart the US is on your ticket, whichever one is sooner.
This means that if you enter the US on September 1st, you must leave on or before September 29th. However, if you have a ticket to your final destination on September 20th, you must leave the US on September 20th.
What Are the Restrictions of the C1 Visa?
With a C1 visa you are not allowed to do the following:
- Stay in the US more than the designated time.
- Travel or study in the US.
- Become employed in the US.
- Extend the C1 visa.
- Adjust or change the status of the C1 visa.
- Apply for a Green Card with a C1 visa.
- Have dependents with only one transit visa.
- Dependents cannot travel, work, or study in the US.
Can I Bring My Dependents With a Transit Visa?
There are no dependent visas for the C1 visa. This means that all those transiting to the US, including spouses and children must have a transit visa.