If you seek to travel to the United States, you need to obtain a US visa and there are two types of US visas. Immigrant visas are for people who seek to settle in America and non-immigrant visas are for people who seek to temporarily visit the country. Some foreign nationals can travel to the United States without visas and hence, you need to confirm prior to applying for a visa, whether or not you need a visa to travel to the United States.
There are several types of non-immigrant visas and you need to determine the type of visa you need. If you seek to visit the country for business or for pleasure, you can go for a B-1 visa or for a B-2 visa. Similarly, you need to obtain F or M visas if you seek to study in America. You need to read the instructions and requirements prior to filing your application for a US visa as the requirements for all the visas may not be the same. You need to apply for the type of visa that best suits your need as you can only visit the country and you cannot work if you travel to America on a B-2 visa. Likewise, you can take part in the Visa Waiver Program, if your country of citizenship participates in this program. People who are from visa waiver program countries need not obtain visas to visit America. Nevertheless, they can travel to America for business or for pleasure only for 90 days, without visas, under this program.
After you determine the type of visa you want, you need to file form DS-160, Online Non-immigrant Visa Application. You need to carefully complete this form as you cannot make changes after filing the form. A digital photograph will be required and see to that you have a digital photograph handy at the time of applying for a visa. This photograph must meet few requirements. You will receive a 10 digit barcode after you successfully file your application. You need to print that page as this page will help you to schedule your visa interview appointment. Moreover, you need to remember that you will have to schedule a visa interview appointment and the US Embassy or Consulate will not schedule an appointment for you. You will have to pay the non-refundable visa application fees and you can make the fee payment online. See to that you schedule a visa interview appointment within one year from the date of paying the fee as this fee is good only for one year.
You also need to schedule a fingerprinting appointment and you may schedule this appointment one or two days prior to your visa interview. You need to submit biometrics information and you must visit the Embassy or Consulate where you scheduled an interview on the scheduled date. See to that you do not miss your appointment and take with you to the interview all the required supporting documents, without fail. After the interview, if your application is approved, a visa will be issued to you and your passport along with the visa will be mailed to you or you can collect it from one of the document pick-up locations, in your home country.