Deebrown123

Hi
I have applied for a B2 tourist visa and now I am just waiting for the interview date to come round. I currently don't have any flights/accommodation booked for my trip to the us, I plan on going early next year and going backpacking for up to 6 months. I have plenty of savings stashed away as I've been wanted to do something like this for so long.
I'm just worried about the interview and wondering if this visa is difficult to be granted or if there's anything in particular I should take to the interview to help my case!

Thanks

Guindalf

It's a shame you didn't come here BEFORE you applied!

Typically, a B2 visa should never be applied for if you qualify for ESTA and has a high probability of being denied. The fact that you are wanting to stay longer than the 90 days allowed by the VWP is beside the point. It's not what YOU want that counts. Consequently, there's no specific advice for interview except to make sure you take as much evidence of ties to the UK you can (mortgage statements, other bills, etc.).

Who knows? You may be lucky, but remember that a denial means you can never use the VWP again.

Sorry to be the bearer of potentially bad news, but them's the breaks.

christmasoompa

From reading on this forum and given how few B2's are granted, the one thing you should have is a plan of your trip, so not having any bookings may work against you. Even if you don't book anything, from what I can gather you should have a detailed day by day itinerary.

But the forum pros will be along shortly to give you suggestions on how you can maximise your chances, I hope you're one of the lucky ones that does get granted the B2.

Pulaski

Assuming DeeBrown is ESTA eligible, everything Guindalf said is true, apart from the bit about not being able to use the VWP again if your visa is denied (I think he has confused it with overstaying the 90 day limit on VWP visits).

In practice B-2's seem to be rarely granted to anyone who isn't retired - remember most Americans don't get more than 2-3 weeks holiday per year, so most Americans would think that three months is massively longer than most people would need for a vacation, and are inclined to think that you are "up to something" as you are asking for upto six months in the US without working.

As Christmasoompa said, you need a detailed itinerary of what you're doing, such that you are demonstrating why a regular 90 day VWP visit is too short a period of time. For example people who have succeeded in getting a B-2 have presented plans to hike the Appalachian Trail or the Pacific Crest Trail.

ian-mstm

I agree with the others. A detailed itinerary is almost mandatory... it doesn't need to be hour-by-hour, but it should be day-by-day and, at an absolute minimum, week-by-week. You don't need to actually book anything, but you need to have a crystal clear idea in your mind what you'll be doing and where you'll be doing it... and then document that for the Consular Officer. You want to make it as easy as possible for him to approve your visa... so that means you need to spell out to him exactly what you're going to be doing and show him why 90 days on the VWP isn't sufficient.

Ian

scrubbedexpat099

Might not be eligible for ESTA and a refused B makes ESTA tricky, not impossible.

roberth1970

If you're planning to backpack on one of the famous trail like the Appalachian trail or the Pacific Crest trail, then make sure you have an itinerary. These trails are well known and you can't hike them in 90 days (unless you are one of the world's greatest ultra runners) . If you're not planning a 'thru-hike', then maybe consider it, or find a lesser known, but still epic trail. Have the details etc. to hand.

I can't speak from consular experience here, but based on my living in the USA for a few years now, the officers might look more favorably on a somewhat more goal-orientated reason (i.e. to complete a thing) rather than a vague plan of wilderness wandering.

Good luck!

Pulaski

Reported experience is that if you are denied a B-2 you can expect to be refused an ESTA for 6-12 months.

Pinkcat1771

Hi, just seen your post. We got a B2 visa issued a couple of years ago very easily. We wanted to spend six months in our holiday home rather than just going for the usual three months on our ESTA. We aren't retirement age by any means, just in our forties. When we attended the interview in London we were called to a booth where the guy asked us three or four questions such as:
Why we needed longer than the usual ESTA?
What our travel plans were?
How we were funding the trip?
Our family ties here?
We just told him we planned to travel across America particularly California but didn't go into much detail. Said we had savings to fund the trip. Also said elderly parents in UK so we wanted to do the trip now before they got too old and needed us here.
And that was it, we were issued a ten year B2. So we went for six months then applied for a six month extension whilst there which we also got. When you enter the US for the next ten years you will use your B2 as it automatically over rides the ESTA.

Hope all goes well for you and you get the B2. We are hoping to go for an E2 next!

scrubbedexpat099

You were tax resident in the US.

Have you sought entry on your B2 since?

Pinkcat1771

No not tax resident, that was just a one off long holiday.

We have been back in several times on our B2 but only for trips of 2-4 weeks at a time. Never any questions or issues.

Noorah101

Once you stay inside the USA longer than 180 days, IRS considers you resident for tax purposes (for that year).

Rene

Pinkcat1771

Thanks yep fully aware of that. Although we applied for extension we didn't take it in the end as family circumstances at home sadly meant we needed to return so we were just under the 180 days. Just making the OP aware it is possible.

All capital gains taxes were paid in full when we sold our vacation home there. We have a US based British accountant who is great and deals with any affairs for us there. Hopefully we will become tax resident soon if we can get this deal closed on the business we are currently trying to buy there

Noorah101

Thank you for clarifying.

Rene

Pinkcat1771