My wife and I have ten year validity B1/B2 visas due to expire in July 2011. We usually travel to the U.S. once every few years and would like to visit our daughter in Los Angeles in September 2011. We would like to know how we can apply for it. When should we apply and where is the US consulate's office? What is form DS-160 and where do we get it? Do we have to come in person or can we ask a travel agent to handle it? We have been to the U.S. about a dozen times in the last 35 years.
You can apply anytime for B1/B2 visas. To do so, you will need to fill out DS-160 web-based visa application forms that can be found online at https://ceac.state.gov/GENNIV/default.aspx, pay the appropriate fees, and schedule an appointment for a visa interview through the VFS website, http://www.vfs-usa.co.in. For additional information, please visit our website, http://hyderabad.usconsulate.gov. It is not necessary to use a travel agent or consultant; all of the required information is available online for free. While a travel agent may help walk you through the visa application process, no travel agent or consultant of any kind can guarantee success or even enhance your chances to qualify for a tourist visa to the United States. Although you and your wife have travelled to the U.S. many times before, you both will still need to book an interview appointment through VFS and attend a visa interview at the Consulate.