🇮🇳 India → 🇺🇸 United States: Entry Requirements
B1/B2 visa required before travel — apply with Form DS-160 and attend an interview in most cases.
✓ Verified · 5 November 2026
| Requirement | What the official source says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Visa | B1/B2 visa required before travel Indian passport holders need a visitor visa; there is no visa-free or visa-on-arrival route to the United States. |
travel.state.gov — Visitor Visa Checked 29 October 2026 |
| How you apply | Form DS-160 online, then an interview in most cases Submit DS-160 electronically, pay the fee, and attend the interview; ink-free digital fingerprint scans are taken as part of the process. |
travel.state.gov — DS-160 Checked 29 October 2026 |
| Visa application fee | $185 The non-petition-based nonimmigrant application processing fee; the B visitor category sits in this tier. The fee is non-refundable, including after a refusal. |
travel.state.gov — Fees for Visa Services Checked 5 November 2026 |
| Interview waiver | Interview is the default for almost everyone Since the State Department's update effective 1 October 2025, an in-person interview is the default; the surviving renewal category is narrow — a B1/B2 (or BCC) renewed within 12 months of the prior visa's expiration, where the prior visa was full-validity and the applicant was at least 18 when it was issued. |
travel.state.gov — Interview Waiver Update (18 Sep 2025) Checked 29 October 2026 |
| Length of stay | Decided at entry and recorded on your I-94 The visa lets you travel to a port of entry; the CBP officer decides your length of stay, and it is recorded on your I-94. Check your I-94 after every entry — never assume a fixed period. |
CBP — I-94 Checked 29 October 2026 |
| Transiting the USA | No airside transit — a connection needs a visa too US airports have no sterile transit area: connecting through the United States requires the same visitor visa (or a C-1 transit visa) as entering. |
travel.state.gov — Visitor Visa Checked 29 October 2026 |
Turn this route into a preparation checklist: Destination Ready — 🇮🇳 India → 🇺🇸 United States Tourism / visiting family (B1/B2).
Guides for this route
- B1/B2 Visa Guide
- B1/B2 Documents Checklist
- DS-160 Guide
- After Approval: Your I-94 and Length of Stay
Corrections & updates
- 5 November 2026 — Cell created from the verified B1/B2 guide research; fee re-read on travel.state.gov the same day.
General information only. This guide is based on official sources publicly available and checked on the date shown on this page. Visa rules change, and consular and USCIS officers decide every case on its own facts — nothing here is a confirmation or a guarantee for your individual case, and this is not legal advice. Always confirm the current requirement on the official page linked in this guide before you act, and consider a qualified immigration attorney for your specific situation.