US C Visa - Requirements and Application for US Transit Visa

What is US Transit Visa?

Generally, a citizen of a foreign country who wishes to enter the United States must first obtain a visa, either a nonimmigrant visa for temporary stay, or an immigrant visa for permanent residence. C Transit visas are nonimmigrant visas for persons traveling in immediate and continuous transit through the United States en route to another country, with few exceptions.

Do I Need a Visa to Transit Through USA?

If you are a citizen of a foreign country who wishes to transit through the United States, you are required to obtain a visa. 

Immediate and continuous transit is defined as a reasonably expeditious departure of the traveler in the normal course of travel as the elements permit and assume a prearranged itinerary without any unreasonable layover privileges. If the traveler seeks layover privileges for purposes other than for transit through the United States, such as to visit friends or engage in sightseeing, the traveler will have to qualify for the type of visa required for that purpose.

Examples of travel purposes which require a Transit C Visa include: a foreign citizen traveling to another country who will have a brief layover in the United States when the only reason for entering the US is to transit, and a passenger embarking from a foreign port on a cruise ship or other vessel which is proceeding to another country but during the course of the journey the vessel makes port in the United States with no intention of landing in the US. 

More examples include a crewmember traveling to the US as a passenger to join a ship or aircraft they will work on, or a foreign citizen proceeding in immediate and continuous transit through the United States to or from the United Nations Headquarters District, under provisions of the Headquarters agreement with the United Nations and requires a diplomatic transit C-2 visa (travel within the US will be limited to the immediate New York City vicinity).

Eligibility Criteria for Transit Visa USA

To be eligible for a transit or C visa to the U.S, the person must fulfill one of the criteria:

• Be a non-U.S citizen on their way to a final destination and only passing through the U.S
• Be a non-U.S citizen or U.N official going to the U.N headquarters in New York City
• Be a foreign government official transiting through the U.S to their final destination on a work-related trip.

If you do not belong to one of these categories, you are not allowed to get a C transit visa. In addition, the C visa doesn’t come with dependent visas. This means that all those transiting to the US, including spouses and children, must have a transit visa.

What Are the Types of Transit Visa for USA?

There are three types of transit visas for the US: the C-1, the C-2, and the C-3 Visa. 

C1 Visa – General Transit Visa

The C-1 general transit visa is the transit visa for non-US citizens passing through the US on a layover on their way to their final destination.

C2 Visa – U.N Headquarters Transit Visa

The C-2 UN Headquarters transit visa is the transit visa for non-US citizens traveling to the United Nations (UN) 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 UN headquarters. They are entitled to exit the UN headquarters or a location in its vicinity only when they leave the US.

C3 Visa – Foreign Government Transit Visa

C-3 foreign government transit visa is the transit 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 the government or work-related activities.

US Transit Visa Application

If you are not traveling to the UN headquarters and are not a foreign government official, you will need to apply for a C-1 visa. Know which type of visa you need so that you can attach all the documents and file the right forms.

File form DS-160

Filing the Form DS-160 is the first step to start the application process. Complete the necessary fields and then submit the form online. After submitting the form, you will get a barcode number and confirmation page which you should save for future references.

Pay the Us Transit Visa Application Fee

The application fee for the C type visas is $160. You have to pay this amount and keep the receipt because it will be needed later in the process.

There might be other fees depending on your location and the Embassy you are applying from. However, 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 transit visa.

Schedule Your Interview

The next step is to schedule your interview. Try to schedule your visa interview as soon as possible. US Embassies sometimes deal with a high workload so it might take them more time to schedule your interview. When the interview is scheduled, you will get an interview confirmation letter which you will show at the time of the interview.

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 visa interview. It is advisable to prepare all the documents. If your file is missing any documents, there will be reason enough for the Embassy to delay or even deny your visa.

The C-1 required documents include:

• Passport
• DS-160 form confirmation page
• Interview confirmation letter
• One photograph
• Visa fee receipts
• 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 U.S. 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 U.S, you need to submit a letter explaining the offense, the reasons for the arrest, and proof on whether you were convicted or not.

The C-2 required documents include:

• Passport
• DS-160 confirmation code
• One photograph
• Receipt of fee payments
• If you are a U.N official transiting through the U.S, provide proof that you are allowed entry into the country of your final destination

The C-3 required documents include:

• Passport
• DS-160 confirmation code
• One photograph
• Receipt of fee payments
• Proof that you are allowed to enter the country of your final destination
• Ticket or itinerary to your final destination
• Proof that you are financially able to cover your expenses during your transit
• A letter which states the purpose of your visit to your final destination

Attend Your Transit Visa Interview

With your document file, you should attend the visa interview at the scheduled time. If your interview is successful, you will have higher chances of getting a transit visa.

If you have been granted the visa, you will be able to transit through the U.S successfully to your next or final destination.

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. The Embassy will let you know whether you have been granted or denied the transit visa. 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 transit visa at the U.S 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.

What Are the Restrictions of the C Visa?

Since the transit visa is different from other nonimmigrant visas in the sense that you are not allowed to stay in the US, there are several restrictions to what you can do while in the US.

With a transit visa (C-1, C-2, or C-3), you are not allowed to do the following:

• Cannot stay in the U.S more than the designated time
• Cannot travel or study in the U.S
• Cannot become employed in the U.S
• Cannot extend the transit visa
• Cannot adjust or change the status of the transit visa
• Cannot apply for a Green Card with a transit visa
• Cannot have dependents with only one transit visa
• Dependents cannot travel, work, or study in the U.S

How Long Can I Stay in the US With a Transit Visa?

Transit visas mean that the person holding it does not intend to stay in the US and has another final destination. That is why is it necessary to prove you have a final destination by submitting tickets or visas for another country.

Because it is assumed that transit does not take too much time, the validity of the C visa is short too. All types of C transit visas (C-1, C-2, and C-3 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.

Can I Bring My Dependents With a Transit Visa?

No, you cannot bring your dependents with a Transit Visa. The C visa doesn’t come with dependent visas. This means that all those transiting to the US, including spouses and children must have a transit visa.