The US is a family-reunion destination for Gujarat like nowhere else — Surat, Anand and Charotar families with relatives in New Jersey, Texas and California travel constantly. The B1/B2 visitor visa is what you need, it costs $185 (about ₹15,700), is usually issued valid for 10 years, and unlike Dubai involves a real interview at the US Consulate in Mumbai. Here is how to prepare so you walk out approved.
What the B1/B2 visa covers
B1 covers business purposes — meetings, conferences, negotiations — while B2 covers tourism, visiting family and friends, and medical treatment. They are issued together as a single B1/B2 visa, usually valid for 10 years with multiple entry.
The application process, step by step
Start by completing the DS-160 form online and saving the confirmation with its barcode, then pay the visa fee of $185 (around ₹15,700). You will create a profile and schedule two appointments — a biometrics visit for fingerprints and a photo, and the visa interview — both at the US Consulate in Mumbai, which serves Gujarat. If approved, your passport is couriered back with the visa in about a week. Interview appointment wait times for Indian applicants can be long and swing through the year, so start as soon as you have a rough travel window and we will grab the first sensible Mumbai slot for you.
Documents to carry to the interview
The consular officer decides in a two-minute conversation, but your documents back up your story. Carry your passport (and any old passports), the DS-160 confirmation and appointment letter, one recent US-spec photograph, proof of funds through bank statements and ITR for the last three years, proof of ties to India such as business papers, property, family or a job letter, and — if you're visiting family — an invitation letter along with the sponsor's status and relationship proof.
How the interview is judged
The single thing an officer is testing is whether you will return to India — that you have strong reasons to come home. A running business in Surat, property, a family, a stable job: these are your strengths. Answer briefly and honestly, know your itinerary, and never memorise a script, since confidence and consistency matter more than any single document.
Common mistakes we help you avoid
The application most often stumbles over a DS-160 whose details don't match the passport or interview answers, vague trip plans that read as a weak application, income claims the bank statements don't support, or booking non-refundable flights before the visa is approved — something you should never do. We fill the DS-160 accurately with you, coach you through likely questions, assemble the financial file and book the Mumbai appointments, so you turn up prepared, not nervous.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the US visa interview for people from Gujarat? At the US Consulate General in Mumbai, which has consular jurisdiction over Gujarat — we schedule your biometrics and interview appointments there.
How much is a US B1/B2 visa from India? The application fee is currently $185 (about ₹15,700); our service charge for preparing the DS-160, documents and interview coaching is quoted separately and upfront.
How long does a US visitor visa take from Gujarat? The form and fee take a day; the real wait is the interview appointment, which can range from a few weeks to several months, so apply as early as you can.
Applying for a US visa? Explera's visa desk prepares your DS-160, financial file and interview coaching, and books your Mumbai appointments — WhatsApp us to get started.
