[bortycuz]

I have mixed experiences with getting US visas. On one hand, I never had any problems getting one. As a consequence, I hold three different American visas, two tourist and one student visa. One of them is for 10 years, and another was practically infinite, lol. I wish Thai immigration could be as generous...

On the other hand, my relatives were immediately rejected on many instances, when tried to apply to tourist visas to visit me in the US.

Quote[/b] ]Is a round-trip ticket needed in hand before applying for the visa?

It depends. I had one the first two times (for tourist visas), but didn't have one when I applied for a student visa.

Quote[/b] ]What are some of the things that the US embassy looks for? What is the interview like?

Like others said, the interviewee has to convince the officials of compelling reasons to return to the country of origin. That's probably the most important point. All of my interviews were pleasant experiences. I was talking with the consul directly. The exclusion of the translator made the whole process a bit less formal.