Upvote:3
To obtain a US C1 transit visa; you need to provide proof of transit. This is usually in the form of a travel itinerary and it has to be reasonably expeditious. This means, it cannot be a very long layover.
The exact text from the US Department of State travel.state.gov (with my emphasis):
Transit (C) visas are nonimmigrant visas for persons traveling in immediate and continuous transit through the United States en route to another country, with few exceptions. 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 assumes 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.
Now, this visa is a temporary non-immigration visa for the purposes of transit. It does not provide any other benefits for you (such as repatriation to the US); and more importantly - is not valid for visa free access to Guatemala.
As far as Guatemala is concerned; you need to obtain an normal visa. See this page for your nationality to see if you require a visa, and what are the exceptions for your citizenship(s).
Upvote:5
In your situation, there is no good reason to get a C1 transit visa. Many U.S. Embassies and Consulates issue B1/B2 visas to C1 applicants as a matter of course, and hold C1 applicants to the same level of scrutiny they would normal B1/B2 applicants. Furthermore, C1 visas have the same validity as B1/B2 visas, and they both cost $160.
The simplest solution for you would be to apply for a B1/B2 tourist visa, explain to the officer that your itinerary actually calls for you to travel to Guatemala, and mention that Guatemala allows entry to foreign nationals with U.S. visas.
An approved Guatemalan visa is not a very meaningful support document, as Guatemala is not known for their rigorous visa screening. After all, they let people in with another country's visa.