The Nonimmigrant Visa Unit (NIV) is open for business Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., except on U.S. and Philippine Holidays and every last business day of the month.

Please click here for complete NIV Contact Information

Welcome to Nonimmigrant Visas

Thank you for your interest in traveling to the United States. We hope that this web site makes it easier for you to select and apply for the proper visa.

The type of visa you will need and the requirements to apply for that visa depend largely on your purpose of travel to the United States. Please make a selection from the topics listed on the left to get started!

Important Announcements

NONIMMIGRANT VISA APPLICANTS WITH APRIL 11, 2008 APPOINTMENTS

Due to power outages, Nonimmigrant visa operations have been suspended. Applicants who had visa interview appointments from 12:00 noon to 2:00 pm on April 11, 2008 are requested to return at their same appointment time on April 15, 2008.

Feel free to email us at consmanilaniv@state.gov if you have further concerns.

Thank you for your cooperation.

NEW 221(g) TEMPORARY SUSPENSION PROCEDURES

The Nonimmigrant Visa Unit has revised its procedures on temporarily suspended applications effective March 5, 2008.

If, prior to March 5, 2008, you were issued a sheet of paper entitled “221(g) Letter” by the consular officer at the conclusion of the interview requiring additional documents, youmust now use the Delbros Text Hotline (0917) 622-1949 to make arrangements for the collection and submission of your documents. This improved service will save you from coming back to the Embassy only to submit additional documents.

If at any time you were issued a sheet of paper entitled “221(g) Letter” by the consular officer at the conclusion of the interview stating that your visa application requires further administrative processing,you will be contacted as soon as the administrative processing is completed. When you are contacted, you will be provided with instructions on how to submit your passport and/or additional documents to the Embassy through the Delbros Text Hotline. We regret that we are unable to provide you with any guidance as to when you will be contacted.

For additional information on the new 221(g) procedures, please click here.

ACCESSING THE NEW VISAPOINT™ 2.3

Thank you for using the VisaPoint™ Service to schedule your applicant interviews. If you have questions concerning visa requirements or your agency approval from the U.S. Embassy, please continue to address your emails to ConsManilaNIV@state.gov.

If you are experiencing technical difficulties accessing the VisaPoint™ site or errors while using the site, send an email with the information listed below to philippines@us-visaservices.com. Please include:

Agency Name:

Agency Contact:

Agency Phone Number:

Agency Email:

Agency Group Code:

Detailed description of the issue:

Attachments (i.e., screen shot of error, screen shot of page where error was encountered)

We appreciate your patience as we correct technical difficulties and transition to an upgraded system. We will respond to your inquiries as quickly as possible either via email or by phone.

Thank you for your cooperation.

THE NEW VISAPOINT™ 2.3

On Monday, 11 June 2007, the U.S. Embassy Manila rolled out an upgraded version of its visa information and appointment system, VisaPoint™ 2.3. Individual applicants and their families, standard groups, Priority Interview Program participants, and Seafaring Manning Agencies can make appointments for visa interviews using this service. The new web address is http://www.philippines.us-visaservices.com/.

Please note that the procedures for Standard Group appointments have changed. A Standard Group is 5 or more applicants traveling together for a common purpose. Accompanying family members may not be added to this group and must schedule individual appointments. Standard Groups must schedule appointments using VisaPoint™. They may no longer use the Call Center. Large Standard Groups should notify the Embassy at ConsManilaNIV@state.gov as soon as possible to ensure interview slot availability.

Early appointment requests must be made using the same method used to schedule the initial appointment. Applicants using VisaPoint™ to schedule interviews must also use VisaPoint™ to submit early appointment requests. (Applicants who contacted the Call Center must inform the agent that they require an early appointment.) For more information on early appointment requests, please click here.

Due to new biometric requirements, applicants should allow at least one week plus delivery time for visa processing. Please plan your travel accordingly.

For more information about VisaPoint™, click here.

NEW INTERVIEW PROCEDURES

The Nonimmigrant Visa Section has slightly modified its interview day procedures. Embassy staff will collect applications and passports upon check-in and return them to each applicant after finger scanning. Applicants will be responsible for presenting their documents, including the DS-156 application for a nonimmigrant visa, and their passports to the interviewing officer. For more information about the interview process, please click here.

CELL PHONES NO LONGER PERMITTED ON EMBASSY GROUNDS

For the safety and security of all applicants and employees, visa applicants are no longer permitted to bring cell phones or other electronic devices into the U.S. Embassy. Effective 01 March 2007, applicants who bring such devices will be denied entry. Please make arrangements to leave your electronic equipment in a safe location off Embassy grounds during your interview appointment. We regret any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your cooperation.

NOTICE TO ABTC HOLDERS

APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC) holders are now eligible to participate in the US Embassy’s Priority Interview Program (PIP) when applying for a B-1 visa. The PIP program provides expedited appointments to qualified business travelers. Please note that the ABTC card does not guarantee visa issuance, but rather allows expedited access to the visa interview. Applicants are required to demonstrate that they meet B-1 visa criteria and should bring appropriate supporting documents, as listed here.

For more information about the Priority Interview Program, click here.

ABTC holders may schedule an interview appointment by calling the Call Center at 1-909-101-7878. The Call Center is accessible only in the Philippines using a PLDT or Smart landline, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., except on Philippine and U.S. Holidays. Be sure to advise the Call Center agent that you hold an ABTC card.

EARLY ARRIVAL AT THE EMBASSY FOR VISA INTERVIEW APPOINTMENT

Applicants are requested to come to the Embassy an hour earlier than their appointment time in order for the Embassy to process their applications prior to interview. Applicants who appear an hour or more after their scheduled appointment time will not be granted access to the Consular Section (absent dire circumstances). Those applicants will then be required to book a new appointment for interview online or through the Call Center.

K & V VISAS

Fiancé(e) of a U.S. Citizen (K-1), child of K-1 (K-2), spouse of a U.S. Citizen (K-3), child of K-3 (K-4), spouse of legal permanent resident (V-1), child of legal permanent resident/child principal/L.I.F.E. Act (V-2), and derivative child of V-1 and V-2 (V-3) visas are classified as nonimmigrant visas. However, applications for such visas are processed and issued only at immigrant visa issuing posts, which cover the consular district, unless the post has been specifically authorized to process K visas.

The Nonimmigrant Visa Unit in Manila is NOT authorized to process or respond to inquiries on K and V visas. The Immigrant Visa Unit processes these visa applications.

FEATURED ARTICLES :

	Machine Readable Passports Required For All Visa Waiver Program Travel as of June 26, 2005. Click here for more information.

	Visa Waiver Program Passports Issued or Renewed On or After 26 October 2006 Must Include an Integrated Data Chip (E-Passport). Click here for more information.

	TSA Adds Lighters to List of Items Prohibited Beyond Airport Checkpoints. Click here for more information

	Biometrics/Safety & Security of U.S. Borders Click here for more information

Appointment Availability and Processing Times

AVAILABLE APPOINTMENT

To find the typical wait time for a nonimmigrant visa interview appointment, please click here.

Appointment availability changes often. Appointments may not be available on the date shown as appointment bookings are made continuously through the Call Center and VisaPoint™.

Please visit the Nonimmigrant Visa Application Procedures page for information on how to apply for a nonimmigrant visa to the United States. For medical emergencies, family emergencies, and other cases requiring earlier appointments, please click here.

To avoid delay in travel, apply for the visa at least 3 months in advance and before making final travel arrangements. No assurances regarding the issuance of visas can be given in advance. Therefore, final travel plans or the purchase of airline tickets should not be made until a visa has been issued.

AVERAGE VISA PROCESSING TIME AND DELIVERY

Depending on the volume of the visa issuances of the Nonimmigrant Visa Unit, visa processing after the interview usually takes at least one week*. After the one-week visa processing, the receipt of a passport with a visa may take longer, depending on the applicant’s delivery address.

* – Average Visa Processing Time: This means the number of working days it takes for an approved applicant to receive his/her passport back from the Embassy with the U.S. Visa at the address given to the courier company. All applicants should be aware that the one week processing time is an AVERAGE, and that the processing time of a specific case can vary due to individual circumstances and other special requirements.

For more information on visa processing and release, please visit the If Visa Is Issued page.

Last Update :: 04/15/2008

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