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 that visa depend largely on your purpose of travel to the United States. 

o   VISA REQUIREMENTS FOR FOREIGN WORKERS IN THE COMMONWEALTH OF THE NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS (CNMI) EFFECTIVE NOVEMBER 28, 2009

o   PROPOSAL FOR INCREASE OF NONIMMIGRANT VISA APPLICATION FEES

o   DAMAGED NONIMMIGRANT VISA OR BANCO DE ORO (BDO)PAYMENT SLIP

o   LEGAL RIGHTS FOR WORKERS IN THE U.S.

o   ELECTRONIC DEVICES NOT PERMITTED ON EMBASSY GROUNDS

o   NONIMMIGRANT VISA FEE PAYMENT SLIP EFFECTIVE JULY 1,2009

o   APPOINTMENT AVAILABILITY AND PROCESSING TIMES
AVAILABLE APPOINTMENTS

o   AVERAGE VISA PROCESSING TIME AND DELIVERY

o   EARLY ARRIVAL AT THE EMBASSY FOR VISA INTERVIEW APPOINTMENT

VISA REQUIREMENTS FOR FOREIGN WORKERS IN THE COMMONWEALTH OF THE NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS (CNMI) EFFECTIVE NOVEMBER 28, 2009

On November 28, 2009, U.S. immigration law began applying to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), replacing the CNMI's previous immigration rules and procedures. U.S. immigration law will affect foreign workers, investors, and visitors in the CNMI. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) bureau of the Department of Homeland Security has released information on how the changes affect workers and others, including the creation of a Transitional Worker Program for foreign workers in the CNMI. Foreign workers and residents of the CNMI should be aware that they will need a visa from a U.S. embassy or consulate if they leave the CNMI and plan to return. For information, please see the USCIS links below.

. USCIS Establishes Transitional Worker Program for the CNMI

. USCIS Announces Advance Parole Procedures for the CNMI

. Questions and Answers: USCIS Amends Immigration Regulations Relating to the CNMI

PROPOSAL FOR INCREASE OF NONIMMIGRANT VISA APPLICATION FEES

On December 14, 2009, the Department of State published a proposed rule in the Federal Register to increase the nonimmigrant visa application processing fees, also called the Machine-Readable Visa (MRV) fee, and Border Crossing Card (BCC) fees. The proposed rule also establishes a tiered structure with separate fees for different visa categories. For more information and to see how to submit comments on the proposed changes, please see http://travel.state.gov/news/press/press_4603.html

DAMAGED NONIMMIGRANT VISA OR BANCO DE ORO (BDO) PAYMENT SLIP

If your nonimmigrant visa was soaked in water or peeled off from the passport page due to water damage, your visa is considered invalidated. In order to make future trips to the United States, you must apply for a new nonimmigrant visa. The step-by-step procedures are provided in http://manila.usembassy.gov/wwwhniv1.html.

Visa applicants whose Banco de Oro (BDO) payment slips in blue paper (US embassy copy) are damaged or lost will have to pay a new visa application fee of $131 at any BDO branch or Citi's corporate center branch in Makati.

Message updated: October 15, 2009

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LEGAL RIGHTS FOR WORKERS IN THE U.S.

On December 23, 2008, then-President George Bush signed into law the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (WWTVPA) of 2008. The Act requires that an individual applying for an A-3, G-5, B1 domestic employee, J1, or certain H1B and H2B visas is made aware of his or her legal rights under federal immigration, labor, and employment laws. This includes information on the illegality of slavery, peonage, trafficking in persons, sexual assault, extortion, blackmail, and worker exploitation in the United States. Please read this pamphlet prior to your visa interview. You will be asked if you have received, read, and understood its contents.

For inquiries related to this matter, please e-mail us at ConsManilaNIV@state.gov.

Message updated: September 15, 2009

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ELECTRONIC DEVICES NOT PERMITTED ON EMBASSY GROUNDS

For the safety and security of all applicants and employees, visa applicants are NOT PERMITTED to bring any kind of electronic and battery-operated devices (cellular phone, digital camera, laptop, music player, portable game consoles such as PSP, etc.) into the U.S. Embassy. Applicants who bring such devices will be denied entry. Please make arrangements to leave your electronic equipment in a safe location off Embassy grounds BEFORE your interview appointment. We regret any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your cooperation.

Message updated: May 15, 2009

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NONIMMIGRANT VISA FEE PAYMENT SLIP EFFECTIVE JULY 1, 2009

On July 1, 2009, Citi and BDO began using new payment slips for nonimmigrant machine-readable visa (MRV) application fee payments.

Upon payment of the $131 MRV application fee, the bank will issue a new “US Embassy copy” of the bills payment slip which will be stapled to a blank DS-157 form. The BDO bills payment slip will have three copies. The copy on blue paper is the “US Embassy copy.” On the day of the interview, the Nonimmigrant Visa Unit will accept only the “US Embassy copy” as proof of payment of the $131 MRV application fee. If the slip stapled on the DS-157 form gets lost, the applicant will need to pay a new MRV fee.

All MRV fee payments made between May 25, 2009 and June 30, 2009 with the old bills payment slip will still be accepted. All MRV fee payments made before May 25, 2009 with a proof of payment validation at the back of the DS-157 form, which fall within the one-year fee validity, will also be accepted.

Message updated: May 28, 2009

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APPOINTMENT AVAILABILITY AND PROCESSING TIMES
AVAILABLE APPOINTMENTS

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. Final travel plans or the purchase of airline tickets should not be made until a visa has been delivered.

Message updated: June 16, 2009

AVERAGE VISA PROCESSING TIME AND DELIVERY

Depending on the volume of 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.

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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.