Nonimmigrant Visa Application Procedures

If you intend to apply for a nonimmigrant visa to the United States, we encourage you to first visit our About Nonimmigrant Visas page.

ALL APPLICANTS, REGARDLESS OF AGE (excluding those applying for A-1, A-2, G-1, G-2, G-3, G-4, and C-3 visas), ARE REQUIRED TO APPEAR AT THE EMBASSY FOR AN INTERVIEW.

Minor (unmarried 20 years old and below) nonimmigrant visa applicants are required to appear with at least one parent for the interview.  If the minor is an orphan or if both parents are outside of the Philippines, then a legal guardian must be present during the interview.

ALL nonimmigrant visa applicants (first time applicants, applicants who have an expired visa, or applicants who have lost their visa) must comply with the application procedures provided below.

Please note that an approved petition (Notice of Action, I-797 Form) is not a visa.  It may not be used in place of a visa.  The approval of a petition does not relieve the nonimmigrant visa applicant of the burden of establishing visa eligibility.  Temporary workers (H, L, O, P, and Q) must still apply for a visa.

Nonimmigrant visa applicants must pay the machine-readable visa application fee of $131. This fee can only be paid at BDO branches and Citi’s corporate center branch in Makati.  Please click here for a list of BDO branches that accept visa application fee payments. The fee must be paid in Philippine currency at the U.S. government exchange rate prevailing on the day of payment.  The bank will provide a receipt and a blank DS-157 Form where payment is machine-validated by check-rite.

The following individuals and visa classifications are exempt from paying the machine-readable visa application fee:

A fee applies to only one visa classification/application.  If an applicant wishes to apply for more than one visa simultaneously, corresponding payment per visa class must be made. 

Visa application fees are nonrefundable.  No exceptions will be made to this rule.  The fee is transferable if the DS-157 Form has not been filled out.  It is valid for use for one year after the date of actual payment.  The interview schedule must fall within the one-year validity.  

All basic documentary requirements must be ready BEFORE an appointment can be made.  Additional documents may be required, so please read the information below carefully.

All documents must be original.  Photocopies will not be accepted, unless specified.  The Nonimmigrant Visa Unit does not accept documents BEFORE the interview except for Treaty Trader (E1) and Treaty Investor (E2) visa applications.  Any documents received will not be returned and will be destroyed.

BASIC REQUIREMENTS:

1.    PASSPORT – Signed passports must be valid for at least six months from the date of intended departure from the United States.  The passport must be in good condition, i.e., photo lamination is undamaged, and all passport pages are intact.

Applicants must also present all previously issued passports or notarized affidavits of loss, if applicable.

Taiwanese passport holders that do not have Taiwan personal identification numbers listed above the date of birth on the biographic data page in their passports must present their original Philippine residency permit.

2.     APPLICATION FEE – Visa application fee receipt issued by the bank (except for A-1, A-2, G-1, G-2, G-3, G-4, C-3, NAFTA Treaty Nationals, NAFTA Treaty Dependents and certain U.S. Government sponsored J visa applicants)

3.     APPLICATION FORMS – Both completed application forms (DS-156 & DS-157) are needed for each person, regardless of age.  All questions must be filled out with a high level of accuracy.  Errors and incomplete information may result in a visa processing delay.

a)    DS-156 Form –  Please fill out the form online, and then print it out using an inkjet or laser printer.  The printout will be three pages in length and include the two-dimensional barcode page.  Make sure that the barcode is printed clearly and completely, with no lines broken or torn.

Handwritten or typed Visa Application DS-156 Forms will no longer be accepted.

Please recheck the completed form to ensure its accuracy.  If you must make changes, please fill out another one.  No information is transmitted to the Embassy when filling out DS-156 electronically.

b)    DS-157 Form – Applicants should also complete the Nonimmigrant Visa Supplemental Application DS-157 Form.  The form is provided at the bank where fees are paid.  Applicants must ensure that the back of the DS-157 Form is machine-validated with check-rite.  The U.S. Embassy does not validate DS-157 Forms.

Applicants whose DS-157 Form is not machine-validated by the bank with check-rite will NOT be allowed to enter the Embassy premises.  The applicant will then have to book another interview appointment.  Re-bookings do not require another application fee.

For nonpaying applicants (diplomatic (A), official (G), certain U.S. Government sponsored exchange visitor (J), and treaty dependents (TD), please complete the DS-157 Form by clicking here.

4.    PHOTO – One 2” x 2” standard, full-frontal face position color photo against a white background taken within the last six (6) months is required.  The photo must be glued or stapled to the application form where specified.

Note: The U.S. Embassy Manila also requires that both ears be showing in the photo.  Please click here for additional information on photo specifications.

5.    EXTENSION OF STAY/CHANGE OF STATUS – Please bring copies of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) approvals of extension of stay or change of status, if applicable.

6.    PROOF OF RELATIONSHIP (if applying with/for dependent/s)

ü  Original marriage certificate printed on the Philippine National Statistics Office security paper, if applicable (if applying with a spouse and/or child)

ü  Original birth certificate printed on the Philippine National Statistics Office security paper (for dependent/s)

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

Additional requirements are based on the visa class that a person is applying for. Please look at the Types of Visas page and view the details for each visa class.

There are two ways to book an interview appointment: through the Embassy call center or through the VisaPoint™ system.

1.  Scheduling an appointment through the Embassy call center

These telephone appointment systems are available Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Philippine time, except Philippine holidays.

When booking an appointment, the caller must have both basic and additional documentary requirements handy. 

2. Scheduling an appointment online

VisaPoint ™ is  a web-based information and appointment system available to applicants for U.S. nonimmigrant visas. This system is available in both English and Tagalog and allows applicants to schedule an appointment 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and see all available dates and times on the computer screen.

 
Please click here to learn more about VisaPoint ™.

Please click here to start using VisaPoint ™.

Please click here to learn about appointment availability.

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You can view a presentation about the process at the Embassy, so you know what to expect. You can see the presentation in English or Tagalog.

After check-in of applicants at the entry gate, applicants will proceed to the Pavilion where they will submit their documents for data entry.  Each applicant, or group, will receive a number.  When their numbers are called, applicants will proceed to the appropriate window for finger scanning. After finger scanning, documents including the DS-156 application for a nonimmigrant visa, and passport, will be returned to each applicant for presentation to the interviewing officer.

Please note:  Applicants should present only their DS-156 and passport to the interviewing officer.  If additional documents are required, the officer will ask for them.

The new procedures should expedite the interview process.  Embassy personnel are available to provide assistance at each stage.

ü  The U.S. Embassy in Manila does not pre-qualify an applicant.  Only an adjudicating consular officer at the time of the interview can determine whether an applicant is eligible for a nonimmigrant visa.

ü  All ten fingers of a visa applicant will be electronically scanned in an inkless process at the beginning of the visa interview. The electronic data from the fingerprints will be stored in a database.  This information will be available to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security immigration officers at ports of entry in the United States as part of the US-VISIT Program. The biometric identifier will be checked at the port of entry in the United States to verify that the person presenting the visa is the same person to whom the visa was issued.

ü  Non-compliance with the requirements mentioned above will result in the non-processing of the visa application.

ü  All applicants are interviewed at the U.S. Embassy in Manila.  The Consular Agency in Cebu and the virtual consulate in Davao do not process visa applications.

ü  Applicants who require interpreters must inform the interviewing officer on the day of their interview.  The Embassy will provide an interpreter.  There is no need to bring a relative or a friend to act as an interpreter.

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Upon the conclusion of the interview, the applicant will be advised whether he or she qualifies for the visa.  Please note that a visa does not guarantee entry into the United States. Visa holders are subject to inspection at the port of entry by officials of the Department of Homeland Security who have the authority to deny admission.
Please click here for information about visa processing times.

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

Please visit the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) page for more information.

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