How do I apply for a nonimmigrant visa?
Please see the step-by-step procedures here.
Do I need to have a specific trip planned in order to apply for a visa?
One may apply for a visa even if s/he simply wishes to have the option to make a trip at some point in the future. Please make this intention clear to the consul during the interview.
May I mail in my visa application?
No. One must call to make an appointment for an interview, unless s/he is applying for a Diplomatic/Official (A/C-3/G) visa, other than A-3 and G-5 visas.
I called the Call Center or telephone appointment system but am scheduled two months from now. Is it possible to get an earlier appointment?
Early interviews will be granted in limited cases and under pressing circumstances. Please see the Early Appointments and Emergency Travel page for more information.
I would like to take my nephew or grandchild on a trip to the United States. Who must apply for the child's visa?
Visa eligibility for minors age 20 and under is typically based upon the qualifications of their parents or legal guardians, who must submit their applications. Exceptions will be made only in cases where it is impossible for a parent/guardian to appear for interview.
If the child is traveling with only one parent, or with someone who is not their parent, what document(s) do we need to present?
For minor Philippine national (17 years old and below under Philippine law) applicant:
a) Legitimate / legally adopted son or daughter
a. If traveling with only one parent or with someone who is not the child’s parent, an authorization from the Philippine Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is required.
b. If the accompanying adult is the natural mother or the natural father who is married to the natural mother, only a DSWD Parental Travel Permit is required .
c. If the accompanying adult is any other relative or adult, or the natural father who is not married to the child's mother, a DSWD Certificate for Minor to Travel Abroad is required.
b) Illegitimate son or daughter
If traveling with only the mother, a travel permit, certification or authorization from the DSWD is not required. If traveling with only the biological father, a court order is required.
A person told me that I have a better chance of getting a visa if I pay a few thousand pesos for help in completing and processing the application. Is this true?
No. The application form should be completed by the applicant. Completing it should require no special assistance, and we recommend strongly that the applicant write it himself/herself. If an applicant cannot accomplish the form himself/herself, a representative may accomplish and, hence, sign the form. The applicant must review and sign the application form before submission to the Embassy during the scheduled interview.
How do you decide whether or not to issue a visa? What does 214(b) mean?
For business and tourist visas (B-1/B-2), each applicant must qualify under section 214(b) of the U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), which states:
"Every alien shall be presumed to be an immigrant until he establishes to the satisfaction of the officer, at the time of the application for a visa . . . that he is entitled to nonimmigrant status . . .”
Essentially, the visa officer is looking to see that the applicant has compelling reasons to return to the Philippines. By law, the burden of proof is on the applicant to show that he or she qualifies for the visa. This proof may come in many forms, but when considered together, it must be strong enough for the interviewing officer to conclude that one’s ties to the Philippines will bring him/her back at the end of a temporary stay in the United States.
What do you mean by "ties to the Philippines?"
"Ties" are the aspects of one’s life that bind him/her to his/her place of residence, including family relationships, employment and possessions. In the case of younger applicants, who may not have had an opportunity to establish such ties, interviewing officers may look at educational status, grades, the situation of parents, and an applicant's long-range plans and prospects in the Philippines. As each person's situation is different, there is no set answer as to what constitutes adequate ties.
What constitutes evidence of income?
Please see the Demonstrating Ties section for more information.
Is it acceptable to submit an authenticated birth/marriage certificate from the National Statistics Office (NSO) in lieu of the NSO certificates on security paper? It takes a while before we can get these documents from NSO.
We only accept birth/marriage certificates from NSO issued on security paper.
If I present a letter of guarantee of return from a person of high stature, will I get a visa?
A letter, even from a highly placed person, does not necessarily establish the applicant's ties outside of the United States. U.S. law requires each applicant to qualify for a visa in his or her own right.
Will it help my application if I present a letter from my relative's U.S. Congressman or Senator?
Such letters will be considered. However, evaluation of the application will be made in accordance with Section 214(b) of the United States Immigration and Nationality Act. Visa applications are adjudicated based on individual merits, consistent with criteria specified in the Immigration Act, as amended, and the Federal regulations issued pursuant to it. Consular officers are required to deny visas to applicants who cannot qualify under the law, and to issue visas to those applicants who do qualify. Consular officers cannot issue visas based on the assurances of family members, friends or interested third parties.
Isn't it better not to disclose that I have close relatives living in the United States, that I have an immigrant visa petition on file, or that I have previously been denied? What are the consequences if I conceal or misrepresent information or submit fraudulent documents?
Full disclosure is best. We understand that many people have relatives in the United States but intend only a short visit, or have immigrant visa petitions on file but do not plan to immigrate at this time. It is therefore to the advantage of the applicant to disclose these facts. When an interviewing officer uncovers any attempt to conceal or misrepresent facts, the application will be denied and the applicant may, in certain cases, be ruled permanently ineligible to enter the United States.
I don't have an original copy of my land title because it is mortgaged with the bank. Should I buy a substitute title so I can present something at the interview?
Never purchase documents to present at an applicant’s interview. The genuine documents in one’s possession provide him/her a better chance of qualifying for a visa, whether now or in a future application. When an interviewing officer uncovers any questionable documents or attempts to misrepresent facts, the application will be denied and the applicant may, in certain cases, be ruled permanently ineligible to enter the United States.
Can I mail in information about my application in advance of my interview?
Due to the large number of applications we receive, it is impossible for us to match up correspondence with applications. The applicant should bring any information relevant to his/her application to the interview. The Nonimmigrant Visa Unit does not accept documents before the interview. Any documents received will not be returned and will be destroyed.
What are the allowable uses of a B-1/B-2 Visa?
The B-1 visa allows for temporary visitors to conduct business in the United States. This includes such things as a need to consult with business associates, negotiate a contract, buy goods or materials, settle an estate, appear in a court trial, and participate in business or professional conventions or conferences. This visa does not generally allow for gainful employment. The B-2 visa is issued for the purpose of touring, visits to friends and relatives, visits for rest or medical treatment, social or fraternal conventions and conferences, and amateur/unpaid participants in cultural or sports events.
Can I go to the United States to work?
While a person may go to the United States on a B-1/B-2 visa on business, working for a short time for a foreign employer, he/she may not be employed or paid by a U.S. party. To be employed in the United States, s/he must have a working visa (E, H, or L).
Can we take our domestic helper on the family's trip to the United States?
Please see the Personal (Domestic) Employee A-3/G-5 or B-1 page. Domestic employees may accompany their employers on temporary visits to the United States – during which time they must be paid according to U.S. prevailing wage rates.
We wish to attend a wedding in the United States. Should we bring a copy of the invitation to the interview?
The applicant may bring it but the officer may not necessarily examine it. The interviewing officer is less concerned with why the applicant is going to the United States than with whether s/he has ties that will bring him/her back. |