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Who requires a visa?
Required by all except the following:
(a) citizens of countries under the Visa Waiver Program
(b) 1. nationals of Bermuda and Canada, provided holding valid passports;
(c) nationals of Mexico, provided holding a valid passport and a US Border
Crossing Card.
Note: (a) Landed Immigrants of Canada and British residents of Bermuda
who are citizens of, and have valid passports from, Commonwealth countries or
Ireland are no longer eligible to enter the USA without a visa. (b) The Transit
Without Visa (TWOV) and International-to-International (ITI) transit programs
have been indefinitely suspended as of 2 August 2003. All passengers using US
airports for transit purposes are now required to obtain a transit visa. This
does not affect qualified travellers travelling visa-free under the Visa Waiver
Program (see below).
Restricted entry
The following are not eligible to receive a USA entry visa:
(a) people afflicted with certain serious communicable diseases or disorders
deemed threatening to the property, safety or welfare of others;
(b) anyone who has been arrested (except for very minor driving offences) or who
has a criminal record;
(c) narcotics addicts or abusers and drug traffickers;
(d) anyone who has been deported from or denied admission to the USA.
Note: Those who are ineligible may be suitable candidates for a waiver of
ineligibility.
What documents will be required?
Valid passport required by all. Validity varies - for most
countries a passport must be valid for the entire duration of the stay; check
with the Embassy (see Contact Addresses section).
Note
(a) For nationals included in the Visa Waiver Program, passports must be valid
for at least 90 days from date of entry (except for nationals of Andorra, Brunei
and San Marino, who must hold passports valid for at least six months beyond the
intended date of departure from the USA).
(b) Introduced on October 26 2004, all travellers entering the USA under the
Visa Waiver Program now require individual machine-readable passports. Children
included on a parent's passport also now require their own machine-readable
passport. Travellers not in possession of machine-readable passports will
require a valid USA entry visa.
(c) Passports issued on or after October 26 2005 will need to have a biometric
identifier in order for the holder to travel visa-free under the Visa Waiver
Program (VWP).
2 completed application forms
A passport valid for travel to the US, with a validity date at least six months
beyond the applicant's intended period of stay
1 photograph (1in x 1.5in)
Evidence of sufficient funds
Postal or drop-box applications:
(a) Completed visa application form
DS-156.
(b) Passport (valid through 6 months after entry).
(c) 1 passport-size colour photo (5x5 cm, head size 2,5 - 3,5 cm, front view,
light background, max. 6 months old).
(d) Copy of Embassy's red paying-in slip.
(e) Supporting documents: DS-158
(male between 16 and 45 also need a
DS-157).
(f) Stamped, self-addressed envelope.
Applications through travel agent:
In addition to mentioned above applicants should contact the travel agent for
details on paying the visa fee.
Further documentation may be required to substantiate details such as the
purpose of visit plus proof of intention to return to country of residence.
Note:
(a) For nationals of countries under the Visa Waiver Pilot Program, passports
must be valid for at least 90 days from date of entry (except for nationals of
Andorra, Brunei, San Marino and Slovenia, who must hold passports valid for 6
months from date of departure).
(b) For all other nationals, passports must be valid for 6 months from date of
entry.
Interns: When doing an internship in the USA, a J1 visa is required. For the
application you need the DS-2016 form (former IAP66). Usually the company or the
organization arranges that. Male applicants aged 16-45 need to fill in the
DS-157 form additionally. All
persons who apply for F, J and M Visa have to fill in
DS-158 (Information on contact
persons and the business background) additional.
Time required to issue visa:
Varies with each embassy; interview appointment waiting time is
usually 25 to 30 days (27 days for London Embassy), and visa processing time is
usually five to seven working days (three days for London Embassy). Some
applications, however, may take up to 60 days. It is important to allow
sufficient time for processing the visa, and final travel plans should not be
made until a visa has been issued. Applications lodged during the peak travel
season may take longer..
What is the cost of a visa?
Tourist, Business, Transit and Student. Other types of visa are
also available. The visa application fee is $100, regardless of whether the visa
is issued or denied and regardless of the duration of the visa or entries
required. The Embassy will provide a paying-in slip, which is attached to the
application form DS-156. The fee
must be paid in cash at a bank prior to submitting a visa application to the US
Embassy, and the bank will issue a receipt of payment, which must be attached to
the application form. The fee receipt, once paid, is valid for one year. Some
nationals may also have to pay a reciprocal visa issuance fee
How long is the visa valid for?
10 years. Some visas are valid for multiple entries.
The length of stay in the USA is determined by US immigration officials at the
time of entry, but is generally 6 months.
For extensions and further information, apply to the US Immigration &
Naturalisation Service
When you enter the United States on a student visa, you will usually be admitted
for the duration of your student status. That means you may stay as long as you
are a full time student, even if the F-1 visa in your passport expires while you
are in America. For a student who has completed the course of studies shown on
the I-20, and any authorized practical training, the student is allowed the
following additional time in the U.S. before departure:
F-1 student - An additional 60 days, to prepare for departure from the U.S. or
to transfer to another school.
M-1 student - An additional 30 days to depart the U.S. (Fixed time period, in
total not to exceed one year). The 30 days to prepare for departure is permitted
as long as the student maintained a full course of study and maintained status.
An M student may receive extensions up to three years for the total program.
As an example regarding duration of status, if you have a visa that is valid for
five years that will expire on January 1, 2001, and you are admitted into the
U.S. for the duration of your studies (often abbreviated in your passport or on
your I-94 card as "D/S"), you may stay in the U.S. as long as you are a full
time student. Even if January 1, 2001 passes and your visa expires while in
America, you will still be in legal student status. However, if you depart the
U.S. with an expired visa, you will need to obtain a new one before being able
to return to America and resume your studies. A student visa cannot be renewed
or re-issued in the United States; it must be done at an Embassy or Consulate
abroad.
Other information:
Visa Waiver
Program
(a) 2. The following nationals, upon presentation of a valid passport, do not
require a visa under the Visa Waiver Program: Andorra, Australia, Brunei, EU
countries (except nationals of Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Hungary,
Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland and Slovak Republic, who do require a visa),
Iceland, Japan, Liechtenstein, Monaco, New Zealand, Norway, San Marino,
Singapore and Switzerland.
To qualify for visa-free travel under the Visa Waiver Program, nationals must
travel on a valid passport, for holiday, transit or business purposes only and
for a stay not exceeding 90 days.
If entering the USA by air or sea, passengers must hold a return or onward
ticket or itinerary (if onward tickets terminate in Bermuda, Canada, Mexico or
the Caribbean Islands, travellers must be legal permanent residents of those
countries), hold a completed form I-94W and enter aboard an air or sea carrier
participating in the Visa Waiver Program (lists of participating air or sea
carriers are available from most travel agents or the carriers themselves).
If entering the USA by land from Canada or Mexico, hold a completed form I-94W*
issued by Immigration at the port of entry and a US$6 fee (only payable in US
Dollars).
Note*: (a) Passengers must have the full address and ZIP code of where
they are staying in the USA to be able to fully complete the I-94W form. (b)
Members of Visa Waiver Program countries who want to work, study or remain more
than 90 days in the USA must apply for a visa before travelling, as should those
who have been previously refused a visa, have a criminal record, or are in any
way ineligible for an unrestricted visa. (c) 3. Holders of UK passports with the
endorsement British Subject, British Dependent Territories Citizen, British
Protected Person, British Overseas Citizen or British National (Overseas)
Citizen do not qualify for the Visa Waiver Program. Persons unsure about visa
requirements (including those defined in Restricted Entry’ above) should contact
the US Consulate General or the Visa Department of the US Embassy .
Can i work in USA
Under an F-1 student visa, work is generally not permitted
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